01: What is Project Integration Management?

What will you think if you as a project manager was told by your boss that your key accountability is integration, collaboration, and communication? In this lesson, I will highlight what these terms mean with examples during the management and delivery of projects.

Project Integrated Management is the management of projects by integrating people, process, and business environment resources to optimize the utilization of project resources and deliver business value using an outcomes-driven approach. Outcomes are the end-result of the project outputs and deliverables that focus on business value. 

Managing projects are becoming complex because of globalization, digital transformation, and business integration, resulting in the increasingly global demands for project managers with sound knowledge, skills, and expertise in project integration management. Project managers who have proven integration skills, knowledge and experience are well prepared for integration opportunities across the global project management profession, as well as to increase their competitive edge in the project management profession.  

Here are some Key Concepts of Project Integration Management that you should think about:  

·        Project Integration Management is the key role of the Project Manager, as defined by PMI PMBOK® in the project integration management knowledge areas. You as the project manager should not delegate or transfer this accountability.

·        This integration management knowledge area combines the results from all other knowledge areas, such as scope, schedule, costs, risks, quality, etc.

·        Other knowledge areas may be managed by specialists and coordinated by the project manager to ensure consistency and integrity among the knowledge areas.

·        Agile/adaptive environments, which utilize iterative and agile approaches promote the engagement of team members as experts in controlling how product plans and deliverables are integrated. In this case, the project manage may use a more collaborative approach to decision-making, in managing the product delivery.    

·        The Project Manager may need to tailor the Project Life Cycle (phases) and Development Life Cycle (Predictive or Adaptive) approach based on the project objectives.