An Overview of PMBOK

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• Project Integration Management
• Scope Management
  
• Time Management
• Cost Management
• Quality Management
• Human Resources Management
• Communications Management
• Risk Management
• Procurement Management

These nine areas are outlined with strategies on how to implement them.

Project integration management is a collection of processes that outline the project so that the venture is successful. Project integration management consists of seven steps:

1. Developing the project charter
2. Developing the preliminary project scope
3. Developing the project plan
4. Executing the project and producing deliverables
5. Monitoring the progress of the project
6. Integrating change controls in the project
7. Closing the project

Scope management deals with five processes meant to ensure that the project is self-contained and does not meander. The scope element section includes:

1. Information on writing the scope statement
2. Scope defining
3. Creating work breakdown structures
4. Verifying the scope
5. Controlling the scope

A third element of project management PMBOK covers is time management. This element includes processes for:

• Defining activity
• Sequencing activity
• Estimating the duration of activities
• Estimating resource activities
• Developing schedules
• Controling schedules

Cost management deals with resources and budgeting. Processes included under cost management consist of:

• Estimating costs
• Budgeting costs
• Controlling costs in a project

Quality management has to do with the deliverables of the project. The goal of project managment is to produce quality deliverables. Proceses of quality management include planning quality, assuring quality, and controlling quality.

This element deals with all aspects of managing human resources, from resource planning to acquiring, developing, and managing the project team. Many articles on human resource management can be found on Bright Hub's Project Management Channel including Gary's "Employing Effective Resource Management at Your Company."

Effective communication is very important during the project management process. This element of PMBOK deals with who needs to know what, when. Processes covered by communication management include:

• Communications planning
• Information distribution
• Reporting performance
• Stakeholder management

Risk Management is a crucial element of managing a successful project. Risk management processes in PMBOK literature include:

• Risk management planning
• Identification of risks
• Qualitative and quantitative risk analysis
• Planning risk response
• Risk monitoring and control

Bright Hub has a wealth of information on risk management in project management including Joe Taylor's Risk Management Series.

Managing Procurables is the final element of PMBOK project managing. This element includes six processes. These six processes are:

• Planning purchases
• Acquisitions
• Plan contracting
• Requesting responses from sellers
• Selecting sellers
• Administering contracts, and closing contracts

For additional articles on PMBOK, visit the Project Management's PMBOK section by clicking here.