Though the nature of a项目is temporary, they are not performed in isolation. They work in a controlled environment and are affected by Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF) and Organizational Process Assets (OPA).
The Project Management Institute terms them as influences. Enterprise environmental factors can be internal or external, while organizational process assets are always internal to an organization.
Enterprise environmental factors and organizational process assets are widely discussed in thebob手机客户端and are inputs of almost all processes. You must have a thorough understanding of EEF vs OPA.
Although the concepts are straightforward, many PMP aspirants fail to understand them and often make mistakes on the exam.
请注意,您可能会或可能不会在考试中看到有关这些主题的直接问题,但是对EEF和OPA有了更好的了解,无疑会帮助您进行考试。
Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF)
首先,在开始讨论企业环境因素之前,我们应该理解“环境”一词。
您可以将环境定义为与自然世界以及人类活动或其状况的影响,个人所居住的文化以及与之互动的人民和机构(Wikipedia)。
Since we live in an environment, it influences our behavior in a certain way.
例如,在寒冷的天气中,我们需要穿羊毛衣服以保持自己的温暖。寒冷的天气是“环境”,迫使我们用羊毛衣服掩盖自己。
This is the impact of a cold environment on us.
Now we come to enterprise environmental factors.
Enterprise environmental factors are the influences not under the control of the organization or the project management team that affect the organization, the项目, and its outcome. Every organization has to exist and work within the EEF.
These influences may have positive or negative impacts on your project constraints, though often, the impact is negative.
Enterprise environment factors can be either internal or external.
外部企业环境因素的示例如下:
- Government regulations
- Market conditions
- External political conditions
- Industry standards
- Legal restrictions
A few examples of internal enterprise environmental factors include:
- Organizational culture
- Type of organizational structure
- Internal political conditions
- Available resources
- Infrastructure
组织流程资产(OPA)
Before moving onto the organizational process assets, let us define assets.
An asset is defined as a useful or valuable entity or property owned by a person or company, which has value and is available to meet debts, commitments, or legacies.
Assets are something that you can own, keep, and make use of at any point in time.
Examples of assets are numerous; you can have a car, which helps you move around, a house to live in, a computer to work on… the list is endless.
In the same way,organizations还拥有帮助他们实现目标的资产。在这里,这些资产称为组织流程资产。这些OPA是PMBOK指南几乎所有过程的输入。bob手机客户端项目管理团队可以根据他们的要求修改这些飞散。
Once the project has ended, these organizational process assets can be stored in a central repository so that they can be used whenever required for any future projects.
Organizational process assets can be divided into two categories.
The first is for processes, policies, and procedures for conducting work, which includes the following:
- Policies
- Procedures
- Standard templates
- General guidelines
项目管理团队通常不能像组织提供的那样更新或修改这些元素。但是,项目经理可以提供反馈或建议,高级管理人员可以决定更新或修改。
The second category comprises the corporate knowledge base for storing and retrieving information. For example:
- Risk register
- 浅色印花布ns learned
- 涉众的注册
- Past project files
- Historical information
These organizational process assets influence the project’s success, and they keep growing as the organization becomes larger.
Let us say that you are in the identify risks process. You decide to start identifying risks by using a checklist.
You are not going to create this checklist from scratch; you will look at any similar past project records to find a risk checklist and customize it as per your project requirements. This will save you a lot of time.
There is a very famous saying in project management, “Why reinvent the wheel?” which means if you have something available to you, why would you try to remake it? You are free to update or modify elements from this category.
组织流程资产广泛用于项目管理。项目管理团队的责任是在开始从头开始构建某些东西之前在历史记录中寻找任何相关文档。
The Difference Between Organizational Process Assets and Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF Vs OPA)
There are many differences between organizational process assets and enterprise environmental factors.
Organizational process assets help organizations to improve their processes, help project management teams to learn, and share best practices by using a collective knowledge base.
On the other hand, enterprise environmental factors may or may not help your organization. These are the conditions in which your organization has to work and do not fall under the control of the project management team.
For example, if the government increases taxes, it will affect your profits negatively; however, if they decrease taxes, your profits will increase.
Moreover, enterprise environmental factors are not easy to change; you have to live with them. Organizational process assets can be customized according to their suitability, and they make the project management team’s life much more comfortable.
It is important to note that organizational process assets always support the project team, while enterprise environmental factors can help or hinder.
Summary
企业环境因素(EEF)和组织过程资产(OPA)是PMBOK指南中最广泛地提到的影响。bob手机客户端EEFS为您提供了组织居住并完成项目的受控环境。OPA通过提供所有公司知识,政策和程序等来为您提供帮助。
You have to understand these influences as they are inputs of most processes and you have to manage your project within them.
How is your project influenced by enterprise environmental factors and organizational process assets (EEF and OPA)? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
Hello Fahad,
谢谢您的解释性文章。对于那些正在学习考试的人来说,这确实很有帮助。
Could you please clarify on a practice question that I have encountered: Why the pre-qualified sellers list considered an EEF instead of OPA? Because from my point of view this list is a documentation that aids the PM when planning procurement.
提前感谢你拨冗clarify.
有时它很有用,而有时则无济于事。您可能仅限于仅使用预先资格的卖家,因此它是EEF。
Hi great topic and clarity!
I’m preparing for the exam and need clarity as to which organization the EEF apply to? Should the performing org be considering these factors for their environment to complete the project or are they factors that should be considered for the requesting org where the P, S, R will eventually be transferred to? PMBOK is clear that OPA are used by and specific to the performing org, however not clear about EEF. I recently completed a class where instructor stated they apply to the requesting org however Rita Mulcahy is stating the performing org.
DESPERATING seaking clarity!!
PMBOK专门针对它的整章。
Please refer chapter-2 (THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH PROJECTS OPERATE) for complete understanding of the topic.
This is a good topic and very enlightening. Environmental regulations are hurtling companies presently. About fifty years ago and even much longer than that organizations were not under heavy regulations regarding environmental concerns. In our present time period companies pay heavily for environmental infractions.
Best regards to you sir,
We have to live with it and manage accordingly.
Thanks Llew for your visit.
Hi Fahad,
似乎有一种困惑甚至在PMBOK with regards to “personnel administration” which has been mentioned to be an organizational process asset (4.4.1.5) as well as an enterprise environmental factor (5.1.1.3, 5.2.1.6 and 5.3.1.4 )……………I wonder which one is correct?
为了使事情变得更糟,通过与“政策是飞散”的概念相矛盾,在10.1.1.4、10.2.1.4、10.2.1.4、13.2.1.5、13.3.1.3&13.4.1.4中提到了人事管理政策。
It will be great if someone could shed some light on this inconsistency.
感谢您提供的有用信息!我了解OPA和EEFS之间的区别,但是由于它们是大多数流程的输入或输出,是否有方便的过程列表OPA和/或EEF不是输入或输出?这只是在尝试管理所有iTTO的方面变得更容易,并将其集中在过程或知识领域的特定方面,
Thanks!
You can assume it is input to always all processes. Cannot think of any process which will have them as an input.
really it is the best explanation I have seen to define the EEF & OPA. but I have a little confuse regarding to the quality control system that you specified as EEF
but I can see it as company can change the system – if their is another better practice will improve the projects- so it should be under OPA….can you please explain me why it goes under EEF and not under OPA?
your time and help is really appreciated and thanks in advance.
是的,公司可以改变系统,政府可以改变法规,市场状况也可以改变,政治环境也会改变。
A better regulation can come, and a favorable political environment can happen as well.
But these change do not make them organizational process assets.
为了使更多的混乱,在丽塔·穆尔卡希(Rita Mulcahy)第8页的第128页中,变更控制系统的定义是“许多组织作为其PMI的一部分具有变更控制系统。该系统包括…跟踪控制更改的过程和软件。它是组织EEF的一部分。”
Look, according to Rita, the Change Control Procedures is included in the PMIS, and PMIS is part of EEF. Hence the change control procedures must be part of EEF. But PMBOK page 147 defines that OPA includes Change Control Procedures.
What is your comment Fahad
Change control procedure and change control system are different.
Policies and procedures are part of organizational process so the change control procedure will also be a part of OPA.
PMBOK® Guide – Fifth Edition, page 75 says “The organizational process assets …include : standardized guidelines, work instructions, proposal evaluation criteria, change control procedures, project files from previous projects, configuration management knowledge base, etc”. PMBOK® Guide – Fifth Edition, page 75
For me, change control procedures is nothing related to lesson learned, historical data or knowledge base. Therefore, it it better in EEF. What do you think Fahad?
Hi Fahad,
Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation and also crystal clear clarity on some of the topics mentioned.
1.离题到另一个级别,对“酌处权依赖性”一词感到困惑,以及为什么我们需要在快速跟踪过程中消除可支配的依赖性以控制时间表?
Your thoughts are much appreciated.
建议对依赖性依赖,有时需要额外的时间。
Since these are not mandatory, during fast tracking you look on these dependencies to cut the time.
Hi Fahad, thanks for your patience to answer all questions. Here i have a confusion and seek your help.
While the project is still running where is all project data stored? data like PM plan, Project documents, Work performance data, Work performance reports.
If this data is stored through PMIS (EEF) as a front end, is it stored in some knowledge base like Corporate Knowledge base (OPA) as a backend?
Or does it data remain in EEF till the project completes and then is submitted to OPA through lessons learned?
If it is in soft format, it will be stored in computer servers. Otherwise as long as the project is active the project manger will keep it with him and later it can be transferred to some archiving store.
Location is not important, important is its storage.
If it is in soft format then what kind of database is it stored in? Does it come under OPA or EEF? The scenario is about project data before the project is closed. TIA.
It may be stored in PMIS.
Not sure if this is not answered deliberately. The question asks if PMIS is considered OPA or EEF. Interestingly enough in PMBOK v6 it is sometimes shown under EEF and othertimes under OPA. Very confusing and clarity would be appreciated.
Yes, you are right, however, usually PMIS is an EEF.
请迫使我的问题。我知道之前已经问过,但我仍在努力理解这些区别:
我的理解:
EEF – Condition (internal and external) under which you have to work. You have not choice. You cannot change it, it affects everybody (Cold weather, the law, harsh governmental policies, high altitude, unfriendly co-worker/work culture, functional matrix org, projectized org, etc)
OPA – (Internal only) Tools, techniques, information or knowledge that affect the actual “doing of the work” – they can help or guide you do your work (guidelines, procedures, historical information from past projects, lessons learned).
My question: What does company policy fall under?
On one hand, I cannot control company policy and must abide by it, making it an EEF
On the other hand, I need to know the policies in order to know how to do the work, making it an OPA
You understanding is correct.
Policies are OPA as they are designed by your organization to help you successfully complete the project.
Hi,
I have confusion between OPA and EEF and found your website. Looking at the comments and I see your categorization of these examples below. I don’t understand the rationale even though I feel I know what you mean by the article. Can you please elaborate more or relate it to the article definition for my better understanding? Thanks lot!
PMIS -> Enterprise Environmental Factors
Quality Controlling Systems -> Enterprise Environmental Factors
Environment and Legal Procedures ->Organisational Process Assets
组织政策 - >组织流程资产
Thanks so much Fahad for this explanation. Very helpful and your examples really helped me clear majority of my confusions regarding OPA and EEF. However couple of them still remains, respecting all your efforts and knowledge.
For the purpose of clarification – please bear with me.
1.你有提到,“……OPA可以定制according to the suitability, and they make the project management team’s life much easier”. Policies, procedures, plans and knowledge bases are OPAs. Here I am little bit confused, my understanding of policies and procedures is that they are “assets” owned by the organization and applied across all project and operational activities, which are not individually customized for a particular project activity. For example, my current project follows the Health and Safety Policy (OPA) of our organization which cannot be customized for my project and hence a constraint, rather than a support.
2. Organization structure – I really need some help here – how would the org. structure an EEF? Please help.
If you find any new best practice, procedure can be update. Likewise policy can also be changed.
Organizational structure is environment in which you have work. For example if you working in weak matrix organization, you may have to approach the functional manager for you needs.
Great work Mr. Usmani.
PMIS -> Enterprise Environmental Factors
Quality Controlling Systems -> Enterprise Environmental Factors (Since it is a part of the EEF)
我了解PMI调用PMI和QCS企业环境因素,但从财务会计定义角度来看,“资产”是由企业控制的资源,这是由于过去的事件而受到企业的控制,并且预计未来的经济利益将带给企业。”
Thus, some PMIS and QCS and Infractructure can be considered assets. For instance, customized software for Accounting/Auditing Information System.
Thank you Mr JP for stopping by and providing the feedback on EEF from a financial accounting perspective.
Fahad, How do I categorize following items whether they are belong to EEF/ OPA
1.PMIS – Project Management Information Systems e.g. Project Enterprise Solutions, Microsoft Project
3. Quality Controlling Systems – Defect Tracking, QA tools
4. Environment and Legal Procedures (assumed that also belong EEF)
5. Any other organizational policies which are not directly relating to project environment.
Hello Janaka, as per my understanding, items can be categorized as follow:
PMIS -> Enterprise Environmental Factors
Quality Controlling Systems -> Enterprise Environmental Factors (Since it is a part of the EEF)
Environment and Legal Procedures ->Organisational Process Assets
组织政策 - >组织流程资产