As economic uncertainty continues to rage, organisations are recognising the value of project management as a critical capability that will steer them towards their business goals. The , 2013 put the spotlight on the way organisations are staying focused on their strategic objectives and seeing success through project management. Business leaders, policy-makers, PMI executives, and project practitioners shared know-¡ledge and exchanged ideas on the conference theme, ‘Project Management Bringing Certainty in Uncertain Times’ during the two-day event. The fifth annual project management national conference held on 27-28 September in Gurgaon drew speakers with wide experience in leading large organisations, growing entrepreneurial ventures, and providing direction to government policy-making. In keeping with the conference objective to help delegates develop life skills and new perspectives, this time there were talks on spirituality and how projects are done in Bollywood (Hindi cinema).
PMI India presented the coveted Best Project of the Year awards during the conference. The awards were presented to Larsen & Toubro, Essar Projects, and Reliance Industries in the large, medium, and small category, respectively. ITC won for contribution to the community and Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI)won under the non-government organisation category.
PMI unveiled the Hindi version of A Guide to Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Fifth Edition during the inaugural session.
Delivering the inaugural address, Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India, spoke about the need for companies and professionals to reinvent themselves to stay relevant in the highly dynamic business environment. He said social media, mobility, analytics through big data, and cloud technology are the four mega technology trends that will have a profound impact on how companies service users.
Deena Gordon-Parla, Member, PMI Board of Directors, said project management becomes an imperative for organizations as they look for better performance at a time when profit margins are reducing. As evidence of India’s growing adoption of project management, she pointed out that India today has more Project Management Professional (PMP) certified practitioners than Japan and that the government of India recognizes it as a key skill in the 12th Five Year Plan.
However, India has a long way to go to make the optimum use of project management at the workplace and adopting it as a life skill. Highlighting the risk igno-¡rance in the country, Raj Kalady, Managing Director, PMI India, said, ‘I see every day how people ignore grave risks to their life while driving on the road. I also see how organisations do not prepare risk mitigation plans to see them through unpleasant surprises.’
Deep Kalra, Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip.com, spoke about the challenges and excitement of taking the untrodden path. His success mantra as an entrepreneur is to get the timing right while introducing a product or service to the market, rely on analytics for business decisions, and build an enabling work culture.
Craigh Killough, Vice President, Organisational Markets, PMI, offered insights into the state of projects across the globe with some startling statistics. The highest performing companies in terms of project success get it right only 80 per cent of the time, and these companies constitute just eight per cent of companies globally.
Speaking at the conference, Arun Maira, Member, Planning Commission, explained the concept behind creating IbIn and likened it to the total quality movement in Japan. India-Æs booming healthcare industry has been a late starter when it comes to project management. Vishal Bali, group CEO, Fortis Healthcare, provided an over-¡view of the challenges that the sector faces and the project management opportunities for better healthcare delivery in the country.
This year delegates got a glimpse of the way film projects are managed in Hindi cinema. Mahesh Bhatt, film producer, director, and writer, drew lessons from his life to talk about the importance of believing in oneself, being passionate at work, and not succumbing to the fear of the unknown.
The national conference moves to Hyderabad next year. The dates are yet to be announced.
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