The PM glossary.

In a business and project-related context, acquisition refers to the targeted activities aimed at acquiring contracts, clients, companies, or other relevant resources with the goal of expanding and strengthening one's own business or project portfolio.

Agile Project Management (Agile PM) is an iterative method for planning and managing project processes, often used in the software development process. Agile PM offers flexibility, scalability, and promotes continuous improvement through enhanced team collaboration and customer feedback. It is a form of project management characterized by its adaptability and speed.

Asana is a cloud-based work management platform that helps teams to centrally plan, manage, and transparently execute daily to strategic projects, tasks, and processes.

A backlog is a prioritized and continuously maintained overview of all tasks, requirements, or work packages that are yet to be implemented within the scope of a project or product.

In project management, a baseline is a firmly defined reference point that represents the approved and documented initial planning of a project or project part, and later serves as a benchmark for project progress.

Brainstorming is a creative method for the systematic generation of ideas and potential solutions in groups. The goal is to collect as many different thoughts, perspectives, and suggestions as possible on a specific topic in a short period of time, without initially evaluating them critically.

Change management is a structured approach to planning, implementing, and supporting changes within organizations. It encompasses all measures necessary to successfully guide people, processes, and structures through a transformation. The goal of change management is to make transitions as smooth as possible, minimize resistance, and ensure acceptance throughout the company.

cplace is a flexible project and portfolio management software that combines traditional, agile, and hybrid project management in a single platform. With its modular building-block principle, powerful collaboration and analysis functions, and low-code/pro-code approaches, cplace enables companies to efficiently manage complex projects and customize processes individually – across all industries and at scale.

The Critical Path Method is a powerful analytical technique for detailed project scheduling. It identifies which activities directly determine the final project outcome in terms of timing, reveals available time reserves, and thus supports targeted project control and risk assessment.

A Gantt chart is a visual project management tool that represents tasks using horizontal bars along a timeline. It displays the start, duration, and end of activities, helping teams plan projects, track progress, manage resources, and communicate project schedules transparently—which is essential for projects with clearly defined workflows and fixed deadlines.

Planisware is a software solution for project and portfolio management. It helps companies plan projects, manage resources, and control budgets and risks. With its modules, Planisware Enterprise and Planisware Orchestra, the software offers functionalities for various industries to represent projects and portfolios in a structured and clear manner.

A PMO (Project Management Office) is a central organizational unit that establishes and manages project management standards, methods, and governance across the entire company. It coordinates the project portfolio, optimizes resource utilization, and creates transparency for decision-makers. Companies with an established PMO demonstrably complete projects more efficiently and align their portfolio more effectively with strategic goals.

PMO Management Consulting refers to external consulting for the establishment, optimization, or operational management of a Project Management Office. A PMO consultant provides independent methodological expertise, cross-industry project experience, and a neutral external perspective. Companies utilize PMO consulting when internal expertise is lacking, when a PMO needs to be implemented quickly, or when an existing PMO requires a fundamental realignment.

Problem Management is a structured process for the identification, analysis, resolution, and tracking of problems within organizations. The goal is to sustainably eliminate the root causes of disruptions or weaknesses to improve the efficiency, quality, and stability of operational processes.

Program Evaluation and Review Technique, or PERT for short, refers to a project planning method for the temporal analysis and evaluation of activities within a project. It was developed in the 1950s in parallel with the Critical Path Method and is used specifically to estimate project durations when there are uncertainties in time specifications.

Project approval is a formalized process in project management where a project proposal is reviewed and officially authorized. It marks the transition from planning to implementation and ensures that only strategically sound, feasible, and economically viable projects are initiated.

The project budget is a central component in project management. It encompasses the estimated total costs required for the planning, execution, and control of a project. The goal of a project budget is to realistically represent all financial resources of the project and to define the financial framework for the project team.

Project closure is the final phase of a project within the framework of project management. In this phase, all activities and work packages are completed, results are finalized, documented, and handed over to stakeholders. The goal is to officially terminate the project, evaluate its success, and make the experience gained available for future projects.

Project control is a central component of project management and encompasses all measures for the targeted planning, monitoring, and control of a project. It aims to efficiently execute projects with regard to costs, time, quality, and resources, minimize risks, and achieve the defined project goals.

Project controlling is a central component of project management and encompasses all measures for monitoring, steering, and securing project success. The goal is to identify deviations from the project plan early on, take appropriate corrective actions, and ensure compliance with time, cost, and quality standards.

Project documentation is a core component of project management, encompassing the systematic collection, organization, and archiving of all relevant information throughout the entire project lifecycle. It creates transparency, enables seamless traceability, and supports communication, control, and knowledge transfer within the project.

Project management is the application of methods, processes, skills, and tools to efficiently plan, control, and implement projects. A project is a unique, temporary endeavor with clearly defined goals, limited resources, and a fixed start and end point.

A project management role describes the specific function, responsibility, and position that an individual holds within a project. Project management roles are essential for structuring processes, clarifying responsibilities, and ensuring project success. They can be located both within the project team and externally (e.g., stakeholders or clients).

A project office (often referred to as a Project Management Office – PMO) is an organizational unit that systematically supports, coordinates, and monitors projects. It serves as a central point for managing project information, resources, communication, and standards, and is a key success factor for professional project management – especially when multiple projects are running in parallel.

A project participant is someone who contributes directly or indirectly to the planning, execution, or monitoring of a project. Project participants can be both internal (e.g., employees, project management) and external (e.g., customers, suppliers). They take on different roles and responsibilities depending on the project phase and context.

A project plan is a central management instrument in project management. It represents a structured and binding foundation for the planning, execution, and monitoring of a project. The project plan contains all essential information regarding goals, schedule, budget, tasks, risks, and communication, serving as a contract between project management and stakeholders.

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) is a strategic management approach focused on the systematic selection, prioritization, control, and monitoring of all ongoing and planned projects and programs within an organization. The goal is to maximize strategic value, utilize resources efficiently, and optimally support corporate objectives.

A project report is a central document in project management that chronicles the entire lifecycle of a project—from planning and execution to results and lessons learned. The report serves as both a communication tool for stakeholders and a knowledge repository for future projects.

Quality Management (QM) is a systematic approach to ensuring and continuously improving the quality of products, services, and processes. It encompasses all measures by which a company ensures that defined quality requirements are met and customer expectations are exceeded. The focus is on error prevention, process optimization, and increasing efficiency throughout the entire product or service lifecycle.

A requirements specification is a document that describes the client's requirements and expectations for a project. It forms the basis for subsequent proposal generation by potential contractors and ensures that all stakeholders have a common understanding of the project.

Resource management refers to the systematic planning, allocation, and monitoring of resources such as personnel, materials, equipment, information, and finances. The goal is to deploy these resources efficiently to successfully implement projects, tasks, or strategic objectives. It is a central element of project management and ensures that availability is optimized and bottlenecks are avoided.

Stakeholder analysis is a structured process for identifying, assessing, and prioritizing all individuals or groups affected by or influencing a project. Its goal is to understand interests, expectations, and levels of influence to purposefully engage stakeholders, identify conflicts early, and ensure project success. It is a central tool in project management, especially for complex or dynamic projects.

Stakeholder communication refers to the targeted, continuous exchange of information between project managers and all individuals or groups involved in or affected by the project – the stakeholders. It is a central component of stakeholder and project management and plays a decisive role in project success. Through targeted communication measures, expectations can be better managed, trust built, and potential conflicts defused at an early stage.

Stakeholder management is a central component of project and corporate management. It encompasses all measures for the systematic identification, analysis, and support of individuals or groups who have a legitimate interest in the project or corporate undertaking, or who are affected by it. The goal is to gain the support of relevant stakeholders, identify potential resistance early, and ensure sustainable project success.

The Waterfall Model is a classic, linear process model in project management and software development. Projects are executed in clearly defined, sequential phases, with each phase needing to be fully completed before the next begins. This model is particularly suitable for projects with stable requirements, a high need for documentation, and clear frameworks. It offers high predictability and control but provides little flexibility for changes.