Understanding Projects

What a Project is Not

• Not everyday tasks:
  • Answering the phone
  • Making coffee
  • Replying to emails
  • Writing reports
  • Regular meetings
• These activities are referred to as "business as usual."

Business as Usual

• Ongoing, normal activities that keep an organization running.
• Example roles:
  • Sales department focuses on increasing sales.
  • IT department focuses on maintaining IT systems.

Characteristics of Projects

1. Temporary Nature

   • Have a start and end date.
   • If it doesn't stop, it's business as usual.

2. Bringing About Change

   • Create outputs used to change business as usual.
   • Examples:
     • New product requiring new support and sales processes.
     • Improving business processes (e.g., automating systems).

3. Uniqueness

   • Produce different results even if similar.

4. Cross-functional and Global Scale

   • In large organizations, projects can be global.
   • More complex than small-scale implementations.

5. Risk and Uncertainty

   • Projects are inherently more risky than business as usual.
   • Often involve doing things for the first time (e.g., launching a new product).

Examples of Projects

• Developing a new smartphone.
• Designing and running a marketing campaign.
• Improving business-as-usual processes.
• Personal projects like organizing a wedding or moving house.

Conclusion

• Projects differ from business as usual by having a clear start and end, being unique, involving change, often crossing functions, and having a higher level of risk.