Project management processes and design controls are similar in a sense that both are carried out along the duration of planning the project. Project management processes are the “how-tos” of the project whereas the design controls explain the design method. The design controls fail to address how to plan project tasks but instead addresses documents required and things to consider during development. 

Both project management and design control play an important role in the whole project. As the name “project management” suggests, project management focuses on the whole project which includes risk management, budget planning, schedule etc. In my opinion, project management is related to the big picture while design control is related to the design related activities only. The design control could affect the output of the whole project. Without a proper design control, it might be difficult to get the ideal product. At the same time, proper project management also affects the efficiency of the design control. All in all, project management and design control are in charge of different activities of the project, a successful project needs both proper project management and proper design control.

Project management is above design controls. It oversees it along with all device development activities and ensures successful completion of the project objectives. Therefore we can tell that design controls is a part of project management. 

As others have stated in this thread, both the topics of project management and design controls are crucial for every project. It is true that both last the duration of the project but to get more specific, there is a strong relationship between both topics. Without having strong project management, it will be hard to have good design controls. The design controls process is a procedure that intends to assure that devices meet user needs. This process requires a lot of o planning and research due to the user needs varying between projects. A project under a good manager and great project management will help ease this process and create an environment where the design controls can be created and improved upon during the duration of the project. The biggest difference between the two topics is that project management deals more with the project team and the project itself while their design controls are meant to deal more with the user needs and how that will affect the project. Overall, they are both very important and related to each other with both being crucial for a successful project.