Project Constraints

A project revolves around three constraints for which the project managers are answerable. These three constraints are time, cost and scope. Time defines the schedule of the project. Scope defines the totality of work to complete a specific project and cost is the budget for a particular project. These three constraints combine together to have control over the other three variables of project management which are risk, people and quality.

The three project parameters or constraints are dependent on each other in a way that often leads to compete amongst them.  A tight time leads to increased cost but reduced scope. Similarly, a tight budget can lead to reduced scope but increased time. Increase in scope leads to increase in time and cost both.