Project integration management based on PMBOK sixth edition: In this module, you will learn project integration management, brief about 7 Processes of integration management, importance of project integration management, trends & emerging practices, tailoring considerations and many more.

What is Project Integration Management Based on PMBOK Sixth Edition?

During a project, assigned project manager may have to schedule tasks, re-schedule tasks, purchase products, address risks, replace project team members, and accomplish other things which is necessary for success of project.

Project integration management helps a project manager coordinate different project activities. Project Integration management is one of the key knowledge area among ten knowledge areas defined in latest edition which has a primary role in the successful completion of the Project.

In other words, Project integration management is the coordination of all elements of a project which may include coordinating tasks, resources, stakeholders, managing conflicts and any other project elements.

One best example of project integration management would be if a project is not on track, in that case, as a project manager you need to choose one option either going with over budget or finishing the project late in order to complete it. In above condition, Situation Assessing and decision making is a key part of project integration management.

Project integration management is tied in with keeping up balance in every aspect of project ( schedule, scope, cost, quality, resource, communication, risk, procurement, stakeholder) and these are interconnected processes.

Project integration management is the first knowledge area of the project management framework among all ten knowledge areas (integration management, scope management, schedule management, cost management, quality management, resource management, communication management, risk management, procurement management, stakeholder management).

Project integration management touches all the phases of project life cycle i.e initiating, planning, executing, monitoring & controlling, and closing. Project integration management helps a project manager to keep a watchful eye on the various procedures that are performed throughout the project life cycle; from initiation till the closure.

Having proper Project integration management plan for a project manager is very much important part in consideration as it helps to ensure that the entire team is working towards a shared goal for successful project completion.

As per PMBOK guide, Project integration management includes the processes and activities to identify, define, combine, unify, and coordinate the various processes and project management activities within the Project Management Process Groups.

Project integration management is specific to project managers. Whereas other Knowledge Areas may be managed by specialists (e.g., cost analysis, scheduling specialists, risk management experts), the accountability of Project Integration Management cannot be delegated or transferred.

For free questions & answers : https://www.passpmpexamprep.com/practice-questions-on-integration-management

Why project integration management needed?

Projects are complex, with a lot of different parts that need to be managed. For example, a project manager needs to oversee all of the following:

· Scope

· Schedule

· Cost

· Quality

· Resources

· Risks

· Changes

· Stakeholders

Monitoring everything and knowing how one effects the others can be extremely challenging. In any case, on the off chance that it isn't done appropriately, it can prompt project failure.

For instance, in the event that you don't see how scope change will affect your project schedule, budget, and resource requirements, at that point it would be very difficult to manage the change.

Without integration management , it can be hard to see how this impacts the business and also without integration management, it’s difficult to identify conflicts in advance and resolution methods.

Project Integration Management is required because of the following importance:

Project Integration management ensures that the due dates of the product, services or result are well aligned.
Project integration management also ensures that the various deliverable of the project, project life cycle, and benefits management plan are well aligned.
Providing organized management plan to achieve the project goals.
Providing support for managing and controlling the overall performance of the project.
Project integration management coordinates the decisions regarding key changes impacting the project.
It measures and monitors the project’s progress by taking the appropriate actions to meet the objectives.
Project integration management plays crucial role in collecting data on the results achieved, analyzing data to gain information, and sharing it to the relevant stakeholders.
With proper integration management, Project manager will be able to officially close each phase, contract, project as a whole and release the resources.
Integration management also helps in managing phase transitions when needed.

Trends and Emerging Practices in project integration management includes the followings:

Use of automated tools
Use of visual management tools
Project Knowledge Management
Expanding the Project Manager’s responsibilities
Hybrid methodologies etc.

Tailoring Considerations in project integration management includes the followings:

Because each project is unique, the project manager may need to tailor the way that the project integration management processes are applied. Consideration for tailoring includes:

· Project life cycle

· Development life cycle

· Management approaches

· Knowledge Management

· Change

· Governance

· Benefits

· Lessons learned

What are the 7 Processes of Project Integration Management?

The entire knowledge area of project integration management is further divided into smaller seven processes which is very crucial to keep in mind for project managers in an organization. Integration management processes occur throughout the entire life cycle of the project. Each of these processes holds major contributions towards successful completion of the project.

Project Integration is the only area that has activities in all five of the PMI process groups (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & controlling and closing ).

The brief of Project Integration Management processes are as below and for details visit another module where you will find separate discussions on all these seven processes:

1. Develop Project Charter

The responsibility for developing project charter goes to sponsor or the project manager in collaboration. Develop project charter is the process of developing a document that formally authorizes the existence of a project in an organization. And most important is that it also provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities .

2. Develop Project Management Plan

Develop project management plan is the process of defining, preparing, and coordinating all plan components and consolidating them into an integrated project management plan. The project management plan defines how the project is executed, monitored and controlled, and closed.

Project management plan components include:
Subsidiary management plans: Scope management plan, Requirements management plan, Schedule management plan, Cost management plan, Quality management plan, Resource management plan, Communications management plan, Risk management plan, Procurement management plan, Stakeholder engagement plan

Baselines: Scope baseline, Schedule baseline, Cost baseline.

3. Direct and Manage Project Work

Process of leading and performing the work defined in the project management plan and implementing approved changes to achieve defined objectives of the project. It provides overall management of the project work and deliverables and provides higher probability of project success.

4. Manage Project Knowledge

The process of using existing knowledge and creating new knowledge to achieve the project’s objectives and contribute to organizational learning. Knowledge management is concerned with managing both tacit (knowledge that is personal and difficult to express, such as beliefs, insights, experience, and “know-how”) and explicit (knowledge that can be readily codified using words, pictures, and numbers) knowledge for two purposes: reusing existing knowledge and creating new knowledge.

5. Monitor and Control Project Work

Monitor and control project work is the process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting overall progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project management plan. It allows stakeholders to understand the current state of the project, recognize the actions taken to address any performance issues, and to have visibility into the future project status.

6. Perform Integrated Change Control

The process of reviewing all change requests, approving changes and managing changes to deliverables, organizational process assets (OPAs) , project documents, and the project management plan. It allows for documented changes within the project to be considered in an integrated manner while addressing overall risk, which often arises from changes made without consideration of the overall project objectives or plans.

7. Close Project or Phase

The process of finalizing all activities for the project, phase, or contract and this is the process which performed once. The project or phase information is archived, the planned work is completed, and organizational team resources are released for new endeavors.

For more details about seven processes of project integration management knowledge, please click on below:

1. Develop Project Charter (Initiating)

2. Develop Project Management Plan (Planning)

3. Direct and Manage Project Work (Executing)

4. Manage Project Knowledge (Executing)

5. Monitor and Control Project Work (Monitoring and Controlling)

6. Perform Integrated Change Control (Monitoring and Controlling)

7. Close Project or Phase (Closing)

Conclusion

Most hopefully, you would like this information, and this will be more beneficial for you.

The information provided above about project integration management is crucial for every Project manager in an organization.