Practical Project Management

The economics of business and the era of corporate downsizing have forced many companies to re-think the way they are doing business. As a result, more and more companies are relying on project managers to take care of the company business. People who have never had to concern themselves with more than the pursuits of their own job suddenly have been pushed into the role of managing projects with complex task relationships, often across disciplines. Practical Project Management introduces the reader to the particular discipline imposed by project management practices, providing relief to the new project manager who is overwhelmed by the new level of responsibility. The text does not attempt to be the encyclopedic "last word" in the discipline, but its practical, day-to-day approach explains in simple, achievable methods the challenges real project managers face daily. Unlike other texts, the reader of this book is not expected to have extensive prior experience in project management, engineering, or elaborate statistical models. To bring home this real-world orientation, the text employs the following learning elements: Project Management Seminar. Chronicles the experiences of a group of trainees who are studying project management, just as the reader of the text is. Through a unique dialogue feature, the trainees offer their experiences, questions, concerns, and even arguments regarding the material they, like the reader, are learning for the first time in a formalized way. Interview with an Expert. These interviews feature practicing project managers from a variety of industries and further apply project management concepts. Project Challenge: Applying What You Know. These problems and cases are drawn directly from the authors' experiences or represent composites of client situations the authors have handled. Tool Box Tips. Interspersed throughout the text and noted with a special tool box icon, these provide users with operational suggestions for applying recommendations from the text. Microsoft Project 2000 Software. Free 120-day trial software is packaged with each text. Readers have an opportunity to practice using Microsoft Project with chapter exercises, enabling them to become conversant with this powerful project management software tool.