A History Of Project Management

Project management is a fairly new term, but the concepts that lie within it are not. For centuries, great projects have been completed all over the world - from the pyramids of Egypt to your Uncle Phil's garden shed. However, project management as we know it today is largely credited to the industrial revolution. With the rise of factories and mass production, came the need for better planning and organization in order to achieve goals efficiently and effectively. In this blog post, we will explore the history of project management and discuss how it has evolved over time.

Project management as we know it today can be traced back to the industrial revolution. With the rise of factory production and mass manufacturing, came the need for more precise planning in order to achieve goals efficiently. Over time, this need turned into a discipline that is now known as project management - a systematic process used to effectively plan, implement, and control projects.

Industrial Revolution

During the industrial revolution, factories were constructed all over the world to keep up with the demand for goods. However, without proper planning, this new manufacturing system quickly became costly and inefficient as production was slowed down or halted by unforeseen obstacles such as malfunctions in machinery or poor organization among workers.

The need for more accurate planning and organization to successfully complete projects led to the development of a systematic process known as project management. This new discipline involved key principles such as teamwork, communication, use of resources, and risk management - all of which would help ensure efficient production in factories, as well as other work environments.

PMI Created

One of the first and most prominent organizations to recognize the need for more effective planning in project management was the Project Management Institute (PMI). In 1969, PMI was created with the goal of developing standards and best practices that would help professionals effectively plan, implement, and control projects.

Since its creation in 1969, PMI has continued to grow and evolve. Today, it is one of the leading authorities on project management, with more than 500,000 members in over 180 countries worldwide. Additionally, PMI offers a wide range of certifications and online training programs to help professionals stay up-to-date and gain valuable skills in this discipline.

Over time, project management evolved from simple factory production to the management of IT projects and other large-scale endeavors. Today, it is used in all fields - from construction to engineering, to healthcare - as a way to plan and successfully complete complex tasks. While the core principles of project management remain consistent over time, there have been many changes and improvements made along the way that allows us to complete projects more efficiently and effectively than ever before.

So, what exactly is project management? In short, it is a systematic process used to plan, implement, and control the various tasks involved in completing a variety of projects - regardless of size or complexity. By using key principles such as teamwork, communication, use of resources, and risk management, project managers are able to successfully plan and complete tasks from start to finish. And while the core principles of project management have remained consistent throughout history, there have been many changes and improvements made over time that allow us to accomplish projects more efficiently than ever before.

Whether you’re working on a construction project or a complex IT system, the principles of project management are the same. By utilizing teamwork, communication, the use of resources, and risk management, you can successfully plan, implement, and control your project from start to finish - no matter what industry you're in. So why not give it a try?  With the right courses, pieces of training, and techniques at your disposal, there's no limit to what you can achieve!