InBus_Win09_56-96:InBusiness 1-61 11/12/2009 10:45 Page 75
Project Management | SPECIAL REPORT
MANAGING
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John Kelly, Director of the
Centre for Project
Success
Management at the
University of Limerick tells
office solutions that allow companies to manage
an entire collection of projects as one or more
InBusiness why project inter-related portfolios. Taking this approach
management is essential for
allows performance and feedback mechanisms
to be used for managing strategy
business success.
implementation, and provides the capability to
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monitor and control risks and financials across
portfolios. This also provides a level of comfort
OVER THE PAST FEW decades the pace of for shareholders and investors that their money
change and the technological advancement in is being invested in the right areas and
business have continued to accelerate. This rate managed professionally to deliver
of change means that products or processes are maximum returns.
evolving more rapidly and the life cycle of these More and more organisations are utilising
products is getting shorter. Moreover, the pace project management tools and methodologies to
of change has a direct impact on the frequency streamline processes to enhance strategic
and approaches to managing projects. All of this business performance in this way. As many
project activity has spurred a growing interest in progressive organisations have demonstrated
ways to plan and control projects, and to through continually developing and improving
organise and lead teams through these initiatives their adoption of the latest project management
to successfully deliver and meet the needs tools and techniques, they have succeeded in
John Kelly, Director of the Centre for Project
Management at the University of Limerick.
of stakeholders. being more competitive during increasingly
The demands on organisations in this modern demanding economic conditions.
business environment, particularly over the past Associated with the growing interest in project
THE CENTRE FOR PROJECT
year have certainly increased. Now, companies management is the growing need to train
MANAGEMENT
need to keep ahead of the competition, do project managers. In the past, project managers
business more quickly and effectively, and deal were largely drawn from a pool where they
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with competitive pressures for cost effectiveness. demonstrated some exceptional capability such
The Centre for Project Management was
Organisations with a good performance record as engineering, systems analysis, architecture,
established in 1991 with the purpose of
successfully integrate strategy implementation, etc. Then, presumably the individual would pick
addressing industry training and education
portfolio, programme, project and performance up the management skills somewhere along the
needs in this specialist area. This centre of
management best practices. In taking this way. The flaw in this approach of course is that
excellence is a fully integrated component of
business wide perspective, attention is drawn to project management encompasses a broad
the Department of Management and
Marketing, Kemmy Business School at the
best practice tools and techniques that facilitate range of skills – managerial, leadership and
University of Limerick. The only one of its
strategy development, embed project some technical skills associated with managing
kind in Ireland, it continues to support
management within the organisation’s projects. Specialised training in managing
excellence in project management to industry
business management structures, and cost projects is increasingly viewed as a critical
through career development programmes
effective resource allocation across portfolios success factor for both organisations and
(Diploma and Masters in Project
and programmes. individuals who are developing their
Management) and specialised, customised in-
In a fast changing business world, work is career paths.
company training programmes. For more
increasingly being organised in projects. At a Without effective project management at all
information on the Centre for Project
minimum there is a high demand for levels in private and public organisations, it is
Management and education and training
professionalism and consistency in the way difficult to sustain growth and competitiveness; a
opportunities log on to www.cpm.ul.ie or
projects are managed. Some organisations have fact that makes quality project management
call (061) 202988.
successfully developed full enterprise project training a sought after skill set.
InBusiness Winter 09 75
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