Managing Projects: Steps, Process and Successes in Project Management - Term Paper Example

MANAGING PROJECTS: STEPS, PROCESS AND SUCCESSES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT Introduction Managing projects is a major area of concentration in organisations – successful managers know how a project is managed from start to end. Project managers occupy a unique position in organisations because they supervise both special and regular projects and activities of the organisation. No organisation operates without a project or activity. The project has to be managed by a well-trained manager who knows how to act in situations that require immediate and precise decisions. Project management is getting the right things done on time (Larson and Drexler, 2009, p. 1). It involves how to be able to successfully carry out a task up to the end of its schedule set up by the project manager or client. It is managing an activity which can be about a project at work, school or home. Managing projects can be a deciding factor in the success of an organisation. In a manufacturing plant, production of goods cannot be successfully carried out without project management. Operations management deals with decision-making related to productive processes to ensure that the resulting products are produced according to specifications. In the field of education, project management is designing learning experiences that link practice and theory (Miller, 1991, cited in Falkenberg et al., 2000, p. 745). This essay deals with situations and guidelines for the success of a project by the project manager and his team. All projects involve a manager and a team who must work hand in hand up to its success. Managing projects is one of the most challenging tasks in organisations today. Background Since earlier times, people undertook projects as organised human activity. Early humans in primitive days conducted hunting activity as a means of searching and providing food for the community. This activity was conducted with a plan and a process. As civilizations began and progressed, projects became wider and complicated in scope; they involved more sophisticated machinery and complicated processes. Some of the big projects that we can recall are the Great Wall of China, the Great Canals, Suez and Panama, and other big projects involving buildings, structures, and bridges in the different parts of the world. (Frame, 2003, p. 1) In the 1900s, rapid industrialisation and demands of munitions production in World War I saw the emergence of management scientists and industrial engineers such as Elton Mayo and Frederick Winslow Taylor who studied people and productivity in factories. Henry Ford made production-line manufacture famous with his Model T automobile which is especially important for project managers. Henry Gantt (1861-191), who worked for Taylor, developed his now-famous charts which are still popular and universally used today. (Lock, 2007, p. 3) In the 1950s to 1960s, the emergence of mainframe digital computers made the processing and updating of critical path networks faster and easier. The American defence industry and Du Pont were among the organisations quick to exploit this powerful planning and scheduling tool in the 1950s. The manufacturing and construction industries soon came to recognize the benefits of these new methods. (Lock, 2007, p. 3) Definitions Before dealing with the intricacies of managing projects, some definitions have to be provided. First, what is a project? A project involves an organized plan of activities with a precise time-table, and it is beyond the ordinary course of activities of an organisation (Palhan, 2005, p. 7). Select Knowledge’s (2001) definition includes almost all kinds of organisational activities, but a common characteristic of projects is that it uses human, material and financial resources which are well planned and well organised for the project; the resources are used to “undertake a unique scope of work” within a specified time. Project management involves encountering the challenges of change in the organisation by putting up a structure and management of the changes that are occurring. This is because change is an important part of the organisation and it is occurring all the time. In business, organisations have to regularly renew and update their knowledge about their products, markets, technologies, structure and knowledge and skills (including values) of employees and staff. (Select Knowledge, 2001, p. 2) Project management involves human, material and financial resources that are used in an organised and novel way to undertake a project which should have “a scope of work, of given specification, within constraints of cost and time” (J. Rodney Turner, 1993 cited in Select Knowledge, 2001, p. 2). Kerzner (2006, p. 2) specifies one characteristic which is “multifunctional” which means that it “cuts across several functional lines”. How can project management be successfully carried out? Experienced project managers take it step by step. As an illustration, the diagram in the proceeding page can illustrate how a project management should be handled. Source: Operations Management, by Shim and Siegel, 1999, p. 2. The diagram demonstrates how a project is normally done, and how this should be implemented by a qualified and united team to make it successful. Inputs of materials, labor, and resources are used to obtain goods or services using one or more conversion/transformation processes, thereby adding value. Preliminary Steps in Managing Projects Luecke says that the most important step is to find your destination, which means your objective: where are you going? (Luecke, 2004, p. 4) Lock (2007, p. 1) says that the aim of project management is to produce results that satisfy the sponsor or client and other stakeholders of the project, within the specified project schedule and budgeting. The manager has to take important steps in managing projects. First, the justification and scope has to be properly determined, including the main priorities. The stakeholders have to be identified and their influence on the project has to be defined. Who are the leaders and the main authority of the project is an important question to answer. If these things are determined, only then can the group determine whether they have a viable project. These things also enable them to find the right people to work on the project, decide the appropriate actions to take and avoid problems that may come up in the course of the project. (Churchouse and Churchouse, 1999, p. 5) The Project Life Cycle The period between the beginning and end of a project is referred to as the project life cycle. It is necessary to state here the three key players in the project life cycle: The customer or the client who wants to buy the project and use or sell (or lease) it on to a third party. The contractor who is an individual or an organisation principally responsible to the customer for carrying out the project work. The project manager who is employed by the contractor (or occasionally by the customer) to plan and manage all the project activities so that the project is finished on time within budget and within its specification. (Lock, 2007, pp. 6-7) When we plan a project, we can save a lot of efforts by making some basic decisions before beginning to enter the task or resource data. Calendars and milestones have to be established. The project relies on some calendars that are established for each project and for some project resources. We start by opening the project calendar and use this to establish working and nonworking days and to set the number of work hours per day. Working days or work hours per day must be set for the team members and make a resource calendar for them. Knowledge, teamworking and management are necessary factors in managing projects (Koch, 2004). There’s also a connection between HRD and project management. Some colleges and universities have included HRD and project management in their curricula. (Carden and Egan, 2008, p. 310) In the 1970s, there was a rapid growth in information technology. Industrial project management continued as before but now added with project management software. However, the spread of IT brought another different kind of project manager on the scene: these were the IT project managers who possessed technical and mental skills needed to lead teams developing IT projects. There is also the archetype of the analysis, design, develop, implement, evaluate also known as ADDIE which has been called into question with the various innovations and expansion of Information Technology. The proliferation of cutting-edge e-technologies has caused the process of instructional development to become so complex that ADDIE is now out of place with the times. (Fabac, 2006, p. 540) Van Meel (1993) emphasized the importance of planning and control for project managers in handling projects. Twenty percent of a project manager’s time should be concentrated on planning while 80% deals with control; this was known as the 20-80 process. Sleezer and Swanson (1989) suggested that an effective process management plan and a process management record should be available for project management. Project management has been reinforced or heightened with the emergence of high technology tools. With constant changes and the demands of effectiveness and efficiency in projects, project managers should have adequate planning, control and communication expertise. With the emergence of the Internet and Information Technology, project management has been very much improved and revolutionized. Information Technology performs the tasks of capturing, storing, processing, exchanging, and using information for an organisation’s products and services (Reynolds, 2010, p. 29). The emphasis is to enable these activities to support the organisation’s decisions and control (Laudon and Laudon, 2009). An IT infrastructure needs a support staff or people to man the equipment operate the different functions. The support staff is called the IT support organisation which is responsible for implementing, operating and supporting IT. The system allows the organisation to meet its primary objectives, such as acquiring profits, minimizing unnecessary costs, improving functions, enhancing customer loyalty, and fast tracking projects. (Reynolds, 2010, p. 17) Looking at the various projects and activities of organisations, we find project management to be interesting and something worthy to carry along as we pursue future endeavours and careers. Not only is the topic fruitful and important to project managers but to any member of an organisation or to anyone involved in a profession that involves diversity and a lot of projects and activities. We manage or follow our managers who are leaders. Understanding the concept and methods of project management enables us to be a part of the success of any project. The key to the success of the project is the manager’s understanding of the knowledge and skills in a particular project, coupled with teamwork and close coordination with the project staff. Lots of Work Carrying out a project involves a lot of work for the manager and the team. There are many contradictions to this that if the manager or leader does not have a detailed plan, chances are that it will not succeed. The manager’s role is crucial, although it also depends on the team members who must have the necessary learning and expertise and cooperation. Flexibility is an important attribute. The big picture or the ultimate goal has to be in the mind of the entire team without forgetting the small details of the plan. The manager should also have the compassion and energy to motivate and inspire the team to carry on the task and accept the challenge. (Harvard Business School, 2006, p. ix) Case Studies Value Management in Construction An important part of the literature on project management is an emerging field of discipline which has gained attention in management and which is now a part of engineering and construction of projects; it is what they call value management or value engineering. In the UK, value management has been used in construction projects. Applying this in construction projects can reduce costs, minimises unnecessary costs, and places a lot of significance on ‘valuing’ the different parts of the construction project. The principle of value management involves maximising value and minimising the use of resources and reducing unnecessary costs. Value management can be similar to risk management as both involve minimising risk, and enhance the chances of project success with minimum costs. (Dallas, 2006, p. 1) Value management (VM) assembles a project team to carry out the ‘valuing’ process. The team members must include the different stakeholders of the project, who will carry out a workshop to undertake the different steps in the process of value management. The VM study becomes a collaboration effort between the different stakeholders who will provide suggestions, including inputs from the different departments of the organisation and the client, to provide the greatest value for the project. (Kelly et al., 2004, p. 11) The Toyota Hybrid Prius Another example of good project management is that of Toyota and its management of various projects including its hybrid Prius, a car that works on gasoline and electricity. Like any other business, Toyota went through the ups and downs of business, but mostly it stayed on top, a remarkable example of knowledge management in projects coupled with team working continuous improvement and the use of information systems to the full. Toyota manufactured hybrid cars such as the Prius. Jones (2007) states that: “Toyota’s strategic path towards developing a new premium position in hybrids is more in tune with present consumer values than a strategy of product proliferation and stuffing cars full of technology that most customers will never want to use.” What propelled Toyota to market leadership was its project management in making cars aside from the entire management by a determined workforce. The management has been able to integrate the process design and business functions effectively. Orta (2001) gives a summary of Sobek et al.’s (1998) article “Another look at how Toyota integrates product development”. 1.) The company still uses written communication. 2.) Supervisors are chosen from among the employees whose role is as facilitator and mentor and not as boss. 3.) The chief engineer or leader has broad expertise over a particular department. 4.) Employees are better trained inside the company, and they don’t get much training or expertise from outside source. 5.) Toyota has standardized its processes and minimized the steps in the routine procedures. Risk Management Another aspect that needs to be incorporated in project management is risk management. Without an adequate risk management, a project cannot be well planned and may not succeed. As mentioned in the background section, humans started to manage projects during earlier times. The projects were full of risks. History relates how early people encountered risks to attain successful projects. Implementing projects involved managing risks. But humans avoided risks by making tools and learning to invent new things. They learned to plan their activities. From this theory, we can say that risks can be managed through careful planning and examination of the possible areas or problems that may happen in the future. Though early people did not have formal training they learned from experience. They managed and planned their lives. CONCLUSION Managing projects is one of the challenges that managers and organisations face today. Projects may not necessarily be a part of the normal course of events but they are responsibilities of project managers that need immediate and precise decisions. Implementing project management requires a leader and a team. Teamworking and clustering are trends in project management and these techniques are proven effective and really produce results. Without the full collaboration of the project manager or team leader and the team, a project may not be successful. (Koch, 2004) Moreover, managing projects should be carefully planned and studied. The team should know its destination; meaning it should have an objective and the results are properly identified. References Carden, L. and Egan, T. (2008). Human Resource Development and Project Management: Key Connections. Human Resource Development Review 2008; 7; 309. DOI: 10.1177/1534484308320577. DOI: 10.1177/0143831X04042492. Churchouse, C. and Churchouse, J., 1999. Managing projects. England and USA: Gower Publishing Limited. Fabac, J. (2006). Project management for systematic training. Advances in Developing Human Resources 2006; 8; 540. DOI: 10.1177/1523422306293010. Falkenberg, L.,Russell, and Ricker, L. (2000). Linking theory with practice: undergraduate project management with school-age children. Journal of Management Education 2000; 24; 745. DOI: 10.1177/105256290002400607. Frame, J. D., 2003. Managing projects in organizations: how to make the best use of time, techniques, and people. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint. Harvard Business School, 2006. Managing projects: expert solutions to everyday challenges. United States of America: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. Jones, D., 2007. Profits from ‘The Lean Business Model’. In: Editor Robert Heller’s The Thinking CEO. Available from: http://www.thinkingmanagers.com/the-thinking-ceo/lean-business-model. Kelly, K., Rainer, R. and Cegielski, C., 2004. Introduction to information systems: enabling and transforming business. United States of America: Quebecor World Versailles. Kerzner, H., 2006. Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. New Jersey and Canada: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Koch, C., 2004. The tyranny of projects: teamworking, knowledge production and management in consulting engineering. Economic and Industrial Democracy 2004; 25; 277 Larson, E. and Drexler, J. (2009). Project management in real time. Journal of Management Education 2009. Volume XX, 10. DOI: 10.1177/1052562909335860 Laudon, K. and Laudon, J., 2009. Essentials of business information systems, 8th edition. London: Prentice Hall. Lock, D. (2007). Project Management (Ninth Edition). England: Gower Publishing Limited, 2007. Luecke, R., 2004. Managing projects large and small: the fundamental skills for delivering on cost and on time. United States of America: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. Palhan, S., 2005. Managing projects: conception, definition, planning, execution. UK: New Dawn Press Group. Reynolds, G., 2010. Information technology management. Singapore: Cengage Learning. Select Knowledge, 2001. Managing projects. UK: Select Knowledge Limited. Sleezer, C. M., & Swanson, R. A. (1989). Is your training department out of control? Performance and Instruction, 28(5), 22-26. Shim, J. and Siegel, J., 1999. Operations Management: A Streamlined Course for Students and Business People. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. Sobek, D., Liker, J., & Ward, A. (1998). “Another look at how Toyota integrates product development”. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review, Management and Accounting Web. (July-August): 3-49 Van Meel, R. M. (1993). Project-based module development (Report No. ISBN-90-358-1241-7). Heerlen, The Netherlands: Centre for Educational Technology and Innovation. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED734212) Read More