Report Sample on Difference Between Product & Project

Introduction

Every type of project involves inputs and outputs. Project inputs are what is put into the project, such as data and resources, while outputs are the project's outcomes. The results achieved are referred to as deliverables and is created by the project. Deliverables can be a product or a service. It can also be documentation that forms part of the project closure and shows the project (Walter, 2016). There is a difference between product and project deliverables. Product deliverables are mobile applications, hardware, contracts, or test assessment results.

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On the other hand, project deliverables are outputs such as minutes from meetings, project reports, and plans. Deliverables vary depending on the specifications of the project. However, clients and stakeholders require results that measure project performance against their expectations. It is the duty of the project manager to present deliverables to the clients and the stakeholders. Managers make the presentation employing a well-documented report. Flexibility and customization are essential for effective reporting since every stakeholder do have different needs.

The process of documentation and identification of relationships between project activities is referred to as sequence activities. It is essential since it defines the logical sequence of work for efficiency despite all the project constraints. This essay discusses ways in which managers proceed from deliverables to activities to the logical sequence. It sums up by describing the process to be used for identifying and sequencing activities.

Critical Jobs

One of the most critical jobs of a project manager is tracking, defining, and managing project deliverables. To achieve this, managers divide project deliverables into internal and external deliverables. Any work that does not generate revenue for the business is considered to be an internal deliverable. Keeping accounts, tax returns, and creating corporate documents are examples of such work. External deliverables are the work done to fulfill the demands of a client. It is the more important of the two as it creates direct revenue for the company. Most managers focus on the external deliverables as compared to the internal ones to win more business.

For tracking purposes, project managers use the milestone concept. The difference between milestones and deliverables has been a source of confusion for the new project managers. Several of them do not have a clear understanding of the two. Milestones are checkpoints during the project. They can be inserted at any point to show that an important task has been completed. They are a way of keeping track and do not have deadlines nor any effect on the objectives of the project (Heldman, 2018). To break down a complex deliverable into its constituent parts, managers create milestones. For example, if the deliverable is to develop a set of high- level requirements, then a manager's milestone can be the documentation of the current processes.

Project failure arises when a manager comes up with a good work analysis structure (WBS) but cannot execute it. After properly defining and tracking project deliverables, managers take a keen interest in sequence activities. It is vital to understand the sequence activities in a project, its processes together with importance. Project managers take into consideration a plan for their project. That includes; project management skills, tools, and techniques.

Sequence activities communicate a consistent work plan ranging from the input, tools and techniques, and outputs. It falls under the project management process groups and knowledge areas. It is not easy to plan without prior knowledge of what activities are supposed to be done. Planning without being fully aware of what exercises to do can lead to actions that will harm future activities (Bassi et al., 2018). It can also lead to doing shorter activities first and experiencing financial constrain later on. There are activities that depend on each other, and one, the independent activity, has to wait for the completion of the dependent activity. Therefore, project managers need to identify and form a sequence of project activities. Managers do so with the help of the Sequence Activities process.

Sequence Activities Process

Sequencing is performed through the utilization of project management software. It can also be done by the use of manual or mechanized procedures. The goal of the process is to convert the project activities from a list to a diagram as a first step to publish the schedule baseline (Kerzner, 2017). Network Diagram is the necessary consequence of the Sequence Activities process. A project's network diagram represents the activities inboxes. It assigns an ID to every action and further demonstrates the existing relationship between the activities in a bolt. A network diagram enables managers to track elements of a project. It also boosts performance and productivity while at the same time reduces stress among team members. Due to these reasons, a network diagram is critical for a successful product delivery hence a vital stage.

Conclusion

Successful product delivery requires project managers to understand the type of deliverables better to deal with. They need to know whether to base their focus on the internal deliverables or the external deliverables. Failure is often experienced in instances where managers come up with a good work analysis structure based on WBS but fail to conduct a proper execution. Knowing the input and expected output product is essential for product management. Further, one should see the relationship between the activities being dealt with through the Sequential Activities process. The process involves the dependency determination, the concept of leads, and lags, and network diagram. Project delivery is, therefore, a complicated process and should be performed by a lot of keenness.

References

Novitasari, A. D., Sandora, R., & Lestari, R. L. (2018). Project Scheduling Analysis Using Precedence Diagram Method (PDM). Journal of Engineering and Management in Industrial System, 6(1), 36-45.
https://jemis.ub.ac.id/index.php/jemis/article/viewFile/290/227

Walter, S. (2016). Project Deliverables-A Waste of Time or a Chance for Knowledge Transfer and Dissemination?. EGUGA, EPSC2016-11666.

Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. John Wiley & Sons. http://202.166.170.213:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/3849/Project%20management%20%20a%20systems%20approach%20to%20planning%2C%20scheduling%2C%20and%20controlling.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Heldman, K. (2018). PMP: Project Management Professional Exam Study Guide. John Wiley & Sons.
http://www.academia.edu/download/54826182/KimHeldeman1.pdf

Bassi, A., Vigato, S., Buffoni, L., Bonetti, M., Lucia, G., & Vaccargiu, R. (2018). Pmo and Project Success the Importance of a Project Management Structure Survey by Swiss Companies. Management, 16, 18.
http://www.toknowpress.net/ISBN/978-961-6914-23-9/papers/ML2018-079.pdf.