Wiley Microsoft Project 2007 Bible 978-0-470-00992-5 Benutzerhandbuch

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verybody does projects. Building a tree house is a project; so is put-
ting a man on the moon. From the simplest home improvement to
the most complex business or scientific venture, projects are a part

of most of our lives. But exactly what is a project, and what can you do to
manage all its facets?

Some projects are defined by their randomness. Missed deadlines, unpleas-
ant surprises, and unexpected problems seem to be as unavoidable as the
weekly staff meeting. Other projects have few problems. Nevertheless, the
project that goes smoothly from beginning to end is rare. Good planning and
communication can go a long way toward avoiding disaster. And although
no amount of planning can prevent all possible problems, good project man-
agement enables you to deal with those inevitable twists and turns in the
most efficient manner possible.

In this chapter, you begin exploring tools and acquiring skills that can help
you become a more efficient and productive project manager. The goal of
this chapter is to provide a survey of what a project is, what project manage-
ment is, and how Microsoft Project 2007 fits into the picture.

When you look up the word project in the dictionary, you see definitions such
as “plan” and “concerted effort.” A project in the truest sense isn’t a simple
one-person endeavor to perform a task. By this definition, getting yourself
dressed — difficult though that task may seem on a Monday morning — isn’t
a project.

The Nature of Projects

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