Incorporating PMBOK into the Fiction Corp's Final Project - Case Study Example

?Introduction According to the Project Management Institute , there are five processes which comprise the PMBOK – initiating, which defines andauthorizes the project; planning, which shapes the outcomes/goals for the project by the knowledge area; executing, which carries out the project plans; controlling and monitoring, which assess actual project outcomes to planned targets, and, when corrective actions become necessary, these corrective actions are made during this process; and closing, which is where the stakeholder accept the product or service, and the project activities are wound down in an organized fashion (PMI, 2013). The knowledge areas are scope management – this refers to what work would be completed during the project lifecycle, and this also includes work that won’t be included as well. Scope management includes the initial planning process, the controlling and monitoring process and the closing process. Time management is the other key aspect for managing a project, which is where time estimates are given for various aspects of the project, and the project manager must continually monitor the time estimates to determine if they are accurate, liberal or conservative. Cost management is similar to time management, and this is where the costs are maximally reduced, so that profit is maximized. Quality management is the next knowledge area, and the way to measure quality is smart, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Communications management is where the stakeholders are apprised about the project with status updates, minutes of meetings, reports on deliverables, etc. Human resource management means that different team members are brought in, according to their expertise, during different specific moments in the schedule. Risk management is the increasing of the impact and probability of positive risks and decreasing negative risks. Procurement management is the process of determining what to procure and when, and this is where bids are solicited and sellers are determined . And integration management ensures that various elements of the projects are properly coordinated. This might involve making trade-offs among competing objectives and alternatives (PMI, 2013). These processes and knowledge areas will be applied to the situation at hand, which is a project where a data center will be moved for the customer who is Fiction Corp. Incorporating PMBOK Into the Final Project Initiating the Plan The first part of the plan initiation would be assembling a team that has the expertise that is necessary for this project. Since this project would entail a large amount of technical expertise, the team should consist of IT professionals which specialize in the different areas which are demanded in this project, as well as network managers and security professionals. Also, because the network is to be upgraded, the personnel to accomplish this also must be selected. Also, what must be determined is the implementers who need to be involved with the requirements and the design of the project (PMI, 2013). Then, going through the processes, the next step would be planning the project – the key objectives here would be time constraints and budget constraints, and the objectives would be to move the data center with a minimum of disruptions, upgrade the network and security of the data center. Because it is imperative that there be as few disruptions as possible, it is also imperative that all of these implementations occur in a timely manner. Therefore, when the next process occurs, which is executing the process, and people are coordinated and resources are also coordinated, the people who are coordinated must be informed of the main objectives of time and budget constraints, along with being informed about the details of the project. The resources which are amassed also must deal with these aspects of the project. These are all the three process which go into the initial stages, because the other two projects – controlling process and closing process – are processes which are implemented as the project is in progress. The planning process is the more detailed of all the processes. Among the planning objectives is scope definition, which entails breaking the project deliverables into small, more manageable components (PMI, 2013). In this case, the project may be broken down into moving the servers, moving the WLAN subnet, detecting and reporting of any failure of the remote system, upgrading the network, and upgrading the security. These are all discrete areas of the overall project that may be broken down incrementally. Also, ensuring the availability of the T1 link and the remote bridging is another aspect that can be broken down incrementally, although this aspect is an overarching concern throughout the entire project. Within the scope definition is activity definition – the activities that can be broken down are the same activities which are listed above. However, because there is interactivity and overlap between the activities which must occur, this also must be ascertained, as the project must be sequenced in such a way that there is virtually no disruption. This would take intricate planning, as there must always be infrastructure in place at both locations, so that the employees always have at least part of the data center running at all times. So, this would be a part of activity sequencing. The schedule development would therefore have to be integrated around this key objective of having only minimal disruption to the employees who are dependent upon the data center. Under the rubric of executing processes, this is where the plan is implemented, after it has been carefully mapped out in the previous stage. The project manager would ensure that the objectives are being carried out throughout the project life cycle, as part of quality assurance. Also, information must be distributed among the team members throughout this cycle, as new challenges faced and new portions of the project are being implemented. Inclusive Plan The inclusive plan would include the processes which are documented above with regards to initiating, planning and executing the plan. Then, once the plan is underway, the next step is controlling the plan. This would include control changes to the project schedule and scope, controlling costs, controlling quality, and performance reporting. Risk management and control is a part of this as well. Digging deeper into the broad area of controlling the plan would be the nine knowledge areas which are a part of controlling and monitoring the plan. Project integration management is the first part of this (IT BusinessEdge, 2013). Enveloped in this part of the PMBOK is the project plan development and execution, along with integrated change control (PMI, 2013). The premise of the project integration management is that the work that must be done must be integrated with the ongoing operations of the performing organization. During this phase of the project lifecycle, there must be an integration between the existing data center and the plans for a new data center, and how the new data center can be implemented without disrupting the current data center. Therefore, as part of the project integration management, there must be a blueprint that is drawn up that would detail what steps would be taken to accomplish this objective. The work breakdown structure, which is the appendix to this paper, would be an integral part of this part of the process. Included in the work breakdown would be the constraints – the budget is $500,000, and, although there is not a time limit, per se, it is clear that the operation must conclude in a fairly rapid basis, as the other imperative is that there is not any interruption in data. Therefore, how best to meet these guidelines and objectives would be a part of this step in the knowledge area. Project scope management is the next part of the knowledge areas which are implicated in the project. There are five parts of the project scope management, each of which has inputs, tools and techniques and outputs (PMI, 2013). The parts of the scope management are initiation, in which the product is described, the methods are implemented and the project manager is identified. Scope planning is where the product is analysed for the cost/benefit ratio, and the scope statement is prepared. Scope definition includes the work breakdown structure. Scope verification includes the work results and inspection. Scope change control involves making corrective actions (PMI, 2013). Therefore, under this part of the knowledge area, the work that will be done will be analysed as a whole, and how it will be done will be specified, ensuring that the cost/benefit ratio is within the constraints of Fiction. This is also the point where Fiction either accepts the plan that is before them, or decides that the plan needs some kind of corrective action. If the plan is not accepted, then the corrective action is the next step, and this is where the project manager will bring the plan into compliance according to Fiction’s specifications. Project time management is the next knowledge rubric, and this might one of the most important ones, because of the time constraints which are involved with this project. This has five different aspects of it - definition, which is where an activity list is established; sequencing, which specifies which activities occur during what time; duration estimating, which is where the activities that are to be a part of the project are estimated as to how much time each will take; schedule development, which is where the activities are put into a schedule, according to the given sequence and time frames; and schedule control, which is where there is corrective action taken if the activities do not meet the time frames which are allotted to them (Hodgson & Cicmil, 2006). Probably the easiest way to integrate the new data center within the confines of the time management would be to take half of the projects and install the into the new data center, then, when these projects are installed, the other half of the projects can be installed. For instance, installing the new servers would be first, and the time frame for installing the first wave of servers would be allotted for the span of one week. During this same time, the WLANs can be installed and monitored, and these, too, would take the span of one week. Installing the T1 site so that the networks so that there can be remote bridging would also be something that would be put into this timetable, and this would be given the time frame of two weeks. Once the projects have begun, it can be easier to tell if the time frame is liberal, conservative or accurate. Project cost management would go hand in hand with the project time management, as, if there are time overruns there probably also would be accompanying cost overruns. The four parts of cost control are resource planning, which would come in the initiation stages. This is calculated using historical information, expert judgment and resource requirements. Cost estimating is the next part of this, and this is where there is analogous estimating from the work break structure - what have similar projects cost in the past? However, this might not be the most accurate way of estimating cost, as the firm, Big Proj, has not been existence long enough to estimate the cost in this way. Therefore, it probably would be more accurate to use computerized tools or bottom up estimating – this involves taking the individual projects, and the estimated cost for each, and getting a summarized cost target from summing up these costs. Cost budgeting is accomplished through cost budgeting tools and techniques. Then, with cost control, there are budget updates and corrective actions if there are cost overruns (PMI, 2013). Therefore, in the scope of the Fiction project, there needs to be an estimation as to how much each of the projects will cost, and this estimation needs to be considerably below the $500,000 limit, because, if the threshold is not considerably below this, there will most likely be cost overruns. The cost breakdown is a part of the work breakdown, which is a part of the appendix. Project quality management is the next part of the equation. There are three parts of the quality management. Quality planning is the first part, and that is during the initial planning sessions. What occurs in quality planning is that the project manager does a cost/benefit analysis and benchmarks the processes, and puts together a plan for how the project will be satisfactory. Quality assurance is during the process of the project, the project manager assesses whether each portion of the project is satisfactory, and where things need to be improved. Quality control consists of inspections and other tools to ensure quality, and how things might be improved and reworked. Paramount in this step is customer satisfaction – what does the customer want and how can these expectations be met? There also should be an emphasis upon preventing mistakes, as opposed to correcting mistakes after they occur (PMI, 2013). The inputs into quality planning are deliverables and objectives, the product description, standards and regulations, and other process outputs. In the context of this project, the quality management would take all the projects into account and would calculate how best to deliver the objectives of the plan in a quality way. This would mean that the project manager would be tasked in ensuring that the best personnel are working on the different, discrete parts of the project, and that each of these parts are being accomplished in a way that ensures that the transition between the two data centers is seamless and that there are as few technical issues as possible. Project human resource management is the next aspect of the knowledge area of the PMBOK. In the planning stage of the project human resource management, the individual roles are identified and documented, then what happens next is that the project manager implements a rubric of qualities of the people who would be assigned to fill those roles. These roles are documented. In staff acquisition, the different roles which are identified are filled by qualified personnel who are recruited from outside sources and from within. Once the people are recruited, the next step is developing the team. This means, once the team has been assembled, the individual and the group competencies are developed so that the overall project performance is enhanced. Also important in this aspect of the project is team building which incorporates the concept of group dynamics and leadership roles – there must be conflict management put into place, there must be excellent communication between the team members, there must be a leader who is assigned, and there must be motivating and coaching the individuals. Furthermore, there needs to be performance appraisal that is a part of this process (PMI, 2013). Therefore, in the context of the project at hand, the project manager needs to assess all the different projects that are going into the overall project and find people who would be qualified to fill each of the competencies which are demanded for each of the roles. There needs to be technical leaders who are well-versed in networking, others who are experts in security, still others who are experts in wireless networking and remote site bridging. There should be individual groups who are working on each of the discrete parts of the project – one group for networking, one for wireless, one for security, and one for remote bridging on the T1 link. Each of these groups will be assigned a leader, and the overall project manager needs to implement team-building exercises that ensures that the teams are cohesive and work together with a minimum of conflict. Project communications management is next. This is the general process of communicating the different parts of the project to the different teams. There are four major parts of project communications management. There is communications planning, in which the project manager determines the stakeholder's communication and information needs – who needs what information, when they will need it, how the information is given; information distribution, in which the stakeholders get the information needed in a timely manner; performance reporting, where there is information about the performance of the team members and the team that is collected and disseminated – this includes project records, reports and presentations, as well as performance reviews and analyses; and administrative closure, which means that information is generated, gathered and disseminated at the end of the project (PMI, 2013). In the context of the project at hand, this would involve record-keeping and communication with team members regarding updates, and communications with Fiction regarding the same. The project manager can decide if it is best to have weekly meetings, combined with periodic reports to keep all the stakeholders apprised of any issues that might arise during the project. There also needs to be a schedule in place for how this is to occur – perhaps there would be weekly meetings and daily progress reports that detail what happened that day. There also should be weekly reports that give a status update, progress update and a forecast of the status of future projects and progress. Also included in the weekly reports would be a variance analysis, which can compare the actual project results with the planned results, along with a trend analysis – a trend analysis examines the project results over time to determine if the performance is improving or deteriorating. This would mean that deteriorations can hopefully be stopped before they become a major problem. Then, after the project is winding down, there should be more documenting of the project results which means that the product has been formally accepted by the customer – these records would be an accumulation of all the project progress reports which were gathered during the course of the project, as well as an analysis of how well the project succeeded and the lessons which which were learned over the course of the project. Project risk management is another aspect of the knowledges necessary for the overall project. This is divided into six different parts. The first part is the risk management planning, and this is where the project manager anticipates the risk management activities and decides how to approach and plan them; risk identification, which means that there is a determination of what risks might happen during the project and the characteristics of each of these risks are documented; qualitative risk analysis, which is where the is a qualitative analysis of risks, which basically means that the anticipated risks are assessed; quantitative risk analysis – how likely are these risks to occur and what consequences would happen, in a measurable way, if these risks did occur; risk response planning, which is where the procedures and techniques are put into place for each of the anticipated risks, especially the risks which are likely to occur or the risks that, if they did occur, which have serious consequences; and risk monitoring and control – as the project continues, there needs to be period assessments about new risks, and the residual risks should be monitored during this period (Hodgson & Cicmil, 2006). Some of the risks which are involved might be technical risks, in which there is a reliance on unreliable technology or there are unrealistic performance goals, or there is a change to technology used or to industry standards during the life of the project; project-management risks, which might mean that time and resources are poorly allocated or the project plan is of inadequate quality; organizational risks, which might mean that the cost, time and scope objectives are internally inconsistent; and external risks, which means that the legal or regulatory environments might be shifting, there might be labor issues and there might be acts of God that occur, such as earthquakes or flooding (PMI, 2013). Moreover, there needs to be a risk matrix done where the risks are assigned ratings for impact, combined with probability. If there is a high probability and high impact of a certain risk, then this risk needs aggressive risk management. High probability and low impact needs less aggressive risk management. Low probability and high impact needs to have monitoring (PMI, 2013). Therefore, in the context of the Fiction project, there needs to be analyses done regarding the different risks that might occur. The major risk is that the project might not come in on time or might come in over budget. Therefore, this is a risk that needs to be quantified and aggressively managed. Other risks that might be assessed are that there might be some kind of data loss, that their might be some kind of security breach, or that there might be some kind of implementation problems in the new data center area. These are all risks that need to be examined for their probability, because these would be high impact, and, if there is a high probability that they might happen, they, too, need to be aggressively managed. Project procurement management is the next aspect that needs to be looked at. This is where the project manager decides what to procure and when and plans to solicit for these materials. There are six different areas for this – procurement planning, which means that what needs to be procured is identified; solicitation planning, which means that the product requirements and potential sources are documented; solicitation, which is where there are bids and quotations for the materials that will be procured; source selection, which is where there are potential sellers and the project manager must select between them; contract administration, which where the relationship with the seller is managed; and contract closeout, where there is a completion and settlement of the contract (IT Business Edge, 2013). In this case, there really isn't much to procure. There doesn't appear to be a need for outside products or services which would have a bearing on the project, as the project is centered around moving existing products. Perhaps there would be some kind of infrastructure needs, such as building walls, and, if that is the case, then the project manager can solicit bids for that. But, overall, the procurement part of the project manager does not appear to apply to this situation. Methods Used to Close the Assignment The contract closeout would involve administrative closeout, which mean that the records are updated to reflect the final results and the archiving of this information for future use. Also, there must be product verification, which means that the customer and the project manager ensure that the work was completed correctly and satisfactorily. There may also be a procurement audit, which means that there is a structured review of the procurement process. Contract documentation is another part of the closing procedures, which means that the contract is documented along with the supporting schedules, contract changes are requested and approved, there is technical documentation, seller performance reports, financial documents such as invoices and payment records and the results of any contract-related inspections (PMI, 2013). Conclusion The project lifecycle is one that is complex and made up of many different parts. In this case, the client, Fiction Corp., is moving a data center. Since there are many technical aspects to this project, the most important part of the project lifecycle in this case is getting a team of experts together. There is a need for a team who is an expert in networking and, especially, moving networks. There is also a need for a team who has expertise in wireless communication and moving this. Another team needs to have expertise in security issues and upgrading security. Still another team needs to have expertise in T1 links and remote bridges. If the right, qualified people are found, and these teams are cohesive, can work together and have a low level of conflicts, then this process should go smoothly and the risks can be more managed. It all starts with the personnel. If that is solid, everything else will fall into place. References Hodgson, D. & Cicmil, S. (2006) Are projects real? The PMBOK and the legitimation of project management knowledge. In: Hodgson, D. & Cicmil, S. (2006) Making Projects Critical. Basingstoke: Palgrave McMillan, pp. 29-50. IT Business Edge (2013) PMBOK’s Five-Phase Project Lifecycle: An Overview. Available at: http://itbusinessedge.com/slideshows/show.aspx?c=78357. Project Management Institute (2013) A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Newton Square: Project Management Institute, Inc. Read More