Executing and controlling processes at PMPeople

Project execution processes’ main goal is making project management effective, or “getting the things done”. Project managers are not supposed to do the project work, the team does it. As a conductor conducts an orchestra, the project manager does not play the instruments, he or she follows the music sheet, that is the project management plan. This plan says when activities should start and finish, when to acquire human and material resources, how to conduct procurement, assign team members, help them develop as a team, communicate with stakeholders, manage quality, etc. Project managers must direct and manage project work as planned, but they also must implement approved changes. In practice, they seem to follow two music sheets: the project plan and the approved changes.

IPECC process diagram (Initiating, Planning, Execution, Control and Closing) shows the main inputs and outputs of the executing process group: arrow from planning represents the project plan; arrow to control represents deliverables and work performance data; arrow from control represents the approved changes.

The execution’s most remarkable result is deliverables. While deliverables are not produced, project managers only have communication. Project managers spend a lot of time communicating and managing stakeholders’ expectations. From time to time, teams complete all work to produce a partial delivery to the customer. Before handing off, some control processes will control quality and validation.

Project Managers develop many execution activities, including:

Acquire and manage project resources by following the human resource and procurement management plans in order to meet project requirements.
Manage task execution based on the project management plan by leading and developing the project team in order to achieve project deliverables.
Implement the quality management plan using the appropriate tools and techniques in order to ensure that work is performed in accordance with required quality standards.
Implement approved changes and corrective actions by following the change management plan in order to meet project requirements.
Implement approved actions by following the risk management plan in order to minimize the impact of the risks and take advantage of opportunities on the project.
Manage the flow of information by following the communications plan in order to keep stakeholders engaged and informed.
Capture, analyze, and manage lessons learned, using lessons learned management techniques in order to enable continuous improvement.
Maintain stakeholder relationships by following the stakeholder management plan in order to receive continued support and manage expectations.

Let’s see now what monitoring and controlling processes consist of. Project managers need to measure and adjust continually to ensure execution is according to an updated plan. They need to analyze project performance data and decide if project management goals are realistic, if not, corrective actions need to be taken.

Periodically, in the project review meetings, the project management team analyzes project performance data to decide if the project is progressing right, on time, on budget, etc. If progress is not as expected, changes are requested to get back on track. With the help of a control review board, changes are managed following a change control integrated process considering priorities. Here the project manager looks like a doctor health checking the project, assessing progress, and proposing changes to the project goals.

Some project items can be planned and quantitatively measured. In project management we use the name “baseline” for the reference of what should be happening. Project control means reducing the distance between baselines and what is actually happening. Changes are requested to implement t corrective actions, preventive actions, defect repairs, process improvements, updates, etc.

Sometimes, project managers should widen their control zone beyond the limits of authority they are granted. To be successful in the interdependent reality of a project, they must transform their concerning zone into their influence zone. Authority limits in project management are not usually clearly established. Most stakeholders see this as a proactivity sign in the project manager. Effective project managers often prefer to apologize before asking for permission.

IPECC process diagram (Initiating, Planning, Execution, Control and Closing) shows the main inputs and outputs of controlling process group: arrow from executing represents deliverables and performance data; arrow to executing represents the approved changes; arrow to planning represents the plan updates; arrow to closing represents accepted deliverables. When all deliverables have been accepted, then the project or phase can be closed.

Project Managers develop many monitoring and controlling activities, including:

Measure project performance using appropriate tools and techniques in order to identify and quantify any variances and corrective actions.
Manage changes to the project by following the change management plan in order to ensure that project goals remain aligned with business needs.
Verify that project deliverables conform to the quality standards established in the quality management plan by using appropriate tools and techniques to meet project requirements and business needs.
Monitor and assess risk by determining whether exposure has changed and evaluating the effectiveness of response strategies in order to manage the impact of risks and opportunities on the project.
Review the issue log, update if necessary, and determine corrective actions by using appropriate tools and techniques in order to minimize the impact on the project.
Monitor procurement activities according to the procurement plan in order to verify compliance with project objectives.

Project execution and control data are easy to access in PMPeople. Tab CONTROL is automatically opened when the project state is “executing”. Project Managers can access project executing and control data:

Project Health Checks.
Status Reports.
Scope control data.
Schedule control data.
Cost control data.
Finance control data.
Task control data.
Human Resources control data.

Regarding risks, issues and changes, project manager can access tab LOGS:

PMPeople does not prevent the need of meetings, comparing performance, deciding corrective actions, claims administration, change requests, etc. However, it helps people be more productive when executing and controlling projects, thanks to the following use cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main execution activities for project managers in PMPeople?

Project managers in PMPeople can acquire and manage resources, implement approved changes and quality plans, manage tasks, control risks, and keep stakeholders informed.

How does PMPeople support project monitoring and controlling?

PMPeople enables access to performance data, status reports, scope, cost, and schedule control data, as well as tools for managing issues, risks, and change logs.

What happens when a project enters the executing state in PMPeople?

When the project state is “executing”, the CONTROL tab opens automatically, giving project managers access to health checks and various control data areas.