The project management discipline is swiftly becoming the catalyst of choice for change in modern business models. The added value project management provides to the bottom line is now considered a corporate lifesaver, not a corporate cost center. Even though the discipline does not usually generate revenue (except in projectized organizations), it enables profit generation by maintaining tight controls on expenditures with a proactive view of project events.

Project managers today are provided the power and authority to establish, maintain, and forecast project results. It is a proactive instead of a reactive process. Project managers today participate with finance and marketing analysts in the financial justification of projects. Their contribution to the corporate bottom line makes the discipline of project management a twenty-first-century core business process.

If used correctly, the process of project management can impact revenue-to-expense ratios in a positive way. It can curtail expenses and assist senior management in choosing one project over another by providing a realistic and defendable cost structure designed to increase competitive advantage and maximize shareholder wealth. In other words, project management is a cost saver rather than a cost center.

The perfect workbook for project managers and PMP exam candidates seeking practical experience

New project managers and students pursuing the Project Management Professional certification are looking for practical experience to solidify their skills. The step-by-step tasks presented in this book offer them an opportunity to practice the common tasks project managers face in the real world. The authors, both expert project management trainers and consultants, explore each phase of project management: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and closing the project, with in-depth instructions for handling the tasks associated with each phase.

• New project managers and exam candidates need practical experience to perfect their skills; this book helps them learn through real-world scenarios
• Explores each phase of project management, offering step-by-step instructions to many of the tasks project managers confront each day
• Covers all phases of project management, including initiating the project, planning, executing, monitoring, controlling, and closing the project
• Looks at defining scope, developing a project charter, creating a plan to manage change, breaking down the work, managing resource allocation, measuring performance, and releasing resources
• Fully updated to cover everything required for the 2011 PMP exam

PMP exam candidates and anyone new to project management will benefit from the hands-on exercises in this book.