Do you know what is PMBOK? Project Management Body of Knowledge, means Project Management Knowledge Guide, is a manual aimed at professionals involved in project management and whose publication is periodically reviewed by PMI (Project Management Institute).

In practice, this guide serves to provide all information about practices, theories and processes, as well as important tools for project management.

Ultimately, it is a standardization to identify and conceptualize processes, techniques, areas of knowledge and tools for managers, showing the best ways to plan and monitor the progress of projects — in other words, a huge “hands on deck”. Let’s understand what PMBOK is and its benefits? Good reading!

What is PMBOK?

Firstly, it is worth explaining that this is not a methodology — a collection of rules to be followed. Instead, the PMBOK brings together best practices in project management to be applied in any type of company and in all types of projects. For this to be possible, it requires the correct interpretation from the manager, in order to identify the best way to apply them in the company’s context.

What is the PMBOK for?

Companies deal with several projects at the same time, and this task is not so simple. That’s why PMBOK was created: to optimize all agency routines. This knowledge-focused strategy helps the financial and administrative sectors, as well as the team that deals directly with the customer.

Ultimately, the function of the PMBOK is to standardize and transmit efficient practices, tested and proven by project managers from all over the world, in a single guide. It is worth remembering that many projects can occur at the same time within the company, each of which has a goal, and may or may not be interconnected.

What are the benefits of PMBOK?

The importance of PMBOK is that it allows you to create categories of project management operations, aiming to manage the company or supervise a project. With this, many benefits are obtained, such as:

  • greater effectiveness in the use of tools and resources;
  • increasing the possibilities of successful projects;
  • greater understanding of risks, in addition to their management;
  • better team communication skills;
  • identification of activity patterns and flows;
  • better communication flow;
  • greater control over projects;
  • project monitoring;
  • greater productivity;
  • risk reduction.

PMBOK is used to create categories of project management operations to manage the company or supervise a project. Such projects are divided into process groups.

What is PMBOK process groups?

There are five process groups in the guide, each with an objective. Get to know them!

  • Initiation: they start new projects, such as recognizing a need or obtaining some authorization.
  • Planning: establish the initial reason for the project, how to determine the objectives and formulate the action plan.
  • Execution: classify the project, executing the action defined in the planning, obeying the defined criteria.
  • Monitoring and control: closely observe and review the progress of the project, making changes and increasing deadlines, as necessary.
  • Closing: Here, the quality management team checks and finalizes the project for official use.

But, it doesn’t stop there: in the PMBOK manual, these five groups can be divided (in detail) into areas of knowledge, which overlap at different stages of a project. See the definition of each of them, which, in fact, are nothing more than how and where to apply the PMBOK!

How and where to apply the PMBOK?

Now, you will see what the “knowledge areas” of the project stages are. They are separated into types of management and what they propose. See how PMBOK works in practice!

Quality management

Right at the beginning of the project, policies and objectives for the level of satisfaction of some parameters must be established. However, it is important to carry out subsequent checks to ensure that the PMBOK project is carried out as planned.

Project scope management

The scope ensures that each of the projects covers the entire work. But, for it to work, it needs to be identified at the beginning of the project. This way, it is possible to prevent the project scope from advancing as time passes.

Project stakeholder management

It identifies all the people involved in the project. This management also defines what role they will play, their expectations and what management strategies will be used.

Resource management

Also called human resources in previous editions, it represents the delegation of tasks to members of the team involved in the project. It is focused on using each person’s experience, knowledge and skills in the most beneficial way possible.

Cost management

Here we are talking about planning, budgeting and controlling project financial data. This way, it is possible to maintain costs with materials and equipment and also labor within the budget approved at the beginning.

Communications management

At this point, the objective is to determine the most efficient way to distribute, control, monitor and also store information among those involved.

Project integration management

Project interaction concerns the process of bringing together the many moving parts of a project. This way, it will be easier to follow a common goal. At this stage, we highlight the importance of communication with those who participate in the project.

Schedule management

Formerly called time management, it aims to keep a sequence of events up to date and accurate. This seeks to meet deadlines and responsibilities, even if deadlines may be adjusted.

Risk management

Each project must have its own risk management plan. It identifies, analyzes and controls risks, also establishing a response plan that addresses possible problems along the way.

Project procurement management

As for acquisitions, we refer to obtaining products or services that are essential for completing the project. Here, the subsets include procurement planning, solicitation planning, supplier selection, contract administration and closing.

We hope that this text has met your expectations about what PMBOK is, its importance, benefits and objectives. We finish by highlighting that the great advantage of using PMBOK project management is ensuring that the method is the simplest, fastest and easiest to use. With this, you will be able to apply sufficient precision to enhance project results, without overloading team members, while using the most satisfactory methodologies and in the right way.

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