Engineering Management

Module V
Project Management
Lecturer Muhammad Kashif Farooq
MS Mechanical Engineering
Learning Outcomes
▪ What is a project?
▪ Characteristics of a Project
▪ What is not a project?
▪ Project vs Program
▪ Project Life Cycle and its stages
▪ Current Drivers of Project Management
▪ Project Manager
▪ Project Scope
▪ Iron Triangle
▪ Project Failure
All of mankind’s greatest accomplishments—from
building the great pyramids to discovering a cure for
polio to putting a man on the moon—began as a
project.
Project

ISO 8402:
Project - unique process, consisting of a set of co-ordinated and controlled
activities with start and finish dates, undertaken to achieve an objective
conforming to specific requirements including constraints of time, cost and
resources.
▪ A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or
result
Characteristics of a Project
The major goal of a project is to satisfy a customer’s need. The
major characteristics of a project are as follows:
1. An established objective
2. A defined lifespan with a beginning and an end.
3. Usually, the involvement of several departments and professionals.
4. Typically, doing something that has never been done before.
5. Specific time, cost, and performance requirements
Characteristics of a Project…
▪ Objectives with a defined deadline
▪ Construct a 12-storey building by January 1, 2028
▪ Release version 4.0 of a software package as quickly as possible.
▪ Instead of staying in one job, individuals often move from project to project,
working with different groups of people. For example, after helping to install a
security system, an IT engineer may be assigned to develop a database for a
different client.
▪ Instead of working in separate offices under separate managers, project
participants, whether they be engineers, financial analysts, marketing
professionals, or quality control specialists, work together under the guidance
of a project manager to complete a project.
What is not a project?
▪ A project is not routine, repetitive work!
▪ Ordinary daily work typically requires doing the same or similar work
over and over, while a project is done only once;
▪ A new product or service exists when the project is completed.
Project vs Program
▪ A program is a group of related projects designed to accomplish a
common goal over an extended period of time.
▪ Each project within a program has a project manager.
▪ The major differences lie in scale and time span.
▪ Program management is the process of managing a group of ongoing,
interdependent, related projects in a coordinated way to achieve
strategic objectives.
e.g., A pharmaceutical organization may run a long-term cancer program
that oversees and coordinates all related projects. This centralized
approach allows better prioritization, selection, and management than
handling each project individually.
Project Life Cycle
▪ Projects have a limited lifespan and that there are predictable
changes in level of effort and focus over the life of the project.
▪ The project life cycle highlights the temporary and evolving nature of
project work, with distinct phases that reflect shifting effort and
focus.
▪ The Life-cycle models differ by industry or project type.
Example (software project):
Definition → Design → Code → Integration/Test → Maintenance
Stages of Project Life Cycle
▪ The project life cycle progresses through four sequential stages—
Defining, Planning, Executing, and Closing—with each stage involving
specific tasks and effort levels that rise, peak, and taper off over time.
Defining Stage:
▪ Define specifications
▪ Set project objectives
▪ Form teams and assign responsibilities
Planning Stage:
▪ Effort level increases significantly
▪ Develop plans, budget, schedules (timelines) , quality targets,
▪ Identify beneficiaries and required resources
Stages of Project Life Cycle…
Executing Stage:
▪ Core project work is performed
▪ Produce deliverables (e.g., product, report, software)
▪ Monitor time, cost, and quality
▪ Forecast and adjust as needed
Closing Stage:
▪ Deliver final product to customer
▪ Redeploy resources and team members
▪ Conduct post-project review and capture lessons learned
Current Drivers of Project Management
▪ Project management has transitioned from a specialized activity to a
core business practice.
▪ An increasing percentage of a typical firm’s resources and effort is
now devoted to projects.
▪ Projects are becoming ever more critical in shaping an organization’s
strategic direction.
▪ Several reasons for this are:
▪ Compression of the Product Life Cycle
▪ Knowledge Explosion
▪ Triple Bottom Line (Planet, People, Profit)
▪ Increased Customer Focus
1. Compression of the Product Life Cycle
▪ Shorter Cycles: High-tech products now last 6 months–3 years versus
10–15 years three decades ago.
▪ Critical Speed: A 6-month delay can slash market share by 33 percent.
▪ Time-to-Market: Rapid launches are vital for revenue and
competitiveness.
▪ Cross-Functional Teams: Organizations depend on agile, project-based
teams to accelerate delivery.
2. Knowledge Explosion
▪ The growth in new knowledge has increased the complexity of
projects because projects encompass the latest advances.
“Constructing a building today is as complex as it was 30 years ago?
▪ Almost every product now contains microchips—and soon, AI—
driving the need to combine diverse technologies.
▪ Project management has emerged as the key discipline for achieving
this task.
3. Triple Bottom Line (Planet, People, Profit)
▪ The threat of global warming has made sustainability a business
priority.
▪ Companies must consider environmental and societal impact alongside
profit.
▪ Reducing carbon footprints and using renewable resources rely on
effective project management.
▪ Sustainability goals reshape both objectives and methodologies in
projects.
For Example: achieving a high LEED (Leadership in Energy &
Environmental Design) certification award is often an objective on
construction projects.
4. Increased Customer Focus
▪ Customers no longer simply settle for generic products and services.
They want customized products and services that cater to their specific
needs.
▪ This mandate requires a much closer working relationship between the
provider and the receiver.
▪ Account executives and sales representatives are assuming more of a
project manager’s role as they work with their organization to satisfy
the unique needs and requests of clients.
Project Manager
▪ Perform core management functions: planning, scheduling, motivating, controlling
▪ Unique role: Manage temporary, non-repetitive projects with a fixed life
▪ Create teams and processes from scratch, unlike functional managers
▪ Handle all phases of the project life cycle, including closure
▪ Must manage diverse teams, often with part-time or external members
▪ Serve as primary link to customers, balancing expectations vs. feasibility
▪ Coordinate vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors
▪ Responsible for time–cost–performance trade-offs with limited authority
▪ May lack deep technical knowledge, but excel in orchestrating decisions
▪ Work is dynamic, challenging, and personally rewarding
▪ Involved in innovative problem-solving and creating something new
▪ Often recognized and well-compensated for success
▪ High demand across industries for effective project managers
Project Scope
▪ Project scope is a clear description of what a project will deliver —
including its goals, tasks, features, deadlines, and limits.
▪ It defines what is included in the project and what is not.
▪ Defining your project scope isn’t a one-person job. Rather, you should
align with any important project stakeholders and ensure that you’re all
on the same page.
Importance:
▪ It sets clear expectations for every stakeholder involved.
▪ It helps avoid confusion, delays, and extra work.
▪ It guides planning, budgeting, and resource allocation.
▪ It makes tracking progress and success easier.
Project Scope Statement_ School Website
Development
Title: XYZ School Official Website Development
Imaging a company is given project for design, development and
deployment of a user-friendly official website for XYZ school.
In Scope:
▪ Design and development of 5 pages (Home, About, Courses, Contact, News)
▪ Making the site mobile-friendly
▪ Completing it in 6 weeks
▪ Using English and Urdu language support
▪ Out of Scope:
▪ No student login or portal
▪ No live chat or chatbot integration
▪ No online fee payment system
Triple Constraints of a Project- Project Triangle
▪ How much time do I have? (Time)
▪ How much I can spend? How much help do I get? What tools I have?
(Budget or Cost)
▪ What exactly needs to be delivered? Or How the product will
perform? (Scope)
Triple Constraints of a Project- Iron Triangle
▪ Any limitation or restriction placed on a project is a constraint. For
example, when you set a deadline for the project to be completed
and released, you have given the project a time constraint.
▪ The triple constraint theory says that every project will include three
constraints: budget/cost, time, and scope.
▪ These constraints also serves as measurement scale of project’s
success or failure.
Triple Constraints of a Project- Iron Triangle…
▪ These three constraints are closely linked. Changing one will likely
affect the others.
▪ If you increase the project’s scope (add more features), it may take
more time and cost more money.
▪ If you shorten the timeline, you may need more resources (higher
cost) or reduce the scope.
▪ If you cut the budget, you may need to reduce scope or extend the
time.
Successful project managers balance all three to meet goals without
compromising quality.
Breaking Iron Triangle
▪ In a typical project, major stakeholders have different and often
conflicting priorities.
▪ The marketing group is interested in more features, financial group
has more interest in keeping the cost in check, support group wants
more stable and reliable product and senior management wants to
deliver the product on schedule.
▪ Once a project has started, changing any one of the triple constraints
(Scope, Time, or Cost) without adjusting the other two disrupts the
balance of the Iron Triangle.
Breaking Iron Triangle…
This imbalance can lead to serious consequences such as:
▪ Project is cancelled
▪ Delivery is delayed or runs over budget
▪ Delivered project is of bad quality
▪ Project is under delivered
Respect the Iron Triangle = Successful Project
▪ Project failure often occurs when one or more of the triple constraints—
Scope, Time, and Cost—are not properly managed or balanced.
▪ To ensure project success, stakeholders must understand that changing one
constraint requires adjusting the others to maintain quality- Flexible
Triangle.
Assignment 2
Identify and analyze seven common causes of project failure in
engineering and Support your findings with real-world examples and
suggest practical solutions or mitigation strategies for each.

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