Improvement Program at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport - Essay Example

Terminal reconstruction and improvement program at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (TRIP). Terminal reconstruction and improvement program is an undergoing process that was started in 2010 at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport with an aim of extensively improving the condition of the airport and the travel experience of the passengers (Goslin 37) The Airport is the fourth busiest in the world with over 1500 flights a day and over 60 million passengers annually. TRIP targets terminals A, B, C and E and their parking garages. The renovation is in full swing at the mentioned terminals except for terminal C where renovation is yet to kick off. The major objective of this project is focused on extension of the life of the terminals through replacement of infrastructure to make it more efficient to park, to enable passengers check through security and locate their luggage. The plan comprises of new self service technologies, better stores where people can eat and shop. This will make the Airport more modern, sophisticated, and efficient and a more exciting travel destination. Currently, Terminal D can now cater for more incoming international flights due to the recent addition of three gates at the corridor connecting D and B International terminals. The ongoing renovation will also reopen the existing satellite facility at the E terminal and also build stations for the planned extension of the DART program (Dallas Area Rapid Transit). Risk Analysis is the process that characterises the likelihood, vulnerability and the extent of any risk associated with the occurrence of any natural, manmade or technical disasters as well as other emergencies addressing scenarios of concern and their probable consequences during an ongoing project (Hester, 13). Risk evaluation and analysis at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport has been done to achieve the programs objective in the expected time, cost and safety and also observe environmental responsibility. An effective risk management process when carried out helps identify sources of risks, uncertainty and evaluating their impact and also helps to determine the most suitable management processes. The TRIP program is subject to higher risk due to the complicated features of the construction processes such as a long period of time before the program is completed, an integrated process, financial intensity and a wide organizational structure. As such, the project manager and the team undertaking of risk assessment and management is crucial to the delivery of the project’s objectives. Risks associated with the TRIP program are divided in to three major categories namely resources, management and parental factors. It is essential to identify and classify risks as it is an approach of managing risks appropriately. The prices of materials for construction are likely to escalate at any time and thus affecting the developed budget. This is an appropriate example of resources factors that might delay the completion of the reconstruction and renovation program at the Airport. Management factors include the inaccurate budget, as it is done through estimation. The budget is likely to go higher before the end of the project. According to the Terminal and Renewal and improvement Program Status Report of May 2013, the budget increased for additional Approved projects from $ 15.1 million to $2.314 billion. The budget for current commitments budget also rose significantly from $ 17 million to over 1 billion. The total project budget went up as per the report in 2013. This is a likely to be repeated scenario before the project is completed. As such, it poses as a threat to the successful completion of the entire project in the estimated time. The constructors are also likely to default in the middle of the project. This is another likely set back to as it will affect the time the project is estimated to be over. Project management excessive interface is a risk under parent factors also likely to affect the program significantly. It is appropriate for the managers in charge to evaluate and estimate risks at every phase of the project to avoid activities that will delay the project (Hester 14). Appropriate risk mitigation and management processes should also be carried out to ensure that the project falls through without these likely hitches along the way. Leadership is a crucial area in management as organizations acquire the personality of their leaders. Good leadership skills improve the organizational culture, productivity of the employees and maintain harmony and coordination in an organization. The leader’s duty is not to solve problems alone but to inspire the employees and the stakeholders who have the capacity to solve the existing problems. It is the managers who in this case are the leaders who come up with a schedule summary in which every team involved in the TRIP project is expected to meet a set deadline. The managers are also in charge of hiring professional workers as well as training programs to improve skills. The Terminal and Renewal and improvement Program Status Report of May 2013 highlights the numbers of employees trained by April 2013, 230 people were trained on safety. The number increased by May 2013 to 300 people who were trained on safety. Good leadership skills include the awareness that the leader does not hold all the solutions to problems and that he or she has to constantly re-educate oneself to sharpen their skills. It is important for any good leader to maintain proper communication channels with the employees to improve the organization as employees are a vital ingredient to the success of any project or organization. As such, leaders at the TRIP program should always strive to meet the needs of the employees through inspiring them and maintaining proper communication to ensure that business runs smoothly and complete the project in the planned time. This is where the leader actively manages the project team to ensure they perform exactly according to the project management plan. Projects in most cases are managed within a matrix organisation such that the project manager has no direct form of power and the employees report to different managers who dictate the best remuneration package for the employee (Meredith et al 25). The overall TRIP project has many independent project under different contractors. As such, the teams report to their supervisors who in turn report to the contractors. This way work is done without an overlap of duties as the leaders are in charge of assigning different duties to different people involved in the project. Human resource management in ay project including the TRIP project is the most complex as people are usually unpredictable and are likely to engage in conflict, their productivity can go up or down depending on their motivation or other factors. This is likely to affect the project in terms of the schedule, budget or quality during the implementation of the project team project. The project manager is entrusted with the duty of identifying the required skills for each part or phase of the project, identifies the appropriate people for different roles in the project, is in charge of training if any is required; maintain proper communication with the team if any information is needed and keep the team motivated. These skills are acquired through experience, workshops and training. The project manager also assesses the work of the team regularly to ensure any performance issues are acted upon swiftly. Outsourcing allows cost flexibility as the manager or employees hired are paid according to their output (Meredith et al 31). Less hours means less money is spent while long hours means more cost. This is unlike full employment where costs are generated even when very little work is done. Outsourcing will save the organization a considerable amount of money. TRIP is being under the hands of hired contractors who are working under contracts as per the Terminal and Renewal and improvement Program Status Report of May 2013. For example Terminal E is under a construction manager MBJ3 (joint venture of Manhattan, BRYNE, JRT, and 3i). Terminal A EPS is under BARC (a joint venture comprising Balfour, Azteca Enterprises, H. J. Russell & Company, and CARCON). They are operating under a contract, Construction Manager at Risk, with the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. By getting an outsider who has no relations with the organization, he or she has minimal chances of falling under the influence of office politics and as such welcomes objective ideas that are meant to improve the project. An outsider is less likely to have bias when it comes to decision making. Such a person brings value to the organisation. An outsider especially a specialist is viewed with high regard and therefore the workers are more inclined to agreeing with the outsider’s decision as compared to the people they are already used to. Outsourcing also exposes the organization to new and fresh ideas that are of essence to the project and the organisation. It is a good thing to be open minded in trying out new ideas and processes as they might be of great help to the success of a project in an organization (Meredith et al 32). This is an important step to evaluate the progress of the project to determine whether the set objective have been achieved at the estimated time and budget. A performance audit is an evaluation of figures as presented in the budget. Construction of the Enhanced Parking Structure, Phase 1 is finished and open for public use. The contractors continually clear the punch-line and address the potential risks and setbacks. According to the report, excavation work for EPS phase 2 has began as the teams continue to remove elements of the slab-on- grade for Terminal A enhanced parking structure. Measuring the progress of the project is necessary as it helps to spot the weaknesses and the strengths present in the project and the surrounding activities. The Terminal A DART rail station by April 2013 projections were that the operational readiness was in October the same year and final completion by December 2013. Therefore, a project manager is able to identify the areas that might cause delay in the delivery of the project and improve on them this also helps save money that is likely to be spent in re-doing a certain activity that was not properly executed as well as ensuring that money is well spent according to the budget with no surpluses or shortages. Audit of the project is an essential step to ensure smooth progress of the project. All the managers must from time to time participate in auditing and measuring the progress of the project as it is of paramount importance to the success of the project. The Dallas Fort Worth international airport continues to seize opportunities and overcoming obstacles to become the fourth busiest airport in the world (Schein 45). The need for improvement can be seen as a major strategic plan that targets even more international passengers in the near future. The ongoing renovations and reconstructions are meant to make the airport more sophisticated and give it a competitive edge over other airports. The airport also maintains competitive incentive program meant to attract new passenger and cargo airlines and as such increase international and local destinations. The airport also markets itself through direct sales calls, conducting analytical research and focused campaigns. The organization has also created global brand awareness with a consistence worldwide message that paints a positive picture for the airport and its services. The organization also is aware that customer satisfaction is important to its growth and therefore makes an effort in offering products and services that keep the customer satisfied. The employees are also treated with respect and accorded the necessary remuneration so as to keep them satisfied. Workers claims and compensation are clearly highlighted in the 2013 report where over 80, 000 dollars have been paid. This is evidence that the organization values the needs of the workers. Works cited Schein, Edgar H. Organizational Culture and Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010. Print. Meredith, Jack R, and Samuel J. Mantel. Project Management: A Managerial Approach. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2012. Print. Hester, Ronald E. Risk Assessment and Risk Management. Cambridge: The Royal Society of Chemistry, 1998. Print. Gosling, Geoffrey D. Airport Ground Access Mode Choice Models. , 2008. Print. The Terminal and Renewal and improvement Program Status Report of May 2013. Print. Read More