What's a project?

A simple question isn't it? So simple that it seems having no sense to define it again.
The PMBOK defines a project as :

"a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result."

• The most important point in this definition is "unique". This is also the main difference between a project and operations. The purpose of operations is to recreate the same product over and over. The uniqueness of an activity is however discutable. Creating a specific car one of its own with a specific unique color makes it a unique product. The car went through a manufacturing line that is enable to recreate the same base model. The only difference in this case is the color. And this is exactly the point. The manufacturing of the car is classic operations but the painting in a specific color becomes a project.

• An other important point is the "temporary". In a project, there must be a start date and an end date. An activity that has no spcific finish date is not a project. It could rather be considered as a maintenance.

• Let's have a look at the end deliverable of a project: "product, service or result". the end deliverable can be something tangible like a house, a bridge or a software. It can also be the improvement of a process, a transfer of knowledge or a successful trip on the other side of the street.