PMP Process Chart: What You Should Know

PMP Process chart is one of the most crucial process charts to be created in any project. It is a must-have tool for anybody who wants to complete their task successfully and without any problem.

Someone might think that the PMP process chart is just about sticking a bunch of data on an Excel spreadsheet, but it is not exactly like that. This is one of the most comprehensive project management tools available today, with a lot of history behind it.

About The Chart

The PMP Process Chart is a visual representation of the project management process. It shows how the different activities in the project lifecycle fit together and where each activity fits in with others.

The PMP Process Chart was developed by the Project Management Institute (PMI). This organization has been helping organizations build their project management skills since 1965.

To understand the PMP Process Chart, it's essential to understand what it isn't.

For example, the PMP Process Chart doesn't show how much time each activity takes or what percentage of the work is done by each team member. These things can be measured—but they're not part of this chart. Instead, the purpose of this chart is to show how all the activities connect.

The 5 Process Groups

The five process groups are:

 Initiation: In this process group, you must prepare for the project by understanding its scope and establishing a plan to complete it.

Planning and Scheduling: In this process group, you will have to develop the project plan and schedule to accomplish the project requirements within the required time frames.

Execution: In this process group, you will be responsible for organizing resources and resources management during the execution phase of the PMP certification process.

Monitoring and Controlling: In this process group, you will be responsible for carrying out all activities related to monitoring and controlling the project throughout its duration to achieve goal objectives within budgeted cost estimates or budgeted time frames as per approved budget parameters by the sponsor or client.

Closing: In the closing phase of the PMP certification process, you will be responsible for finalizing all documentation related to project completion, such as closing reports, closure meeting minutes, final words, etc., which should be signed by all key personnel involved in the project completion.

10 Knowledge Areas

Scope management is the process of determining what problems and opportunities the project will address. It involves identifying the scope, including all project activities and deliverables. The scope should be detailed enough that it can be managed effectively but not so precisely that it becomes a burden on the team.

Communication management is communicating both within and outside your organization about what your project will accomplish and how you plan to accomplish it. This includes informing stakeholders about progress, identifying risks and issues, and clarifying expectations.

Communication management may also involve coordinating with external partners or vendors to ensure they understand your project's goals and your organization's commitments.

Time Management is about managing your time effectively so that each team member has adequate time for their assigned tasks when needed most. Time management can also mean ensuring sufficient time for each task before moving on to another or taking a break between tasks if necessary.

Stakeholder management includes the stakeholders for your project, their roles and responsibilities in your organization, and how they interact with each other (e.g., who is responsible for making decisions).

Cost management includes cost drivers such as workload, scope change orders (SCOs), and unforeseen problems affecting costs. It also contains project team members' resources, such as equipment or software licenses.

Integration management includes how various functions within an organization will interact during the life cycle of a project — from requirements gathering through execution of deliverables and close-out activities — so that each phase of work can be completed on time and within budget.

The process chart's quality management section includes the activities performed to ensure the processes, products, and services meet customer expectations. It is important to note that this section does not include the quality assurance or quality control activities performed after the process has been completed.

Human resources management is essential to any organization because it involves managing employees and their skills, motivation, knowledge, and abilities to maximize productivity.

Human resources management may often include working on an organization's hiring process or interviewing candidates for new positions.

Procurement management encompasses all aspects of purchasing goods, services, or materials for use in manufacturing processes. This includes creating purchase orders for materials, tracking all payments made for purchases, and receiving products from vendors the organization has contracted.

Risk management is an essential part of the PMP process. A risk is any threat or opportunity that could negatively affect a project or organization. When you create a risk list, you're defining your project's risks and how you'll respond to them.

Risk identification: Identify risks and how to mitigate them (reduce the likelihood or impact).

Risk response: Determine what actions are needed to address identified risks.

Risks should be prioritized based on their likelihood of occurrence, impact, and cost.

Conclusion

The PMP process chart will be a good starting point as you prepare for your certification exam. If we have one piece of advice, it's this: practice, practice, practice.

Numerous online tools can help you study, from flashcard systems to quizzing yourself on terminology. When it comes to earning a PMP certification, there's no substitute for hard work—which means hours of studying hard to provide yourself the best chance at passing the test and achieving the certification you've set out to obtain.