Projects Vs Operations

The most important step in stepping in to project management is to identify the difference between a project and an operation. Is Building a bridge a project or an operation? Is lecturing for a subject for a particular batch of students in a semester a project or an operation? Is performing preventive maintenance on equipment a project or an operation? 

PMBOK (2008) identifies the reason behind the complication between a project and an operation. Accordingly, both a project and an operation is planned, executed, monitored and controlled and;

Figure 01 : Project Vs Operations

So what differs the two from one another? 

As stated in PMBOK (2008), the primary criteria of the difference is the time. A project is temporary while an operation is ongoing, also the deliverable of a project is unique where as the deliverable of an operation is repetitive. So when there is a confusion in differentiating a project from an operation the below criteria can be referred to;

A project is temporary, has a definite start date and an end date, has unique deliverable, progressively elaborated and terminated once the project is completed.

An Operation is ongoing, repetitive, involves continues work without an end date and helps in keeping the organization functioning.

Reference

PMBOK, 2008. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. 4th ed. Newtown Square: Project Management Institute, Inc.

An Introduction to the "Project Management Stepping Stones"

I'm Sanduni, currently reading for BSc (Hons) in Business Information Technology awarded by University of Staffordshire in United Kingdom, at Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT Sri Lanka).

Project Management, is introduced to us as a module. Unlike many other modules that we learn, The term "Project Management", is not unfamiliar, it is one of those terms that we usually hear, we think we know, but do we really know?, well, there is only one way to find it out...and that's listen, read & learn.

The 'project management stepping stones' is to post what, I learn from my lecturer, what I read, what I understand, in step by step from time to time."Managing a project is the best way to achieve it's success" is the first thought that runs across my mind when I hear the term, project management. In my point of view it is not merely applicable to industrial projects or assignments, it applies to our life, our career path and our professional life.

What is life, if not for a project, that unless properly managed would be an utter failure. Each project is different with the availability of resources, targets and requirements, however, can be similar in certain aspects. In life and in a project, you cannot go back, because time does not let you, but you learn from your mistakes, take decisions by critically analyzing the past, either something that has happened to you or to some one you know.You need to be vigilant, as one wrong decision may cause an unpredictable cost. So the decisions you make, makes you successful or unsuccessful.

I believe, project management, is a skill, a tool and mechanism to be developed over time with experience. The more techniques and their usability identified, the more ways it is to manage different projects.

My expectations through this module, is to understand the concept of project management, the uses and how to use it the right way, what are the common mistakes of project management, the techniques and tools of project management, how to identify the ways to manage different projects and project teams and finally how project management would help me mange a better career and a better professional life for my future.