Project Management: An Approach to Accomplishing Things - Essay Example

First, key out the vision and missionary work; every project should start with the end in mind. Business objectives; identify goals of the project for example to increase sales, increase customers loyalty or employee productivity. Standards of engagement; know who will be part of the project team, team frequency meetings, who owns the project and who takes the notes. Intervention and execution strategy; involves using a gap analysis process to distinguish the most suited solution to solve the issues you are working on. Organizational alignment; to ensure completion of the project successfully and it sustainability, all stakeholders should be involved and given their responsibility. Measurement and accountability; check if the task has been a winner and if it has maintained all through. This is done by holding meetings and interviewing the leaders of their respective projects (Ganon, 2004). With the scope first, identify the project schedule and time management in which the project manager should come up with a realistic plan and its efficient management and define the time frame for completion of the project. Secondly, a real project is identified within the specified budget. Thirdly, procurement should be in place. Fourthly, consider the project quality. Fifthly, the project team should be looked at ensuring the project has the right skills, at the right place and the right duration to ensure there is the smoothness in the whole project time. Sixthly, ensure there is proper and prompt communication among the project players. Finally, identify the uncertainties. What are the possible causes of risks in that project, what is their possibility of occurrence and their severity, and what measures can we take to mitigate them ( Patel, 2008). Gantt charts and Critical paths help apparently spot where resources need to be anticipated and apportion them. The Gantt helps to ensure the project is within the budget constraint, a thing Mrs. Penny never took into consideration making the project to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars. They also assist the team players to be on the same page as there is a visual framework of the work to be done. Chances of confusion and misunderstanding are minimized as all the stakeholders hold the same data. The Gantt chart also helps in undertaking the task relationship among the project team. The table helps in identifying how various works are interrelated towards achieving the objective of the project. If Penny Black could have plotted the activities of the different functions carried out by a various team players, then she could not have gone ahead to perform a task that was meant for Henry (Deeprose, 2002). Budgets are used to identify the numeric figure of such projects. How well time is utilized can act as a tool. Monetary waste arises due to inadequate management of fourth dimension. To successfully contain cost, the project manager should ensure that each team player is working efficiently by delegating duties. Also, utilize all the tools apart from human resource like electronic resources to ensure timely completion of the project. The best option is using quantitative risk assessment that requires assessing two components of risk, frequency and its severity. Bad weather associated with snowfall is an example of risk in this case study. Snowfall occurs once during winter (frequency), and its occurrence has greater risks associated with it (severity). Risk can be mitigated in four ways namely, reducing, avoiding, sharing and transfer. Using project control programs that help control the progress that includes assessing the level of winding up and cost monitoring. Using project control methods like the critical path is paramount. Using quality control programs that ensure there is quality in the work of the project that includes inspection of the inputs received and finally using quality control methods that includes detailed documentation, reviewing all the documents and detail testing. A project is a short term effort designed to produce an unparalleled product, service or result using defined resources and time bound and usually undertaken to meet specific objectives and aim in order to add value to a product or a service. Project management is the process, and activity carried out by managers to plan, control, move, coordinate resources and processes to reach a given end. (Gould, 1998). A project manager should clearly define the reason for starting the project, identify the necessary requirements, secure a corporate agreement and funding, develop a management plan for the project, and determine the risks that come with the project and how to manage such risks. Also, monitoring the progress against plan, maintain a good communication system with the stakeholders throughout the project life and terminating the project in a controlled style when the time comes. Management is all about overseeing that the activities of the firm are going as per plan. It should ensure that all the stakeholders play a role in reaching the targets of any project. The top management should delegate duties to their subordinates, and the very subordinates should recognize that. Mrs. Black arrived a half hour early, but to her disappointment she could not be let through. The gateman could not find her name in the visitor’s rot and for that she could not be admitted due to safety and hazards reasons in the firm despite her showing the appointment letter. The nightmare goes on; Sue Grabbit, the human resource manager had gone to another important meeting in other parts of their business leaving no one in charge. Managers have hard tasks at hand, but in case other duties call, someone should be left behind to handle issues as such Penny’s case. Time is also a good factor to consider when it comes to handling issues. As per the case study, it was a habit for the family members to turn out late on Mondays. The receptionist to any organization should represent the image of a firm at all times. He or she should be sensitive to what is occurring in her surroundings. In this case, the receptionist does not seem to mind visitors around her. Debbie, the receptionist, portrays the lack of courtesy; she makes Mrs. Black to feel uncomfortable as she goes ahead to converse over the phone. A good receptionist even if she over the phone or doing something important, at least body language should work. Debby could have at least signaled her to have a sit on the other side. She decides to act on her own, only to be ordered “Name!” if George couldn’t have come, more rudeness could have erupted. Courtesy should always be encouraged and more so polite language. Polite words like welcome, feel at home, how may I help you should apply in this case but to the contrary. Yes, an employee can have right skills and qualities when it comes to work but how does she relate to others. Being a representation of the whole organization, it is the receptionist’s behavior that defines the first impression that visitors will have. Mrs. Black identified Debbie as being rude, and she is likely to carry that in her job time. The firm is tremendous, and with its expansive grounds. Such companies require necessary resources at all times. The firm has only one simple van to move from the extensive business and seems it is only meant for the management only. This is likely to cause hold ups when it pertains to delivery. Her work on the tender document has delayed as her computer was not set correctly. In addition, Liam Grabbit, the IT manager who has just popped out of the university was lacking the necessary work ethics as he seemed too relaxed to handle duties as he is more interested in his out of work activities than the family business. Mrs. Black has to find someone else to address her problem. A real project should employ committed experts and those who have the ability of handling it. As they are family members, they are just absorbed into the system without considerations. The IT manager is reluctant when it comes to handling his duties, and no further actions can be taken as the business belongs to the family. A healthy team should be the driving power behind any project. Without the financial backing of a solid staff, a project manager can finish a project in the stated sentence. A strong team combines their skills and resources to bestow to the success of the task, and this is likely to move the rest of the staff. In the case study, an energetic team is definitely missing. Mrs. Penny is having a feeling of demotivation; she expects her staff to be reliable only to have people like Mr. Liam. The alternative person, that she seeks, is not that reliable too, he works on a shift basis making her work hard. Most of her time is spent on finding documents and other relevant information. The staff in this firm seems not to relate well, it is after two months after reporting to work that she gets to meet the Senior Shift Manager. A good manager should orientate his new staff to the entire organization so that one should be acquainted with it. Penny was supposed to be introduced to the other staff members, so she gets to know them professionally but that does not get to happen. Mr. Kevin goes ahead to tell her that the site engineer would not be available for the next two months as he was abroad looking for possible new development sites. A good project staff should combine their heads together. Communication should not be a concern of the project manager only but also to all the stakeholders. A communication strategy should be used to communicate what, where, when and who failure to which is likely to arise in conflict and confusion. All project related staff meetings should attend and up-to-date information should be communicated. Communication is a problem in this case study, right from the gateman who never had any information concerning Penny’s appointment. Such cases are likely to cause panic and embarrassment on the side of the visitors as they are liable to harassment if they lack the gate pass and other relevant information concerning their appointments. The human resource department should link well with the security staff to ensure such incidents do not emerge in the future. Due to ineffective staff quality and lack of support by the other staff members penny finds it hard to attend a staff meeting arranged by the shift managers. She is likely to miss critical issues because it is at such meeting that important and essential information is passed. Mr. George feeds her the information in which cases of bias and irrelevant information is likely to be given to her, which might make her make wrong decisions? The procurement process requires a very efficient communication throughout the various departments in an organization. Poor communication can lead to poor standards of inputs being bought, or the wrong inputs being purchased likelihood of a loss to be incurred if the contract is entered to hence. Penny goes ahead to order for cranes without consulting anyone. Despite giving her reasons that she wanted to move the old compressor, pump and debris that blocked the way to a new building. Due to the communication problem between these two staff members, the firm is likely to incur additional costs turning up to be losses. Procurement involves acquiring goods and services from an external source, procured at the best potential price in order to get to the demands of the firm in terms of quality, time, and location. Penny does not consult the procurement department. The cranes she ordered were not to the correct specification, as they were the faulty pumps and compressors despite the clocking being wrong. In addition, lack of consultation meant that the civil work that she had authorized to start was all wrong. The mode of communication used should also be efficient and fast when it comes to reaching the intended person. Henry Hammer is far away from the firm, and he cannot be accessed easily. Her work hits a stop. His phone cannot go through, and the only way she can reach him is through the email, but it will take longer for her to get a reply. Risk calls for precariousness about the project. Every project has risks involved with it. When it concerns risk, the project manager must be capable. A sound risk management depends on the documentation of clear roles and obligations, organizational factors, and technical analysis skills. First, an adept project manager ought to identify the sources of risks associated with his project. Several factors are likely to cause risks to the project. To mention; technical, governmental, the weather, customer, contractual, fiscal, environmental, cost and schedule risks. If, for instance, all these risks seem potential to the project, they should be arranged in terms of the occurrence and the levels of risks associated with them. In the case study, the weather is emerging a source of risk as it is affecting most of the operation, and Penny thinks that things will work out well come summers. Despite the arrival of the pump, the civil engineers cannot do any, so the cranes will have to stand idle. Schedule is also a risk of this firm; most of the top employees are committed here, or their leaving behind inexperienced new workers like Penny to handle issues hence more cost is incurred. Mr. Henry Hammer is abroad searching for new sites for more projects as per schedule; Penny goes ahead and orders wrong equipment. Henry comes over and strikes over the project that has to be thoroughly revised; the troupe delivered to lose hundreds of thousands of money. After identifying the risks, they should be evaluated them in terms of their probability of their occurrence and their potential loss associated with those risks. Some uncertainties are probable to come around more than others. Weather changes associated with snowfall are liable to occur in its period, but some schedule risks do happen all the time. (Lock, 2004). Risk mitigation postulates reducing the impact of the hazards affiliated with the task. Risk reduction involves avoiding the risk in which the firm could have avoided the risk if they could have not solely left the responsibility of the company’s project on Penny due to her lacking experience but someone like Henry could have handled it properly. Risk sharing is also a strategy that can be used. Project managers use this approach to sharing the risks associated with the weather, political, legal, labor and other linked to international projects by developing other ventures abroad. Henry is traveling abroad to develop other sites so that they can be developed in order risks can be shared. For instance, the site in USA is free from weather risks like snowfall. Risk reduction strategy can also be employed by project managers. Some risks cannot be avoided but at least they can be reduced. A project manager can hire a professional to review the technical plans or the cost proximate on the project to increase the confidence in that plan and reduce the project risks. Arrogating extremely adept experts to handle the high-risk activities is another reduction strategy (Maylor, 1996). Risk can also be transferred to those who have the ability to handle it well. Insurance companies play a critical part when it adds up to transferring risk. They issue policies in which the insured pay a regular premium for the policy in order to be compensated in the future in case of any risk incurred. It is advisable that the firm take insurance policies to cover various risks associated with the business. Cost and procurement are also concepts in project management. The project manager is to manage money in order to control the success of the task. The tools and strategies utilized in managing money depend on the complexity and phase of the project. Procurement process depends on the project. Ace has to distinguish the correct material, equipment and supplies required for the labor and provide product specification and an elaborate delivery schedule. Procurement requires one to enter into a contract that is legal binding in the form of a tender. Factors have to be considered before the procurement engages into a contract for instance uncertainty of the project, the party undertaking the procurement and cost associated with the winning tender company. Procurement involves reference between the demanding section and the purchasing department. The staff in need of supplies should identify the supplies that need to be provided in terms of their quality and quantity. Lack of ground research by Penny not knowing what is the need made the firm lose hundreds of thousands of dollars (Heerkens, 2002). The firm should embrace the scope of project management in which the project management should identify the project schedule and time management in which the project manager should come up with a realistic plan and its efficient management and define the duration for completion of the entire project. If it is a short term project give it a shorter period. Secondly, know the project cost. A real project is identified it is within the stipulated budget. The cost should not be too high which might eventually lead to closure of a business or if short-term projects are implemented then consequently short term source of funding should be too provided. Thirdly, procurement should be in place. Identify the required materials, the quality, and measure and key out the firm that will offer the supply services at a reasonable cost. Consider the project quality. Fifthly, the project team should be looked at ensuring the project has the right skills, in place and in time to ensure there is the smoothness in the whole project time. Sixthly, ensure there is proper and prompt communication among the project players. Effective communication channels should be used like emails. Lastly, identify the uncertainties affiliated with the project. What are the possible causes of risks in that project, what is their possibility of occurrence and their severity, and what measures can we take to mitigate them. When this scope is embraced, the venture is most likely to be a success (Reinhardt, 2010) Bibliography Deeprose, D. (2002). Project management. Oxford, U.K., Capstone Pub. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=66786. Du, S.M., Johnson, R.D. & Keil, M. 2004, "Project Management Courses in IS Graduate Programs: What is Being Taught?", Journal of Information Systems Education, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 181-187. Estimating Software supports complex construction projects 2014, Thomasnet News, p. 1, Regional Business News, EBSCOhost, viewed 5 January 2015. Field, M., & Keller, L. S. (1998). Project management. London, International Thomson Business Press. Gannon, A. 1994, "Project management: An approach to accomplishing things", ARMA Records Management Quarterly, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 3. 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