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PROJECT CHECK

Project or routine task?

You've been assigned to a new task and you want to approach it professionally. Obviously, the first question you ask yourself is whether it's a project [1].

This can be assessed by means of the project check by answering seven questions:

Project check - difference between project and routine task.

If the answer to every question is "yes",
it can be assumed that the new task is a project.

If the answers to some of the questions is "no",
that's not a problem because some aspects of the task can be supported by project management methods.

If most answers were "no",
it's not a problem either, because the task can then be planned as a routine operation.

The individual points of the project check should then be reflected upon.

  • Is it necessary to define an objective before work commences?
    What will the project deliverable be? How long do you need to deliver it? Are there any time constraints? How much will it cost? Are there any financial constraints?
  • Are resources limited?
    Which helpers, machines, equipment, etc. are only available to a limited extent? When is this support needed? What does it cost?
  • Is it an interdisciplinary project?
    What expertise do the project team members need? Which qualifications should they have? Do they come from different departments, divisions, companies, cultures?
  • Have responsibilities been defined?
    Who is the customer? Who is providing the necessary funding? Can some aspects of the project be grouped or delegated in sub-projects or work packages?
  • Is it a complex project?
    Why is the undertaking complex? Are people working on it at different locations? Do they all speak the same language? Do they understand each other? Are there coordination problems, e.g. because different technical terminology is being used?
  • Is it a novel kind of project?
    Is it possible to draw on knowledge from similar projects? Can individual work processes be derived from routine activities?
  • Have the start and finish been defined?
    When can the formulation of objectives for a specific project contract begin? When will the planning and organisation of the project be completed? When is the result of the project available? When will it be assessed how much the project actually cost? When will the findings from the project be summarised and made available to the company?

Now you have to create the project file!