Abstract:

The global market environment is undergoing a rapid transformation due to a convergence of factors such as technological innovation, geopolitical shifts, evolving consumer preferences, and sustainability imperatives. In order to keep pace with the rapidly changing surroundings, enterprises need to embrace a continuing process of adaption, which, on a more functional level, is usually organized in the realization of individual projects.

The present article outlines the basic definitions and theoretical aspects of project management and investigates their practical applicability on projects conducted by SMEs in the Health Care sector.

The used methodology presents a single case study in form of a qualitative research approach. The case study is related to the Health Care field: the implementation of a day care unit in a small psychosomatic hospital.

On this practical example the deployment of project management in a SME (60 employees) was described and discussed.

The gained results of this study essentially describe, that a thoughtful preparation conducted by the central figures of the SME and a detailed budgeting, differentiated by the factors of time, personal resources and financial capabilities are crucial for the success of an extensive individual project. Each individual budget should include additional buffers of at least 10%, in order to compensate unforeseen incidents.

Furthermore, the underlying project shows that many standards and procedures of project management are only of limited application for a SME in the Health Care sector.

The highly individual procedures of a SME and the characteristics, the legal framework of the Health Care sector include, require a more adaptive and agile interpretation of the existing models.

Project management in a SME in the Health Care sector, at the present time, remains a pioneering work.

In order to cultivate project management for SMEs and introduce standards, they can orient on, it would be beneficial to work out a Pmbook, which implies instructions and processes that are adjusted to the individual circumstances of an SME.

In addition, a special stress on project management in the Health Care sector, given its steadily growing significance seems to be a reasonable complementation.