47 Processes with their main purpose and key benefits

In continuation with my other articles, here you will find the purpose and key benefit of each of the 47 Processes described in the PMBOK(R) 5th Edition. The list below is produced from PMBOK(R) 5th Edition. If you have doubts about the purpose and what is the key benefit of a process, refer them here.

Develop Project Charter			Knowledge Area	Integration	Process Group	Initiating
Purpose	The process of developing a document that formally authorizes the existence of a Project and provides the Project Manager with the authority to apply Organizational resources to Project Activities
Key Benefit	Well defined Project Start and boundaries, creation of a formal record of the project and a direct way for senior management to formally accept and commit to the project.
Develop Project Management Plan			Knowledge Area	Integration	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of defining, preparing and co-ordinating all subsidiary plans and integrating them into a comprehensive project management plan.
Key Benefit	Central Document that defines the basis of all the project work
Direct and Manage Project Work			Knowledge Area	Integration	Process Group	Executing
Purpose	The process of leading and performing the work defined in the Project Management Plan and implementing approved changes to achieve Project's objectives.
Key Benefit	It provides the overall management of the Project Work.
Monitor and Control Project Work			Knowledge Area	Integration	Process Group	Monitoring and Controlling
Purpose	The process of Tracking, reviewing and reporting project progress against the performance objectives defined in the Project Management Plan.
Key Benefit	It allows stakeholders to understand the current state of the project, the steps taken, and budget, schedule and scope forecasts
Perform Integrated Change Control			Knowledge Area	Integration	Process Group	Monitoring and Controlling
Purpose	The process of reviewing all Change Requests, approving changes and managing changes to deliverables, organizational process assets, project documents and the Project Management Plan, and communicating their disposition.
Key Benefit	It allows for documented changes within the project to be considered in an integrated fashion while reducing project risk, which often arises from changes made without consideration to the overall project objectives or plans
Close Project or Phase			Knowledge Area	Integration	Process Group	Closing
Purpose	The process of finalizing all activities across all the Project Management Progress Groups to formally complete the phase or the project.
Key Benefit	It provides lessons learned, the formal ending of the project work, and release of organizational resources to pursue new endeavours
Plan Scope Management			Knowledge Area	Scope	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of creating a scope management plan that documents how the project scope will be defined, validated and controlled
Key Benefit	It provides guidance and direction on how scope will be managed throughout the project.
Collect Requirements			Knowledge Area	Scope	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of determining, documenting, and managing stakeholder needs and requirements to meet project objectives.
Key Benefit	It provides the basis for defining and managing the project scope including product scope.
Define Scope			Knowledge Area	Scope	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of developing a detailed description of the product and project.
Key Benefit	It describes the product, service or result boundaries by defining which of the requirements collected will be included in and excluded from the project scope.
Create WBS			Knowledge Area	Scope	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of subdividing project deliverables and project work into smaller, more manageable components
Key Benefit	It provides a structured vision of what has to be delivered.
Validate Scope			Knowledge Area	Scope	Process Group	Monitoring and Controlling
Purpose	The process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables.
Key Benefit	It brings objectivity to the acceptance process and increases the chances of final product, service or result acceptance by validating each deliverable.
Control Scope			Knowledge Area	Scope	Process Group	Monitoring and Controlling
Purpose	The process of monitoring the status of the project and product scope and managing changes to the scope baseline
Key Benefit	It allows the scope baseline to be maintained throughout the project.
Plan Schedule Management			Knowledge Area	Time	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of establishing the policies, procedures and documentation for planning, developing, managing, executing and controlling the project schedule
Key Benefit	It provides the guidance and direction on how the project schedule will be managed throughout the project.
Define Activities			Knowledge Area	Time	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of identifying and documenting specific actions to be performed to produce the product deliverables.
Key Benefit	To breakdown work packages into activities that provide a basis for estimating, scheduling, executing, monitoring and controlling the project work.
Sequence Activities			Knowledge Area	Time	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities
Key Benefit	It defines the logical sequence of work to obtain the greatest efficiency given all project constraints.
Estimate Activity Resources			Knowledge Area	Time	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of estimating the type and quantity of materials, human resources, equipment, or supplies required to perform each activity.
Key Benefit	It identifies the type, quantity and characteristics of resources required to complete the activity which allows more accurate cost and duration estimates.
Estimate Activity Durations			Knowledge Area	Time	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of estimating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities with estimated resources.
Key Benefit	It provides the amount of time each activity will take to complete, which is a major into the Develop Schedule process.
Develop Schedule			Knowledge Area	Time	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of analysing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements and schedule constraints to create the project schedule model
Key Benefit	By entering schedule activities, durations, resources, resource availabilities and logical relationships into the scheduling tool, it generates the scheduling model with planned dates for completing project activities.
Control Schedule			Knowledge Area	Time	Process Group	Monitoring and Controlling
Purpose	The process of monitoring the status of the project activities to update project progress and manage changes to schedule baseline to achieve the plan.
Key Benefit	It provides the means to recognize deviation from the plan and take corrective and preventive actions thus minimize risk.
Plan Cost Management			Knowledge Area	Cost	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process that establishes the policies, procedures and documentation for planning, managing, expending, and controlling project costs.
Key Benefit	It provides guidance and direction on how project costs will be managed through out the project work.
Estimate Costs			Knowledge Area	Cost	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of developing an approximation of the monetary resources needed to complete project activities.
Key Benefit	It determines the amount of cost required to complete the project work.
Determine Budget			Knowledge Area	Cost	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of aggregating the estimated costs of individual activities or work packages to establish an authorized cost baseline.
Key Benefit	It determines the cost baseline against which the project performance can be monitored and controlled.
Control Costs			Knowledge Area	Cost	Process Group	Monitoring and Controlling
Purpose	The process of monitoring the status of the project to update project costs and manage changes to the cost baseline
Key Benefit	It provides a means to recognize variance from the plan in order to take corrective action and minimize risk.
Plan Quality Management			Knowledge Area	Quality	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of identifying quality requirements and/or standards for the project and its deliverables and documenting how the project will demonstrate compliance with quality requirements.
Key Benefit	It provides guidance and direction on how Quality will be managed and validated throughout the project.
Perform Quality Assurance			Knowledge Area	Quality	Process Group	Executing
Purpose	The process of auditing the quality requirements and results from quality control measurements to ensure that appropriate quality standards and operational definitions are used.
Key Benefit	It facilitates the improvement of quality processes.
Control Quality			Knowledge Area	Quality	Process Group	Monitoring and Controlling
Purpose	The process of monitoring and recording the results of executing the quality activities to assess performance and recommend necessary changes.
Key Benefit	1) Identifying the causes of poor process or product quality and recommending and/or taking action to eliminate them 2) Validating that project deliverables and work meet the requirements specified by key stake holders necessary for final acceptance.
Plan HR Management			Knowledge Area	HR	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of identifying and documenting project roles, responsibilities, required skills, reporting relationships and creating a staff management plan.
Key Benefit	It establishes project roles and responsibilities, project organization charts, and the staff management plan including timetable for staff acquisition and release.
Acquire Project Team			Knowledge Area	HR	Process Group	Executing
Purpose	The process of confirming human resource availability and obtaining the team necessary to complete project activities.
Key Benefit	Outlining and guiding the team selection and responsibility assignment to obtain a successful team.
Develop Project Team			Knowledge Area	HR	Process Group	Executing
Purpose	The process of improving competencies, team member interaction, and overall team environment to enhance project performance.
Key Benefit	It results in improved team work, enhanced people skills and competencies, motivated employees, reduced staff turnover rates, and improved overall project performance.
Manage Project Team			Knowledge Area	HR	Process Group	Executing
Purpose	The process of tracking team member performance, providing feedback, resolving issues and managing changes to optimize project performance.
Key Benefit	It influences team behaviour, manages conflict, resolve issues and appraises team member performance
Plan Communications Management			Knowledge Area	Communications	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of developing an appropriate approach and plan for project communications based on stakeholder's information needs and requirements, and available organizational assets
Key Benefit	It identifies and documents the approach to communicate most effectively and efficiently with stakeholders.
Manage Communications			Knowledge Area	Communications	Process Group	Executing
Purpose	The process of Creating, collecting, distributing, storing, retrieving and the ultimate disposition of project information in accordance with the communications management plan.
Key Benefit	It enables an efficient and effective communications flow between project stakeholders.
Control Communications			Knowledge Area	Communications	Process Group	Monitoring and Controlling
Purpose	The process of monitoring and controlling communications throughout the entire project life cycle to ensure the information needs of the project stakeholders are met.
Key Benefit	It ensures an optimal information flow among all communication participants, at any moment in time.
Plan Risk Management			Knowledge Area	Risk	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of defining how to conduct risk management activities for a project.
Key Benefit	It ensures that the degree, type and visibility of risk management are commensurate with both the risk and importance of the project to the organization.
Identify Risks			Knowledge Area	Risk	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of determining which risks may affect the project and documenting their characteristics
Key Benefit	Documentation of existing risks and the knowledge and ability it provides to the project team to anticipate events.
Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis			Knowledge Area	Risk	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of prioritizing risks for further analysis or action by assessing and combining their probability of occurrence and impact
Key Benefit	It enables Project Managers to reduce the level of uncertainty and to focus on high-priority risks.
Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis			Knowledge Area	Risk	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of numerically analysing the effect of identified risks on overall project objectives.
Key Benefit	It produces quantitative risk information to support decision making in order to reduce project uncertainty
Plan Risk Responses			Knowledge Area	Risk	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of developing options and actions to enhance opportunities and to reduce threats to project objectives.
Key Benefit	It addresses the risks by their priority, inserting resources and activities into the budget, schedule and project management plan as needed.
Control Risks			Knowledge Area	Risk	Process Group	Monitoring and Controlling
Purpose	The process of implementing risk response plans, tracking identified risks, monitoring residual risks, identifying new risks, and evaluating risk process effectiveness throughout the project.
Key Benefit	It improves the efficiency of risk approach throughout the project life cycle to continuously optimize risk responses.
Plan Procurement Management			Knowledge Area	Procurement	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of documenting project procurement decisions, specifying the approach, and identifying potential sellers.
Key Benefit	It determines whether to acquire outside support and if so how to acquire it, how much is needed and when to acquire it.
Conduct Procurements			Knowledge Area	Procurement	Process Group	Executing
Purpose	The process of obtaining seller responses, selecting a seller, and awarding a contract.
Key Benefit	It provides the alignment of internal and external stakeholder expectations through established agreements.
Control Procurements			Knowledge Area	Procurement	Process Group	Monitoring and Controlling
Purpose	The process of managing procurement relationships, monitoring contract performance and making changes and corrections as appropriate.
Key Benefit	It ensures that both the Seller's and Buyer's performance meets procurement requirements according to the terms of the legal agreement.
Close Procurements			Knowledge Area	Procurement	Process Group	Closing
Purpose	The process of completing each project procurement.
Key Benefit	It documents agreements and related documentation for future reference.
Identify Stakeholders			Knowledge Area	Stakeholders	Process Group	Initiating
Purpose	The process of identifying the people, groups, or organizations that could impact or be impacted by a decision, activity, or outcome of the project, and analyzing and documenting relevant information regarding their interests, involvement, interdependencies, influence, and potential impact on project success.
Key Benefit	It allows the Project Manager to identify the appropriate focus for each stakeholder or group of stakeholders.
Plan Stakeholder Management			Knowledge Area	Stakeholders	Process Group	Planning
Purpose	The process of developing appropriate management strategies to effectively engage stakeholders throughout the project life cycle, based on analysis of their needs, interests and potential impact on project success.
Key Benefit	It provides a clear and actionable plan to interact with project stakeholders to support the project's interests.
Manage Stakeholder Engagement			Knowledge Area	Stakeholders	Process Group	Executing
Purpose	The process of communicating and working with stakeholders to meet their needs/expectations, address issues as they occur, and foster appropriate stakeholder engagement in project activities throughout the project life cycle.
Key Benefit	It allows the Project Manager to increase support and minimize resistance from stakeholders, significantly increasing the chances to achieve project success.
Control Stakeholder Engagement			Knowledge Area	Stakeholders	Process Group	Monitoring and Controlling
Purpose	The process of monitoring overall project stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies and plans for engaging stakeholders.
Key Benefit	It will maintain or increase the efficiency and effectiveness of stakeholder engagement activities as the project evolves and its environment changes.

The Process Grid - how to plot the 47 processes in 3 minutes flat

There are 47 processes spread across 10 knowledge areas. 

At first glance, it might look intimidating - how do I remember all those processes for the exam? Do I have to memorize? Well, I would say don't panic. I have devised a method which I used for my learning, found it very effective to plot all the 47 processes in the Grid, under less than 3 minutes.

When you appear for the PMP Exam, at the exam centre, before 15 minutes for your exam start time, you are given some scrap paper. The first thing I did, was to plot the 47 processes in one of the paper. 3 Minutes of 15 minutes time is gone.

Let's start...

Step 1: Draw the grid with 6 columns and 11 rows. Leave enough width and height for each row and column.

Knowledge Area/Progress Group	Initiating	Planning	Executing	Monitoring and Controlling	Closing
Integration
Scope
Time
Cost
Quality
HR
Communications
Risk
Procurement
Stakeholder

If you are worried that how you can remember the names of Knowledge Areas and/or process groups, here is the trick:
Process Groups: IPEM&CC
Knowledge Areas: I Scoped Time Cost and Quality with my HR to Communicate Risks on Procurement to our Stakeholders.
Its pretty simple. Isn't it. Remember that the first I is for Integration.

Step 2: Write the number of processes across each knowledge area

You can remember these numbers bit easily.

Communicating Quality is 3.

Cost of Procurement to HR and Stakeholders is 4.

Integrating Risk and Scope is 6.

Time is more costly at 7.

Knowledge Area/Progress Group	Initiating	Planning	Executing	Monitoring and Controlling	Closing
Integration (6)
Scope (6)
Time (7)
Cost (4)
Quality (3)
HR (4)
Communications (3)
Risk (6)
Procurement (4)
Stakeholder (4)

Step 3: Mark the boundaries for Process Groups. You score 4.

Mark the four boundaries for the progress groups. One small thing to note is the bottom right boundary is one row above. Remember this. At these boundary locations, write the four processes as shown.

Score 4/47
Knowledge Area/Progress Group	Initiating	Planning	Executing	Monitoring and Controlling	Closing
Integration (6)	Develop Project Charter				Close Project or Phase
Scope (6)
Time (7)
Cost (4)
Quality (3)
HR (4)
Communications (3)
Risk (6)
Procurement (4)					Close Procurements
Stakeholder (4)	Identify Stakeholders

You have done the marking for Initiating and Closing process groups. Two process groups knocked down.

Step 4: Knock off Management Plans for each Knowledge Area. You score 10.

For each knowledge area, there is a corresponding management plan. Remember that a Project Manager must Plan before actually doing any work. Each of these management plans helps you to device strategies for managing the respective knowledge areas. Two things to keep in mind here are:

• Integrating all the processes the main work for the Project Manager. So the Management Plan for Integration is the Project Plan. 
• Time is represented as Schedule in Management Plan.

Score 14/47
Knowledge Area/Progress Group	Initiating	Planning	Executing	Monitoring and Controlling	Closing
Integration (6)	Develop Project Charter	Develop Project Management Plan			Close Project or Phase
Scope (6)		Plan Scope Management
Time (7)		Plan Schedule Management
Cost (4)		Plan Cost Management
Quality (3)		Plan Quality Management
HR (4)		Plan HR Management
Communications (3)		Plan Communications Management
Risk (6)		Plan Risk Management
Procurement (4)		Plan Procurement Management			Close Procurements
Stakeholder (4)	Identify Stakeholders	Plan Stakeholder Management

Step 4: Knock off Controlling Processes for each Knowledge Area. You score 10.

Just like there is a management plan processes for each knowledge area, there are controlling processes for all but one knowledge areas. The following points must be kept in mind.

• Integration has two controlling processes: Monitor and Control Project work and Perform Integrated Change Control.
• Time is again represented as Schedule.
• There is no Controlling process for HR

Score 24/47
Knowledge Area/Progress Group	Initiating	Planning	Executing	Monitoring and Controlling	Closing
Integration (6)	Develop Project Charter	Develop Project Management Plan		Monitor and Control Project Work Perform Integrated Change Control	Close Project or Phase
Scope (6)		Plan Scope Management		Control Scope
Time (7)		Plan Schedule Management		Control Schedule
Cost (4)		Plan Cost Management		Control Cost
Quality (3)		Plan Quality Management		Control Quality
HR (4)		Plan HR Management
Communications (3)		Plan Communications Management		Control Communications
Risk (6)		Plan Risk Management		Control Risks
Procurement (4)		Plan Procurement Management		Control Procurements	Close Procurements
Stakeholder (4)	Identify Stakeholders	Plan Stakeholder Management		Control Stakeholder Engagement

As you can see here, there is ONLY ONE Process left for Integration, Quality, Communications, Procurement and Stakeholder process groups after this step. Its that easy with this approach. As you guessed already, if we do Executing Process group, this will be done.

Step 5: Knock off Executing Processes for each knowledge area. You score 8.

The column without any single entry is our Executing Process group. Lets look at it.

Remember that Executing Process Group is where your team carries out the work to produce the deliverable towards the project.

Its interesting to note that Scope, Time, Cost and Risk knowledge areas doesn't have any executing processes. It is quite obvious that the Project Manager's primary focus on these constraints: Cost, Time, Scope is Planning and Monitoring/Control.

The processes in Executing Group are:

• Integration: Direct and Manage Project Work (to control your team and activities they do)
• Quality: Perform Quality Assurance (to check adherence to Quality Standards, policies etc.)
• HR: Acquire, Develop and Manage Project Team (Executing is the team's stage to perform)
• Communications: Manage Communications (Manage efficient and effective communications flow)
• Procurements: Conduct procurements (Get the resources and/or material as required by the PM Plan)
• Stakeholder: Manage Stakeholder Engagement (Update them regularly)

Score 32/47
Knowledge Area/Progress Group	Initiating	Planning	Executing	Monitoring and Controlling	Closing
Integration (6)	Develop Project Charter	Develop Project Management Plan	Direct and Manage Project Work	Monitor and Control Project Work Perform Integrated Change Control	Close Project or Phase
Scope (6)		Plan Scope Management		Control Scope
Time (7)		Plan Schedule Management		Control Schedule
Cost (4)		Plan Cost Management		Control Cost
Quality (3)		Plan Quality Management	Perform Quality Assurance	Control Quality
HR (4)		Plan HR Management	Acquire Project Team Develop Project Team Manage Project Team
Communications (3)		Plan Communications Management	Manage Communications	Control Communications
Risk (6)		Plan Risk Management		Control Risks
Procurement (4)		Plan Procurement Management	Conduct Procurements	Control Procurements	Close Procurements
Stakeholder (4)	Identify Stakeholders	Plan Stakeholder Management	Manage Stakeholder Engagement	Control Stakeholder Engagement

Cool.... If you notice we knocked off the following knowledge areas completely: Integration, Quality, HR, Communications, Procurement and Stakeholders. Same way we are done with Initiating, Executing and Closing Process groups. Simple and easy - isn't it?
What is left is: 4 in Scope, 5 in Time, 2 in Cost and 4 in Risk - a total of 15. So 32+15=47 our final score.

Step 6: Complete Scope, Time, Cost and Risk to get your score to 47.

Its good that we are dealing with most important things for a PM now. Since we do here, we remember them better - whey we need these processes and the order in which we do them.

• Scope: Collect Requirements, Define Scope, Create WBS, Validate Scope. Wait a minute here. Collecting Reks, Defining Scope and Create WBS all are planning tasks. When you do validate scope? When a deliverable is produced to validate it. So obviously after Executing. So Validate Scope goes to Monitoring and Controlling Process Group. Before Controlling Scope.
• Time: All about activities here. Define Activities, Sequence Activities, Estimate Activity Resources, Estimate Activity Duration's and Develop Schedule. All are planning tasks - isn't it?
• Cost: Estimate Costs and Determine Budget. Again - lot of planning.
• Risk: Identify Risks, Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis, Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis, Plan Risk Responses. Again - lot of planning.

Lets complete our grid....

Score 47/47
Knowledge Area/Progress Group	Initiating	Planning	Executing	Monitoring and Controlling	Closing
Integration (6)	Develop Project Charter	Develop Project Management Plan	Direct and Manage Project Work	Monitor and Control Project Work Perform Integrated Change Control	Close Project or Phase
Scope (6)		Plan Scope Management Collect Requirements Define Scope Create WBS		Validate Scope Control Scope
Time (7)		Plan Schedule Management Define Activities Sequence Activities Estimate Activity Resources Estimate Activity Durations Develop Schedule		Control Schedule
Cost (4)		Plan Cost Management Estimate Costs Determine Budget		Control Cost
Quality (3)		Plan Quality Management	Perform Quality Assurance	Control Quality
HR (4)		Plan HR Management	Acquire Project Team Develop Project Team Manage Project Team
Communications (3)		Plan Communications Management	Manage Communications	Control Communications
Risk (6)		Plan Risk Management Identify Risks Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis Plan Risk Response		Control Risks
Procurement (4)		Plan Procurement Management	Conduct Procurements	Control Procurements	Close Procurements
Stakeholder (4)	Identify Stakeholders	Plan Stakeholder Management	Manage Stakeholder Engagement	Control Stakeholder Engagement

Do a cross check of Process count and you should get 47. Is easy...
Practice this two to three times to get it right. Having this in front of you in the exam, should make you to answer more questions right. And it gives confidence. And it saves quite a lot of time.

Important Points to consider:

• Integration knowledge area is the only knowledge area that has processes in each process group. This makes sense as a Project Manager your primarily integrating all the other process together to deliver the project.
• Scope, Time, Cost and Risk knowledge areas have all Planning and Monitoring & Controlling processes. The primary focus of the Project Manager.