"Almost everyone I met said they needed a practical description of the PMI processes for someone that didn't necessarily want to obtain a certification, but wanted to know how to apply the best practices in their current work." Complexity is the challenge in project management. Simplicity and practicality is the solution. This reference provides a deeply practical description of how to use the Project Management Institute (PMI(R)) best practices to manage your projects through every stage of their life-cycle. The PMI processes are mapped across the project time-line, and the specific actions you need to take, and documentation you need to prepare, are explained at each step in a cohesive, easy to follow thread. The use of software tools to support each step of the process is described. Templates are provided for all the key project management documents. At the end of the reference you will not only understand project management, you will be able to implement it. The material has been refined from more than 25 years of use and more than 10 years of feedback from thousands of people from dozens of organizations. It is proven, practical, and complete, providing an end-to-end road-map that you can use as a checklist to apply the PMI process to your projects of any size, in any domain, to maximize their scope, schedule, cost, and risk performance. Whether you have a project you need to manage right now, or just wish to get a solid grounding in deeply practical application of the PMI processes, this book can help.