Introduction| Definition| Traditional| Hard-Soft| Environment
Characteristics| Concepts| Control| Breakdown| Fundamentals
Prerequisites| Summary| Appendix A| Appendix B
Hard and Soft Projects
Although as engineers we are principally concerned with "capital" or "hard" projects, it is worth noting that the principals I want to describe are equally applicable to both "hard" and "soft" projects, and in fact whether they are large or small.
Hard Projects - those in which the final result is a relatively unique tangible product, such as a building, production plant or "utility".
Soft Projects - those in which the final result is not in itself a tangible asset. These may include an office relocation, establishing a new administrative system or even launching a new television program. The point is a project is not an on-going activity. Rather, it is an understanding that ends with a specific accomplishment and the product or end result is a distinguishing characteristic.
Thus project management should be applied whenever there is a single, identifiable, overall task which is:
- Complex (that is, requiring reciprocal organizational and technological interdependencies);
- Interdisciplinary (requiring coordination of two or more functional units or departments); and
- Finite (in terms of completion date as well as performance and cost objectives).
 Traditional Management |
