Project Integration Management | Basic Concept

Project Integration Management is the first knowledge area of PMBOQ. In order to understand the Project Integration Management, think about what the word integration means. This will help you better understand this knowledge area. Basically, the word integration means to bring together to form to coordinate to combine or to blend.

So, PIM(Project Integration Management) knowledge area is really the hub of the wheel that brings all of the project management process groups and knowledge areas together to accomplish the project’s objectives. The official definition from the PMBOQ perspective is;

” Integration includes the processes and activities needed to identify, define, combined, unify and coordinate the various processes in project management activities within the project management process groups”

In other words this knowledge area really encompasses many of the other processes in the other knowledge areas. Because this knowledge area is where all of those other processes get integrated. To illustrate this further, please first go through the chart below.

Project Integration Management Knowledge Area

As you can see here the integration knowledge area involves all of the process groups i.e., initiation, planning, execution, monitoring & control & close project/phase. It’s the only knowledge area that does and it is important to note. For concept, please look at these integration processes under the initiating group, the process is developed project charter (where Project Manager is formally announced and given him his authority. In the second process group i.e., planning group; the integration process is develop project management plan.

Develop Project Management Plan

Integration knowledge area is unique to the other knowledge areas and it is a kind of houses all of these other processes as they go on and the other knowledge areas. If you look down this column you’ll see for instance that all of these other knowledge areas contain processes that have to do with planning. These planning processes, as they are handled through the various knowledge areas scope time cost and so on. All really contribute to and become part of the overall project management plan.
So the develop project management plan process in the integration knowledge area actually includes all of these other processes. This will become clear as we go through all of the other processes. So moving on through this integration knowledge area; the executing process group is direct & manage project execution.

The monitoring and controlling process groups contains two processes monitor and control project work and perform integrated change control.

Monitoring & Control Project-Executing Process Group

In the closing process group we have closed project or phase. Each of the knowledge areas will have similar rose and they will have processes in varying combinations of these groups.

Close Project/Phase

So Project Integration Management is comprised of six processes.

1. Develop Project Charter: Formal announcement of Project Manager and giving him authorities. Project charter consists of answers to many questions like how, why, where and who will do this? It also contains major constraints, assumptions, risks and expectations.
2. Develop Project Management Plan: Whenever problem occurs during execution or any other process group, then prescription that will guide you is the project management plan. Follow PMP and save your time for finding solutions at your end. Planning team has already spent lot of hours before formalizing project management plan.
3. Direct & Manage Project Execution:  This is the process group where you actually start ground executions. This is the time where evaluation of technical team begins. You have to execute as per schedule, within budget and only agreed scope. Please do not let scope creep to impact your project and your performance.
4. Monitor & Control Project Work: Management team also acting while execution. This is the process group where you collect data from field and analyze the executed data for reports generation.  It gives a clear picture of either you are under budget, above budget or on budget. Similarly, above schedule, below schedule or on schedule.
5. Perform Integrated Change Control: This is the process group that acts if project detracks. If you want any changes in baselines, then follow change management and initiate a change request. This is not only limited to baselines or when something went wrong. You have to follow integrated change control incase any team member comes up with idea that have positive impact on execution or product.
6. Close Project or Phase: When product is accepted by the customer, then you have to formally signature the accepted deliverable from customer.