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What is Management Process: Features and Functions?

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19th Feb, 2024
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    What is Management Process: Features and Functions?

    The management process is a series of steps that are used to perform business operations. The process of management consists of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, controlling and evaluating. In this article, you will learn what is a management process, the nature and significance of the management process with an example.

    How Do You Define a Management Process?

    Management is a process of planning and controlling the activities of a business or other organization. One key aspect of the management process is project management, which involves the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to a specific project in order to meet its requirements and objectives. The meaning of project in this context refers to a temporary and unique endeavor that is undertaken to create a specific product, service, or result. Product management processes include:

    1. Planning

    This involves determining what needs to be done when it should be done, who will do it and how much it should cost. Planning also includes developing strategies for achieving goals that meet the needs of stakeholders (e.g., customers).

    2. Organizing

    Organizing requires grouping people into teams according to their skills or knowledge so they can work together effectively. Organizing ensures that employees have the right resources available when they need them. For example, if one employee needs access to another employee’s computer files while they are on vacation, then both employees should be part of the same team so they can share those files easily via email or cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive.

    how do you define a management process

    The Importance of Management Process

    The product management process is very crucial for an organization. It is a set of activities that must be performed to achieve organizational goals.

    The following are some facts about the management process:

    1. What is the management process definition? Management process refers to a series of activities performed by managers to achieve organizational goals. These management process steps aim to identify, analyze and solve problems related to performance or efficiency within an organization. When these tasks are done successfully, organizations succeed in achieving their goals. This can be accomplished through different tools like SWOT analysis, PESTEL etc.
    2. What are the features of the management process? There are several features associated with this tool which include: identifying problems within an organization, analyzing them accordingly, and resolving them by implementing solutions through various methods, such as training employees on new technologies while also evaluating time constraints before finalizing any decision made by top-level management members.
    3. What are the types of the management process? There are two management processes: Management by Objectives (MBO) and Management by Results (MBR). Both these tools have their advantages and disadvantages.

    Management by Objectives (MBO) is a style that focuses on achieving organizational goals through different methods, such as training employees on new technologies and evaluating time constraints before finalizing any decision by top-level management members. This tool allows organizations to identify their strengths, weaknesses and improvement opportunities to succeed in the long run.

    What is the Nature of the Management Process?

    The process of management is a system that combines all of an organization's activities to achieve its goals. It involves planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. The term ‘management’ refers to managing an organization through its functions and activities using certain principles and methods.

    The product management process flow can be explained below:

    1. Planning

    This step is where you create a detailed action plan for your business goals with expected results in mind (e.g., increased sales).

    2. Organizing

    This step involves arranging people, materials, machines, equipment and money to achieve set objectives (e.g., organize human resources by team structure).

    3. Leading

    This step is about motivating people/workers to perform better at their tasks (e.g., encouraging workers through incentives such as bonus schemes).

    4. Controlling

    This step deals with measuring performance against corporate standards or targets set at earlier stages.

    Salient Features of Management Process

    The What is management process question often arises among professionals. Management process requirements are planning, organizing, directing, and controlling an organization to achieve its goals. The management process consists of various steps such as planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. These steps are carried out continuously throughout the life cycle of an organization.

    This article aims to provide a basic understanding of how these processes work together, offering insights into how they influence your day-to-day job function and your organization's overall success or failure.

    You may have heard the term “process” used about your job, but what does it mean? Simply put, a process is any activity with a beginning and an end. It may be a single task or something more complex. A process can be thought of as a series of steps that are repeated over time. The best option to understand the management process in depth is to undertake Product Management Training, which helps you learn practically with dummy projects.

    For example, suppose you work in customer service at an organization. In that case, your job probably includes multiple processes such as answering phone calls from customers and resolving their issues, entering data into computer systems so other employees and so on can process them.

    If you work in an office environment, you probably have a process for managing your time, meeting with coworkers and other tasks that need to be done. For example, if you’re new to the company, one of your first tasks will be learning about the various processes used by employees and how they fit together.

    Elements of Management Process

    The management process is a set of activities that are performed to achieve organizational goals. It comprises three major components:

    • Planning
    • Organizing
    • Controlling

    Planning is the process of defining the objectives of an organization, determining how those objectives can be achieved, and specifying the resources needed to achieve them. Organizing is the process of grouping people and resources together to work effectively toward accomplishing a common goal. Controlling is the process of ensuring that plans are carried out as intended so that an organization achieves its goals.

    The three components of the management system are interrelated and work together to achieve organizational goals. Planning sets a direction for an organization that can be accomplished through organizing and controlling.

    The planning process is a continuous cycle, not a one-time event. The organization must plan throughout its existence.

    Planning is a continuous cycle of activities that help organizations identify their goals, develop strategies for achieving them, allocate resources to achieve them, monitor progress toward meeting objectives and change course if necessary.

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    Management Process Functions

    Planning is one of the most important management process functions. It involves making short-term and long-term plans, followed by subsequent action to achieve goals. The process involves creating strategies and anticipating potential problems that may arise while implementing these goals. You can undertake Project Management Courses to help you get started as a project manager and learn skills essential to project management.

    The second step of the management process involves organizing, which means breaking down an entire project into smaller chunks that you can manage more easily. This helps ensure smooth execution across all aspects of the project. 

    Leading means motivating people towards achieving their individual goals and aligning them with company goals through motivation techniques like recognition management process programs or bonuses based on performance targets achieved by each employee. 

    Controlling refers to monitoring whether your employees are meeting both planned and actual deadlines for the completion of tasks assigned to them under their respective roles within your organization. 

    Managing projects effectively is important because it helps keep your organization running smoothly and efficiently. It also helps you achieve your business goals on time, within budget and with high quality. 

    If you want to manage projects effectively, here are some tips that can help:  

    1. Focus on the outcome of your project rather than on how it will be achieved.  
    2. Use a project management software tool like Nifty to keep track of all tasks, milestones and deliverables, or start using a business process management software to keep track of all your business processes. This will make tracking progress easier. 
    3. Create a project schedule and make sure that everyone involved in the project understands it.  
    4. Hold regular meetings to discuss progress and issues.

    management process functions

    Classification of Management Functions

    The management functions are classified into four categories: 

    1. Planning and Organizing

    It deals with preparing plans for the future, establishing organizational structure, assigning responsibilities to various departments and setting up procedures for their smooth functioning. 

    2. Controlling

    This involves monitoring progress toward achieving goals and checking whether there is any deviation from these goals or not. This also includes getting feedback from customers on how satisfied they are with products/services provided by an organization so as to improve on them if required. In addition, this function ensures that all activities are carried out in accordance with plans made earlier to achieve maximum results at minimum cost while maintaining quality standards at all times. 

    3. Staffing

    Organizations have developed recruitment policies that ensure that the right people are recruited at the right places based on their qualifications, skills, etc. so that productivity can be maximized along with customer satisfaction levels being maintained at high levels throughout business cycles.  

    Staffing includes both recruitment activities and development programs like training programs offered by top universities around the globe like Harvard University, where students get a chance to learn things related to business strategies before starting careers in the Management Studies field or other fields like Marketing Studies or Banking Studies etc. related to business strategies before starting careers in Management Studies field or other fields related fields like Marketing Studies or Banking Studies etc.

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    1. Management Process

    Management process refers to the steps and activities required to manage organizational and management process resources. The key elements of management include planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Management processes are also referred to as managerial functions or activities, which include decision-making, planning, organizing and managing human resources, financial management, marketing management, production management, management process resource allocation, quality control and customer service/sales/marketing strategies. 

    2. Management Functions

    The most common types of management functions include: 

    Planning 

    The management process involves defining goals and objectives for an organization's future performance based on external factors such as market demand or technological advances. This function also includes creating strategies for achieving those goals in terms of staffing requirements (or headcount) needed for implementation along with other resource allocations such as capital investments needed for implementation, e.g., buildings and machinery etc.

    Organizing 

    This function involves allocating resources to specific tasks and activities based on their priority according to the company's strategic plan and organizational structure. For example, an organization with a sales force of 100 people will need a manager to manage these employees (or staff).

    The manager will assign sales representatives to specific geographical territories, set their performance quotas, and assess the management process capacity. This function also includes managing staff training and development, team building activities, recruitment processes etc.

    Management Process Example

    A product management process flow is a series of steps that are followed to perform a management function. The steps in the management process can be divided into two parts: planning and implementation. The planning part concerns developing the plan and preparing for its implementation, while the second part concerns the actual implementation.

    The following example will help you understand how a management process works. We will use an example project: "Planning an Outing."

    A manager wants to take his team out on a day trip. He has several options in front of him and wants to decide the best one. The first step is to identify all possible options for the outing. This can be done by brainstorming with other managers or reviewing past experiences with outings. Once he has identified all possible options, he will select one option based on its feasibility and cost-effectiveness.

    The third step is to create a plan for the selected option. The manager will then present his plan to his team and explain why they should choose this option over all others. Once everyone agrees with the plan, it is implemented and followed through with.

    The above example provides insight into "what is a management process." It's crucial to remember that there are multiple approaches to a single problem, with none being universally superior. Selecting an approach that aligns with you and your team is pivotal.

    Key Takeaways on Management Process

    • A management process is a set of activities, steps, and functions that are performed in order to manage and lead an organization. 
    • It is a process of managing and leading people. 

    The management process is an ongoing effort to ensure that people, processes, and technology are aligned with the organization’s goals. You should undertake a PMP Certification to help you get started with the same and learn essential skills to better understand the management process.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    1. Why is management a process?

    As a process, management cannot be completed in one sitting. It involves many different activities and people to get the job done. Management usually involves more than one person and sometimes even a group of people tasked with contributing their skills and knowledge to achieve the end goal of managing something. 

    2. What are the steps in the management process?

    The management process is a system that helps managers coordinate activities, resources and information. It includes four basic steps: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. 

    3. What is the product management process?

    Product management is an important part of the product life cycle. The product manager is responsible for the product from conception to launch and therefore has a lot riding on its success or failure. The product manager sets the vision and strategy for their product and decides how much time and money will be spent on it. 

    4. What are the 4 main processes of project management?

    The four main processes of project management are planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.

    Profile

    Mounika Narang

    Author

    Mounika Narang is a project manager having a specialisation in IT project management and Instructional Design. She has an experience of 10 years 
    working with Fortune 500 companies to solve their most important development challenges. She lives in Bangalore with her family.

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