Statistics: (1701 Views) (0 Comments) Print Posted: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 Categories: Project Management, Soft Skills

Any project that is cancelled, not completed, or fails to meet its objectives and has to be written off, is obviously a waste of organization resources and time. However, it is also not enough just to successfully execute a project to completion. A successful project that is not implemented or used because it doesn't meet the customer's or user's requirements and expectations is equally, if not more, wasteful.

The success of a project, therefore, depends on meeting both the business objectives for which it is being done and its customer/user expectations. This article focuses on the people involved in projects because they are the ones who define business objectives, specify requirements, approve projects, do the work of projects, and use the product of the product. In the world of project management, we collectively call these people "stakeholders." It is important to understand their expectations to identify and meet their needs. 

Author: Dr. Jerry Mulenburg, PMP