The Background and Principles of Project Management - HP - Assignment Example

PM1: HP and Project Management By + PM1: HP and Project Management Question One: Describe the background and principles of project management In project management, the need to understand the core items involved in the projects proves vital to provide a guideline and framework through which the project will occur. Projects aim at developing solutions to problems identified through research or filling a gap identified through various means. In the case on HP, the need to develop a product applicable to elementary school pupils proves imminent and hence the need to have HP commit its resources ranging from employees to finances to the development of a product that suits these level of users. The product developed through the project will provide the necessary support in line with the quality standards set within the jurisdiction that the company operates. The compatibility of the system to Microsoft and Apple provides a platform of operations for the product that embraces technologies by Microsoft and Apple to result into a positive product for the market. These provide the background to project management. All these levels require commitment of resources, which need management and control hence the need for project management. Project management bases on various backgrounds based on the needs of the project developers and company that the project is to serve. Project management relies on three basic principles also considered objectives. These include the objectives of the project, the constraints and the lifecycle under which the project is operational. These guide project managers in planning, scheduling, control and execution of the project. The use of two major techniques hat is the project evaluation technique applicable in review too and the critical path method all depending on the aspects of objectivity, constraint sand lifecycle. As HP aims at delving into the project, the need to consider the objectives of the project, the constraints to expect and the project lifecycle proves vital. A clear definition of project objectives and goals at the beginning of the project provides the project managers with the necessary direction through which the project proceeds. The objectives of the HP project are to develop a tablet whose programs prove compatible with Microsoft and Apple systems to serve elementary school students in various purposes. The objectives draw the line and set the pace under which the project operates. The success of the project depends on the understanding of the project objectives by all members handing the project to ease understanding and execution. Each person needs to understand his or her role in the project development process. The objectives aid in reducing disparities in the project hence easy management of people involved in the project (Nicholas, 2004, p. 498). The success of the project also heavily relies on the ability of the project managers to foresee constraints and provide for them. Their ability to provide solutions to these constraints marks the project management’s ability to steer the project off constraints and within the schedules and plan reducing levels of failure. Understanding these proves easy of the team and each person involved understands the lifecycle the product may undergo. The lifecycle details the project from the initial stages of planning to its execution completion and termination. These mark the major principles of project management that HP needs to employ for successful project development. Educating the other employees on the different project needs allows them to positively follow and contribute to its success. Question Two: Appraise the viability of projects, developing success/failure criteria The process of appraising will involve the initial assessment through which a problem becomes defined and a long list of possible appraisal approaches results. The team then consults on the problem with short lists developed to ease assessment followed by an evaluation of the alternatives available to the project management team. From these, the project appraisal method is selected. A decision analysis technique applicable to the project will provide the best appraisal approach (Boardman, Greenberg, Vining & Weimer, 1996). The project under consideration aims at providing tablets to elementary school students. These compatible with the Microsoft and Apple systems will allow the students to get easily onto the digital platform in pursuit of their educational quests. The major success or performance indicators of this project will include the increased uptake of the tablets by the targeted population, which will feature in the number of sales that the project will make and the impact it will have on education at the elementary level. The success of the project will prove visible through: The uptake by the target customers and the solutions that the project product provides to the educational needs of the students provide the advantage and criteria for measuring its success. From these, the project proves easy to make judgments on its progress. The proof of standards and quality of the product must relate to the standards set by HP in its product development. These will ensure that the project works towards maintaining the quality that will have the teams use it as success criteria. The project viability will also prove from the final products ability to beat the competition in the market. The market effect that the product will occasion marks the success rate it will provide to the stakeholders. The project management team also needs to consider a success or failure criteria that will allow the project management to identify their progress on the project. The criteria will also allow the team to understand the causes of failure and the aids to success. The success criterion quantifies work before its beginning providing a yardstick through which the management will understand the direction of the project. The management develops benchmarks that the teams rely on to ensure the project works as planned. The success criteria provide a simplified approach to the principle variations that the project may undergo. It’s through these that any changes prove easy to identify and deviations that may lead to the failure of the project. In the same way, the failure criteria may be developed to aid in averting actions or occurrences that may lead to the failure of the project. For the project at hand, the success criteria will include the development of the tablet product with completed features and permission to use the Microsoft and Apple systems. These feature under the deliverables of the project. Procedural success may include success of the procedures involved in attaining the final product and the authority to use Microsoft and Apple systems in the tablet. The stakeholder success will be measured based on the ability of the product to satisfy their interests. Question Three: Explain the principles behind project management systems and procedures Several principles apply in the project management process. These work towards managing the systems and procedures used in the project management process to ease the achievement of set objectives within the allocated time based on the schedules developed and the budgets the project employs. The principles majorly aim at ensuring the systems remain fruitful and the procedures result into viable results for the project. These are as discussed below: Management of communications The right to share information during the project provides for the ease of coordination within the systems and the procedures the project works within. The information needs to reach the right people at the right time to provide the right effect positive to the project. The communication principle is maintained through work reports and briefs that each department of part of the project submit. Quality management: During the project, there is need to continuously follow up on the project development process to ensure that the quality of the resulting products remains that which is of high standards to the users of the product. For the tablet project, HP needs to ensure that the systems in place provide for the maintenance of the quality as per HP standards. These will involve the need to ensure that the product requirements remain of quality and the development of the product and the procedures in place give life to products of high quality. All products developed undergo testing in this phase to ensure that the quality aspect is maintained throughout the production process. In implementing this principle, there is need to develop standards for the company that they will use in the management of the project. Constant reviews too will feature followed with conversion practices that ensure all tests are verified and recorded. User acceptance embedded in the testing program and their training on using the product come as part of the principles. Once these are done, product readiness follows that ensures its ready for the field. These will aid maintain the product quality. The other principle is that of risk management. Each project faces numerous risks that may affect the quality of work resulting and the final product. The need to regulate these risks and develop control measures for those identified earlier proves essential in ensuring the project procedures and systems used provide the actual results that satisfy the objectives of the project goals. Identifying the risks earlier allows for the ease of mitigation, which aids in ensuring success of the project. Successful management of the risk will involve making the risks part of the project, considering the future of the project while developing it, allocation and effective management of the resources, leading a project through open communication and handling the systems as an actual business. Providing these allows for easy identification and mitigation of risks. The management of risks occurs in four major steps that include the identification process, quantification, mitigation and controlling levels. Ensuring that these positively feature in the management of the project allows for the project management systems and procedures to prove fruitful results. Through these, it proves easy dealing with risks before they materialize and counteracting those that result into problems (Russell, 2007, p.67). Question Four: Explain the key elements involved in terminating projects and conducting post project analysis Once the project is fully implemented and run its course, the termination phase sets in as the final stage in project management. The termination process sets in after all the deliverables have reached the customer and they have proven to satisfy their needs. other reason that lead to project termination include failure of the project, premature abandonment of the project, suggestions by a review of interim nature, major problems arising during the project, quitting of a vital investigator. If the project faces any of the above, their stand reasonable grounds on which the project may be terminated. The Principle Investigator may decide to end the project based on any of the above reasons and they serve the sole role of terminating the project. As part of the original plan, project termination may occur as set out in the original plan developed in the earlier stages of the project (Bowen, 2009). There exist majorly three elements considered key in project termination. These include ascertaining if the project met the requirements, any implementation aspects lingering, and the future upgrades of the project or further recommendations. Project meeting the requirements: During the project-planning phase, a consideration of the requirements of the project allows for the identification and development of the objectives. The project management understands their intentions in building the project and work towards ensuring they successfully meet their objectives before termination. The requirements in proceeding with the project include its financial feasibility, technical feasibility, the legal feasibility, the technology needs, supplies and the competition among other aspects. Closing the project will mean ensuring all these requirements have successfully been met and hence considering the project a success at termination. Correlating the achieved with the list of intentions that the project aimed to accomplish leads to its positive termination. The developments listed earlier may include the timelines, the inputs and outputs expected from the project, the actual platform and overview of the project. The costs budgeted and those incurred too need considering including. The performance indicators identified may provide a clear indication of the project’s progress and achievements. Lingering project implementation issues: These reveal if the project is ready for termination. They allow the project management to consider factors that might provide for any unachieved items that may need to keep the project open if the termination is based on competition. If the need to terminate proves to prove positive, the project management team needs to communicate to the stakeholders on the project and follow the proper closure procedure that will consider tidying up, the return of the resources left and the risks involved with termination. The last item to consider is any recommendations for the stakeholders or future projects (Smith, 2013). These need to future to improve chances of success that future projects may face. The project managers will provide any recommendations before closure of the project. These may be in reference to the current project or future projects that the company may chose to engage. Question Five: As project manager please identify the most appropriate organization structure which outline the relationship between various participants and specify the roles and responsibilities of participants within project? The company HP is aiming at rolling this project to develop successfully a product that would match the elementary school students. The project will close once complete and the objectives are achieved. These justify the use of a project-based structure to manage the organization and the project as a whole. A project-based structure refers to one that is developed to handle an independent project (MyPmHome, 2011). In this, a project team is developed separate from the actual organization of the parent company. It will have its own management and staff that will stay in place throughout the life of the project. The tablet project as part of a project specific under the HP Company will require this type of organization structure that will appear as below: Project Organization Structure: The Project Manager will provide the lead role to the project. They will provide the sense of direction and work as the project leaders guiding the project from the planning stage to execution, monitoring until the terminal stages. The project manager is the project leader that will also evaluate the progress and working of the other staff. They report to the general company management served with the responsibility of ensuring the project is successful for HP. The Project Software expert will serve any IT related roles on the project. The project aims at providing a tablet that has compatibility for Microsoft and Apple systems and hence the need for an IT expert to coordinate with the supervisor of the project on the project. The IT expert will head the IT arm of the project and provide it with the necessary leadership. They provide the quality management role on the project. This personnel reports to the Project Manager on a regular basis on the progress of the project. Project Supervisor provides the lead supervisory role to the project. They work hand in hand with the project heads of the different arms of the project raging from the marketing team, the finance team, the product development team to ensure all work within the project schedule and the quality of the product developed relates to the project intentions. The personnel works in line with the other workers under to ensure that the produced products are sold and the returns are within good margins for the company. The production unit produces ample products based on the market needs and that proper financial management is effected. These report directly to the project manager. The other project heads report to the project supervisor. They create a connection between the lower staff and the top management. These head the different departments that the project runs ranging from the finance, marketing and product development team. The other project staff will work under the different departments and report to the project heads. Through the application of this structure, the project becomes independent and hence easy for HP to manage and ensure it yields to the developed goals and targets that constitute the general goals and objectives of HP as a whole. Question Six: Please identify control and co-ordinate a project process? Many projects have failed while some of succeed. The level of risk failure may not necessarily originate from the planning phase. A well-planned project may also fail due to failures in the project control aspects and its co-ordination as a whole. Inadequate coordination may cost the project to the management hence the need to emphasize the project controls and co-ordination. These will involve ensuring a communication channel that reveals all project-oriented progress and challenges having them resolved earlier in the project may increase success levels for the project. Effective project management considers aspects of co-ordination, the integration of resources and plans with the operations or execution aspects, proper communication between the people involved and the control of the different activities involved in the project (Oxford Management Center, 2015). Project co-ordination refers to the process of having the project activities related with the project goals and objectives to ensure the project progress is in line with the original plan developed. Project coordination provides a vital element that determines the success of the project. The coordination allows free movement of information about the project swiftly from one person and level to another. These may take forms of reports that communicate to the whole team and management on the progress of the project. The project coordination process also allows for the development of a positive relationship between the projects staff to provide for a cordial working that leads to the success of the project. Reports allow for supervision and an updated view of the project to determine the level and progress made by the project. These guide in decision making on the project and the successful implementation of the project. They integrate the plan with the people involved in the project as staff and other stakeholders, the other resources such as finance to provide a position and progress as well as identify gaps that need filling. The coordination also provides the effective scheduling the project to lead in management of the lifetime of the project and allow for effective timelines meeting. A successful project is effected within the time scale developed to avoid any time lapses that may affect the completion of the project. The respect for timelines provides the successful budgeting and other planning activities that increase the chances of the project succeeding. Communication comes in handy and easy in a project well coordinated. The organization structure defines the communication channels and provides each position in the organization with a role and responsibility reducing conflicts and promoting coordination. The employees know where to report and the frequency easing the implementation process and hence the control aspect that proves vital in leading to project success. Implementation of these guides the project and leads to easy procedural management that improves the success levels of the project. Employing these to the tablet project will allow for the successful role and resource management. They will provide the filling of communication gaps that reduces conflict within the project increasing coordination and control and hence the success of the project. Question Seven: Assess project leadership requirements and qualities? The project has a connection to a large number of people that will benefit from it. It holds the connection between the need to provide techno friendly gadgets to students and the need to align the education needs to the needs of each student to understand the technology systems while applying them in their education needs. For this relationship to successfully be established and managed there is need for leadership that is long-sighted and coordinated. These call for leadership requirements that would provide a positive influence to the project. This leadership needs to hold the following qualities as part of the requirements. Inspire the shared vision: A good leader to this project will need to inspire the rest of the team and share the vision with them. The ability to articulate clearly the vision of the project leading the rest of the team to it is what a good project leader requires. A leader needs to understand where they are headed and work towards establishing the sense of direction in the other project staff. Drawing new boundaries works towards influencing the leadership and as a leader, one need to hold strongly the ability to provide the vision with life and motivate the team they lead towards successful working. Good communication skills: The project will involve many people and with different levels of skills. A good leader to it needs to understand the project needs and communicate them effectively and efficiently to the other workers. A good project leader needs to ensure the proper communication channel is used always to ensure that the team understands each other and progress is made. A clear communication on the goals of the project, the responsibility it carries, the performance aspects needed, expectations from the project beneficiaries and the actual feedback generated prove vital elements that the leader will need to positively articulate. Integrity: The modes operandi of the team originates from the actions of the team leader. A good team leader requires to act and conduct themselves in a manner that provides the rest of the team with a good example on conduct. They “walk the talk” (Barry, 2012). Commitment and demonstrated ethical conduct will prove the integrity levels set by the leader and these will affect the response that the leader gets from the other stakeholders and workers. Enthusiasm: A positive leader leads a positive team to positive results. The leader needs to remain enthusiastic to their goals and intentions with the project. A good leader holds a positive attitude that allows them to lead positively instilling a successful attitude in the team. These successfully lead the team to the project goals and objectives. Competence: To lead a project successfully, competence is key. The lead needs to provide prove of competence in the project that indicates that they clearly understand the direction they take. The goals they need to provide for and the level of skill they employ in articulating their responsibilities at the work place. Other requirements will include the empathy aspect, ability to delegate work properly, ability to handle the pressure resulting from work and maintain composure, have requisite skills for building the team and know the needs for problem solving. These combined with a good experience would make a good project leader. Question Eight: Plan and specify human resources and requirements for the tablet project? The success of the project is hinged on the human resource team provided to handle the tablet project. As a result oriented project, the culture to succeed needs developing early though the human resource team (Usmani, 2015). A number of people will work on this project for its success. These will be divided into teams that will have leaders to guide and provide the requisite leadership to the project. The major roles that need filling to maintain the project’s course include the following: Project leader or manager: The project manager will provide the lead role to the project. The role will provide the leadership necessary to the whole team and ensure proper implementation of the project. A project leader needs to have the skills of integrity, commitment, vision orientation and people management skills among others to successful see the tablet project to its successful completion. The tablet project will involve the coordination of technology and the education needs of students in elementary school. This calls for a leader that can correlate the two and work on a vision that proves attainable. It is therefore necessary that the human resource leader to the project have the requirements discussed above. This will be the first human resource position to fill. Filling this position first provides the sense of direction to the project allowing the leader to develop the team based on their views and intentions for the project to reduce the level of conflict and increase chances of success for the project. Considering the needs of the project and its nature, the tablet project manager needs to have some IT skills to make it easier for them to oversee the project development from its early stages to completion. Project software expert: The second position that proves essential to fill is an IT expert to provide the requisite software skills. The project aims to provide tablets to elementary school students. These tablets will work with Microsoft and Apple systems that need to prove compatible with its make. The software expert will ensure the tablets developed fit the requirements and compatibility is sustainable between the software needs and the tablet’s physical abilities. The team leader will fill this position to ensure that the relationship developed between the two parties sustains throughout the whole project. The IT expert will lead the team in the development of the project and ensure that the tablet developed is in line with the needs of the target population. The ease of handling to suit an elementary school student needs considering and the ease of applicability to provide for the success of the project on the ground. Project Supervisor: A project supervisor is necessary to provide the connection between the top management and the line workers. These will ensure that all department heads work in line with the project needs to lead the project to success. Project supervisor will provide a communication channel between the different arms of the project and on behalf of the project manager and other top management ensure that the administration, finance, marketing and product development teams work together to see the project succeed. The person serving this role needs to have good people skills. Other human resource roles will emerge as per the needs of the project and as deemed necessary by the project manager based on the needs, resource abilities and the level of gap existing in the project. Question Nine: Prepare project plans and establish the project organization Question Ten: Apply project scheduling, estimating and cost control techniques Question Eleven: Analyze the methods used to measure project performance Question Twelve Explain project change control procedures evaluate the completed project Bibliography: Barry, T. R. 2012. Top 10 Leadership Qualities of a Project Manager. Project Management Resources. Viewed on June 10, 2015 from http://www.projecttimes.com/articles/top-10-leadership-qualities-of-a-project-manager.html Boardman, A. E., Greenberg, D.H., Vining, A. R. & Weimer, D. L. 1996.Cost-Benefit: Concepts and Practice, 1st Edition. Prenhall. Bowen, R. 2009. Project Termination: The Day the Project Died. Bright Hub Project Management. Viewed on June 10, 2015 from http://www.brighthubpm.com/monitoring-projects/51010-project-termination-the-day-the-project-died/ MyPmHome, 2011. Three Types of Project Management Organizations. Viewed on June 10, 2015 from http://www.mypmhome.com/three-types-of-project-management-organizations/ Nicholas, M. J.,2004. Project Management for Business and Engineering Principles and Practices. Elsevier. Oxford Management Center, 2015. Effective Project Co-ordination & Management. Oxford Management Center. Viewed on June 10, 2015 from http://www.oxford-management.com/seminars/project-management/effective-project-coordination-management/ Russell, L. 2007. 10 Steps to Successful Project Management. American Society for Training and Development. Smith, O. 2013. HND2-Evaluation. Project Management Theory. Prezi. Viewed on June 10, 2015 from https://prezi.com/bs4ajukhn-kd/hnd2-evaluation/ Usmani, F. 2015. What is Projectized Organization Structure? PM Study Circle. Viewed on June 10, 2015 from http://pmstudycircle.com/2012/08/what-is-a-projectized-organization-structure/ Read More