Project management, which traditionally has been exclusively under the domain of information technology, has now developed and is more a business driven discipline.

This is a view shared by experienced professionals within the specialised field of project and portfolio management.

One such professional, Dierdre Strydom, is the CEO of FOXit.

The Centurion-based company is focused on helping clients extract maximum value from their application of project management solutions.

According to Strydom, the role of the project manager has gained traction in the market and now commands a great deal more attention in the workplace – significantly more than was the case when it was under the control of IT. The role is demanding, challenging and calls for a specific kind of person.

“Project management as a whole is not an exact science. There are so many variables that a PM has to take into account in Active Projects and the challenges are immense. However having a solid foundation in processes supported by a robust technology system/solution mitigates the challenge for the PM,” she explains.

Now under the joint jurisdiction of both IT and business, project management and running a project should be a business decision in as much as thought leaders direct investment in supporting technology.

“From a Microsoft perspective utilising Microsoft Projects in conjunction with a combination of Enterprise project management (EPM) and SharePoint (SP) will give you a solid technology platform to run projects on,” Strydom continues.

The advantage of the FOXit/FOX Projects combination is that FOXit takes it lead from FOX Projects in regards to development as a layer on these platforms to enhance an already well-rounded product.

As a rule Project Managers have to deliver projects on time, in budget and according to the scope of the project.

“This is why it has become a more business-driven process… it requires not only technical proficiency, but a thorough understanding of the business and acumen in terms of the impact of the project,” Strydom adds.