Hey, again! Let's
get back into it. In this video, we'll
define a project, define project management, and explain its value
to an organization. Let's start by defining
exactly what a project is. A project, is a unique endeavor, and usually includes a set
of unique deliverables. It's also a temporary pursuit. It has a defined
beginning and an end. To put it another way, a
project is a series of tasks that need to be completed to reach a desired outcome. Reaching that desired
outcome takes collaboration and careful planning that keeps the project on track
and on budget. That's where project
management comes in. Project management is
critical to the success of projects both big and small. Let's break it down
into the what, the why, and the how. What is project management? Why is project management an important part
of an organization? How is it vital to
a project success? As I mentioned,
project management is the application of
knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet
the project requirements and achieve the desired outcome. Project management is
valuable to businesses because it helps ensure that a project delivers the
expected outcomes, both on time and within budget. To demonstrate what I mean I'll take you through
a real-life example of project management. Imagine a school district signs a deal with a
telehealth company to make sure students
don't have to miss school for simple health issues,
like fevers or headaches. The deal will be completed by
the end of the school year. The students can now
interact with the doctor through a tablet, smartphone, or a computer, while
they're at school. Implementing this technology into the school's procedures
is the project. It's got a clear outcome
and start and end date. So, how is that project managed? Well, this project
has several tasks, and each one has to be
carefully planned out and tracked, or managed, in order for the project
to be completed. For example, to start you can organize
training sessions for faculty to get them better acquainted with the technology,
policies, and procedures. You can budget for
tablets, computers, and other vital equipment to facilitate the
virtual checkups. You can maintain strong
communication with doctors, the telehealth company, and school staff members
and so much more. To successfully launch the
product in the schools all of those things
need to get done. That is project management. Seems pretty important to
an organization's success, right? More and more companies
are starting to understand how project management can save them lots of money and time. Poor project management can lead to trillions of wasted
dollars every year for organizations
around the world. More specifically, poor
project management can lead to 48 percent of projects
missing delivery dates, 43 percent missing
budget targets, and 31 percent failing to
meet an organization's goals. As a company that serves so many different
purposes in communities, it's no surprise that project management's a huge
part of Google. But here, many of our
project managers are described as
"program managers," because they manage
multiple projects for specific products,
teams, or programs. There are thousands of people
here with the job of keeping projects and
programs running smoothly. People like me. I'm a responsible
innovation program manager. My team is responsible for ensuring that the
technology we produce, the research we pursue, and the publications we put out are all done with Google's artificial intelligence
principles in mind. I review the processes for each of these types
of technologies, and I give ideas for how
to continue innovating responsibly to meet our
organizational goals. My job adds value to Google through the core aspects of project management
we've mentioned, planning and organizing,
managing tasks, and budgeting and
controlling costs. Hopefully you have a better
sense of what a project is, what project management is, and why project management is an important part
of every company, and how it's vital to
a project's success. Next up, we'll learn more about what a project
manager does.