The challenge of project management

In addition to planning for the known project events, project managers could avoid project problems by also planning for the unknown events that can delay project delivery and escalate project cost. Planning for the unknown can help project managers better identify potential obstacles when these emerge and more quickly overcome many of the challenges that could otherwise cause project failure. This article describes an account of how the author's company, The SNC Group, successfully surmounted such challenges as planning a project start-up, managing labor productivity, implementing fast-track projects, monitoring project schedules and project budgets, and controlling the logistics of high-volume procurement, materials handling, and transportation activities. It explains how SNC also resolved project problems caused by international tensions, financially unstable national economies, and continuously shifting political environments.