If the latter, then I'd definitely go for Risk Management...
If the former, then I think you are right with Procurement Management - while this is very commonly practiced on construction or other types of engineering projects, it is not as common with others, especially with internal projects.
I'd hope that Quality Management is used on ALL projects - it's rare that deliverables aren't internally vetted by someone so at the very least we are practicing QC even if QA is absent...
Kiron
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1 reply by Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
Jul 06, 2018 9:48 PM
Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
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Thanks Kiron. I meant the former, but both concepts are valuable. Actually you might be surprised how often quality isn't baked into projects.
Sadly, Quality Management seems to suffer when risks aren't mitigated effectively.
Quality Risk examples include:
- management pressure to decrease the approved Quality schedule & "just get it done";
- scope creep & weak project/program management;
- poorly collected & documented requirements or MISSED requirements;
- budget reductions; and
- a plethora of other lurking challenges!
The good news is that Quality Risk can be alleviated via PM organizational agility, expertise, risk management knowledge, and understanding of Quality as a vital component of any project. 6 Sigma & ISO knowledge is also beneficial. (Anecdotally, referencing 6 Sigma or ISO requirements that pertain to the project in its Requirements Documentation will greatly facilitate Quality Risk mitigation from Project Start to Finish.)
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1 reply by Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
Jul 06, 2018 9:49 PM
Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
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Good input Mary.
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Dinah YoungProject Manager / Software Asset Manager| Prince William CountySpringfield, Va, United States
I think it depends on the industry. For Procurement Management, my boyfriend, as a defense contractor working on infrastructure, does a lot in this area. However, I work in local government and we have a separate department that handles most of our procurement, so the part we do is much less involved.
Quality is something everyone strives to deliver, however are they actually using the processes outlined in PMI. Probably not near as much as they should. But again that can be industry specific. If you are producing a physical product, then you probably follow all of the quality testing. If you are producing software, you run through test plans and that is it.
Risk Management. I am sad to say that where I work we are definitely under performing here. I keep trying, but others have yet to follow suit. But I would expect other industries, like construction cannot skip over risk management.
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1 reply by Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
Jul 06, 2018 9:50 PM
Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
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Risk management is like a box of chocolates Dinah.
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
It depends on the industry but in every project I believe you use all KA’s but on different levels depending on the project, complexity, industry and so on. You can’t really do a project and not go through all of those KA’s as everyone of them adds value and contributes to the success of the project in a different unique way. Just to be clear, I am talking from construction point of view.
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1 reply by Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
Jul 06, 2018 9:51 PM
Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
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True Rami, in construction you would have to use Quality, Risk and Procurement.
All 10th knowledge area are important, however in some organizations/ industries might consider the knowledge area of Risk management is the least ones.
What about if we reverse the question and ask what is the least process(s) used within project?
Of course the total processes are 49 processes( as PMBOK 6th Ed) , then I will choose for example 11.4 (Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis).
Answer to this question also depend to the project team and project manager.
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1 reply by Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
Jul 06, 2018 9:52 PM
Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
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Yes we could reverse the question Mansour. It would make it easier to answer ;-)
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Anish AbrahamPrivacy Program Manager| University of WashingtonAuburn, Wa, United States
In my experience it's procurement management, since we have a separate department to deal with procurement.
I would have to say that is all depends of the organization that you are in but if I had to draw a line on average, it would be quality management with a hint on change management. There are lots of places that does not do proper change management process or just don`t use it which creates lots of issues.
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1 reply by Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
Jul 06, 2018 9:54 PM
Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
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Thanks Dominic, quality is absent in some projects I have seen.
Usually Procurement management, it is centralised and you have almost no control
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1 reply by Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
Jul 06, 2018 9:57 PM
Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
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Kevin, Procurement Management is probably my number one choice too. Others have said that's because it's handled by a Procurement Department, but that is not entirely correct. Even if there is a Procurement Department, we can still do Procurement Management, and the associated plan, even if large portions are handled by that department. As PM's we would still need to create the plan if we require procurement. However, some project require zero procurement hence why it's my top choice.
I think it is Managing Stakeholder Engagement We tend to brag about it, to think that we actually care about the people; but in the actual and real work environment, especially in the arab world or any project within developing contries or “3rd world countries” as most of you got used of calling us ??, nobody gives a damn about the people. Ok they fill the post of HR so you can’t say they don’t worry at all about the staff, but do they understand well the expectation of each? Do they make sure every stakeholder is happy and engaged? Do they really care about the sponsor or Client or just about how much pay he or she will be approving/providing? And now globally with the market conditions, the world is deviating our thinking towards any knowledge area or any area whatsoever where we care less about one another. They get you thinking about risks and calculations and agile and creative thinking, it’s all good but also shouldn’t become the only concern. It’s all about the people! Success or failure, win or lose, it can be much more affected by a better and more efficient way of stakeholder management.
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1 reply by Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
Jul 06, 2018 10:08 PM
Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
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Thanks Joseph. Hmm perhaps we don't handle stakeholders effectively in some projects, but I can't imagine any project that doesn't involve stakeholder management. And I disagree about the lack of stakeholder management in “3rd world countries”. I managed projects in the Philippines for over a decade. While I agree that the class system and collectivist society there renders the lower ranking members of the stakeholder community at the mercy of corporate tyrants, some of us in the project management and general management community (foreign and local) do what we can to champion the cause of not only stakeholders, but to care for those workers that don't always get the best opportunities and who are quite often not treated well. Change is slow but on the up. I also have to disagree that globalization is "deviating our thinking towards any knowledge area or any area whatsoever where we care less about one another". If anything, globalization has increased cultural sensitivity and an almost obsessive mindset to ensure equality regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation etc.
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