Project Management is a Support Process?

[QAMTY]

Hi all

While revising a macro process map (general map)

I´m in doubt how to represent Project management in my company,
where we develop Engineering projects.

Engineering department develops all the products (drawings, specifications, data sheets, etc.)

Of course the client requirement came from Sales department.

The project Mgmt. department has the control of the budget of the project takes care of progress, get resources, contacts the client, etc.

Should I include Project mgmt. as a supporting process? instead of being part of core processes?

SALES----> PROJ.MGMT---> ENG--> CLIENT

SALES----> ENG--> CLIENT
↑
PROJ. MGMT

How to determine exactly when is a supporting process?

I know for example that HR , IT clearly they are, but for Purchasing and Project management, I´m in doubt.

Please advice on this

Thanks

 

[Pancho]

I think that if your product requires that you treat orders as projects, then chances are that the PM is a key process rather than a support function.

Here is our PM process flow chart. We have a Project Execution procedure that is part of the PM process. That procedure orchestrates the various productive processes: engineering, purchasing, production and installation. Green arrows are information flows. Black arrows are hardware flow.

Hope this helps!
Pancho

 

[Hodgepodge]

Project management is a planning process. If you are trying to run your business AS9100C style, you need to plan to…well…plan.

How your company goes about planning for product realization (engineering products in your case) should be done in “a structured and controlled manner”. Not all willy-nilly. Define who is responsible for planning, who is responsible the project is completed on time and on budget, how the planning is to be done, how the planning will ensure acceptable product and delivery, etc. The larger your facility is, the more structured and controlled your planning process will need to be.

If you have a ten man shop specializing in one process, project management will be fairly simple and straight forward. There will be one project manager, the boss, and he will likely be in charge of everything. If you have 10,000 employees and a facility the size of a football stadium with complex products, you will probably have many project managers with project managers under them.

In the example of the larger company, all project managers should approach their projects using the same method. They should use similar planning documents, similar tracking tools, similar ways of recording budgeting, scheduling, similar ways of documenting processes to be performed, etc. This would be far less confusing than having 20 different project managers with 20 different methods of planning and managing.

Having a prearranged process for managing projects will support the completion of planning, production, delivery, and customer satisfaction.

Should I include Project mgmt. as a supporting process? instead of being part of core processes?

It is a supporting process.

 

[somashekar]

... For me., if the Engineering project is the scope then Project management is a core process ...

 

[QAMTY]

Thanks Pancho
Well, we receive requirements from clients for the design of an industrial plant.

We manage this as a project, what we deliver is a package of drawings
specs, data sheets, etc.

But really the Engineering team develop all the bunch of docs., the hard work, the Engineering team is 100 people (Engineers, draftsman, Checkers)

The prj. mgmt. team are only two people, and achieving their tasks.
some of them are: contact with the client, revise project progress, taking actions
if the project takes the wrong way, etc.

In this scenario, then is a core process represented in this way?

SALES ---->ENG--->CLIENT
↑
PROJ.MGMT

For Procurement. in my case they only participate in the project buying goods, software, hiring suppliers to develop the Enginnering, special consultancy, in this case will be support or core process?

Three last points:

In Your map, the project mgmt. try to comply with the 7.1 (Quality plan in 9001:2008)?

What do you mean with FD = Function description?

In your map:

If proj. mgmt. takes responsibility of the planning of all the project, then how
Engineering, Production, Installation and Procurement comply with the planning?
(the PDAC) or are they doubling this task? What is the responsibility in the control done by the Project mgmt. and the other processes?

I hope have been explained clearly

What others think about it?

Core or support process?

Thanks again

 

[Big Jim]

There is no one answer to your question. In the end, you get to determine what your processes are (4.1) and how they relate to each other.

Project planning could be a separate process or it could be a sub-process within something else. For example, I often see it as either part of Sales (quote, order acceptance, order entry, develop traveler) or as part of Engineering (design & development, production planning). I also frequently see it by itself.

The real question here is what is your company's actual practice? Where does it seem to fit in according to your company's normal work flow? What works for you?

 

[Pancho]

Thanks Pancho
Well, we receive requirements from clients for the design of an industrial plant.

We manage this as a project, what we deliver is a package of drawings
specs, data sheets, etc.

But really the Engineering team develop all the bunch of docs., the hard work, the Engineering team is 100 people (Engineers, draftsman, Checkers)

The prj. mgmt. team are only two people, and achieving their tasks.
some of them are: contact with the client, revise project progress, taking actions
if the project takes the wrong way, etc.

In this scenario, then is a core process represented in this way?

SALES ---->ENG--->CLIENT
↑
PROJ.MGMT

I agree with Jim. Every company is different. In our company, both the engineers and the project managers are very busy throughout the project, and work as a team. Though the typical project will consume maybe only one third as many pm-hours as engineer-hours, we think of each order as a project, and that is why we use the PM process as the wrap-around of our whole product-delivery system.

To answer your questions about our map:

In Your map, the project mgmt. try to comply with the 7.1 (Quality plan in 9001:2008)?

What do you mean with FD = Function description?

Everybody has a role to play in fulfilling the quality plan for a project. Engineering, procurement, production and installation all produce records that provide evidence of the quality of our product. Project managers coordinate these efforts and deliver the subset of records that we committed to providing our client as the "quality dossier" and other deliverables.

Non-core processes we call "functions".

If proj. mgmt. takes responsibility of the planning of all the project, then how
Engineering, Production, Installation and Procurement comply with the planning?
(the PDAC) or are they doubling this task? What is the responsibility in the control done by the Project mgmt. and the other processes?

Project management is a process, not a department. Everybody plays in it. PDCA involves planning, doing, reviewing the feedback from and by all folks involved in the project, raising CARs and taking action.

A good reference for how project management can be a key process and add tremendous value to your clients is the PMBOK guide by the Project Management Institute.

 

[jonny_m]

The tool will surely help in management. It can handle many issues like conflict management, issue management etc.

 

[John Broomfield]

Hi all

While revising a macro process map (general map)

I´m in doubt how to represent Project management in my company,
where we develop Engineering projects.

Engineering department develops all the products (drawings, specifications, data sheets, etc.)

Of course the client requirement came from Sales department.

The project Mgmt. department has the control of the budget of the project takes care of progress, get resources, contacts the client, etc.

Should I include Project mgmt. as a supporting process? instead of being part of core processes?

SALES----> PROJ.MGMT---> ENG--> CLIENT

SALES----> ENG--> CLIENT
↑
PROJ. MGMT

How to determine exactly when is a supporting process?

I know for example that HR , IT clearly they are, but for Purchasing and Project management, I´m in doubt.

Please advice on this

Thanks

QAMTY,

It seems to me that "Managing Engineering Projects" is the main part of your management system's core process.

BTW, end-to-end your core process converts customer needs into cash in the bank.

After analyzing your core process (value stream) you may find that purchasing is part of your organization's core process too.

Some organizations, however, give their project managers very little authority and you may find the Engineering Manager is the actual Program Manager while the PMs are really project coordinators. Perhaps a lack of authority vested in the project managers is behind your question?

John