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Projects versus Operations
Projects are temporary in nature and have definitive start dates and definitive end dates. The project is completed when its goals and objectives are accomplished. Sometimes projects end when it's determined that the goals and objectives cannot be accomplished or when the product or service of the project is no longer needed and the project is canceled. Projects exist to bring about a product or service that hasn't existed before. This may include tangible products, services such as consulting or project management, and business functions that support the organization. Projects may also produce a result or an outcome, such as a document that details findings of a research study. In this sense, a project is unique.
The characteristics of the product or service of the project are determined incrementally and are continually refined and worked out in detail as the project progresses. This concept goes along with the temporary and unique aspects of a project because when you first start the project, you don't know all the minute details of the end product. Product characteristics typically start out broad based at the beginning of the project and are progressively elaborated into more and more detail over time until they are complete and finalized. Keep in mind that product characteristics are progressively elaborated but the work of the project itself stays constant.
Operations are ongoing and repetitive. They involve work that is continuous without an ending date and you often repeat the same processes and produce the same results. The purpose of operations is to keep the organization functioning while the purpose of a project is to meet its goals and to conclude. Therefore, operations are ongoing while projects are unique and temporary. |