Overview & Details
Title: Customer-Driven Project Management: Building Quality into Project Processes (2nd Edition)
Authors: Bruce T. Barkley & James H. Saylor
Published: June 2001, McGraw-Hill Education McGraw-Hill ProfessionalMiami University BookstoreBarnes & NoblePowell's Books
Format & Length: Hardcover, approximately 607–610 pages PM World JournalEyrollesBarnes & NoblePowell's Books
Scope & Purpose:
This edition offers a comprehensive framework for integrating customer-centric approaches within project and quality management. It includes expanded chapters on:
Internet support systems
Selling the project
E-business project models
Personal and professional development (“Brand You”) Barnes & NobleMiami University BookstoreMcGraw Hill
Key Themes & Structure
Practical, Step-by-Step Implementation
The book is organized to guide project professionals through embedding quality and customer focus into every phase:
Chapters 1–5 lay the foundation: evolving project roles, customer-centric scheduling, and quality leadership.
Chapter 6 introduces the core eight-step customer-driven process, detailed further in Chapter 7’s tools summary.
Mid to later chapters (8–17) dive into quality reviews, team structure (Customer-Driven Teams or CDTs), workflows, work breakdown, and planning tools.
Chapter 10—“Brand You” and Professional Growth—is particularly notable for addressing career development and personal branding.
The book concludes with “Future Considerations” and three appendices: case studies, PMI’s Body of Knowledge guidance, and assessment tools McGraw-Hill ProfessionalBarnes & NobleEyrolles.
The Eight-Step Process
A central feature, this methodology orchestrates customer-driven project quality improvement:
Define the quality issue
Understand and define the process
Select improvement opportunities
Analyze those opportunities
Design and produce the deliverable
Measure deliverables and processes against customer expectations
Implement improvements
Monitor results and close the project Project Management InstitutePM World Journal
Emphasis on Customer Involvement & Total Quality Management (TQM)
The book bridges TQM philosophy and project management practices, strongly positioning customer involvement at the project’s core. It advocates embedding quality from the start and empowers teams alongside customer representatives for continuous improvement GoodreadsScribd.
Why It Matters
A 2024 review in the PM World Journal highlights its relevance in today’s digital and competitive environment:
Reinforces urgent need to center customers in project delivery
Makes clear distinctions from traditional project management
Illustrates practical implementation through cases and real-world scenarios
Reaffirms the eight-step methodology as highly impactful for customer satisfaction and process improvement PM World Journal
Summary
Feature | Details |
---|---|
Authors | Bruce T. Barkley & James H. Saylor |
Edition | 2nd Edition (2001) |
Length | ~607–610 pages |
Core Value | Embeds customer focus and quality into project processes |
Standout Features | Eight-step methodology, e-business chapters, “Brand You” for PMs, tools & case studies |
Ideal Audience | Project managers, executives, aspiring PMP candidates, leaders looking to enhance customer satisfaction and quality outcomes |
Let me know if you’d like:
A deeper walkthrough of a specific chapter or tool
A comparison with other project–quality frameworks
Suggestions for how to apply the eight-step process in your own projects
Happy to dive in further!
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