System view of project management

A project management system is the organised set of processes, people, tools and methods through which a project is managed. The systems view of project management (Schwalbe) means treating the project as part of a larger organisation and looking at all its interrelated parts, rather than viewing it in isolation. It is based on the systems approach: a holistic, analytical and problem-solving approach with three parts.

The three parts of the systems view

1. Systems philosophy
   • A model for thinking of things as systems, i.e. sets of interacting components working within an environment to fulfil some purpose.
   • The project is seen as part of the organisation, and decisions are made considering their effect on the whole organisation.
2. Systems analysis
   • A problem-solving approach that requires defining the scope of the system, dividing it into components, and then identifying and evaluating its problems, opportunities, constraints and needs.
   • The analyst then examines alternative solutions and recommends the best one.
3. Systems management
   • Addresses the business, technological and organisational issues before making changes to a system.
   • Considers not only technology but also the people, politics and finances of the organisation.

      Systems approach
    /        |         \
Philosophy  Analysis  Management
(think as   (solve    (business, tech,
 system)    problem)   organisation)

Application to projects

• Project managers must see how a project interacts with other projects, departments and stakeholders.
• They must analyse the project's problems step by step (WBS, risk analysis).
• They must consider organisational and technological issues, e.g. whether the new ERP matches the work culture.

Example: Introducing new billing software in a hospital also affects finance staff, patients, training and existing databases. Systems thinking helps to plan all of these together.