Analysis of PMBoK Methodology: Process Groups and Knowledge Areas

This report delves into the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK), a crucial methodology defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI) for effective project management. It outlines the five process groups: Initiation, Planning, Execution, Control, and Closure, detailing their significance and activities. The report emphasizes the importance of the Initiation process group for feasibility studies and stakeholder communication, the Planning group for scope definition and sub-plan creation, the Execution group for plan implementation, the Control group for quality maintenance and risk management, and the Closure group for performance evaluation and final reporting. Furthermore, the report explores five key knowledge areas: Risk Management, Time Management, Communication Management, Human Resource Management, and Scope Management, highlighting their impact on project success and providing guidelines for their effective application. The report underscores how these areas contribute to the overall project objectives, ensuring that projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of stakeholders.

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PMBoK Project Management Methodology
Process Groups & Knowledge Areas
6/10/2019

PMBoK Project Management
Table of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................2
Process Groups......................................................................................................................................2
Initiation............................................................................................................................................2
Planning.............................................................................................................................................2
Execution...........................................................................................................................................3
Control...............................................................................................................................................3
Closure..............................................................................................................................................4
Knowledge Areas..................................................................................................................................4
Risk Management..............................................................................................................................4
Time Management.............................................................................................................................5
Communication Management............................................................................................................5
Human Resource Management..........................................................................................................6
Scope Management...........................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................7
References.............................................................................................................................................8
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PMBoK Project Management
Introduction
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) is a project management methodology
that has been defined by Project Management Institute (PMI). It is the methodology that
comprises of the guidelines for effective project management and assists the Project Manager
and other members in the project team to execute the project as per the best practices. The
methodology includes five process groups and ten knowledge areas that are applied and
handled for the overall project management.
The contribution of these five process groups and the impact of five out of ten project
knowledge areas are covered in the report.
Process Groups
Initiation
The first process group that is defined under the PMBoK methodology is the initiation
process group. It is the group that provides the ability to set the basics right and comprises of
the high-level analysis of the project from the managerial and operational aspects. One of the
significant activities that are covered in the process group is the conduction of the feasibility
studies. The business firms take up the projects without realizing the doability of the same.
This often results in the project failures and the management is held responsible for the same.
However, the initiation process group under the PMBoK methodology provides the ability to
understand the areas that can be accomplished and the ones that may be not (Cuevas et al.,
2018).
Therefore, the success or failure rate of the project is determined in the process group and
there is a high-level analysis of the benefits and estimates done. The results are documented
in a formal project charter which is shared with the internal and external stakeholders. The
process group contributes in managerial activities by communicating the initial project details
to all the stakeholders so that transparency is maintained all throughout.
Planning
One of the most significant process groups defined under project management is the planning
process group. It is the group in which the project plans and sub-plans are made. It
contributes in the overall project management and handling by defining and managing the
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project scope. The project activities and regulated and conducted as per the scope and
therefore, it is necessary that the scope statement is clearly defined. There are also several
estimates that are made in this process group. The estimations on the project schedule, costs,
effort, etc. is made in this process group. It provides the project team and the management
with the clarity on the distribution and optimization of the resources available for the project.
There are also various sub-plans made in this process group, such as risk management plan,
communication management plan, quality management plan, etc. All of these sub-plans
ensure that the project aims and objectives are achieved and the deliverables are provided to
the project clients on time. There is a project management plan also developed and shared
with the stakeholders at the end of this process group. The plan is referred at every project
stage to keep it on track (Hairul Nizam Md Nasir et al., 2015).
Execution
The third process group defined under the PMBoK methodology is the execution process
group. The entire project plans and sub-plans that are developed in the previous process
groups are executed in this stage of the project. The process group provides the project
management and the team with the ability to provide the project clients with the deliverables
and adhere with the best project guidelines and practices.
This process group contributes in overall project handling and management by bringing the
plans in to action and making sure that the project is always on track (Matos and Lopes,
2013).
Control
The fourth process group that has been defined under the PMBoK methodology is the control
group. It is necessary that the quality of the service or product being developed is always
maintained. There are several monitoring and control techniques conducted under this group
to maintain the overall quality. For example, the process group comprises of the set of
guidelines that the Project Manager and other senior resources may follow the carry out the
project reviews and audits. The results of these processes are used to improve the project
deliverables.
There are also numerous changes introduced in the project which are handled and controlled
in this process group. There may also be various risks that may emerge and these risks and
managed throughout the project (Brioso, 2015). This process group; however, determines the
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PMBoK Project Management
risk treatment and control activities so that the project continuity may be maintained. The
implementation tasks and activities are also conducted in this phase. One of the control
processes that are normally conducted involves the schedule and cost management for the
project. The project schedule and cost shall be maintained so that there is no overrun in any
of these areas. The use of techniques, such as Earned Value Analysis is done to make sure
that schedule and cost variance is zero or positive.
Closure
The last process group defined under PMBoK is the closure process group. It involves the
execution of numerous closure activities and processes. The performance evaluation is done
in this process group for the project team members and the entire project. There is also
reflection exercise and lessons learned process carried out in this process group. The areas of
improvement and the specific strengths and weaknesses are determined in this process group.
The project is considered as successfully completed only when the deliverables are accepted
and signed off by all the concerned parties. Also, there are trainings and documentation
processes and their management essential in the project. The process group includes the
guidelines for these activities so that a streamlined project closure is done. There are some of
the performance indicators defined in the process group which may be used to make sure that
the project performance is adequately handled and evaluated (Fanning, 2014).
There is a formal closure report developed and submitted at the end of the process group that
marks the end of the project. All of the activities done in the project are included in the
closure report.
Knowledge Areas
There is several knowledge areas defined and included under the PMBoK guidelines. There is
specific significance and impact associated with these knowledge areas. Five such knowledge
areas and their impact & benefit on the project is included in the sections below.
Risk Management
There are various risks that may come up in the projects in terms of the resource risks,
communication risks, operational risks, technology risks, ethical risks, quality risks, legal
risks, and many others. The project knowledge area provides the guidelines that may be
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implemented for the handling and management of these risks. It has a positive impact on the
project as the project continuity is always maintained with adequate risk management.
The risk management guidelines and knowledge area includes the description of various steps
for risk handling. The identification of these risks is done in the first step so that all of the
possible risks are known (Wang, Wu and Wang, 2013). It is then followed by analysis,
treatment, control, and closure steps. The risk management knowledge area makes sure that
the project goals are achieved without any gaps or loopholes in between. It also ensures that
the positive project risks are identified and accepted and the negative risks are mitigated and
prevented. It is done so that the project is always on track.
Time Management
There is a defined timeline associated with a project and the project clients and stakeholders
wish to have the project deliverables provided to them as per the determined schedule. The
project time management is a knowledge area that involves the estimation and determination
of the project schedule which may be followed to meet the client expectations. It includes the
estimation of the overall project duration and determines the duration of each of the project
activity. The start and finish dates of these activities are identified so that the progress may be
made accordingly (Jamali and Oveisi, 2016).
It has a positive impact on the project as the project resources and stakeholders have the
clarity on the project timeline and the priorities are set up accordingly. The resources have a
goal in perspective which is followed to meet the overall project objective. The optimal
distribution and the allocation of the funds are also rightfully done as it is closely associated
with the project timeline.
Communication Management
There are several entities involved in the project at the internal and external levels. It is
necessary that the involvement of each of these entities is ensured all throughout the project.
The project management and team must have active communication so that the clarity on
project activities and resources is always maintained. The management and project client
shall also maintained enhanced communication so that the expectations are understood and
clearly set. There are also other stakeholders involved in the project that must be provided
with project updates to maintain their interest and contribution levels (Rose, 2011).
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PMBoK Project Management
Communication management is the project knowledge area that achieves all of these
activities by providing the communication guidelines for the project. The communication
modes, meeting schedule, stakeholder mapping, etc. is included in the project knowledge area
to make sure that active participation is ensured by all the parties. Also, the collaboration and
cohesion among the team members is developed to achieve the successful results. The
knowledge area also provides the ability to control and avoid the project conflicts.
Human Resource Management
The human resource management is the project knowledge area that includes the strategies
and practices for handling the project resources. The project is made successful due to the
team effort and it is necessary that the effort is put in the right direction. The project
knowledge area includes the distribution of roles and responsibilities to the human resources.
These responsibilities are assigned on the basis of the resource skills and abilities. The use of
RACI matrix and other techniques is done for this purpose (Zwikael, 2009).
The resources are also involved in the one-on-one discussion processes. The professional
development is ensured by providing them with the resource-oriented policies and there are
trainings also arranged for the resources. The management of the human resources is tactfully
done utilizing the guidelines illustrated in the process group so that the interest and
contribution of the resources along with their own growth and development is always
ensured.
Scope Management
There are several activities that are involved in the project and these are assigned to the
project team. However, there are some of the additional activities that may not be required or
may be added later on. The scope management is the project knowledge area that defines the
project scope and makes sure that it is correctly managed. There are activities in and out of
the project scope that need to be identified and these shall be known to the project
management, client, and the project team members (Rooij, 2009).
There are several risks associated with the project scope, such as scope creep and inability to
manage project changes. With the utilization of the guidelines under this project area, the
risks associated with the project scope are prevented and controlled. There are also various
activities that are not covered in the scope. The client shall be informed about these activities
so that there are no confusions in the later stages. Also, the project schedule, cost, and effort
estimation can be correctly done using the defined project scope. It has a positive implication
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on the project as the control and monitoring activities can be effectively conducted using the
guidelines.
Conclusion
PMBoK is a project management methodology that comprises of five process groups and
there are ten project knowledge areas that are covered by the methodology. The Project
Manager and the members of the project team shall utilize the guidelines defined under
PMBoK so that they may succeed in providing the project deliverables as per the
expectations. Also, the project knowledge areas can be executed using best practices and can
also be integrated with each other so that the project objectives may be attained. The project
success rate is also increased with the adherence towards such project guidelines.
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References
Brioso, X. (2015). Integrating ISO 21500 Guidance on Project Management, Lean
Construction and PMBOK. Procedia Engineering, 123, pp.76-84.
Cuevas, A., Gil, P., Sanchez, V. and Hernandez, A. (2018). Feasibility Study using the
PMBOK Methodology. International Journal of Advanced Engineering, Management and
Science, 4(8), pp.594-596.
Fanning, F. (2014). Adapting PMBoK Guidance to Public Sector Projects. Organization,
technology and management in construction: An international journal, 6(3).
Hairul Nizam Md Nasir, M., Sahibuddin, S., Ahmad, R. and Sanim Mohd Fauzi, S. (2015).
How the PMBOK Addresses Critical Success Factors for Software Projects: A Multi-round
Delphi Study. Journal of Software, 10(11), pp.1283-1300.
Jamali, G. and Oveisi, M. (2016). A Study on Project Management Based on PMBOK and
PRINCE2. Modern Applied Science, 10(6), p.142.
Matos, S. and Lopes, E. (2013). Prince2 or PMBOK – A Question of Choice. Procedia
Technology, 9, pp.787-794.
Rooij, S. (2009). Scaffolding project-based learning with the project management body of
knowledge (PMBOK). Computers & Education, 52(1), pp.210-219.
Rose, K. (2011). Book Review: Construction Extension to the PMBOK Guide Third Edition.
Project Management Journal, 39(1), pp.98-98.
Wang, W., Wu, J. and Wang, D. (2013). The Risk Management Framework of Aero-Product
Development Based on PMBOK. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 380-384, pp.4637-4642.
Zwikael, O. (2009). The Relative Importance of the PMBOK® Guide's Nine Knowledge
Areas during Project Planning. Project Management Journal, 40(4), pp.94-103.
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