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Operational activities manage and operate the business processes. Projects interact with operational activities by creating and changing operational processes, products, and services.
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Quick reference
Project Activities and Operational Activities
Operational activities manage and operate the business processes. Projects interact with operational activities by creating and changing operational processes, products, and services.
When to use
Projects will normally closely interact with operational activities at the time of project initiation and project completion. At the time of initiation, the operations are often setting the project goals and constraints. At the end of the project, the operations are often the stakeholders who do the final acceptance of the project result. Depending upon the project, operations may also participate in project review and tests during the project.
Instructions
Operations management as a management discipline is not part of this course. However, operations management often interacts with projects as stakeholders. This is especially true at initiation, during selected reviews or tests while the project is ongoing, and project closeout.
Project Initiation and Operational Activities
Operations manages the business processes such as order fulfillment and facility management. Projects often are established to create or modify elements for which operational management is responsible. When this is the case, operations managers are key stakeholders setting both requirements and constraints on the project. The projects are also selected and prioritized based upon the needs of operational management.
Project Reviews, Testing, and Project Governance and Operational Activities
Operational management personnel will often participate in project reviews during the course of the project. Their role is to ensure that the project is interpreting the requirements correctly and to provide guidance on project decisions and risk response plans. If the project is creating or changing a key operational process or system, operations will often provide personnel to assist in testing the project product or results. This both augments the project staff and provides to the project team an “expert” review of the project deliverables. In some cases business governance requirements impact how projects must be planned and managed. When that is the case operational managers often conduct the governance reviews or audits.
Project Closeout and Operational Activities
Operations manages individuals performing operational activities and will often be involved in the stakeholder acceptance project activities at the end of the projects. The project team passes responsibility for the new product, service or result to the operational team.
Business Value
Business Value: "The net quantifiable benefit derived from a business endeavor. The benefit may be tangible intangible, or both.” PMBOK® Guide
The goal of many projects, programs, and portfolios is to increase business value. Business value is normally realized by the performance of the operational activities in the business operational processes. Business value includes both tangible and intangible elements and these elements are affected by projects, programs and portfolios. Projects develop a new product, service, or result that should increase business value. Programs integrate a group of projects so as to maximize business value across all of the projects. Portfolios align projects and programs along strategic objectives that are established by business management so as to create and sustain business value.
Definitions are taken from the Glossary of the Project Management Institute, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition, Project Management Institute, Inc., 2017, Page 700. PMBOK is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
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PMI, PMP, CAPM and PMBOK are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.