Companies recognize the benefit of using project management to implement their various business strategies. The use of IT project management consulting is a valuable way to always have the most recent PM skills and knowledge available for that job.

The project manager (PM) is a critical resource in any IT project. They coordinate activities in all phases of a project including:

· Project Initiation (or Startup)

· Project Planning

· Project Execution

· Project Completion

IT Project Initiation (Startup)
The PM defines the parameters around the project such as high-level budget and impact on personnel. Specific tasks accomplished in this phase include:

· determine the business needs and create goals that meet those requirements

· define the project costs, perform a benefits analysis and develop a budget

· identify all personnel impacted by the project and how

· create a project charter with costs, tasks, deliverables and schedule to be reviewed and approved by stakeholders

Many companies use IT project management consulting in this phase to coordinate activities and insure that the work is complete and accurate. This phase can determine the "Go/No Go" status of a project.

IT Project Planning
In this phase the PM creates the roadmap by which the team reaches the project goals. The activities in this phase include:

· create a scope statement

· identify the project team

· create a refined schedule, costs and budget

Because this phase is concerned with the details of the plan and budget, PM consulting resources are often employed to assist or lead part of the phase.

IT Project Execution
While this phase could be summarized as "follow the plan" the PM is responsible for keeping everything on track. The activities in this phase include:

· determine where the team is on the plan

· determine how far the team is off the plan

· identifying risks and how to address them so as to get the work back in line with the plan

IT project management consulting is often used in this phase to support the risk management efforts. These can lead to the creation of "mini-projects" as new activities are created to bring the overall activities in line with the project plan.

IT Project Completion
In this phase the PM wraps up the project with two important activities:

Obtain sign-off on the project by the stakeholders Transition the project deliverables to the company's post-production support team

There are other tasks involved in a project close but these two are an indication that all work on the project has completed.

It is often convenient to have the support of consulting project managers to make sure all activities are addressed and completed at a project close.

IT Project Management Consulting provides companies with a source of experienced project managers. They can be engaged to work on specific phases of a project, or coordinate the activities from beginning to end.