The Case of Hewlett Packard and a Revolutionary Training Program for IT Project Management - Term Paper Example

Table of Contents Introduction 3 Key inputs to components 4 Key project management challenges 5 Quality of project management 6 Recommendations 7 References 9 Name Date Professor’s Name Course Section/# Title: The Case of Hewlett Packard and a Revolutionary Training Program for IT Project Management Introduction: The realm of project management, specifically within the sphere of IT, is a difficult one to engage with. The underlying rationale behind this has to do with two factors. The first of these is with regard to the great variety in the type of products or services that the IT industry is responsible for churning out each and every year. The second is related to the speed of change that impacts this particular segment of the economy. The situation that will be described within this analysis is one in which Hewlett Packard realized that the overall efficiency, productivity and profitability of their firm was being negatively impacted by the lack of direct training they provided to middle management; specifically project managers. Accordingly, the firm endeavored to change by providing a visionary and optimistic training program that proved to be the envy of many firms. As a means of understanding and appreciating the approach that Hewlett Packard engaged in, with respect to an overarching project management and training program, the following analysis will seek to draw inference with respect to the key inputs of the deliverables for the project in question, how some of the challenges to the project management process may be defined, and the opinion of this analysis with respect to the quality of the project management that was exhibited within the case in question and why. Key inputs to components of and deliverables of the project in question The key inputs that provided the mechanism for change with regard to the case in question are contingent upon the desire and wherewithal to change, investment in training, and promoting core concepts of interaction and business development. Within such a rubric, HP was focused on achieving a competitive advantage over their rivals by focusing on the quality of the training process and ensuring that the inputs – ability to change, investment in training, and promoting core concepts of interaction and business development – would serve as the platform through which a greater level of IT provision within the firm and a higher level of productivity. Of all the inputs, the investment in time and money that such a program required was immense. As such, many individuals outside HP would have been hesitant to commit such a high level of resources on a thus far unproven program that was intended to maximize future project organization and profitability within the firm. Another relevant input that must be discussed is with regard to the training that took place prior to the program being offered at all. Rather than bringing in outside contractors, HP first initiated training from within HP; so that the culture and values of the firm would be clearly represented with regard to the way in which project management was reflected and directed towards other employees within the firm. This investment in time and the quality of the inputs that eventually coalesced into the “training program” ensured that the final product was to be as uniquely HP as was possible; and indicative of the vision that the firm sought to represent to all stakeholders/project managers/employees. What are the key project management challenges of the project in question? With respect to the key project management challenges that are exhibited within this particular case, the reader should consider two distinct challenges which pose an existential threat to the viability and success of the project in question. Firstly, the rate of change that is exhibited within the world of IT creates a situation in which stakeholders are at a fundamental risk that whatever approach or strategy that they seek to instill within the component leadership of the firm could easily become obsolete within a relatively quick period of time. Taking the example of Blackberry as a case in point, the once highly profitable maker of mobile phones and PDAs became all but obsolete within a very short period of time; due in part to the fact that the firm was unable to manage projects or respond to changes at the rate in which these were changing within the consumer environment. The fear then becomes that if HP engages with a training program that seeks to classify the manner in which project management should take place, they may in fact be harming themselves over the long run; due in part to the fact that the ability to quickly change the structure and engage in new approaches to the market might have been lost. Similarly, a secondary challenge that exists has to do with the danger of instilling a culture within the project managers as opposed to seeking to instill value and promote future profitability (Mullins & Sinning, 2005). Naturally, with any new training regime, the inherent risk that is raised is contingent upon the fact that the program itself will become less about providing stakeholders with actionable information with regard to how they should perform the tasks that have been entrusted to them and more about developing a stoic and rigid culture through which all future development is expected to take place. What is your opinion of the quality of project management and why? With respect to an outside perspective on the quality of the project management that HP has engaged, it must be said that HPs utilization of project management training is far and away better than other industries currently operating within the realm of IT. Ultimately, the article in question references the fact that HPs project management training program has received two major accolades; one from the American Society of Training Development (ASTD) and another from the equally prestigious Professional Development Product of the Year Award (McPherson et al., 2006). As a function of this, the analysis of the overall quality and success of HPs project management training platform is able to be judged beyond merely its own self analysis. Furthermore, another added benefit with respect to the quality of the program is contingent upon the fact that HP has been able to develop a joint vision with respect to the training program; rather than merely being focused on maximizing productivity or profitability. A range of extant literature points to the fact that the firms which engage in training programs, specifically those that promote a joint vision outside the realm of merely accruing greater market share, invariably perform far better within the target markets that they seek to integrate. In this way, the ancillary focus on profit is perhaps a primary way that HP can seek to ameliorate the threat of the program instilling culture rather than value. What would you recommend that it be done differently, how and why? Although the approach that has thus far been defined is exceptional in almost every category, like any plan or approach, it exhibits fundamental shortcomings. As such, the following section will briefly discuss how key recommendations could potentially make the project management training and implementation program even more resilient within the current market. Firstly, it is the understanding of this particular analysis that the training program ultimately loses specificity with regard to individual project management requirements as it focuses on a holistic approach; rather than focusing on specific components within the company (George, 2002). The way to ameliorate this shortcoming is to provide key and prescriptive changes for how individual employees of the firm should engage with the information that is being presented. As has been discussed to great length during the semester, the need to outline strategies and approach workflow from a regimented standpoint is something that is not discussed or referenced with regard to the training program that has been presented. Although it is not possible for Hewlett Packard to address each and every shortcoming at one time, the need to reinforce to project managers the importance of staying on schedule and correctly addressing project flow and development is essential. Further, identifying the core concepts that have been continually reinforced during the course of this semester, the training program exhibits a fundamental weakness that could detract from the hope that Hewlett Packard has for maximizing productivity, profit, and product development/idea generation in the near future. The limitations that the training faces creates a situation in which focus on a specific problem must be provided. However, this shortcoming creates an ongoing need for further and additional training to meet the needs of efficiency, timeliness, productivity, and scope for the projects that are in process and those that will be engaged in the near future. References George, T. (2002). HP to Consolidate Employee Training Programs. Informationweek, (893), 24. McPherson, T. L., Cook, R. F., Back, A. S., Hersch, R. K., & Hendrickson, A. (2006). Hewlett Packard: Towards a Global Recognition of the Impact of Employee Training Programs. Journal of International Management, 20(6), 396-400. Mullins, N. M., & Sinning, W. E. (2005). Effects of resistance to training programs: A Case Analysis of HP. Human Resource Management, 219-17. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-2-19 Read More