The key difference between project management and functional management is that project management is the process of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a project to achieve a specific objective whereas functional management is managing the routing activities in the organization relating to various functions such as production, sales, and marketing, finance etc. in order to achieve the overall objective of the organization. Managing functional tasks are done from the inception to the end of a business organization. On the other hand, projects are carried out based on a specific need
What is Functional Management?
Functional management refers to managing the routing activities in the organization relating to various functions such as production, sales, and marketing, finance etc. Functional managers have ongoing responsibilities and are not usually directly associated with project teams. The main task of functional managers is to ensure that the daily business activities are conducted smoothly, which in turn will assist in realizing the overall corporate objectives.
Duties of a Functional Manager
- Share professional suggestion and knowledge with the employees
- Allocate resources efficiently by identifying the resource priorities
- Provide employees with learning opportunities
- Identify cost inefficiencies and address them to improve efficiency
Summary – Project Management vs Functional Management
The difference between project management and functional management can be easily identified by taking into account the characteristics of a project. If the focus is to achieve a specific objective within a defined period of time that is outside the routine business operations, such a task relates to project management. Managing daily business activities with the intention of realizing the overall purpose of the company is referred to as functional management. Both aspects are very important to an organization where projects will have to be undertaken based on specific business requirements.