Project Management Body of Knowledge - Assignment Example

Project Management & 787 Dreamliner Name: Unit: Course: Professor name: Submission Date: Project Management Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is a form of elite exercises, collection of processes, guidelines, and terminologies that are acknowledged as standards within the project management industries. It is a considered method of project management mainly in the construction industry because it enables the practitioners including project managers discover best practices and new methods as it grows. Whenever planning is about to take place, the updated version is applied in every project hence efficiency. Generally, to most projects, most of the time the recognized means of knowledge and practices are applicable because of the consensus about their value and usefulness. Additionally, it enhances the chance of success over various projects since the application of the tools and techniques, and skills are often used. For a temporary project like constructing an Engineering Innovation Centre Building on the Foster Car Park there must be a definite beginning and a definite ending. PMOK should be an appropriate project management method as it achieves every objective put in place by the project manager with the help of project members. As it is an expected project to last for a longer time, and will remain a permanent plant in centuries or decades, then there will be a time frame needed for its operations (Burke 2013). Most of the construction projects such as building structures, a team shall be involved with a sole purpose. Then later it shall be disbanded and members reassigned when complete. For instance, in the beginning of the building every member of the team will have PMOK knowledge and techniques involved from the project manager to other members depending on the longevity of the projct. Pennypacker and Grant (2003 p.6) argues that the application of PMOK in the construction project needs various project activities to containing the skills, techniques, knowledge and tools in order to exceed or meet the needs of the project stakeholders. The expectations of the project shareholders may comprise of balancing the competing demands such as time to be taken during the project, cost and the quality of the project. Literally, manager is specifically concerned in managing the operations during the moment of project management. The manager becomes liable for the organizational approaches that take place during the entire period (Burke 2013). The role of the manager when involved in different managerial approaches is referred to as management by projects. For example, when constructing the Engineering Innovation Center Building, the project manager should have the entire knowledge of project management frame work. It may include, making the team understand about the day to day activities and interactions between the processes involved within the project management. Since projects are unique and they involve uncertainties, the project managers may opt for dividing the project into phases for sufficient success. It is usually divided into phases for provision of better management controls and appropriate links to the enduring operations of the construction project management. Generally, the process is always known as the project life cycle. Snyder (2014 p.20) states that the project phases are concluded starting from an individual phase. The completion of every phase is determined by project performance and deliverables. From this, the managers are able to evaluate the next move in terms of detecting and correcting errors cost effectively and deciding on whether to continue to the next phase of the project. In determining the success of the construction of EIC building, all the phases involved in the project are reflected when there are lower risks and uncertainties, corporation from other staff members, and the ability of the managers to influence the lowest levels of costs and progressive feasibility study as part of the phases. The application of the PMOK method in the project management, the project manager can group the different phases into processes. The first process may include initiation process. Initiation process is whereby as a role of the manager, it would be essential for him to commit the project for the next phase. The project manager should ensure that the employees identify their roles in different operations and should be committed to the same. Additionally, planning process should also be part of the process. In construction project like constructing the EIC building, the project manager should devise and define the appropriate techniques to be applied in tackling the introduced activities before they are accomplished (Pennypacker and Grant 2003 p.10). Core planning may entail cost estimation, cost budgeting and project plan development. They are considered as core planning since they enable the project management foresee likable uncertainties. And other processes such as execution processes, controlling processes and closing processes. Boeing Corporation 787 Dreamliner 2003-2013 After Boeing decided it was over-ambitious, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner course of action was developed. It began when the 7E7 study for a conventional aircraft emerged to replace the original Sonic Cruiser. In the late 2003, the board approval for the Boeing 787 came by and it fully launched and recorded a greater number of approximately 50 aircraft from All Nippon Airways. Since then almost thirty airlines have ordered 390 Boeing 787s, making the Boeings history as a successful aircraft launch of all time. In September 2005, was the period which final configuration of the 787 Dreamliner was done. It included a detailed project which continued amongst the 135 corporations worldwide. The design for the aircraft which was the subject matter made the first aircraft to be assembled in 2006. The demand got to its maximum levels and Boeing considered increasing the rate of production for the 787 Dreamliner (Fitzgerald et al. 2005). They decided to increase the production from the initial number of four to 16 aircrafts on a monthly basis. As to that matter, by 2011 the production line was already booked and it lead to other airlines to acquire future production slots even as far the year 2016 from 2011. In the year 2009, just after it had delivered in the year 2008, the Northwest Airlines were expected to receive the deliveries of Boeing 787 for several months. Kotha and Srikanth (2013 p.47) claim that the president and CEO Doug Steenland of the Sky Team during the period of delivery had the vision to work with Boeing on the 787 Dreamliner delivery schedule. It was majorly targeting the peak summer season. The initial deliveries at this moment were delayed due to some challenges experience in the assembly process for a period of six months. Steenland says Northwest does not expect to receive compensation from Boeing for the delay. And the capital expenditure of the carrier aircraft was approximately billions of dollars in the year 2008 which was estimated to be less than the previous direction because of the delay. Boeing 787 like any other airline, it has specifications with rigid performance. It carries a certain number of passengers, luggage and load for particular cost within a given distance. Like any commercial airline, all these features found in the 787 Dreamliner all the engineers are usually bound by the same experience (Kotha 2013 p.45). And between the years of 2005 and 2011, the processes of designing or rather shaping the new aircraft was still part of the master plan. Dominance of such efficient thinking of 787 Dreamliner was part of the challenges Boeing company was in fact ready to face. Engineers assembled the first plane in June 2007. And as the assembly process would go on it had a particular inch gap. The gap was found within the section of the fuselage section which was behind the land. Furthermore, between the cockpit and the plane’s nose it had the same nose. When the assembly was over Boeing had to parade the Dreamliner in front of the crowd estimated to be large as expected (Fitzgerald et al. 2005). Nevertheless, it turned just to be rushed together to the event despite having a hollow section. In the same year, it was then Boeing company announced the problems with flight control software and other production delays that were experienced at that particular moment. It came along with the problems of shortage of bolts and thus the Dreamliner was not so much ascertained to the world which it was paraded for evaluation. On the other hand, Boeing announced another delay in delivery. It was not as per the expectations of since they announced the delivery of the much-anticipated Dreamliner to occur in the late 2009. The latest forecast of the company was meant to be few months behind the stated schedule. The announcement embarrassed all the manufacturers. The reason of postponement was due to unreliable supply and assembly problem as far as delivery was concerned. Thus, the postponement was then scheduled for other dates according to Boeing. According to the forecast made by Boeing, the delivery was almost more than twenty months transferring it to the year 2008 where they forecast the delivery to automatically occur. Dreamliner’s first customers who anticipated for 787 referred to the action as the greatest disappointment. The Boeing Corporation defined the modern air travel. And in the year 2003, being that it was considered the world's largest plane manufacturer, it had lost its popularity to its main European rival Airbus in previous years (Kotha 2013 p.46). It is when a clash of events happened whereby the CEO of the company resigned due to defense-contract scandal. Additionally, at the same time, prices of the stock dropped vehemently. Therefore, it was the moment when 787 Dreamliner was born but in a real moment of desperation. It was a whole decade when the corporation tried recovering but with no much vain. After the terrorist attacks a few years back, the Boeing Corporation became reluctant to up rise the business due to its financial troubles. Therefore, to ultimately win back the mass customers, Boeing desired for a revolutionary application. Apparently, as much as they desired to continue with the airlines business the motivation of buying other new planes reached to almost the impossibility. at the corner stone. According to Fitzgerald et al. (2005), the solution to the hitches experienced in the company came to be realized after almost a decade. Various factors fell into place when the most powerful airbus was introduced to the market. The effect was rather felt for the other ongoing years and so the aircraft automatically came to deliver for years. Eventually, the 787 Dreamliner was introduced and it was a plane that was technologically advanced and it promised to be lighter than any other airline that was in the industry. The assurance of the passengers’ cabin comfortability was on point and the cost of the jet fuel would be minimized to greater percentage. The quality of the body was exceptional as instead of being covered with the aluminum, half of the body was covered with the modern plastics. The reality and the vision of the introduction of the 787 quickly widened as once its production commenced. It never overwhelmed with manufacturing delays, cost overruns and sinking of the workers motivation as compared to the previous jets in the company. Boeing as a company during the period of the introduction of the Dreamliner 787, the designers and the managers experienced major pressures to meet the placed deadlines (Kotha and Srikanth 2013 p.44). Never before had they planned to build a plane from separate parts made everywhere in the world. Even though it was an achievement to the companies, it led to a lot of chaos the Boeing company. The designers and the engineers stood firm to their innovation as the Federal Aviation Administration stranded the 787 operations as the same was done by other countries. The designers’ inventions were a rare innovation in the globe and due to grounding many countries confirmed the action through giving it an analysis in much different opinions. The 787 Dreamliner was different as administrators established unwarranted solutions since they ultimately feared the risks of placing huge amounts of the investments to build a new commercial aircraft (Kotha and Srikanth 2013 p.61). Most of the parts of the Dreamliner were built in different countries as there existed a global network of suppliers. The internal manufacturers only committed themselves in building few parts which resulted to less percentage. They Boeing company employees manufactured and assembled the plane outside the site. The decision made by the Boeing came to be entirely critical and over the years it has haunted the company to date. The incident technical hitches on board made Federal Aviation Administration to send a directive to halt the operations of 787 Dreamliner. Boeing company as they invented the Dreamliner, the problems still erupted upon their inventions. Rather they tried fixing the same problems over time with their engineers. The effort was not recognized even though Boeing was confident about the airline operations and coming back to the full integrity. In the years between 2003 to 2013, Boeing has been very successful and has made several advancements in aviation. As compared to other years, which they ushered in the jumbo jet 707 which was considered more expensive. Though it was not all the same so distinctive in London and suddenly it became not only used by the richer social society. The change became so incremental as Dreamliner was introduced and globally, there existed only the Boeing and Airbus as commercial jet manufacturers. Airbus as the serious competitors of the Boeing which they did not consider in the past years, in 2003 it forced them to do the unexpected. They happened to bring to the market almost hundreds of new executive jets (Kotha and Srikanth 2013 p.64). Though this did not match with the number of planes manufactured by Airbus at the same period. It made the jobs in America and other regions to remain at stake including the American pride. During the year 2003 it was the pride of Boeing as a company since 737 could carry a capacity which was almost equivalent to the capacity of the Airbus planes. In 2003 the Dreamliner 787 as the designers evaluated their roles they made it to be a bigger aircraft that could carry a larger capacity in whole duration. The designers’ interpretations were based on peoples’ edgy ways of action due to a slightest downturn entailed in their entire inventions. In the past years, Boeing executives believed that 777 Dreamliner would congest the airports in the world as it was also believed by their competitors. Kotha and Srikanth (2013 p.60) explain that the smaller cities forced the Boeing to introduce planes which could make economical trips when due. Evolution of the Dreamliner came about in the year between 2003 and the following years which eventually was dissimilar to anything else formerly anticipated by the Boeing company. They believed it to be an exemption as its structure was reinforced with unique composite material which was in other wards stronger than the common aluminum. The plane relied on a power which made it much lighter and was provided by a rechargeable lithium ion a starter to auxiliary power unit. It assisted as the backup for 787 Dreamliner whenever its engine stopped its functionality. The 787 Dreamliner team for the purpose of conspicuousness and situational awareness, they invented the Production Integration Center (PIC) in 2008. It was the center of production system of 787 Dreamliner and as stated by their vice president Bob for supply chain it had the purpose of detecting unforeseen issues and real-time difficulties (Fitzgerald et al. 2005). The PIC was under the care of various experts who had different specializations on aviation matters such as assembly, logistics, structures and aircraft design. The center also monitored the effects that could come along with factors which may affect the Dreamliner 787. The factors were believed to comprise of the transportation of fuel and production effects or any other natural calamities that may hinder the planes operations such as earthquakes or other disasters. Inconclusion, PMBOK is generally considered as a successful factor in managing projects in various organizations. The right direction from the project managers and efficient team members majorly in construction field enables purposeful working towards achievable goals and complicated tasks. The standardization offered by PMBOK affects the positive roles in determining cost effectiveness, initiation, planning, execution and control of the project are made even more successful. On the other hand, the evolution of Boeing 787 Dreamliner has greatly affected the global transportation system. Despite the problems experienced over years, its features were added and it had the ability to return to the skies. Therefore, the competitiveness in the market has been taken over by Dreamliner. References Burke, R., 2013. Project management: planning and control techniques. New Jersey, USA. Fitzgerald, T., Baiche, N., Brewer, M., Collins, A., Knapp, K., Kott, M., McGill, D., Mensah, D., Neighbors, M. and Reardon, D., 2005. The Aircraft Industry. INDUSTRIAL COLL OF THE ARMED FORCES WASHINGTON DC. Kotha, S. and Srikanth, K., 2013. Managing a global partnership model: lessons from the Boeing 787 ‘Dreamliner’program. Global Strategy Journal, 3(1), pp.41-66. Pennypacker, J.S. and Grant, K., 2003. Project Management Maturity. And Industry Benchmark, Project Managemet Journal, 2003Vol, 34, pp.4-11. [Online] https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/project-management-maturity-industry-benchmark-2526. Accessed on 6/7/17 Snyder, C.S., 2014. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK (®) Guide. Project Management Institute. Read More