Synopses & Reviews
Putting a man on the moon, building the pyramids, even creating a robust database for a large organization... These might seem like impossible achievements, but they are all the results of carefully implemented project management techniques.
Taking a managerial approach, Meredith and Mantel's text equips you with the insight into human behavior, knowledge of organizational issues, and quantitative methods you need to do project management. You'll learn how to select, initiate, operate, and control all types of projects—from public works and engineering projects to information systems.
The text puts you in command of the latest thinking in the field, including:
- Strategic project management: Chapter 2 is now oriented toward using project selection as a major tool for achieving the strategic objectives of the organization.
- Risk manqagement: The authors discuss risk management throughout the text and explain how to evaluate risk using simulation software, such as Crystal Ball. In addition, the text is accompanied by a student version of Crystal Ball® 2002.
- Earned value: Chapter 10 features extensively expanded coverage of earned value and includes a detailed example that illustrates the calculation of earned value during the execution of a project.
- Project Management Office: Chapter 4 (Project Organization) contains substantial discussion of the Project Management Office. Additional references to this topic also appear throughout the text.
- Activity-on-node notation: Chapter 8 (Scheduling) has been reoriented to focus on activity-on-node notation, which is used in most of today's software packages.
Includes a free trial version pf Microsoft Project 2002®!
A CD-ROM containing a 120-day free trial version of Microsoft Project 2002® and a student version pf Crystal Ball® 2002 accompanies the text. In addition, the text features new exercises in the end-of-chapter material that rely on he use of computer software. Microsoft Project and Excel printouts are updated and now integrated throughout the text where appropriate.
Synopsis
In a relaxed conversational style, within this fourth edition, every chapter has been updated by adding relevant current research findings and new examples of practice. The authors have extended the treatment of scheduling by adding examples of AON networks. More emphasis is placed on the sources of conflict in projects, and suggests a major source of conflict has been largely ignored. Coverage of earned value analysis has been extended, and risk management has received greatly increased attention. The book also presents applied examples and case studies, covers the top project management software, provides expanded material on the information systems development cycle, and discusses new directions on career opportunities. Selected as a suggested resource for CAPM "TM" exam preparation.
Synopsis
Project Management: A Managerial Approach, Fourth Edition addresses project management from a management perspective rather than a cookbook, special area treatise, or collection of loosely associated articles. It addresses the basic nature of managing all types of projects?public, business, engineering, information systems, and so on?as well as specific techniques and insights required to carry out this unique way of getting things done. It deals with the problems of selecting projects, initiating them, and operating and controlling them. It discusses the demands made on the project manager and the nature of the manager's interaction with the rest of the parent organization. It covers the difficult problems associated with conducting a project using people and organizations that represent different cultures and may be separated by considerable distances. It even covers the issues arising when the decision is made to terminate a project.
About the Author
Jack R. Meredith, Wake Forest University
Samuel L. Mantel, University of Cincinnati
Table of Contents
1. Projects in Contempoary Organizations.
Part I Project Initiation.
2. Project Selection.
3. The Project manager.
4. Project Organization.
5. Project Planning.
6. Conflict and Negotiation.
Part II Project Implementation.
7. Budgeting and Cost Estimation.
8. Scheduling.
9. Resource Allocation.
10. Monitoring and Information Systems.
11. Project Control.
Part III Project Termination.
12. Project Auditing.
13. Project Termination.