Constrained by the Constraints

Although the famous triangle only includes three constraints, the PMBOK Guide 4th Edition lists three others (and not limited to):

• Scope
• Quality
• Schedule
• Budget
• Resources, and
• Risk

Constraints exist in all projects. The severity of each should be acknowledged in the beginning as to ensure it can be managed correctly throughout the project lifecycle.

Constraints are inter-related. A change in one area will affect another area. For example, a limited time to perform an activity will require more resources to complete it and this will incur more cost, thus the budget will be affected. Should the required number of resources are not met to ensure the budget is not affected, it might give a negative impact on the quality of the result, thus risking stakeholders’ displeasure.

While managing a project is about meeting client’s requirement, it is absolutely necessary to monitor the impact of the constraints against stakeholders’ expectations. Therefore, constraints should be identified at high level during creation of project charter and through progressive elaboration, it is further describe as more information become available.

Always communicate back new findings to the stakeholders to ensure the expectations remain parallel with the project outcome.