Triple ? Constraint

I was reading some PM Blogs and saw that there is a lot of confusion / disagreement about the 'Triple' Constraint that project manager's use to manage their projects. The argument is, that the triple constraints have historically been of Time, Cost & Scope. Many Project Manager's argue that this picture of the triple constraint is incomplete without the addition of 'Quality'. Other's argue that Quality is actually part of the Scope. Some other Project Manager's think that the whole 'triple constraint' concept is now obsolete and some other means should be used to create measurable metrics for success of a project.

I will make an attempt to put this argument into perspective, but try not to be so arrogant as to come up with an end-all answer to this argument (although towards the end I will try to 'illustrate' my method managing a project).

PMIs Triple Constraint

As defined in the PMBOK, the Triple Constraint is: A Framework for evaluating competing demands. The triple constraint is often depicted as a triangle where one of the sides or one of the corners represent one of the parameters being managed by the project team.

As such, it is just a 'framework' for evaluating 'competing demands'. The fact that it is 'often' depicted as a triangle does not mean that it is 'always' depicted as a triangle or that there are only 3 elements to the triple constraint.

Also, throughout the PMBOK guide - third edition, there are only 2 references to the Triple Constraint; once where it is defined (page 378), and once where the constraints of project scope, time & cost are also said to be affected by quality, risk & customer satisfaction (page 8).

Basically, in PMIs approach, the triple constraint is the collection of 'constraints' (not necessarily three) that are interconnected and any change in one of the constraints will have an affect on another. PMIs nine knowledge areas are the areas that every Project Manager should have knowledge of and be able to manage - Integration, Scope, Time, Cost, Quality, Human Resources, Communications, Risk, Procurement. So, in essence through the knowledge areas, PMI has increased the triple constraint from three constraints to nine.

Rita Mulcahy's Approach

In Rita's books (PMP Exam Prep, Fifth Edition: Rita's Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam & Risk Management, Tricks of the Trade) she considers the triple constraints to be of cost, time, scope, quality, risk and customer satisfaction. So, she thinks that there are six elements to the triple constraint.

Finding Common Ground

In my opinion, everyone is talking about the same thing but they are approaching it from a different view. If you really think about it, quality can be considered a part of scope (since it should be defined prior to the project by all stakeholders), and customer satisfaction can be considered a part of quality (since the customer will be one of the stakeholders and he will have a say in how the quality is defined and hence how the scope is defined) or the customer can also be considered a part of time since he will be driving the schedule. And finally, Risk is the unknown part of all the constraints. It is all about planning on how to react to an unexpected event. So, depending upon whether the Risk is related to cost, sope, or time, it can be considered part of the initial three elements of the triple constraint too.

My Approach

The way I manage projects, I take into consideration all the constraints of:

• Cost
• Time
• Scope
• Quality
• Risk
• Customer Satisfaction
• Integration
• Procurement
• Communications
• Human Resources

Depending upon the nature of the project, a different level of emphasis will be placed upon different elements of these constraints, but they can 'all' affect your project. After all, errors in Communications can lead to a failed project too. However, that does not mean that you should spend all your time can be spent just communicating to stakeholders. So, isn't communications a constraint, since you have to balance it with all the others?

Summary

The 'Triple Constraint' refers to the framework for evaluating competing demands. How many elements this triple constraint has, depends a lot on the nature of the project. As a PM, we train ourselves to see these competing demands in our head, and make all our decisions in light of the fact that every decision that affects one element of this framework will have an impact on at least one other element as well.

© 2008 Saad Farooqi

Breaking in to the Blogging World

Today is November 12, 2008. A day when I have taken the dive into blogging world. Although a few friends of mine have had blogs for years now, I resisted the fad, until today.

In the coming days, months, & hopefully years, I will be sharing my ideas on project management through this blog. Ideas about what project management is, what I think it should be, and what I hope it will become.

I am a recent recipient of the PMP certification (last year), so, at the moment, my ideas and thoughts may appear to be limited by one methodology, but I hope to acquire knowledge regarding other methodologies as well.

I have also mostly worked in the Wireless Telecommunications Industry, so, again, most of my experience relates to that industry, though I will make every attempt to generalize my thoughts, or at the least illustrate how the concepts and ideas presented may be implemented in other industries as well.

The purposes of this blog will be the following:
1. To post my ideas about project management
2. To increase my project management knowledge, while searching for topics to blog about
3. To work on my literary skills while posting my blogs
4. To network with people interested in learning and sharing their knowledge about project management.

Well, that's all I have for now. I hope that I will gain a lot of knowledge & relationships through blogging & networking with the readers of my blog (maybe I'll be lucky enough to finally have my own stalker!!).

© 2008 Saad Farooqi