Many project management books and texts (and perhaps blogs) start with a definition of a project. Or if not, it is certainly in there shortly into the book. But why is that?

Well I guess they all need to put a boundary around what they are talking about, but also because it is pretty useful leading into the wider part of the text.

I am no different in that sense because I do need to answer that question "What is a Project?". But I think what I am about to say is different because the way I define a project is different to what you might find in the more traditional texts.

So ... what is a project?

Well before we can discuss that, I think it is first useful to look at "systems management" or in different contexts, perhaps:

• "Systems management" in terms of both the external and the internal systems of an organisation.
• "Product management" for a product focussed company or business.
• "Services management" for a service focussed business or company.
• "Capability management" for a defence context. This one is interesting actually. Capabilities are a useful context to build in a strategic sense for any company, business or government agency. It is not limited to a Defence context. In fact if you look at the "capability" or "competency" based view of the firm described by Prahalad and Hamel, it is a very strategic way of looking at the organisation.

Of course it is likely to be a combination of all of these.

Just to digress for a short while though. One thing we need to be cogniscent of is how we define or perhaps understand a "system" - I would like to think that "a system comprises everything to make the system work over time". In other words the software, the hardware, the information/data, the people, the infrastructure and even the natural things such as trees and so on that all together contribute to making the system work over time.

So, if we accept that an organisation runs numerous "systems" that are used or accessed all over the organisation. They become fundamental to the "core competence" or "core capability" of the organisation and are critical to its effective functioning and strategic outlook. Don't forget these "systems" in this context could also be a "product system" in another context, a "service system" or a "capability system" in other contexts. So when I talk about "systems" - it could equally be a "product", "service" or "capability" system.

SO ....we need to remember that these systems become obsolete, market irrelevant, expensive to maintain or perhaps reach the end of their life, or new ones are introduced as the organisation's strategy require....

.... BUT ....these obsolete, expensive and/or old systems need to be replaced, upgraded and/or disposed of or new ones added.