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Traditionally, projects we can define as some predictable workflows, which in its turn were resulting in predictable results. These workflows were stable and efficient. Such projects continuously involved same efforts, since they were based on repetitive work that was not really changing very often, e.g. maintaining same activities as in the proposed example of massive construction.
Nowadays this approach have changed. Projects moved from ongoing effort closer to one time effort. For example, IT projects on developing a Web Page or implementing even complex IT solutions are more considered as one time or short-term efforts.
Projects todays are different. Maintenance organizations have more of a "one-time effort" than an ongoing effort. Their projects are often one-time and short-term (e.g., constructing a Web site or implementing customer required software). This has also resulted in a change in how such projects are being managed.
Project Management: traditional
Traditionally, Project Management is used for ongoing efforts. It uses known ranges, task-based workflows to produce largely predictable results and common technologies. Problems occur just occasionally.
Project Management: modern
Modern project management caters to one-time projects. These could projects which required only one time effort, such as building a Web site. Today project management is based on more agile processes, scopes, and unique specialization of resources because of the specific nature of the customer.
What does this mean for P.L.O.C.?
There have been several changes in the way work is P - planned, L - lead, O-organised and C - controlled.
1. Planning
Project planning is now relatively more flexible. After the deal has been done, project managers need to look for the corresponding budget, resources, plan timeline, and necessary tools (for example, technologies). Basically, all necessary dimensions which will help them to deliver the result on time to meet customer expectations.
2. Leading
Modern project managers have to consider a specific set of resource skills as they lead various people through specialized tasks that lead to a successful outcome. They must have many soft skills, know different languages, consider many different dimensions from programming and creativity to project accounting, sales and finance. This set of knowledge will help them to build group consensus, obtain specific input and create the best possible conditions for project members to contribute to a group project.
3. Organising
The organization also needs more flexibility. Project managers increasingly rely on technology to do their job. They require solutions that should help to step away from time-consuming spreadsheets, data export, manual report generation, and old ways of project monitoring, but to move closer to the real-time integration and project management tools available today. This creates a faster working environment and optimizes resource distribution, tracking the budget, generation of reports, and delivery timelines.
4. Controlling
Modern tools, which propose higher flexibility, brings also more opportunities to control project execution. Project managers have the ability to move resources during the project execution to address popping up issues, for example, extra resources or extra efforts required to keep up with the same budget and timeline planned.
As a conclusion, we can state that project management is existing for a long time together with goods and services. Today’s project management focuses more on unique, one time deliverables. This shift required better agile approaches and ways projects are being delivered. Modern technologies, especially IT ones, provide better opportunities to run smooth projects and stay ahead of competitors.
