Month: August 2022

Project Closure Phase: 8 Steps to Closing Process Group

Projects are a temporary undertaking, so they have a beginning as well as an end. The ‘project management groups’ are the phases of a project’s life cycle. Each process group has a specific objective. But what is the purpose of project closure? Is the project finished when the work is done and the result handed out? No. You should detail everything during the final phase of the project’s life cycle, which is the project closing, in order to determine if the project went according to plan and if the customer was satisfied with the result.
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This article will outline the key steps to a successful closing phase. Learn more about project management with our online PMP or CAPM training.
What is the objective?
Project closure activities include recording project documents, archiving organizational process assets, making final payment, releasing resources, and completing the project. Each project is an opportunity to learn from the mistakes and successes of others. Even after a project is completed, the documentation of the project will be useful for future projects.
You should consider closing process group activities to ensure a successful project closure. Let’s take a look at them one-by-one.
What are the 8 steps?

Step 1: Confirm that work has been completed according to the requirements
All deliverables must be completed and handed to the customer by the time the project is finished. For the finished work, you must also accept the customer’s formal acceptance.
Step 2: Complete the procurement closing
You should make any payments to suppliers or partners that are due to be paid as the project is ending. You have also completed the procurement steps.
Step 3: Accept formal approval of the project
The customer is required to accept the project and deliverables in writing. Usually, the customer presents a written statement, such as an email or signed off document. This document states that the project is complete and that they accept the project’s outputs.

Step 4: Final performance reporting
The project’s final performance is calculated and recorded. These include the cost performance, schedule performance and quality performance. This could be, for example, whether the project was completed within budget or if it was not, how much the project cost over the budget?
Step #5: Indexing and Archiving Records
Finalized documents are collected. All documents related to the project, including the final project management plans, are archived in company records.
Project Closure Step #6: Update lessons learned
All stakeholders are able to contribute their lessons learned. The company’s organizational process assets contain the lessons learned documentation.

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The project is complete when the product is handed over to the customer. You may need to provide documentation or assistance for the handover.
Step #8: Let go of the resources
Once the project has been completed successfully, all assigned project resources are closed. Lessons learned inputs are taken from the project resources and these resources are then released.
As you can see, project closure is just as important as any other phase.

Project Closing Phase: Do you know the 8 Steps to Closing a Project.

The project team’s efforts throughout the entire project life cycle don’t stop after the project execution group. As mentioned in PMP certification training, there is a phase called project closing. This is when the actual work of a project is completed. Is it possible to close the project and not get acceptance from the customer? No! This is one of 8 steps to project closing.
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This article will cover every step of project closing. We will also explain the reasons for the project closing phase being initiated.
Let’s start by explaining the purpose of the project closing process. The PMP course provides more information on the different project management groups.
What is the purpose of Project Closing
Project closure processes ensure that the project is completed successfully. Project closure is the process of closing the project after the project deliverables have been delivered and accepted by the customer.
What happens during the Project Closing Phase
There are 8 main steps to be followed during the project closing phase:

In the project closing group, the project is complete. During the project closing phase, deliverables must be completed, payments to suppliers need to made, and requirements checked to ensure they have all been met. are done. These are the criteria for project completion and project closure.
Includes administrative activities. Includes communication with other parties, documentation, and written approvals. For example, the customer sign-off is obtained, payments to the suppliers are made, etc.
The final product has been delivered. All deliverables may have been completed during the project execution phase. The customer must accept the final product when the project is over.
Report the final project performance of all resources. The performance of employees in the organization is the main determinant of employee salary increases. The project team’s performance must be reported upon its completion and closing. When determining salary increases, promotion, or other matters, it is important to consider the overall performance of project resources.
Throughout the project, lessons learned are gathered. The project’s closing phase will produce the latest version of Lessons Learned. After collecting inputs and finalizing the lessons learnt, the final document is archived in company’s organizational process assets.
Celebration! Celebrate and celebrate success. The project team should be recognized and rewarded for completing the project successfully. This will motivate all employees and encourage them to achieve future success.
Acceptance and formal sign-off are required. The final step in the project closing phase is to get the customer’s formal approval and acceptance. Projects are initiated based upon a customer request and business need. If the customer doesn’t accept the final outputs or product, the project cannot be closed.
After receiving final approval and all administrative work has been completed, the project is officially closed. After receiving the final sign-off from the customer, the company will follow the procedures and complete paperwork to close the project.

When does the project closing phase start?
Which cases can you start project closing processes There are three main reasons project closing can be initiated:

The first is the completion of a project phase. If there are multiple phases to a large project, the project closing processes will be triggered.
The second is project completion.
The third is

Project Charter: Do You Know How to Create the ID Card for the Project?

Six processes are used in project integration management, which is one of the most important areas in project management. The first is the “develop project charter process”, which, as its name suggests, aims to produce a project charter. It contains high-level project information. As explained in online courses on project management, the first step in project integration management is to create a project charter.
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A charter is required in order to officially authorize a project. It can be used as the corporate identity for the project within an organization.
Watch our video “What is Project Charter? – Benefits from the Project Charter?”

Additional information can be found in the CAPM certification training.
What happens when the Project Charter is created?

The project charter authorizes a project within an organization and gives authority to the Project Manager. Once a project is initiated, the project sponsor is responsible for its creation. A project manager is assigned as soon as possible. Once the project is approved by the organization, it is authorized and the project manager has the authority to coordinate and manage the activities.
The Project Charter is the final product of this process. The main purpose of the Develop Project Charter process is to gather relevant information about the project and produce the charter.
A Real Life Example for a Project Charter
Our sample project will be the Golden Gate Bridge Construction Project. Let’s now see what should be included.
Project Charter: Title and Description
The Project Title and Description should be the first thing to appear. The description and project title should provide a brief overview of the project. This project’s title is Golden Gate Bridge.
The following can be used as a description: “The population in San Francisco is growing and the transportation requirements between the two sides of San Francisco are increasing in proportion. The increasing need for transportation between the two sides of the city has meant that sea transport is no longer sufficient. This project will make it easier to transport vehicles between the two sides of the city.
Project Charter: The project manager and his authority
John Winer was appointed project manager for the Golden Gate Bridge project. John Winer will serve as the project manager for this project. He has the power to set the budget, select team members, and approve/reject changes to the project. The project manager may have multiple responsibilities. This section should only contain high-level information about the project manager’s capabilities with his initiative.
Project Charter: Business Case
The project charter explains the reason for initiating the project. The business case describes the reasons for the project and the circumstances that led to the project being initiated.
The Golden Gate Bridge project, for example, is designed to solve the transportation problems in San Francisco between two sides. The bridge will allow for 80% of vehicle transportation to be made over it after the project is completed. This will solve the transportation problem. This is a business case. However, there could be other reasons for initiating the project. The project charter must also include business cases.
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The planning phase of a project determines the resource requirements.

Project Baseline: How to Measure Project Performance

A project baseline is a snapshot of a project taken at a specific time. A project baseline can be taken after the project planning process has ended, or later. The baseline measures how far actual results differ from the plans. These plans are then compared to the baseline project. If a change request is made, it can have an impact on the schedule, cost, and other details. the plans are changed and a new baseline is established. As explained in the PMP training course, there are many types of baselines in a project.
What is the Performance Measurement Baseline?
The performance measurement baseline is composed of three different baselines, as shown in the figure below.

Scope Baseline is the first and includes:
The scope of the project includes the work required and the work to be done.
The Work Breakdown Structure shows the hierarchy between the activities, components and work packages that will be used to complete the overall project work. Consider the example of the airplane manufacturing project. Audio system, multimedia systems etc. These are all part of the entertainment system, which is a work package. Other systems such as avionics systems and communication system work packages all make up the complete airplane manufacturing project.
WBS dictionary gives detailed information about all items in the WBS.

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The agreed upon schedule baseline is the project’s schedule. The schedule baseline contains the start and end dates for each activity. The schedule baseline provides milestones and can also be used to determine the duration and completion dates of the project.
Cost Baseline: This provides a time-phased cost budget. It details the amount of money that will need to be spent during the project, along with the dates when payments will occur and the amount that will have to be paid. The company arranges funding for the project based on this baseline.
Register for a PMI certification training to learn more about baselines.
What are the Duties of a Project Manager with the Baseline
When work is being done, the project manager must examine deviations from the baseline. After the planning process is complete, all stakeholders agree on the plan and everyone expects that the actual results will be exactly as planned. The project manager’s role is to ensure that there are no deviations from the cost, schedule, or scope baselines during project execution. Corrective and preventive actions should be taken if there are any risks that could lead to project delays or exceed the budget.
What are the changes that should be made to the Project Baseline?
Although the baseline can be altered, it shouldn’t be too difficult. Each baseline is used to check how close you are to your goals. A baseline that changes too often can lead to deviations from the original planning. In the real world, a project baseline can only be changed if it is approved or with the acknowledgement of the project sponsor.

Changes to the baseline may be requested in writing during Executing Process Group, or project monitoring and controlling process group. Once the stakeholders have agreed to tie the baselines, it is impossible to make updates to them. A baseline is the reference point for project performance. A baseline will be the reference point for project performance. Any changes to this reference point can lead to misleading performance measurements. A baseline is updated by a request from the government.

Process Mapping Techniques and Other Important Tips

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training covers many Six Sigma tools. Process Mapping is an important part of the Six Sigma Define phase. Six Sigma courses that cover process mapping are free and will be covering it soon. Let’s begin at the beginning by asking the most important question. Let’s now move on to Process Mapping Techniques.
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What is Process Mapping Six Sigma?
Process mapping and flowcharting are not new topics. LEAN Six Sigma uses process mapping as one of its key quality and process improvement tools. A workflow diagram is used to help you understand a process or series.
The following are reasons why process mapping has gained more importance in recent years:
The complexity of processes
The ability to visualize and capture knowledge is a fundamental part of the job.

A flow chart or process map is a visual representation that illustrates a process.
Which activities are completed by whom and in what order?
Hand-offs between departments and individuals
Swaim lanes: Internal and exterior operational boundaries

You can create process mapping both informally or formally.
The informal approach is the best way to get started and secure buy-in.
The formal method ensures accuracy and rigor

A well-executed process map provides a process roadmap that:
Communicates process-related information, ideas, and data in a visual format.
Identifies ideal or actual paths, revealing problem areas and potential solutions
A process is broken down into steps using consistent, easy-to-understand symbols

Process mapping can be done in a structured way
This is the truth. Process mapping is usually viewed as a process that involves drawing boxes and arrows, then filling them with text. This results in process maps that are too long and difficult to read. These process maps are difficult to modify. To make process maps easier to understand and use, you can apply some ground rules.
Using flowcharts
Let’s now take a look at process mapping techniques. The first method is called flowcharts. First, it is important to understand the fundamental differences between flowcharts and process maps. The act of creating a flowchart from process mapping is called process mapping. A flowchart is simply a flowchart. The flowchart can also be called Process Flow Diagram, Functional diagram, and others. A process map shows the sequential order of each step of a process. A process can be described in any way: it can be a manufacturing, non-manufacturing, or administrative or service process. The basic principle is that any process that can easily be mapped or charted can be improved. The first step in an improvement project is process mapping!
There are four types of flowcharts
Document Flowchart. A document flowchart tracks the movement of a document through a system, such as interoffice mail, payroll information and internal memos. The chart is divided by vertical lines. Each column represents an employee, section, department, or unit within a company. The flowchart illustrates how a document moves from one part to the next. Document flowcharts are usually very simple and show only the route that the document takes from one location to another.
Data flowchart: A data flowchart shows how data move through a system. Symbols represent the operations involved in data flow and the storage, input, and output materials required to keep it going. This is a great way to track where data originated and ends. Data flowcharts focus more on the movement of data than how it is processed.

System F

Project Management Certifications Compared – A Preliminary Comparative Guest post by Dr. Paul Giammalvo. INTRODUCTION Ever wonder what professional levels are available for program/project managers, and how they compare to one another? This topic emerged from a heated discussion on Linked In about Project Management. The original topic was “PMP: Does it guarantee you a job?” [1] The debate quickly veered off topic and focused on the relative merits of each credential. It became apparent that everyone believes (or at least would like) that the credential they hold is the most valid and appropriate way to measure project management knowledge, skills, and competency. However, a quick review of the published literature revealed little to no peer-reviewed research on the topic to offer any guidance or insight. One problem with any comparison is that while most major professional organizations offer multiple levels, it is difficult to tell what each credential represents. (i.e. Does the Project Management Professional (PMP), from PMI, really mean that the holder of the PMI Project Management Professional (PMP), means that the holder has been a professional project manager? What is a Certified Cost Engineer? How does this relate to program or project management? This was the driving force behind the exploratory research effort. Please be aware. This experiment is not intended to be a final piece of research. The calculations are based on many assumptions that may or may not hold true. 1) To determine if it was possible to create a meaningful ratio scale against the information available on the internet to rank order and compare the relative standings for the various credentials; and 2) to generate enough interest and debate for others in order to move this research forward in an academically sound and more rigorous manner. This should be seen as a challenge and a trigger for all practitioners, the professional organizations that claim to represent them, and the companies and agencies that employ or contract the services of credential holders, to support the creation an independent testing and validation organization (such the Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards – GAPPS[2]). who can maintain and create an evaluation standard. A?Consumer Reports’? or ?Underwriters Laboratory? Various credentials and certifications related to project/program management. SELECTING THE CREDENTIALS FOR COMPARISON The first step was to identify all credentials that are globally recognized and are promoted or positioned as attesting knowledge, skills or competencies in project, portfolio, or program management. These organizations were chosen because they are widely recognized worldwide. (in alphabetical ordering)

  • American Society for the Advancement of Project Management, as an IPMA member
  • Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International
  • Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM), also a member of IPMA
  • International Council of Systems Engineers
  • OGC/APM’s PRINCE2
  • Project Management Institute (PMI).

Although this list is not exhaustive nor was it intended to, it was considered to represent the most widely recognized credentials in the field project/program management. The International Project Management Association (IPMA), an umbrella organization that includes organizations from different countries, recognizes the credentials of the Australian Institute of Project Management.

Project Management Career Path and Technical Skills Project management career path – photo taken by deanj via Flickr. A member of the pmStudent community reached out to me for help in deciding where she should concentrate her efforts to become a great project manager. I will share my thoughts and welcome feedback from you all. “I’m wondering if it’s better to be a programmer first, and then become a technical specialist (or maybe another way). It would be better to gain more experience in the IT team as a programmer and then to become a team leader. Then, try to find a job as a programmer in a large IT company OR to gain PM experience in a small company with small projects. First, thank you for reaching out to me with your question. I admire your ability to formulate a plan to achieve your career goals. There are many opinions on this topic, and it all depends on the type of projects you plan on working on. I agree with Bill Duncan’s comments here at pmStudent.com that technically skilled and knowledgeable PMs can be fine on smaller projects where they are equally apt to make technical decisions as managerial decisions. As their projects become more complex and/or managerially complex, their technical skills will be a disadvantage as well as a benefit. “I’ve seen many, many more PMs get into trouble because they didn’t have the wisdom to listen to the technical leads.” A technical PM who believes they know more than the technical leads or takes on technical decisions that are not necessary is one of the most dangerous aspects of a project. This can work well for small projects, but it can lead to serious consequences if too much power and knowledge is concentrated in one person. The PM should be able to understand technical issues at a high-level but not enough to make daily technical decisions. The PM should be as focused as possible on communication and management. An online?MBA (onlinemba.com), or similar master?s degree, can be beneficial for project managers. Effective communication is key. In your case, I would:

  • Continue to work as a member the project team
  • Ask your project manager (and other project managers) what you can do for them.
  • Ask questions and show interest in the work of project managers. As long as you’re not demanding or annoying, most people will be happy to help!
  • To gain valuable experience and to build relationships with mentors, you must be willing to give up your time.
  • Think about your team’s work from both a technical and managerial perspective.

Leave a comment below to start a discussion!

Project Management Career Homework- Targeting Organizations As most of you know, I teach people how to research and find the right organizations to work for. Then, they can focus on specific jobs. Are you actually doing it? Because it is so contrary to the traditional approach to job searching, I would bet no. My Challenge To You If you are serious about project management and are willing to accept my challenge, I have a challenge for you. Start right now and spend 10 minutes researching Google and LinkedIn to find some organizations that you might be interested in. Look at the job titles (not necessarily advertised jobs, but actual positions). Do you see a rise in project management titles? ?For example,

  • Project Manager I
  • Project Manager II
  • Project Manager III
  • Project Manager IV

Maybe?

  • Junior Project Manager
  • Project Manager
  • Senior Project Manager
  • Principal?Project Manager

What about specialization? You could, for example,

  • Business Analyst
  • IT Infrastructure Project Manager
  • Project Controller
  • Cloud Computing Project Manager
  • Project Scheduler
  • Web Services Development Project Manager

Remember that not everyone uses “Project manager” as a sacred title. Many roles in project management are known by different names. There are many routes to managing projects. Your background and your organizational structure are important. Your Homework Please leave a comment below. You don’t need to reveal which company or companies have you found and are interested in targeting as potential candidates. Comment and ask questions about how you found organizations. What were the uncertainties you faced when you looked into these organizations? I will be looking out for your comments so that I can help as soon as possible. Go!

Project Management Career Coaching Are you looking for resources to help you take your career to the next step? You’re in the right spot. We have many great training resources that will help you reach your full potential, in addition to the hundreds and thousands of articles pmStudent has published since 2006. This is the course I am most proud of and I’m happy that you can use it as a resource. Let me guide you on how to land a project manager role, even if it is your first job in project management. Career Coaching for New Project Managers. Do you have big goals for your career in project management but have been struggling to make it a reality? Career Coaching for New Project Managers If you have big dreams but have been putting off improving your project management career, then this coaching program is for you. You’re not the only one. Career Coaching for New Managers is an online course that will help you revive your career. It provides step-by-step strategies, tools, techniques, and strategies that you can immediately put into action to make your desired career path a reality. This course is hands-on and will answer all your questions. It will also give you the tools to take action right away!

  • Your starting point and your goals
  • Your career path
  • Professional Relationships
  • Looking for a job?
  • Hours of discussion and interviews

Many people have been able to get jobs as project managers through career coaching. Learn more about this top-selling course.

Project Management Career Case Study – Gaining Experience

Today, I want to share a great story with you about someone I have been working with on their project management career.
They are one of the members of pmStudent e-Learning.
This person reached out to me about two or three weeks ago to let me know that their employer had recently announced they were going to do a project and that there was no project manager. They wanted to know my opinion on a newbie joining a short-term project like this. How would you convince the client that a project manager is needed for this project ?”??? Would you be willing to take on the role?
Absolutely. Go after it! Once you have a clear idea of the scope of the project, you can start to think about how you would manage it.
Do not assume they don’t have a plan. They may have one that you don’t know about. Make sure you don’t talk about your benefits, but theirs when you approach the manager.
Talking to someone about how great it will be for them is not the right approach. If they agree to let you participate in this project, you need to be clear about the benefits to them.
We exchanged information. They spoke to the owner, who informed them that the project was not yet in progress but that another project was being considered. They would keep him in their thoughts. After that, I received an email updating me. This was one of the points that I discussed in my article about how to ask for help without being a pest.
I wrote back to say that although this one didn’t work out, they were thinking of you and that you are interested in this kind of work. You are doing everything right!
A few days ago, another message came from this person. “I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be meeting management to discuss a new venture!”
This is a great example of how to seek out experience in a new place. It is important to step outside of your comfort zone and be patient. The case study shows that even if the opportunity doesn’t work out, he shouldn’t be discouraged. Keep going! Keep doing the right thing! You can start to move up in the project management ranks by managing smaller projects first, then you can move on to larger projects.
My PM Career Coaching Course will help you to get started in project management.