What is a “project” per PMI?
A temporary, unique endeavor organized to achieve a specific objective, with a defined beginning/end and limited resources.
Why is project management essential for process improvement?
It keeps work in scope, on time, on budget—so improvements actually get delivered and sustained.
Two core PM enablers mentioned
Communication and documentation.
What does “scope creep” mean?
Uncontrolled expansion of project scope beyond agreed objectives/resources.
Primary PM benefit for operations work
Discipline to coordinate tasks, people, time, and budget toward a clear outcome.
Outcome of strong communication + documentation
Fewer surprises, clearer expectations, better stakeholder alignment.
Why set expectations early?
To build buy-in and clarify objectives, approach, deliverables, and what happens after implementation.
First PM best practice for process improvement
Diagnose the problem and assess needs.
What belongs in “diagnose the problem”?
Scope, history, stakeholders, success criteria (desired business outcome), initial gaps, constraints.
Link between problem definition and PM
Problem definition embeds PM discipline from the start (scope, resources, success).
Second PM best practice
Outline the approach to tackle the problem.
Elements of the outlined approach
Use historic data, conduct interviews, restate the problem, and propose the “should-be” path.
Why use historic data in As-Is?
To see trends, quantify performance, and identify root causes objectively.
Role of interviews in As-Is
Elicit context, exceptions, and pain points that data alone won’t show.
Third PM best practice
Set the scope.
Why scope matters to resources
Scope must match available money, time, and people—or be renegotiated with a business case.
How to respond if scope/resources don’t fit
Communicate early with a concise business case to adjust scope, time, or budget.
Fourth PM best practice
Build a project plan.
What tool visualizes the plan?
A Gantt chart (who does what, and by when, with milestones).
Two purposes of the project plan
Assign accountability and serve as a communication/documentation hub.
Fifth PM best practice
Define and manage the budget.
Advice on budgeting cushion
Plan ~20% reserve for unforeseen needs (e.g., analytics tools, extra data collection).
If given $10k, how to plan spend?
Budget ~$8k explicitly, reserve ~$2k for contingencies.
Sixth PM best practice
Set and manage the timeline.
-
Improvement Tips26
-
Overview of Performance Improvement30
-
The Benchmarking Code of Conduct19
-
Understanding the 'As Is' and 'Should Be' Environments55
-
How To Perfectly Communicate Process Improvements To Stakeholders61
-
Prioritizing Gaps, Building Action Plans, and Measuring and Monitoring54
-
Six Sigma, ISO, and Baldrige Movements51
-
Reengineering Tools44
-
Do You Know Your SPC?64
-
More Reengineering Tools70
-
Process Mapping30
-
Historical Research – Types, Methods and Examples38
-
Understanding Process Performance Metrics56
-
Performance Measures20
-
5 Best Practices for Risk Management26
-
Managing Business Risk30
-
Project Management38
-
What is Operational Excellence?47
-
Checklist for Excellence in Business Processes36
-
Excellence in Business Processes34
-
Process Excellence: The Complete Guide20
-
Action Plans37
-
Change Management42
-
ROI Overview36
-
Trends in operations management19
-
Operations and Tech Trends24
-
Business Technology Trends61
-
Technology Insights28
-
Best Practices In Process Improvement31
-
Class Summary36
