In the PMBOK® Guide Sixth Edition, ITTOs (Inputs, Tools, Techniques, and Outputs) is the basic building block of all 49 processes. These are the components of a process and understanding of these processes gives you a solid foundation for executing your project.
Inputs: Anytime, whether internal or external to the project which is required by a process before that process proceeds. May be an output from a predecessor process. E.g.:
- Project charter
- Project schedule
- Resource calendars
- Approved change requests
- Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF), such as government or industry standards, project management information system, organizational structure, culture, practices, and infrastructure, etc.
- Organizational Process Assets (OPA), such as standardized guidelines, work instructions, project management templates, project files from previous projects, and other historical information, etc.
Tools:Â Something tangible, such as a template or software program, used in performing an activity to produce a product or result.
E.g.:
- Analytical techniques
- Project management information system(s)
- Benchmarking
- Product analysis
Techniques: A defined systematic procedure employed by a human resource to perform an activity to produce a product or result or deliver a service, and that may employ one or more tools. Meetings
E.g.:
- Expert judgment
- Inspection
- Interviews
- Decomposition
Outputs: A product, result, or service generated by a process. May be an input to a successor process.
E.g.:
- Work performance information
- Change requests
- Project management plan updates
- Organizational process assets update
- Project documents updates (Source:Projectmanagementprep)