

The Critical Role of Communication in Project Management

Industry Advice Management
Successfully managing a project from start to finish requires certain key skills . Scheduling, time management, and the ability to negotiate with internal and external parties are all critical competencies. Leadership, risk management, and critical thinking similarly all fall high on the list.
But the skill that is perhaps most important to project management is the one that underlies all of these others: Communication.
Without strong communication skills, project managers would find it incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to effectively manage their teams and coordinate efforts in order to bring about a project’s successful resolution.
Below, we explore the importance of effective communication in project management, define the different types of communication project managers are likely to engage in, and offer tips that you can use to become a more effective communicator to excel in your project management career .
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The Importance of Effective Communication in Project Management
As a part of their day-to-day jobs, project managers perform a variety of roles and responsibilities . At its core, however, the job is about coordinating the efforts of everyone involved in a project so that shared goals can be achieved. This requires that a project manager is skilled in gathering information and in sharing it with the right people on their team.
“Communication is the most important aspect in project management, because what project managers do a majority of the time is communicate to coordinate efforts,” says Sarmann Kennedyd , assistant teaching professor in Northeastern’s Master of Science in Project Management program . “To coordinate efforts, they have to gather a lot of information and disseminate it across all teams involved with the project.”
Without this communication, it’s possible that efforts might be duplicated by multiple people or teams involved in the project, that important goals and milestones might be missed, that resources become misallocated, or that the project’s scope begins to creep outside of the realm of what was originally intended. The end result is that projects can screech to a halt, or worse: fail altogether.
“Communication is one of the most essential ingredients [in successful project management] and skills that a project manager has to have,” Kennedyd says.
Types of Communication in Project Management
In project management, as in all other business processes, there are multiple different types of communication and communication styles that might impact a project. Often, these different styles can be understood to come from different “perspectives,” which we explore below.
1. The Project Perspective
When communication is viewed from the perspective of the project itself, it is usually broken into two categories: internal and external communication.
Internal communication typically refers to the exchange of information that occurs between individuals who are actively working on a project—the project manager and their team. It is often characterized by the detailed discussion that happens during planning or issue resolution.
External communication , on the other hand, refers to the flow of information between the members of a project team and key stakeholders not directly a part of the project. This might involve members of the executive team, the CEO, other departments or projects, the press, or internal and external customers. Because this communication is geared towards individuals who are not directly working on a project, it is often more formal and “polished” compared to internal communications.
2. The Organizational Perspective
When communication is viewed from an organizational perspective, it is usually broken into three distinct categories which take into account the various ways in which an organization might be structured: vertical, horizontal, and diagonal communication.
Vertical communication takes place between individuals who operate on different hierarchical levels within an organization and is sometimes referred to as “upward” or “downward” communication. Upward communication might involve a member of the project team updating the project manager about a particular roadblock that is getting in the way of completing a task, or the project manager communicating with their superior on the progression of the project. Downward communication works in the opposite direction, such as when the project manager assigns tasks to individuals on their team.
Horizontal communication takes place between individuals who operate on the same level within an organization. It’s the communication that occurs between peers and colleagues, such as when a team gathers for a daily scrum meeting or stand-up to align on what tasks will be completed.
Diagonal communication is typically limited to businesses and institutions with more organizational complexity and refers to the communication that takes place between individuals within different functional divisions or departments within the organization. For example, a project manager tasked with overseeing the development of a mobile app might turn to a member of the software team to understand how they dealt with similar issues or challenges.
When engaging in vertical, horizontal, or diagonal communication, it’s critical that a project manager or member of a project team understand the underlying politics involved, and use that knowledge to frame their discussions.
3. The Formality Perspective
When communication is viewed through the lens of formality, it is generally split into informal and formal communications, which are rather straightforward in their definitions.
Informal communications are often synonymous with internal communications outlined above. Daily emails, touchbases, and unplanned meetings form the bulk of this communication, which is generally raw and unpolished.
Formal communications , on the other hand, are seen more as products to be consumed. Reports, press releases, and presentations to key stakeholders often fall into this bucket. Because of the audience that they are typically addressed to, these communications are often more highly-produced and planned.
4. The Channel Perspective
The channel perspective refers to the channel or medium by which communication is transmitted or delivered. Common communication channels include verbal vs. non-verbal communication, in-person vs. remote or virtual communication, and written vs. oral communication.
It’s important to note that each of these communication channels offers its own benefits and disadvantages which a project manager should be aware of and leverage accordingly.
In-person communication, for example, enables the parties to observe body language and demeanor which might influence the message being sent, but it is not always possible due to the increasing use of remote teams in corporate environments. Similarly, written communication allows the writer to tailor their messaging to communicate precisely what they want to share, but it might lack certain subtleties that could otherwise be obvious in verbal communication (such as sarcasm).
It’s up to the project manager to understand which channel best applies to their unique needs, and to balance those needs accordingly against the potential drawbacks of each channel.
Tips for Effective Project Communication
1. make use of technology..
Just because your project team might be remote doesn’t mean that all of your communications need to be written. There is value in face-to-face meetings, and leveraging technology to facilitate these face-to-face interactions can go far in influencing the progress of your project. Virtual meetings and video conferencing are two incredibly helpful tools in this regard.
2. Keep cultural and language barriers in mind.
Companies and organizations are increasingly diverse, elevating the possibility that a member of your project team might not be a native English speaker. This might increase the risk of confusion during communications about the project.
Being mindful of any cultural differences or language barriers of those involved in your team is, therefore, of critical importance. When possible, avoid using colloquialisms, jokes, and sarcasm, which can be difficult to translate across languages and cultures.
3. Understand who should get what information and how.
As a project manager, a large part of your job is to act as a gatekeeper to information. While this means that you are responsible for providing relevant information to the members of your team, it also means that you are responsible for shielding them from irrelevant information which might cause confusion or otherwise disrupt their work. Understanding how to determine who gets what information is an essential part of a project manager’s job.
Similarly, it’s up to you to determine the best channel and form of communication for whatever audience you are speaking to. Don’t be afraid to tailor your methods of communication to individual stakeholders or members of your team, if you think doing so will help the project stay on track.
For example, if you know that a certain stakeholder prefers to analyze the numbers, you might want to generate a granular report for them that goes into the level of detail they are looking for. On the other hand, if a different stakeholder is only concerned with high-level numbers and key takeaways, you might instead choose to leverage graphs and charts to illustrate those key points.
Developing the Communication Skills Necessary for Project Success
If you are looking to improve and develop your communication skills as they relate to project management, earning a relevant advanced degree, such as a master’s in project management , could be one option of getting you where you want to be—especially if the program offers a concentration or focus on communication.
At Northeastern, individuals pursuing a master’s degree in project management can choose from 10 different specializations, including a Concentration in Organizational Communication. With classes focused on crisis communication, intercultural communication, negotiation, and organizational communication, amongst others, this track places a special emphasis on the various types of communication a project manager is likely to need to engage in during their career.
For more information about how a master’s degree in project management can help advance your career, download our free guide to breaking into the industry below.

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- The Benefits Of Project Communication Plans
- What To Include In A Communication Plan
- An Example Communication Plan
- How To Write A Communication Plan
- How To Use A Comms Plan Throughout The Project
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Project Communication Plan Examples, Template, & How To

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A good communication plan matters in your projects because effective communication, both internal and external, is critical to project success. Getting feedback on a deliverable, asking a co-worker where a file is saved, receiving crucial information from a client, conducting the review and approval process, and other daily project tasks all involve communication. Having a project communication document outlining stakeholders, as well as when and how to reach them, is essential. This article covers:
- What To Include
There’s also a communication plan template right here that you can use to create your own project communication plan.
Project Communication Plan Template

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Benefits of Project Communication Plans
At their core, project communication plans facilitate effective communication. It is a communications strategy to make your projects run smoother and help you avoid project failure . Some other major benefits include setting and managing expectations, better stakeholder management, and assisting with the project planning process.
Set And Manage Expectations
Project communications are a two-way street. Much like project planning, expectations must be set, and the project team and client stakeholders must carry out their responsibilities for communication to go smoothly.
While a project wouldn’t start without a project plan in place, project communication plans are not as readily discussed—but they should be.
By letting the client know early in the project process what they can expect, you set the tone for the entire project, starting from the project proposal process. It’s also helpful for them to know in advance what you will need from them so they can be prepared when the time comes.
Stakeholder And Client Management
Throughout a project, successful communication about alignment on a goal and milestones , and subsequent re-alignment on these as projects change, are crucial to stakeholder buy-in and transparency on project status .
Communication is critical to keeping a good relationship with the client , and a project communication plan can help you keep up that shared understanding of what’s happening and what should be happening throughout your project.
Project Planning
A project management communication plan defines how critical information will be delivered throughout the project. For example, which communication channel to use, by who, and at what frequency. While completing project planning, you should also be completing your communication planning.
Not all projects are created equal, and because of that, a project communication plan is unique to your project—which is why it’s important to think about as you’re creating your project plan after kickoff .
Large projects have different communication needs than small projects, and the same goes for projects with teams of stakeholders versus single project contact.
Projects with differing goals, budgets , timelines, and even deliverables all require internal communication tailored to those needs—and that’s something to keep in mind as you create a project communication plan.
What to Include in Communication Plans
While the specifics of your communication plan will vary depending on the project type and scope, there are a few key items that should be included in every project communication plan you create:
Key stakeholders: Note all key stakeholders , including your primary client contact. Include contact information such as phone numbers and emails, so that anyone who accesses the communication plan is able to find this information.
Team members: Include the main team members from your project team along with their roles. This is handy for anyone new to or unfamiliar with the project. List who on your team is involved in the communication of deliverables, leading strategic discussions, or how you’ll handle technical conversations between stakeholders and your team.
Communication methods: Outline the main communication methods and different channels you will be using to contact stakeholders, such as email, phone calls, in-person meetings, video meetings, Slack, social media, or any others. Include notes on stakeholders’ preferred channels.
Communication type: Include types of communication, how that communication will be shared, what will be included, and who that communication will be with. For example, you might be providing weekly status reports to the client. Think about how you will provide this, who it will be provided to, and what information needs to be in the report.
Communication style: This can be broken down by stakeholder and communication methods. Does a certain stakeholder prefer formal communication only, or can you be a little more casual in your tone?
Meeting schedule: While you can adjust this as needed throughout the project, having an initial idea of how often you’ll be meeting with stakeholders is helpful. Depending on the scope of the project , you might also want to outline how often you’ll be emailing the client. Include internal team meetings as well in your meeting schedule.
Key messages: For each stakeholder, determine the key message or information that will need to be communicated with them throughout the project. This also includes any information or feedback you will need from them.
Communication goals: A communication plan that includes communication goals can help ensure you make decisions based on what you’re trying to achieve.
Communication Plan Example
Based on the items we outlined above, here’s what a sample communication plan or stakeholder communication plan could look like:
Communication Goals
List the project communication goals at the top of the document, so everyone who accesses the plan will know them right off the bat. This will help get everyone on board with decisions that work toward achieving those goals.

Stakeholder Information And Communication Preferences
A table can be useful for listing project stakeholders and their preferences. For more complex projects you might wish to break the notes section down into even more granular columns.
For example, you might also include notes on stakeholder availability or any other information that’s crucial to how and when you communicate with your stakeholders.

Types Of Communication
Regardless of how formalized your plan might be, this section allows you to really break it down and think about the ways you’ll be communicating with your stakeholders and making sure that communication is consistent, meaningful, and successful.

How To Write Your Own Project Communications Plan
1. understand your parameters.
A project communication plan doesn’t need to be formal, but it should at least be written down for your own reference. Consider grammar –not because you want to sound clever, but because you want to be clear and understood.
First, it helps to sit down and define the parameters of the project: project size, information about the client’s company, project deliverables, timeline, and project team.
Think about your team’s communication styles and that of your client:
- How successful have communications been so far?
- Has your client indicated any preference for communication—do they tend to reach for the phone when they have a question or are they email-centric?
- Have you met in person or over video?
- How frequently does your team interact with you directly on a project? Do they prefer written context over meetings?
Once you have an understanding of the team and clients you’re working with, you can apply this to a communication action plan.
2. Define Your Goals And Stakeholders
List your project deliverables and the key stakeholders for the project. Then, add your project goals to this list: think about what successful project communication is, not just to your client, but to your team as well. This list will guide communication-related decisions.
3. Make A Communication Plan
Now, it’s time to actually make the plan. First, define your approach to the communications you’ll have throughout your project. After knowing the goals of your project, consider how frequently you’ll communicate with your client stakeholders, how you’ll do so, and what those communications will include.
You might use multiple approaches, like weekly phone check-ins to update on the timeline and budget progress or daily emails for on-the-fly questions. Maybe even in-person meetings to present major project milestones.
Whatever you decide, keep your parameters and goals in mind—these should help you identify what types of communication will be most beneficial to your project and how detailed or thorough your communication strategy will need to be.
10 Useful Project Communication Tools
As you think through your project communication plan, consider whether you’re using—or could make use of—communication software. Here are 10 examples of communication software that you, your teams, and your clients can use to stay in sync:

Best communication tool for teams of all sizes

Best communication tool for project management

Best for its wide variety of communication options within the team

Best online communication tool with native engagement functionality

Best communication tool with unlimited search history

Best communication tool for hosting online events

Best communication tool for deskless employees

Sync messages, calls, files, tasks, and external work tools

Best communication tool for Microsoft users

Best for small enterprises
How To Use A Project Communication Plan
1. share it with your team.
Sharing the plan with your team will inform them of your communication cadence—which affects their work and delivery dates—but also gives them more context around how you’ll be communicating and with whom. Sharing this information means your team can help support you as you carry out the communication plan.
2. Stay On Track
Make sure your team knows and understands your communication plan so that your client gets consistent, meaningful information relayed to them throughout the project. Book any key project meetings as soon as you have a plan in place, and add reminders to your calendar for regular check-ins and even project emails so that you stay on track with the important items you’ve defined in your plan. If you find yourself straying from your communications plan at any point and have trouble getting back to it, reconsider the approach you’ve defined:
- Does it still align with your project goals?
- Have the goals—or stakeholders—changed in any way since the project started?
- Are there more effective ways to communicate project information at this point?
Communication Plan = Success
Having a project communication plan gives you the tools to communicate effectively and notice red flags as soon as they occur. A plan can also allow you to re-evaluate your approach and your client’s needs if needed, and determine whether communication through other methods may be more effective. Regardless of how formal or informal your project communication plan might be, it can be the difference between a highly successful, efficient project, and a project that is merely skating by without a solid plan in place. Think of it as another way to set and check expectations throughout a project—and a way to ensure meaningful, successful communication with ease.
What Do You Think?
How essential is a project communication plan for the success of a project? Do you think that project managers should always write a communication plan for projects, irrespective of size? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment!
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1. WHAT IS TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION?
1.4 Case Study: The Cost of Poor Communication
No one knows exactly how much poor communication costs business, industry and government each year, but estimates suggest billions. In fact, a recent estimate claims that the cost in the U.S. alone are close to $4 billion annually! [1] Poorly-worded or inefficient emails, careless reading or listening to instructions, documents that go unread due to poor design, hastily presenting inaccurate information, sloppy proofreading — all of these examples result in inevitable costs. The problem is that these costs aren’t usually included on the corporate balance sheet at the end of each year; if they are not properly or clearly defined, the problems remain unsolved.
You may have seen the Project Management Tree Cartoon before ( Figure 1.4.1 ); it has been used and adapted widely to illustrate the perils of poor communication during a project.

The waste caused by imprecisely worded regulations or instructions, confusing emails, long-winded memos, ambiguously written contracts, and other examples of poor communication is not as easily identified as the losses caused by a bridge collapse or a flood. But the losses are just as real—in reduced productivity, inefficiency, and lost business. In more personal terms, the losses are measured in wasted time, work, money, and ultimately, professional recognition. In extreme cases, losses can be measured in property damage, injuries, and even deaths.
The following “case studies” show how poor communications can have real world costs and consequences. For example, consider the “ Comma Quirk ” in the Rogers Contract that cost $2 million. [3] A small error in spelling a company name cost £8.8 million. [4] Examine Edward Tufte’s discussion of the failed PowerPoint presentation that attempted to prevent the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster. [5] The failure of project managers and engineers to communicate effectively resulted in the deadly Hyatt Regency walkway collapse. [6] The case studies below offer a few more examples that might be less extreme, but much more common.
In small groups, examine each “case” and determine the following:
- Define the rhetorical situation : Who is communicating to whom about what, how, and why? What was the goal of the communication in each case?
- Identify the communication error (poor task or audience analysis? Use of inappropriate language or style? Poor organization or formatting of information? Other?)
- Explain what costs/losses were incurred by this problem.
- Identify possible solution s or strategies that would have prevented the problem, and what benefits would be derived from implementing solutions or preventing the problem.
Present your findings in a brief, informal presentation to the class.
Exercises adapted from T.M Georges’ Analytical Writing for Science and Technology. [7]
CASE 1: The promising chemist who buried his results
Bruce, a research chemist for a major petro-chemical company, wrote a dense report about some new compounds he had synthesized in the laboratory from oil-refining by-products. The bulk of the report consisted of tables listing their chemical and physical properties, diagrams of their molecular structure, chemical formulas and data from toxicity tests. Buried at the end of the report was a casual speculation that one of the compounds might be a particularly safe and effective insecticide.
Seven years later, the same oil company launched a major research program to find more effective but environmentally safe insecticides. After six months of research, someone uncovered Bruce’s report and his toxicity tests. A few hours of further testing confirmed that one of Bruce’s compounds was the safe, economical insecticide they had been looking for.
Bruce had since left the company, because he felt that the importance of his research was not being appreciated.
CASE 2: The rejected current regulator proposal
The Acme Electric Company worked day and night to develop a new current regulator designed to cut the electric power consumption in aluminum plants by 35%. They knew that, although the competition was fierce, their regulator could be produced more affordably, was more reliable, and worked more efficiently than the competitors’ products.
The owner, eager to capture the market, personally but somewhat hastily put together a 120-page proposal to the three major aluminum manufacturers, recommending that the new Acme regulators be installed at all company plants.
She devoted the first 87 pages of the proposal to the mathematical theory and engineering design behind his new regulator, and the next 32 to descriptions of the new assembly line she planned to set up to produce regulators quickly. Buried in an appendix were the test results that compared her regulator’s performance with present models, and a poorly drawn graph showed the potential cost savings over 3 years.
The proposals did not receive any response. Acme Electric didn’t get the contracts, despite having the best product. Six months later, the company filed for bankruptcy.
CASE 3: The instruction manual the scared customers away
As one of the first to enter the field of office automation, Sagatec Software, Inc. had built a reputation for designing high-quality and user-friendly database and accounting programs for business and industry. When they decided to enter the word-processing market, their engineers designed an effective, versatile, and powerful program that Sagatec felt sure would outperform any competitor.
To be sure that their new word-processing program was accurately documented, Sagatec asked the senior program designer to supervise writing the instruction manual. The result was a thorough, accurate and precise description of every detail of the program’s operation.
When Sagatec began marketing its new word processor, cries for help flooded in from office workers who were so confused by the massive manual that they couldn’t even find out how to get started. Then several business journals reviewed the program and judged it “too complicated” and “difficult to learn.” After an impressive start, sales of the new word processing program plummeted.
Sagatec eventually put out a new, clearly written training guide that led new users step by step through introductory exercises and told them how to find commands quickly. But the rewrite cost Sagatec $350,000, a year’s lead in the market, and its reputation for producing easy-to-use business software.
CASE 4: One garbled memo – 26 baffled phone calls
Joanne supervised 36 professionals in 6 city libraries. To cut the costs of unnecessary overtime, she issued this one-sentence memo to her staff:
After the 36 copies were sent out, Joanne’s office received 26 phone calls asking what the memo meant. What the 10 people who didn’t call about the memo thought is uncertain. It took a week to clarify the new policy.
CASE 5: Big science — Little rhetoric
The following excerpt is from Carl Sagan’s book, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, [8] itself both a plea for and an excellent example of clear scientific communication:
The Superconducting Supercollider (SSC) would have been the preeminent instrument on the planet for probing the fine structure of matter and the nature of the early Universe. Its price tag was $10 to $15 billion. It was cancelled by Congress in 1993 after about $2 billion had been spent — a worst of both worlds outcome. But this debate was not, I think, mainly about declining interest in the support of science. Few in Congress understood what modern high-energy accelerators are for. They are not for weapons. They have no practical applications. They are for something that is, worrisomely from the point of view of many, called “the theory of everything.” Explanations that involve entities called quarks, charm, flavor, color, etc., sound as if physicists are being cute. The whole thing has an aura, in the view of at least some Congresspeople I’ve talked to, of “nerds gone wild” — which I suppose is an uncharitable way of describing curiosity-based science. No one asked to pay for this had the foggiest idea of what a Higgs boson is. I’ve read some of the material intended to justify the SSC. At the very end, some of it wasn’t too bad, but there was nothing that really addressed what the project was about on a level accessible to bright but skeptical non-physicists. If physicists are asking for 10 or 15 billion dollars to build a machine that has no practical value, at the very least they should make an extremely serious effort, with dazzling graphics, metaphors, and capable use of the English language, to justify their proposal. More than financial mismanagement, budgetary constraints, and political incompetence, I think this is the key to the failure of the SSC.
CASE 6: The co-op student who mixed up genres
Chris was simultaneously enrolled in a university writing course and working as a co-op student at the Widget Manufacturing plant. As part of his co-op work experience, Chris shadowed his supervisor/mentor on a safety inspection of the plant, and was asked to write up the results of the inspection in a compliance memo . In the same week, Chris’s writing instructor assigned the class to write a narrative essay based on some personal experience. Chris, trying to be efficient, thought that the plant visit experience could provide the basis for his essay assignment as well.
He wrote the essay first, because he was used to writing essays and was pretty good at it. He had never even seen a compliance memo, much less written one, so was not as confident about that task. He began the essay like this:
On June 1, 2018, I conducted a safety audit of the Widget Manufacturing plant in New City. The purpose of the audit was to ensure that all processes and activities in the plant adhere to safety and handling rules and policies outlined in the Workplace Safety Handbook and relevant government regulations. I was escorted on a 3-hour tour of the facility by…
Chris finished the essay and submitted it to his writing instructor. He then revised the essay slightly, keeping the introduction the same, and submitted it to his co-op supervisor. He “aced” the essay, getting an A grade, but his supervisor told him that the report was unacceptable and would have to be rewritten – especially the beginning, which should have clearly indicated whether or not the plant was in compliance with safety regulations. Chris was aghast! He had never heard of putting the “conclusion” at the beginning . He missed the company softball game that Saturday so he could rewrite the report to the satisfaction of his supervisor.
- J. Bernoff, "Bad writing costs business billions," Daily Beast , Oct. 16, 2016 [Online]. Available: https://www.thedailybeast.com/bad-writing-costs-businesses-billions?ref=scroll ↵
- J. Ward, "The project management tree swing cartoon, past and present," TamingData, July 8, 2019 [Online] Available: https://www.tamingdata.com/2010/07/08/the-project-management-tree-swing-cartoon-past-and-present/ . CC-BY-ND 4.0 . ↵
- G. Robertson, “Comma quirk irks Rogers,” Globe and Mail , Aug. 6, 2006 [Online]. Available: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/comma-quirk-irks-rogers/article1101686/ ↵
- “The £8.8m typo: How one mistake killed a family business,” (28 Jan. 2015). The Guardian [online]. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/law/shortcuts/2015/jan/28/typo-how-one-mistake-killed-a-family-business-taylor-and-sons ↵
- E. Tufte, The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint , 2001 [Online]. Available: https://www.inf.ed.ac.uk/teaching/courses/pi/2016_2017/phil/tufte-powerpoint.pdf ↵
- C. McFadden, "Understanding the tragic Hyatt Regency walkway collapse," Interesting Engineering , July 4, 2017 [Online]: https://interestingengineering.com/understanding-hyatt-regency-walkway-collapse ↵
- T.M. Goerges (1996), Analytical Writing for Science and Technology [Online], Available: https://www.scribd.com/document/96822930/Analytical-Writing ↵
- C. Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, New York, NY: Random House, 1995. ↵
Technical Writing Essentials by Suzan Last is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
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Case Study: An Effective Communication Management Plan
- Posted by arsalan
- Categories Management
- Date March 6, 2018
- Comments 0 comment
Introduction
This task is related to communication challenges faced by a company, and various kinds of communications channels which are used in this regard and these are explained below:
Communication Challenges
There are many ways to transfer the message to the community it depends upon the person. It is most important in this whole scenario that message should be conveyed in the proper way to the concern person/audience (Adams & Christenson, 2000). The best way is that it should be simple & clear. Communication gap comes when it is not clear & appropriate. In this process, the medium of communication also plays an important role, such as TV, Newspapers, and Internet, etc. The standard method of communication is
As per our case study, the management team had different challenges of communications. It had to communicate the message to the masses. The medium of communication is also a big challenge which is most affected by the message & audience so that we should select it carefully. In this case what kind of communication medium should be used for the awareness of cancer? For that purpose, the message should be clear & simple because most people are from rural areas. In this case to enhance awareness among people is the big challenge for the project management team because people have a different background, behaviors, etc. who are living in different parts of the Punjab India. The team has another challenge that the information & data was not accurate (Aldawni, 2001).
Meeting Challenges
1-By increasing public awareness & properly handling
This is a very important task for the PAU project team because it is a sensitive thing to communicate to the target audience that’s they made teams to enhance awareness among people.

2-Raise the public awareness positively to avoid negative impression of chemicals
The team decided to visit the area to understand the people, culture & behavior so that they bring them knowledge about the issue according to their understanding. It is a good way to communicate the message in a positive & effective way.
3-Training is the best option to aware the people about the instance.
Training is the best part to enhance knowledge about the problem or an issue. It develops skills to communicate or bring awareness to people, which always helps people to convey the message to the target audience with knowledge & complete information about the given task. So that you will be able to convince the other party. Otherwise, it may create confusion (Investopedia, 2017).
4-Motivational speakers also play an important role in their knowledge & solution.
Motivational speakers are like heroes who dominate the people with knowledge & impressive way of communication. So they effect on people in a very positive way. People want to listen to them & give them respect & obey them.
Communicating with Stakeholders
There are almost four different channels of communications are existing among stakeholders. The team referred these mediums of communication such as Print media, TV / Radio, Face to Face & Internet. These are the different modes which are being used for the effective communication (Ali, Butt, & Tariq, 2011). Stakeholders are those people who have an interest in the working of an organization, and they are working in close coordination with the company in achieving their vision and mission along with the organizational strategy and dimension, and hence they can work on improving efficiency and effectiveness.
Communication Channels
Following mediums were being used for the effective communication by the management team:
- Press for press release posted on PAU website, so this will serve a purpose of managing information source for the channel.
- TV / Radio for advertisements, this will be done for mass marketing and address masses of customers.
- Face to Face for awareness meeting; this direct interaction will make sure that customer and company meet with each other in person.
- Website of the company along with social media platforms can serve the purpose as well as now these days all companies prefer to communicate with their customers in digital form.
Lessons Learnt
In this case, I learned that a simple & clear message always effects positively on the audience. Culture & behaviors matter a lot for the people in different parts of the world so we should plan accordingly & take care of that properly to get the best results of our effort. In this case, the team takes care of all these aspects of the community who were being addressed.
So from this discussion, we can conclude that communication is essential for the existence of a business and should be given due importance in the course of business to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Through the use of proper communication channels, we can spread our voice of message to our target audience and target market and hence increase our market share along with the customer base.
Adams, & Christenson. (2000). Trust and the Family–School Relationship Examination of Parent–Teacher Differences in Elementary and Secondary Grades. Journal of School Psychology , 477-497.
Aldawni, A. M. (2001). Change management strategies for successful ERP implementation. Business Process Management Journal , 1463-7154.
Ali, S., Butt, & Tariq. (2011). Use or Abuse of Creative Accounting Techniques. International Journal of Trade, Economics, and Finance, 2 (6), 531-536.
Investopedia. (2017). How do I read and analyze an income statement? Retrieved from Investopedia: https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/100715/how-do-i-read-and-analyze-income-statement.asp
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This course will help you manage project risk effectively by identifying, analyzing, and communicating inevitable changes to project scope and objectives. You will understand and practice the elements needed to measure and report on project scope, schedule, and cost performance. You will be equipped with the tools to manage change in the least disruptive way possible for your team and other project stakeholders. Upon completing this course, you will be able to: 1. Define components of a communications management plan 2. Understand the importance of communications channels 3. Define the key elements needed to measure and report on project scope, schedule, and cost performance 4. Identify project risk events 5. Prioritize identified risks 6. Develop responses for a high priority risk 7. Identify and analyze changes to project scope 8. Describe causes and effects of project changes 9. Define the purpose of conducting a lessons learned session
Skills You'll Learn
Project Management, Change Control, Risk Management, Change Management
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Oct 3, 2017
Loved this course. The instructor makes this course what it is. Lessons and terms are great, but real world applications are necessary to help you learn to practice your newly acquired skills.
Jun 20, 2019
Very informative! While risk management and scope change make up a small part of the project management process, they are some of the most important topics and are well covered in this class.
From the lesson
Project Communication
In this module, we will define components of a communications management plan, understand the importance of communications channels, and define the key elements needed to measure and report project scope, schedule, and cost performance.

Margaret Meloni, MBA, PMP
Instructor, University of California, Irvine Division of Continuing Education
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Project Management Case Studies, 6th Edition


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Harold Kerzner
ISBN: 978-1-119-82199-1 March 2022 816 Pages
- E-Book Starting at just $54.00
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- Features 10 new case studies from LEGO, NorthStar, Berlin Brandenburg Airport, and more
- Includes over 100 case studies drawn from real companies illustrating successful and poor implementation of project management
- Provides coverage of broad areas of project management as well as focused content on the automotive, healthcare, government, manufacturing, communications, construction, chemical, and aerospace industries
- Offers new topics including risk management, information sharing, scope changes, crisis dashboards, and innovation
Harold Kerzner, PhD, is Senior Executive Director for Project, Program and Portfolio Management at the International Institute of Learning, Inc. (IIL). Dr. Kerzner’s impact on the project management industry inspired IIL to establish the Kerzner International Project Manager of the Year Award. IIL also donated $1M to the Project Management Institute Educational Foundation (PMIEF) to establish the Dr. Harold Kerzner Scholarship Fund.
1 PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGIES
Lakes Automotive
Ferris HealthCare, Inc.
Clark Faucet Company
Creating a Methodology
Honicker Corporation
Acquisition Problem
Zane Corporation
2 IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Kombs Engineering
Williams Machine Tool Company
The Reluctant Workers
Macon, Inc.
Cordova Research Group
Cortez Plastics
The Enterprise Resource Planning Project
The Prioritization of Projects
Selling Executives on Project Management
The New CIO
The Invisible Sponsor
Tradeoff Decisions (A)
Tradeoff Decisions (B)
The Project Audit
3 PROJECT MANAGEMENT CULTURES
Como Tool and Die (A)
Como Tool and Die (B)
Apache Metals, Inc.
Haller Specialty Manufacturing
Coronado Communications
Radiance International
The Executive Director
4 PROJECT MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES
Quasar Communications, Inc.
Fargo Foods
Government Project Management
Falls Engineering
White Manufacturing
Martig Construction Company
5 NEGOTIATING FOR RESOURCES
Ducor Chemical
American Electronics International
The Carlson Project
Communication Failures
6 PROJECT ESTIMATING
Capital Industries
Small Project Cost Estimating at Percy Company
Cory Electric
Camden Construction Corporation
The Estimating Problem
The Singapore Software Group (A)
The Singapore Software Group (B)
The Singapore Software Group (C)
The Singapore Software Group (D)
To Bid or Not to Bid
7 PROJECT PLANNING
Greyson Corporation
Teloxy Engineering (A)
Teloxy Engineering (B)
Payton Corporation
Kemko Manufacturing
Chance of a Lifetime
8 PROJECT SCHEDULING
Crosby Manufacturing Corporation
The Scheduling Dilemma
9 PROJECT EXECUTION
The Blue Spider Project
Corwin Corporation
Quantum Telecom
The Trophy Project
Margo Company
Project Overrun
The Automated Evaluation Project
The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Iridium: A Project Management Perspective
Health Care Partners, Inc.
McRoy Aerospace
The Poor Worker
The Prima Donna
The Team Meeting
The Management Control Freak
The Skills Inventory Project
10 CONTROLLING PROJECTS
The Two-Boss Problem
The Bathtub Period
Irresponsible Sponsors
The Need for Project Management Metrics (A)
The Need for Project Management Metrics (B)
The Need for Project Management Metrics (C)
The Need for Project Management Metrics (D)
The Need for Project Management Metrics (E)
The Need for Project Management Metrics (F)
The Need for Project Management Metrics (G)
The Need for Project Management Metrics (H)
11 PROJECT RISK MANAGEMENT
The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster
Packer Telecom
Luxor Technologies
Altex Corporation
Acme Corporation
The Risk Management Department
12 CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
Facilities Scheduling at Mayer Manufacturing
Scheduling the Safety Lab
Telestar International
The Problem with Priorities
13 MORALITY AND ETHICS
The Project Management Lawsuit
Managing Crisis Projects
Is It Fraud?
The Management Reserve
Jill’s D
14 MANAGING SCOPE CHANGES
Berlin Brandenburg Airport
Sierra Telecom
15 WAGE AND SALARY ADMINISTRATION
Photolite Corporation (A)
Photolite Corporation (B)
Photolite Corporation (C)
Photolite Corporation (D)
First Security Bank of Cleveland
Jackson Industries
16 TIME MANAGEMENT
Time Management Exercise
17 MANAGING INNOVATION PROJECTS
The Government Think Tank
LXT International
18 ASSESSING PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY
Simone Engineering Company
NorthStar Software Company
19 INDUSTRY SPECIFIC: CONSTRUCTION
Robert L. Frank Construction Company
The Lyle Construction Project
20 INDUSTRY SPECIFIC: DISNEY THEME PARKS
Disney (A) Imagineering Project Management
Disney (B) Imagineering in Action: The Haunted Mansion
Disney (C) Disney Theme Parks and Enterprise Environmental Factors
Disney (D) The Globalization of Disney
Disney (E) Hong Kong Ocean Park: Competing Against Disney
21 INDUSTRY SPECIFIC: THE OLYMPIC GAMES
Olympics (A) Would You Want to Manage Projects for the City Hosting the Olympic Games?
Olympics (B) Olympics, Project Management and PMI®’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility
Olympics (C) Would You Want to Manage Projects for Feeding the Athletes in the Olympic Village?
Olympics (D) Managing Health and Safety Risks for Some of the Olympic Venues
22 INDUSTRY SPECIFIC: COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY
Boeing 787 Dreamliner Battery Issues
Airbus A380
23 INDUSTRY SPECIFIC: AGILE/SCRUM PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Agile (A) Understanding Implementation Risks
Agile (B) The Agile Project Management Mindset
Agile (C) Managing and Reporting Agility

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Harold Kerzner, PhD, is Senior Executive Director for Project, Program and Portfolio Management at the International Institute of Learning, Inc. (IIL). Dr. Kerzner’s impact on the project management industry inspired IIL to establish the Kerzner International Project Manager of the Year Award. IIL also donated $1M to the Project Management Institute Educational Foundation (PMIEF) to establish the Dr. Harold Kerzner Scholarship Fund.
Bibliographic information

Case Study in Project Management

Overview of Case Study in Project Management
The following article provides an outline for Case Study in Project Management. A project is a number of cohesive operations put together in an orderly manner which has a lot of in-depth study and design work out everything systematically to achieve the set goals. In simple words, a project helps make something that is unique. A project has to be managed properly in order to be executed properly. The manager and his team, who undertake a project, design a process devoid of all the unnecessary hindrances and can achieve what it needs to in a stipulated time. This procedure is called the life cycle of a project. Project management uses knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to shape project activities to meet the project’s requirements. It involves the four stages of project management- initiating, planning, executing, and closing a project.

Every field, particularly in the service sector, has become competitive today. Mostly because the service sector is completely project-driven. A recruited employee of any company has to get a project to work on or else stand high chances of losing his/her job. So, project management is very crucial in the corporate world. It is not a skillset as it is understood to be; it is a practice. Project management can be done best through estimation. In short, estimation is nothing but an approximation. It includes estimating the minimum required amount of each input for a project to be timely completed. A project manager must take note of the estimated approximate amount of money, time, effort, resources, and scope required to successfully execute a project based on past data, knowledge, assumptions, and risk involved using the Agile process.
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Agile adoption is the driving force for organizations in this competitive world and in a situation where the most precious resource is time. Alternative methodologies are being devised to reduce the time consumption in a project. These lightweight techniques are a part of an Agile methodology.
Case study for project management is given below:
- An agile adoption study was conducted on a project to make amendments to an obsolete enterprise data warehouse. The team members were working together for the first time on this project.
- The scrum process was used to implement Agile in the project. The data used in this case study has been collected from three sources: recorded, scribed, and analyzed conversations.
Findings – Case Study in Project Management
All the findings ended up with mixed reactions. The main issue among participants was that the scrum process lacked planning. The collaborative and dynamic aspects of the process were praised by one and all.
1. Negative Feedback
- Big Picture and the Lack of Planning: The majority of the participants did not appreciate the big picture absence. Though the project had a case study, there was no proper planning and implementation. Thus, the final deliverable of the project was not being figured out. The scrum process did not have a vision for the project and hence, no strategy for the project. It was assumed that the big picture was already known, and there was no need to define it. The process of the scrum was too detailed, even though the backlog was built. Defining the goals and the big picture was more important than getting into the itemized process directly.
- Lack of Documentation in the Process: As per the participants, the documentation process was neglected in the scrum process, and hence, the process was scattered, and its requirements were not met. Requirements can come up at any point in time due to numerous team collaborations. The team members had to communicate through mail or else verbally to overcome this limitation.
2. Positive Feedback
But a few aspects of the process garnered positive reviews from the participants.
- Team Spirit: In this process, the participants interacted a lot with each other, which helped build team spirit. this process encouraged sharing as a quality.
- Dynamic: The process made the team very dynamic, and all the members and their opinions were heard.
3. Lessons Learned
The amendments that should be made to make the Agile process more effective are:
- The Agile process should be clearly and thoroughly planned.
- Agility should be executed step by step as a direct transition is very risky.
- The big picture should be defined precisely for the strategy to be decided on.
- Continuous improvement of the Agile implementation is needed through feedback.
A process that is suitable for the implementation of the Agile methodology or not is something that should be evaluated beforehand. Various parameters should be considered and acknowledged while conducting this evaluation.
- Cultural Fit: Organisational culture determines the success of the implementation of the Agile process. Agile is not a panacea; organizations with a suitable culture can attain success and desired results to some extent and not completely. If Agile is a mismatch, then it becomes a cultural change and not an adaptation.
- Project Execution Maturity: Is your team on time in delivery? On-time delivery is not just a process but also a culture. Changing the process does not guarantee regular delivery every time one is made. When all the inter-related processes are modified and fledged up, the process pays overall.
- Expectations: Expectations out of the Agile process should be clearly stated as the framework lays down just the principles and not the benefits.
- People: All stakeholders need to be consulted and should be made to participate in the implementation of Agile. this helps in gaining consensus on pertaining issues.
- Distributed Environment: Agile implementation needs a lot of collaborations and implementations, and so, if a team is geographically distributed, then its implementation is difficult. Thus, a distributed environment is challenging for Agile implementation.
Recommended Articles
This is a guide to Case Study in Project Management. Here we discuss the case study and its negative and positive reviews. You can also go through our other suggested articles to learn more –
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COM4100 Effective Communications and Ethics Quiz 1 Case Study Quiz...
COM4100 Effective Communications and Ethics
Quiz 1 Case Study
Quiz 1: Case Study (10 points)
Quiz 1: total of 10 marks (10% of final grade)
You have been asked by your boss (Harpreet Singh, Manager of the IT PMO) to manage a new project.
You work in the IT Project Management Office at XYZ Corporation. It is a fast-growing, medium
sized company located in Ottawa. Your boss is Harpreet Singh. He is the manager of the IT PMO. He has
worked for the organization for over 20 years, is well known and respected throughout the organization.
He has many connections throughout the organization and relationships are very important to him. He
has spent many years getting to know people and is very interested in their backgrounds and often plays
sports with many company people outside of work. You really like your boss.
Harpreet reports to the Chief Information Officer, Cindy Beatty. Cindy is a driven, results-oriented
person who has little time for small talk. She is all business. Although she can be a challenge to work for
(she is very demanding), she is very smart and is well respected because of her knowledge and ability to
deliver results. Cindy has been with the organization for the past 3 years.
Harpreet has asked you to manage a new project. The project is very important to the organization.
It will also be the largest and most complex project your department will have led. This is a big
opportunity for you, and your department. You are very excited about this new project and are eager to
get started.
The project involves rolling out a new employee scheduling system for your organization. The
system will use biometric finger scanning. Employees will need to scan their fingers each time they enter
and leave work. This will be a big change for your organization as it was a very casual place to work,
previously. However, since COVID-19, the organization has needed to save money and will need to track
and monitor employees more closely going forward. The introduction of an automated employee
scheduling and tracking system will be met with a lot of resistance from many people.
You will need to complete business requirements; procure the new system; complete the design,
configuration and testing of the new system; roll it out to employees in the HR, Finance and IT
departments; and ensure the system is utilized. Change management will be a big challenge on this
Being a good PM, you start by talking with Harpreet in order to get a sense of some of the
stakeholders in your project. You learn the system will involve the following two departments:
Human Resources
The finance department is run by Melanie Milosevic. She is the VP, Finance. She is the person
sponsoring this project. She has worked at the organization for almost 2 years. Being in finance, she likes
numbers, data, and is very detail oriented. She also gets annoyed by people who spend too much time
talking and often feels that people in the organization do not work hard enough. She often talks about
the many failed projects and initiatives in the organization and how the organization spends a lot of
money on failed projects. She is very interested in this project and has high expectations of the project
since a successful implementation of this system will save the organization a lot of money and will help
her department provide faster and more detailed reporting. The success of this project will make her
look good and help achieve some of her career goals.
The HR department is run by Kevin McKay. He has been with the organization for 10 years. He has a
history of championing many employee wellness initiatives. However, many of his projects fail and
people who deal with him often feel he is hard to understand (he tends to be vague and unclear when
he describes various ideas he has). He likes to talk about cutting edge systems and technology but is
often vague and is not very good at focusing on urgent details. He is extremely opposed to this project.
He feels the approach is wrong. Implementation of the new system will mean that some of his
employees will lose their jobs and he will need to layoff some members of his team.' He is close to his
Your project will also need to coordinate with another project the IT PMO is managing. The other
project is an SAP Upgrade Project (SAP is the finance and HR system your project will need to integrate
with). This project is being managed by Brenda Olson. She is a Senior PM in the IT PMO. She is very
ambitious and hard working. Her projects are almost always completed on time, within budget and she
is known for delivering results that exceed expectations. Her project will likely need to slow down as a
result of your project, and she is not too happy about this. She is also difficult to work with. She feels
that she is superior to the other project managers and often talks about how poorly the other projects
are managed. She is very educated, having recently completed her MBA (she is always telling people
that she has an MBA!). She has plans to take over Harpreet's job in a year or two (as he is planning on
retiring soon) and is very ambitious. She is disappointed that she was not asked to manage this project
and has told many people so.
You are very excited, but also a little nervous about managing this project. It is a big opportunity for
you and your department. Being a good PM, one of your first tasks is to identify the various stakeholders
and get a better sense of who they are.
Instructions :
1. Respond to each question below.
2. Submit your responses in a word doc prior to the due date
Questions :
1. List all stakeholders or stakeholder groups for this project (3 points out of 10)
2. Based on the information provided, what do you think are the individual communications styles
for each stakeholder listed (explain why)? (4 points out of 10)
3. Using the Stakeholder Map, list the categories you think each stakeholder or stakeholder group
would fall into (2 points out of 10).
4. Explain why using a stakeholder map may be a good way to begin to understand your stakeholders
(1 point out of 10)
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Applying AI in the Project Change Management Process: A Case Study
Introduction.
The goal of this case study is to analyze the potential of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the project change management process. Change management is a key part of project management and is essential for successful project completion. AI planner has been used in various areas of project management, such as task scheduling, resource allocation and cost estimation. However, the application of AI in the change management process has been less explored. In this case study, we will explore the potential of using AI in the project management process, and identify the benefits and challenges associated with this application.
Project change management is an essential part of successful project completion. It involves the coordination and integration of activities that are required for successful project change. This includes the identification of change requests, the assessment of their impacts, the evaluation of alternative solutions and the implementation of appropriate solutions. AI can be used in the change management process to automate certain tasks, such as the identification and evaluation of change requests, and provide better decision support for project managers.
The objective of this case study is to analyze the potential of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the project change management process. We will identify the benefits and challenges associated with this application, and discuss the potential of using AI to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the project change management process.
Methodology
This case study was conducted using a qualitative approach. A literature review was conducted to identify the potential of using AI in the project change management process and to identify the benefits and challenges associated with this application. In addition, case studies of organizations that have implemented AI in their project change management process were also reviewed.
The results of this case study revealed the potential of using AI in the project change management process. AI can be used to automate certain tasks and provide better decision support for project managers. The use of AI can significantly reduce the time required for change request identification and evaluation, and provide better insights into the impact of changes on the project. The use of AI also helps to improve the accuracy and consistency of change decisions, and can lead to improved project performance.
Despite the potential of using AI in the project change management process, there are also a number of challenges associated with this application. AI systems require significant upfront investments, and they may require additional resources for implementation and maintenance. The accuracy of AI systems is also dependent on the quality of the data used to train the systems. In addition, the use of AI may lead to ethical and legal concerns, such as privacy and data protection.
This case study has explored the potential of using AI project management tools in the project change management process. AI can be used to automate certain tasks and provide better decision support for project managers. The use of AI can significantly reduce the time required for change request identification and evaluation, and provide better insights into the impact of changes on the project. Despite the potential of using AI in the project change management process, there are also a number of challenges associated with this application.
Recommendations
The following recommendations are suggested for project managers considering the use of AI in the project change management process:
1. Organizations should ensure that they have sufficient resources and expertise to implement and maintain an AI system.
2. Organizations should ensure that the data used to train the free AI Planner tools is of high quality.
3. Organizations should ensure that they have adequate legal and ethical safeguards in place to protect data privacy and security.
4. Organizations should develop a clear strategy for the use of AI in the project change management process.
5. Organizations should evaluate the potential benefits and challenges associated with the use of AI in the project change management process.
6. Organizations should consider using existing project management tools that incorporate AI capabilities.
Bosco, C., & Schoenmakers, W. (2018). Artificial intelligence: A new tool for project managers. International Journal of Project Management, 36(7), 1150–1160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2018.04.005
Fernandez-Llatas, C., De La Fuente-Sanchez, A., & Serrano-Lopez, P. (2017). Artificial intelligence techniques for project management: A literature review. International Journal of Project Management, 35(5), 827–842. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.02.010
Sharma, V., & Aggarwal, A. (2020). An overview of artificial intelligence in project management. International Journal of Project Management, 38(2), 285–297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2019.08.009
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