The Business Dictionary defines a project as:
Planned set of interrelated tasks to be executed over a fixed period and within certain cost and other limitations.
Business Dictionary
This short sentence includes several important key words which characterize perfectly what a project should be.
- Planned: There is a specific structure necessary to execute the project. A stringent defined plan, including activities, involved people, necessary budget, expected results and similar issues are included in this plan.
- Interrelated tasks: This describes the activities which are connected and dependent from each other. A project normally is a sophisticated undertaking whack contains several different task, often dedicated to various subjects or fields.
- Fixed period: A project needs a precisely defined start and an exactly deadline for the tasks.
- Certain costs: A precise budget is part in the project. This defines the available amount of money which should not be exceeded.
Missing in this definition is the term “innovative”: A project (normally) describes something new, something that is not be executed or performed in the described configuration before.
