History of Project Management

## Project Management

Majority of projects in the modern competitive business environment require competent management. The process of managing a given project has grown over the years to require the precision in the processes that ensure that the members of the team, the resources, and the time required for the completion of the project is effectively applied. However, the systems developed for project management today were not realized in a short period. The reality is that it has taken years to realize effective project management routines and standard operating procedures.

## History

The early eighteenth century has been identified as a period where majority of the project planning methodologies focused on the basics. The basic elements of any project management plan include the application of coordination with the intention of realizing the completion of different activities as well as individual tasks that go into the activities in question. One also finds that the planning methods required the optimization of schedules that influenced the effective nature with which the same plans are implemented (Tom and Hussein 233). It is also possible that ensuring that the resources required in a given project are managed with the effective application of early rudimentary management strategies.

The nineteenth century saw an expansion of the strategies that were employed with regards to project management. The areas that needed more sophistication with regards to project management were construction and manufacturing. The fact that these two elements of the global economy were in a rise necessitated effectiveness in realizing completion of projects (Lock 34). Some of the projects that saw an increase in effective application of projects management techniques during this period include the building and management of the transcontinental railroad. This project was very instrumental in developing the industrial sector in the USA. Therefore, it was necessary that during the 19th century that better processes were introduced into the management of such projects.

Modern project management techniques can be attributed to Henry Gantt. It is essential for any project planning technique to apply the effective strategies that ensure continued effectiveness with regards to

planning and control. Gantt was instrumental in the introduction of these two elements in project planning and control in the years between 1900 and 1950. The introduction of effectiveness with regards to project planning and control was necessitated by the development of labor laws as well as the determination by the American federal government to introduce regulations (Portny 77). Optimum capacity with regards to project management will allow for the development of strategies that will enhance the capacity of any business to meet these new regulations.

    The steel industry is credited with introducing Frederick Taylor into the field of project management. In the years following 1911, Taylor presented to the project management community with new ideas that identified the importance of scientific management. Therefore, it has been found that the development of these methods resulted in the identification of optimum productivity and the capacity of a given employee to ensure job security. The management system developed by Taylor focused on providing employees with the capacity to be incentivized as opposed with forcing these employees to work (Lock 72). The provision of incentives according to Taylor has been identified as a means of ensuring that the projects employed resulted in the realization of effective means of project management.

The PERT and the Critical path method were introduced as concepts of project management in the years between 1950s and 1980s. These strategies are considered mathematical in nature as they allow for the development of management techniques that are increasingly effective and thus improve project management strategies. It is also essential that one realize that the PERT strategy was developed with the intention of realizing the best ways of ensuring that minimal time was wasted in the development of routines as well as strategies to resolve project management (Portny 91). The CPM method on the other hand focused on the long activities. The CPM method was developed as a means of developing a correlation between long-term projects and their application with how they implemented effective application with individual activities.

The progression of project management saw an introduction of computing power to the processes that were employed in the process. The years between 1980 and 2000 characterized and interaction of computers and previously mentioned project management techniques. However, one needs to realize that the dial up Internet connection was the catalyst that ensured an introduction of better management techniques with regards to the management process (Lock 99). The year 2000 and the years following it were later characterized by the introduction of algorithms that were meant to ensure that improved application of computers as a means of effective project management.

In conclusion, the strategies that were employed in the development of project management techniques can be identified throughout the history of mankind. However, the last one hundred and twenty years have provided the largest leaps that with regards to project management. Some of the flash points that contributed to big changes in project management include the industrial revolution and the building of the transcontinental railroad. Henry Gantt and Frederek Taylor also contributed immensely in the progression to modern management techniques.

## Works Cited

- Lock, Mr Dennis. *The essentials of project management*. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2014.

- Portny, Stanley E. *Project management for dummies*. John Wiley & Sons, 2017. Seymour, Tom, and Sara Hussein. "The history of project management." *International Journal of Management & Information Systems (Online)* 18.4 (2014): 233.