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“Projects are dead.”
Although it was funny, it was true enough to me that I thought it was worth considering.
He meant “Of course projects don’t die,”. Look at projects such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the various countries’ vaccination rollouts during the COVID-19 epidemic.
The definition of project is changing in a digital world where continuous integration, frequent deployments, and constantly evolving products are all common.
Let’s go on a little adventure, shall we?
This article will discuss how a project can be defined in digital form, how it can change over the course of time, and what this means for the future of project management within the digital world.
These are the topics we will cover:
The Usual Definition of a Project
What makes a digital project unique from a regular one?
Examples and Types of Digital Projects
Digital Projects: What can be complicated?
These are the Skills Digital Project Managers Must Have
The “Usual Definition of a Project”
Let’s start with the “usual definition of a project”. Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) defines a project as “a temporary undertaking undertaken in order to create a unique product, service or result.”
This is a three-part process and all three are possible in the digital age.
It’s temporary: Projects have a start-stop.
It’s an effort: A Project is an attempt to do something with uncertainty.
It creates something new: the outcome of a project is unique and distinct.
Project Examples that Are “Usual”.
One of the most straightforward and obvious examples of a project is to build a skyscraper. It’s temporary because the ground must be broken (a definite start) and then the big ribbon must be cut (a definitive end). It is also challenging because it requires a lot effort and there is no guarantee that you will succeed. There isn’t another skyscraper at the exact same location, at least not in this size.
A project is the development of a new treatment to rare diseases. It involves designing a rocket that can be returned to the landing platform and reused. It is a difficult project to build the 5G network for the United States.
Digital complicates what we think of as a “typical” project. What a Project is Not
This definition can also help you identify what is and what isn’t a project. Continuous operations that do not have a clear beginning and end are not considered to be projects. A collection of business processes that are less likely to succeed is not considered a project. A project is not the production of thousands of identical widgets.
What makes a digital project unique from a regular one?
What is the difference between a non-digital and digital project? Is it not a digital project that produces digital deliverables. Yes, and no.
What does “Digital” mean?
Let’s first define digital. Digital is the intersection between technological business solutions, and user-centric experiences.
These digital experiences can be delivered via software. However, these digital experiences can also be part of physical products. Digital components are used in modern cars, commercial aircrafts, personal fitness trackers and mining operations centers.
The Four Dimensions of a Digital Project
There are four dimensions that must be connected to define a digital project:
The digital
