Though the nature of a project 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.
Please note that you may or may not see a direct question on these topics in the exam, but having a better understanding of EEF and OPA will undoubtedly help you on your test.
企业环境因素(EEF)
First, we should understand the word “environment” before we start to discuss enterprise environmental factors.
You can define the environment as anything related to the natural world and the impact of human activity or its condition, or the culture that an individual lives in, and the people and institutions with whom they interact (Wikipedia).
由于我们生活在环境中,因此以某种方式影响了我们的行为。
For instance, in cold weather, we need to wear woolen clothes to keep ourselves warm. The cold weather is the “environment” that forces us to cover ourselves with woolen clothes.
这是冷环境对我们的影响。
现在,我们来到企业环境因素。
Enterprise environmental factors are the influences not under the control of the organization or the project management team that affect the organization, theproject, 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.
企业外部环境的例子ors are as follows:
- 政府规章
- Market conditions
- External political conditions
- Industry standards
- Legal restrictions
内部企业环境因素的一些例子包括:
- Organizational culture
- Type of organizational structure
- Internal political conditions
- Available resources
- Infrastructure
Organizational Process Assets (OPA)
在进行组织流程资产之前,让我们定义资产。
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.
资产的例子有很多。你可以有一个car, which helps you move around, a house to live in, a computer to work on… the list is endless.
In the same way,organizationsalso have assets that help them achieve their goals. Here these assets are called organizational process assets. These OPAs are inputs of almost all processes of the PMBOK Guide. The project management team may modify these OPAs according to their requirements.
项目结束后,这些组织流程资产可以存储在中央存储库中,以便可以在任何未来的项目需要时使用它们。
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
- 标准模板
- General guidelines
The project management team cannot update or modify these elements usually, as they have been provided by the organization. However, a project manager can provide feedback or suggestions, and higher management can make a decision to update or modify.
The second category comprises the corporate knowledge base for storing and retrieving information. For example:
- Risk register
- 得到教训
- 利益相关者登记册
- Past project files
- Historical information
这些组织流程资产影响了项目的成功,并且随着组织变得更大,它们会不断增长。
让我们说您处于识别风险过程中。您决定通过使用清单开始识别风险。
您不会从头开始创建此清单;您将查看任何过去的项目记录,以找到风险清单并根据您的项目要求对其进行自定义。这将为您节省很多时间。
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.
Organizational process assets are used extensively in project management. It is the responsibility of the project management team to look for any relevant documents in historical records before starting to build something from scratch.
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.
组织流程资产可帮助组织改善其流程,帮助项目管理团队学习,并通过使用集体知识库来分享最佳实践。
另一方面,企业环境因素可能会或可能不会帮助您的组织。这些是您的组织必须工作的条件,并且不属于项目管理团队的控制。
例如,如果政府增加税收,它将对您的利润产生负面影响;但是,如果他们减少税收,您的利润将会增加。
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 it.
Summary
Enterprise environmental factors (EEF) and organizational process assets (OPA) are the most widely referred to influences in the PMBOK Guide. EEFs provide you with a controlled environment in which your organization lives and you complete your project. OPAs help you by providing all corporate knowledge, policies, procedures, etc.
You have to understand these influences as they are inputs of most processes and you have to manage your project within them.
您的项目如何受企业环境因素和组织流程资产(EEF和OPA)的影响?请在评论部分中分享您的想法。
Hello Fahad,
Thank you for this explanatory article. It is really helpful for those who are studying for the exam.
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.
Sometimes it is useful and other times not. You may be restricted to use only the prequalified sellers, so it is an EEF.
嗨,很棒的话题和清晰!
我正在为考试做准备,需要清楚地知道EEF适用哪个组织?表演组织是否应该考虑到其环境来完成项目的这些因素,还是应考虑p,s,r最终将转移到p,s,r的索取org的因素?PMBOK清楚地表明,OPA是由表演组织使用的,并且对EEF尚不清楚。我最近完成了一门课程,讲师说他们适用于请求组织,但是丽塔·穆尔卡希(Rita Mulcahy)说表演组织。
DESPERATING seaking clarity!!
The PMBOK has dedicated a whole chapter on it.
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,
There seems to be a confusion even within 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?
To make things even worse, by contradicting the concept that “policies are OPAs”, Personnel Administration Policies are mentioned under enterprise environmental factors in 10.1.1.4, 10.2.1.4, 13.2.1.5, 13.3.1.3 & 13.4.1.4.
It will be great if someone could shed some light on this inconsistency.
Thanks for the helpful info! I understand the difference between OPA’s and EEFs but since they are an input to or output of most of the processes, is there a handy list of processes where OPA’s and/or EEFs are NOT an input or output? This would just make it easier in terms of trying to manage all the ITTOs and focus one the ones that are process or knowledge area specific,
Thanks!
你可以假定它是输入总是所有进程. Cannot think of any process which will have them as an input.
确实,这是我看到的定义EEF&OPA的最佳解释。但是我对您指定为EEF的质量控制系统有些困惑
但是我可以看到它是因为公司可以更改系统 - 如果他们的另一种更好的做法将改善项目 - 因此应该在OPA下进行……。您可以向我解释为什么它在EEF下而不是OPA?
您的时间和帮助非常感谢,并提前感谢。
Yes, company can change the system, Government can change the regulation, market condition can also change, and political environment can also change.
A better regulation can come, and a favorable political environment can happen as well.
But these change do not make them organizational process assets.
To make more confusion, in Rita Mulcahy 8th page128, the definition of Change Control System is “Many organizations have a change control system as part of their PMIS. This system includes …procedures and software to track control changes. It is part of an organization’s EEF”.
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. Digressing to a different level, am confused about the term “Discretionary dependency” and why we need to eliminate discretionary dependencies during fast-tracking to control the schedule?
Your thoughts are much appreciated.
Discretionary dependency are recommended dependency which some times take extra time.
Since these are not mandatory, during fast tracking you look on these dependencies to cut the time.
嗨,法哈德,感谢您的耐心回答所有问题。在这里,我感到困惑,寻求您的帮助。
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.
它可以存储在PMI中。
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.
是的,您是对的,但是,PMI通常是EEF。
Please oblige my question. I know it has been asked before, but I’m still struggling to understand the distinctions:
My understanding:
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 - ((仅内部)工具,技术,信息或知识,影响实际的“工作” - 他们可以帮助或指导您完成工作(指南,程序,过去项目的历史信息,学习的经验教训)。
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.
你好,
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
质量控制系统 - >企业环境因素
Environment and Legal Procedures ->Organisational Process Assets
Organisational Policies -> Organisational Process Assets
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. You have mentioned that “…OPA can be customized 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.
如果您找到任何新的最佳实践,则可以更新过程。同样,政策也可以更改。
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
质量控制系统 - >企业环境因素(Since it is a part of the EEF)
I understand the PMI calls PMIS and QCS Enterprise Environmental Factors but from a financial accounting definition perspective “”An asset is a resource controlled by the enterprise as a result of past events and from which future economic benefits are expected to flow to the enterprise.”
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.质量控制系统 - 缺陷跟踪,质量检查工具
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
质量控制系统 - >企业环境因素(Since it is a part of the EEF)
Environment and Legal Procedures ->Organisational Process Assets
Organisational Policies -> Organisational Process Assets