Why a monograph of project management under Internet era is needed? The reason is quite obvious: the emergence of Internet has brought a new scenario of project management (PM) professional ecology; moreover, both the operational platform and accessing objects of PM have sequentially changed from “real” to “virtual”; its theorem, methodologies, procedures and tools are subjected to change. We are facing an era of knowledge economy and digital world, and PM environment is facing subversive challenges!
Everybody understands that the economic development depends on the success of projects. We expect the best practice of each project, and consequently, we certainly need qualified talent who can achieve the project goals with updated PM philosophy, especially under the digital Internet era nowadays.
It is clearer that we are in the transition stage from industrial economy to knowledge economy. The assets in industrial economy are solid ones represented by fixed and live capitals, in contrast, the assets in knowledge economy are virtual ones represented by the knowledge as the potential assets. Due to this reason, the fundamental mission of an enterprise under industrial economy is entirely different from that of an enterprise under knowledge economy. The previous one is using capital to mobilize material, machine and manpower for achieving good products sold in the market and then making profits. Nevertheless, for the latter case, the profits from the market are realized through the competitiveness of products (or services) with innovative ideas initiated by the realization of knowledge assets. Then one may imagine that the essentials and procedures of PM are going to change compared with the past time.
What are the processes of project management? It can be understood as “to make a series of decision under uncertainties” in order “to do the right things”; “to get its right human-machine and human-human relation” as well as “to do the things right”. The first one needs to go through system analysis; the second one should be well treated with technologies and stakeholders management; and the third one is guaranteed by managerial rules and regulations. As everyone knows that the second one is more difficult especially in large scaled complex projects, where the “human-human” relation is far complex than that of “human-machine” relation.
How can the project management education respond? How to reform the project management education for accommodating to the new challenges? This is what and why we should make corresponding changes in this monograph as our textbook, and make our PM talent education accommodate to the new digital Internet era.
“Talent! Innovation! Strategy!” that is the only way to respond to the challenges, so we need to cultivate our talent with updated knowledge for maneuvering the changes. We also need from long-term strategic view point, to cultivate our talent accommodating to the digital era and on the “Internet AI” platform; as well as with the commercial analysis capabilities in project economics aspect. This is why the renewable project management textbook under Internet era and knowledge economy is initiated.
