Project Management Problems - Admission/Application Essay Example

Introduction: There are thousands of projects that are going on in different parts of the world. The sheer diversity is also staggering with projectsbeing undertaken in fields such as construction, software, mining, oil exploration, and education. Some projects may be small and simple, while others may be large and complex. There are also those that come between the above two in terms of size and complexity. The sheer diversity of projects that are undertaken by large professionally run project management companies is also quite high. In such a complex scenario, it is only natural problems crop up. It is the proactive ability of the project manager and the efficiency of the team that will determine the extent of damage that these problems can cause. This paper is a study of the critical issues or problems that are seen during the undertaking of projects. According to the American Management Association, there are ten typical problems that are seen in project management operations. (Overcoming Project Management Problems). Some of the relevant ones as well as other issues are given below. Not being able to stick to original parameters: The project manager is expected to plan out in detail all the tasks that are required for the completion of the project and assign them to responsible project teams. But very often new or unscheduled tasks seem to come up which have to be divided again among team members. This will result in affecting the tasks and responsibilities already planned and assigned. Work schedules will no longer be kept resulting in delays and stoppage of some tasks because there are no teams available to complete the job. Unnecessary paperwork: This may not appear to be a big issue to a casual observer. But a project that relies on too much work can cause supervisors, team members and managers to be tied up in completion of this paperwork. It is true that proper reporting be done on a day to day basis and also paperwork is needed to communicate among team members. But too much focus on this area will indirectly cause problems that can be critical at later stages. Starting of the project: Projects can face problems even before its execution has begun. The main problem is the delay in starting of the project. These may be caused by factors that include non-arrival of equipment, not being able to assemble a team (not in case of dedicated teams), not being able to find the right partners or contractors, not having the finance ready, and not being able to find a good project management company. The two major problems that can arise due to this delay is that the project may overshoot its completion date and that so many scheduled tasks and resources may have to be rescheduled. Demand to finish ahead of schedule: It may sound strange, but project managers sometimes get these kinds of orders from project owners. The reason may be that the management may have their own pressures for demanding so. But this will put the whole schedule of the project out of gear. The quality of individual tasks and even the whole project may be affected by such demands. Loosing momentum: It is often seen that many projects are started out enthusiastically, but will begin to loose momentum especially near the end. This can create issues with the completion dates. Revising group goals: It sometimes happen that the management may revise the goals of the group because changes in the goals for the project might take place. This is also quite a problematic area. Problem of critical staff leaving the project: This could happen due to various reasons like getting other offers, not being able to adjust with supervisors etc. when critical staff leave, gaps can occur resulting in stoppage of work till suitable replacements are found. Overshooting the budget: This is one of the most common problems found in most project management undertakings. The project manager must keep strict control over costs. It not it is easy for costs to overshoot the budgeted figures. This will be a big issue, since this money has to be reimbursed by the project owners. They may not approve of costs not keeping to schedule and may even be unwilling to pay the extra amounts. Being too conservative: As mentioned earlier projects are diverse and hence the challenges are also follow suit. In such a case, it is necessary for project managers to think out of the box to find solutions. But many remain too conservative and stick to old and tested methods which might be fine for normal problems. But a new type of challenge or issue may not be solved by such conservatism. Other organizations and experts have also come up with other issues that affect project management undertakings. The relevant and more important ones are given below. Project requirements not defined properly: “For every step taken, the project takes four steps backward. The project began with nebulous objectives and milestones.” (Yager). This stepping backward will happen unless clear objectives are spelt out at the beginning itself. Doing the right project: In many instances, companies and project managers start off with a project only to find that it is not the right project for them (with their current capabilities). This is a critical issue and may even result in the project being abandoned or another company taking its place Management of stakeholders: Just as in any other business activity, there are a number of stakeholders in the case of a project also. They include the project owner, the project management company, the project manager and other team members, project partners and contractors (if any), the shareholders of all companies related to the project, and even the government (taxes, duties, statutes etc). These stakeholders have to be managed properly for smooth implementation of a project. The suppliers have to be paid on time, and the contractor’s and the partner company’s terms and conditions have to be met. Another problem area would be answering to the top management and shareholders in case of any delay. A good project management company should effectively be able to tackle all these issues. Lack of or breakdown in communication: It is only common sense that communication is one of the backbones of a business activity and project management is no different. In fact communication in this field may be critical because of the very many stakeholders and participants involved. Lack of proper communication can be very problematic in any project environment. Ignoring potential problems and disasters: A person with experience in project management can understand if a situation is becoming problematic even before it happens. They should take stpes to avoid this problem as soon as they identify it. But ignoring it and waiting to soeve the problem after if has hit is not advisable. It is better to handle issues before they become big indtead of waiting to handle it later. Not identifying or correcting delays: With so many different tasks to be completed, it is quite natural that delays may happen in one or more areas. “With ever shortening business cycles and the rapid pace at which business takes place, successful project management is important to ensure that all delays are identified early and mitigating action put in place to ensure that the project is brought back on track.” (Carcone). No project is free from problems or issues. But it is up to the project manager and the management to see that these are managed well and its consequences are kept to a minimum. It is better to anticipate or foresee problematic situations and take steps to see that they do not materialize. Even if they do the project team will be ready to handle it efficiently. Works Cited Carcone, Paul. How to Avoid Problems in Projects: Time to Completion. Suite101.com. 2008. 16 Mar. 2009. . Overcoming Project Management Problems. AMA: American Management Association. 2009. 16 Mar. 2009. . Yager, Steve. Top 10 Project Management Problems: Projects has Vague Requirements. CEO Artemis International. 2009. 16 Mar. 2009. . Read More