{draw:g} Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical review on the role of project manager in sales and presales activities. A Guide to the PMBOK 3rd edition did not include any suggestion in the role of project manager in sales and presales activities. This paper will review the project management processes and knowledge areas and make suggestion in the whole process in order to reduce the challenges in managing a project in post sales; where the project is actually realize. The literature review will cover many areas in A Guide to the PMBOK 3rd edition. The focus of this paper will be arguing on the need for project management to cover the phases before the project initiation; which are the sales and presales processes in project that required implementation for external customers. Finally this paper will make a proposition on how the project management process to be extended to the sales and presales activities and reduces the challenges of the project at the realization stage. Introduction Research Problem From the Introduction section above, a clear problem statement is the lack of Standards defined to cover the role of Project Managers in the sales and presales processes even though these processes have significant influences in the project management processes later. Therefore there is a crucial need to study and review the standards to include a well defined role for project managers’ involvement in the sales and presales processes. Objectives of Research Scope of Study Research Methodology {draw:frame} Figure 1: Research Methodology Framework Literature Review {draw:frame} Figure 2: Project Management Process Group as an Iteration Process {draw:frame} Figure 3: Project Management Process Group in Action The process group started with the Initiating process group and the output of the Initiating process group will serve as the input to Planning process group. The output from Planning process group will serve as the input...