What is the project. Definition of the project, its features and characteristics

The project approach to achieving the set goals gives an opportunity:

1) Combine the significant goals for the company, the achievement of which is possible in the foreseeable future.

2) It is more effective to plan the allocation of funds.

3) Coordinate the actions of managers and executors.

What is a project? Definition of concept

The word "project" (projectus) is translated from Latin as "outstanding, pushing forward, sticking out." And if you reproduce this word in the Oxford lexicon, you will get: "a well-planned start to business, a personally created company or a joint work necessary to achieve specific goals." If you approach the answer to this question in more detail, then the project is:

• A campaign (or a list of successive actions) through which some problematic issues will be resolved or a brilliant idea is implemented;

• One or more one-time assignments, without which it will be difficult to implement the project, identify and achieve the main objectives;

• A temporary order that must be completed on time, with a certain amount of resources involved;

• A case whose completion is tantamount to obtaining the desired result;

• Limited by time and resources, a set of efforts or carrying out activities necessary to achieve the goal (all work is carried out by a special organization created for such tasks);

• A list of activities due to time, the implementation of which will lead to the achievement of the only correct result; As a rule, such events are aimed at qualitative changes or the development of a new product (service);

• Popularization and structuring of several ideas and definition of the goals of projects that are part of the main project, joint implementation of all possible action plans (activities);

• Designing sequential operations, the implementation of which will allow to achieve some results in the future;

• Detailed description of the actions planned in a specific period and in specific conditions, the purpose of which is to change the situation in the future;

• An activity that requires a detailed plan and provides for a number of operations aimed at radically changing the current situation;

• A dream, a flow, a mechanism through which it can be realized in the future, with the subsequent use of the notions here for self-realization;

• Research of the subject in the present for the sake of drawing up a plan of action for the future.

By the variety of projects can be personal (for example, the development of a personal site) or developing, forcing the society to change (sometimes - beyond recognition).

Features

The project, the definition of which has no analogues, is called innovation or novelty. And if in the near future there will not be a need to repeat the implementation of any points of the project (or it will not be necessary to decide ever), it is called one-time.

If the final result should be received by a predetermined time, then the distinguishing feature of this project is the time limit. And when the implementation of the project requires the participation of specialists from different fields, the definition of the project can fit in one word - interdisciplinarity.

Risks

Risks and difficulties in the development and management of the project arise, mainly, if such tasks were not previously solved. The riskiness of the project directly depends on its scale and the equipment of the performers (availability of necessary equipment, materials and tools). A lot of risks, for example, carry an investment project, the definition of sources of which is impossible without obtaining the necessary knowledge.

Financing of investment projects

Internal financing or self-financing is carried out at the expense of the enterprise - the founder of the project and provides for the expenditure of personal funds of shareholders. Also, it is possible to use the net profit of the enterprise, as well as damper deductions, and the formation of capital is strictly targeted. This type of financing is possible only if the project is small.

Definition of a project financed from outside:

1) External financing can be carried out at the expense of the state, financial and non-financial enterprises, the population, foreign investors and additional funds at the disposal of the founders.

2) Shareholding and share contributions.

3) Investment bank loans and bonded loans.

Limiting factors

Any project consists of three limiting factors:

• Deadlines. In order to correctly calculate the duration of the project, the technical problems are broken down into constructive blocks, then the "lifting" of the work volume is evaluated and the results are compared with the experience of successful developers.
• Resources. For example, a human resource: the management of employees, the definition of project activities using their talents and abilities.
• Result. The components of this item are: financial viability, skillful marketing, economic efficiency, professionalism of the project manager and performers.

Project Programs

Considering the work of an organization, it is almost always possible to note two key variants of its activity that exist at a time:

• So-called "turnover" and periodically repeating transactions or transactions;

• Projects.

The main differences between these two activities are the recurrence of recurring processes and the subordination to a specific schedule of actions aimed at achieving a unique result.

For example, in the production of cars, the work of the shop conveyors, accounting calculations and the processing of correspondence refer to repetitive operations. Repeated transactions are characterized by a rather significant degree of certainty and require a systematic approach, the goal of which is to increase the operational efficiency of already existing facilities and equipment.

The definition of a project focused on the implementation of any internal or external changes is, for example, creating the latest modifications, changing pipelines or introducing new automatic systems. External changes may include marketing campaigns, expanding the field of activity of the organization, changing market relations. In particular, you can note the following options:

• Projects of coordination formation (reorganization of the enterprise, introduction of innovations and so on);

• Projects of business formation (research developments, production of new products, the formation of progressive currents, access to previously unknown markets);

• Projects for the formation (maintenance) of infrastructure (planned fixing, replacement of equipment and so on);

• Commercial plans carried out within the framework of the contract (manufacturing and delivery of original or non-representative products, construction, rendering of original services).

This list can be continued if it is supplemented with examples from different industrial spheres that have significant differences in the scope of work, the timing of implementation, the number of employees and the significance of the results.

Aim for getting results

The goal of any project is to obtain a concrete result, that is, to achieve the goal. The specific goal is the driving force behind the project.

The definition of a project implies performing interdependent tasks. Projects aimed at achieving the goal are endowed with a deep inner meaning necessary for their implementation. The primary feature of project management is the accuracy in the definition and formulation of objectives, from the top level to the detailed formulation of less significant goals.

In addition, the project can be regarded as a step-by-step achievement of extremely clearly stated simple problems, and its progress is like achieving more significant tasks. The project is considered completed only after the final goal has been achieved.

What is the project portfolio?

Portfolio (Portfolio) - a collection of projects (programs), combined with one goal: to make management more comfortable and successful. The projects collected in the portfolio may not be interconnected, not be united by a common goal and exist independently of each other.