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4 - PROJECT INTEGRATION MANAGEMENT

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PROJECT INTEGRATION MANAGEMENT
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Many of the inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs in Section 4 of the PMBOK Guide are applicable to
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integration management of software projects. This section of the Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide presents
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additional considerations that are especially important for integration management of software projects.

As stated in the introduction to Section 4 of the PMBOK Guide, Project Integration Management includes
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the processes and activities needed to identify, define, combine, unify, and coordinate the various processes and
project management activities within the Project Management Process Groups.

It is important to note that in this Software Extension, Project Integration Management refers to the integration
of the processes and activities in this Knowledge Area; it does not refer to the technical process of integrating
software components to form a partial or completed software product.

Planning and conducting a software project is mostly a proactive endeavor, rather than integration and
coordination of subsidiary plans, as presented in Section 4 of the PMBOK Guide. Sometimes, other departments
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provide some functional capabilities (e.g., configuration management, independent testing, etc.) however, for the
most part, software project managers are responsible for planning and conducting a wide scope of project activities
(see Section 5 of this Software Extension).

There is no single best way to manage a software project. A wide range of influences impacts the need for
emphasis on and the rigor of various project management activities for software projects. Each of the 47 processes
in the PMBOK Guide should be addressed to determine the appropriate level of implementation for each project
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endeavor. Project managers can tailor and adapt the project management processes in the PMBOK Guide and
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this Software Extension to maximize the potential of the project team for achieving the desired level of project
performance.

Figure 4-1 provides an overview of Project Integration Management for software projects.

©2013 Project Management Institute. Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition 45
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