Technical Aspects of Project Management - Research Paper Example

Synopsis of the project: The project deals with a newly developing company called the HRD 2010.Being a new company; the authorities of the company wants to make the company an impressive one with the prestigious office building, with high tech and technically innovative method that suit the requirements of the company .The head office of the global company is in the UK. The company is planning the implementation of the new technologies during the constructional phase with good quality. The company has certain criteria in the construction which are of superior quality, less time consumption and are cost effective. Introduction: The project management is a group activity with different employees having specific goals, targets, planning and budgeting with particular dead lines. The purpose of the project is to develop the new company, its different technological applications, employee strength with a strong functioning and to have the new system implementation in a short time span.The work has been principled by the outside agency that has been appointed for the complete construction of the work site. The research evidence: The evidence for the research comes form a variety of sources that depend on the target segment of the high speed design in the market by analyzing the requirements of the company. IT infrastructure management or the facility management is a profession that encompasses the multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by intergrating people, process and technology. The outsourcing of the non business functions to the external agency helps the organization in building and managing the business infrastructure and to reduce the downtime due to the technical failures by providing the right products and services at the right time, without affecting the budget. The researches are carried out by the staff, research fellows, and associates of the construction which deals with the entire series of activities in the construction project. The different areas of research includes the project idea generation to the assessment of the performance life cycle of assets that includes the management of values to customer service. The research also has the due consideration of the marketing and the ethics. The different highlights of the design has to be focused on the quality of services and the customer satisfaction in the design of the construction projects. A good review of various contracts and the market facilities and the opportunities have to be made. The safety and the efficiency in different site operations and the transportation facility has to be considered so as to reduce the wastage of time in the operations and to obtain a good product model of the various steel structures in the operations. The effective data base should be used for a meticulous support of the entire research. The references and the bibliography of the research are depicted at the end of each source and the different references provides as in-depth idea of the research process and the design. Technical Aspects: The project management of the construction includes three main approaches; they are the construction management, construction engineering and the construction technology. The construction management includes how the construction are carried out and the different constraints like the project finance,BOTs,project estimation, planning and the contracting to the different outside organizations and the scheduling of the projects to be carried out. The second range of the activity includes the construction engineering which include the project life cycle, the scheduling of time, the managing capability and the IT intelligence in the different mode of the operations . The construction technology uses the new innovative skills for the advanced development of the projects and it uses of the barcode and the business intelligence in the operations. The project based management is mainly derived from the concept of the process based management which may include the use of the different models of maturity for the integration and the process improvement. Project success has to undergo different steps in project management. The first step is the idea generation of the development of the project and the analysis of the project implementation. It is followed by the feasibility study of the process which identifies the financial constraints and the site specifications. It analyses the complete risk associated with the project. The project management also includes different activities like the planning, organizing and managing of the resources like the people, process, place and the finance. The project management is the set of small interdependent projects. The main aim of the project management is to achieve the project goals and to optimize the resources and to make the project a success. Execution: The execution of the project management consists of the co-ordination of the project from the time of the planning to the final stage of the successful completion of the project. Monitoring and Controlling: This is the process where the monitoring of the project is carried out during each of the operation and the main aim of monitoring is to identify whether there are any deviations in the project an how it can be rectified, it also include the proper time management and the controlling of the wastage of the different resources. The monitoring and the controlling include the correction of the randomly occurred errors and the assessessment of the project . It also include keeping track of the goals and objectives of the project. The Project Control Systems: The Project Control System is the key element of the project which tracks the record of the finance, time and the resources .The Project Control System has a definite time period in the end and the startup of the process .The control systems are used mainly for the identification of the cost, risk associated with the project and the quality attributes of the project. The auditors and the financial controllers also form the part of the project control system to monitor the financial systems, cash flows and the risk associated with each of the process. A project manager is the back bone of project development and a professional who is well versed in project management can make them successful. The duty of the managers includes planning, scheduling, organizing and the execution of the project. A project manager is responsible for setting of the objectives, targets and in achieving the goals. A project manager symbolizes the client in the organization and implements the necessities of the client. Technical Content: The project was to construct a 7 storied office building with all required facilities. The construction should be exclusively for official purposes and therefore should meet all the requirements like proper ventilation, lighting etc. The project is of utmost importance and was handled with great caution so that the project is completed on time with the budgeted cost. The project manager takes extra exercise in constructing the project and the material procurement and the time needed for constructing the project. 1. A series of activities has been taken for the completion of the project. First was identification of a proper subcontractor for the job. There are some initial steps before starting the project. Tenders were floated and quotations were evaluated, making arrangements for resources (men & machinery) that need to be deployed. The cost competitiveness among bidders was identified and the lowest bid was chosen. Each schedule of activities were planned after taking into account the time and resource requirements. The cost for the entire project was calculated in advance taking into account different factors (labor cost, material, plant & machinery, taxes, insurance, Subcontractor, overheads & other indirect cost) etc. and included both direct cost & indirect cost.   The labor cost , the plant and machinery expenses wer caluculated in advance. It was decided that there should be a proper Supply Chain Management so that the materials are delivered at the right time at the right place. Milestones / targets at different periods during the project were decided and reached.The Project Manager confirms whether the targets were achieved at proper intervals so that the construction project does not get delayed. The subcontractors overhead the expenses like tarnsportation charges. Vehicle expenses were evaluated and a check on the subcontractors overhead expenses were kept. Machineries like aprtition panel plant, pan mixer, double shaft mixer’s working uints were calculated and the total outputs were measured. Estimation of invoicing for the project was done. The methodology was properly followed for the implementation of the project. Latest technology has been adopted for each activity so that the project is completed on time. The opening design is for a multi-storey building with under-building ground space for parking with approximately 120,000 square feet of office space . It is in accordance to the given drawings of the architect. It is recommended that a proper follow up as per the plan can help in implementing the project at the scheduled time with the budgeted cost. Provision for construction of bore well has been done. There is a water table and that has been taken into consideration while constructing the bore well. The first diagram shows the plan while the second and third represents the elevation views. The building is for the construction of the seven floors and the construction should be such that there is a proper distance between roofs as mentioned in the diagram. The long section and the cross section have been correctly portrayed in the plan. The parking space and main entrance should be well constructed. Right from tendering to materials management issues the project manager has taken extra caution so that the project is completed in time. It was decided that the client would be informed from time to time after the completion of each storey so that in case they need any changes it could be instantly done.The series of activities undertaken has been for the fast completion of the office building. The subcontarctors issues were properly addressed so that they do not delay the work schedule. Manpower arrangements were made by the project manager so that there is no shortage of trained and skilled manpower. it was decided to appoint skilled Manpower so that the work does not get delayed and is completed on time. Arrangements were made for using the best machines so that there is no default in construction process. It was decided to consult and appoint a civil engineer who had the expertise in construction of office buildings which has many storeys. It was decided to act upon the civil engineer’s advice so that each storey is completed in time with proper facilities. The engineer was asked to inspect the materials to avoid faulty constructions. It was also decided to take safety measures for the labourers on the site job as it will cause legal obligations. Proper labor welfare measures on site were taken in accordance to the rules and regulations of the labour department. It was also decided to use only ISO certified materials for construction purposes. 2. Procurement of material is the procedure of acquiring raw materials or services to carry out the function of a business. Procurement of materials is a collection of duties right from planning for raw materials, purchasing of raw ,materials and inventory control etc. “There are two basic methods by which an activity may obtain the material or services it requires. They are the   requisitioning   and   purchase   methods.   The requisitioning method is done by submitting a requisition to the supporting supply activity for material with a stock number” (Chapter 4 matreial procurement, n.d., para.5). An office construction must be designed in such a way that it has a lobby section, reception area, and separate divisional departments with proper lighting, water and hygeine provision. The office should have the best ceiling and the project manager must always follow the office roofing systems. It is a must as sometimes contractors drop the ceiling in the front part the office, or sometimes construct super high ceilings. Some of the important raw materials needed are sand, cement, iron bars and rods. It was decided that no arrangement for Gondoliers in shelves need to be made. Procurement of materials was done when material cost is low. Market trend was taken into account and expert opinion was followed so that the project gets completed on time. Secured advance from client is made as an incentive for the fast completion of the project and early procurement of materials. This was later added in the invoice section. Strategies are implemented to streamline the process of procurement. New techniques were implemented to ensure proper procurement of materials at the proper place so that the construction is not delayed due to non-availability of materials. The purchasing manager should have experience in handling of materials and he should have the knowledge of materials management.He should evaluate the vendor ratings and the various suppliers should be cross checked so that the procured materials are of the first quality and there is no delay in the construction process. The major function of materials procurement is to procure the best quality of materials at the right time. The project manager is keeping an eye on the procurement of materials so that the quality and the time of arrival of the meterials are not compromised. A proper material requirement plan was drawn in order to ensure tha availability of materials through the present supply chainand to get completed on time .It is to see who are the suupliers of the materials, what is the buying rate of the materials, will the materials be supplied on time etc. So procurement of materials should be done after crefully assesing the Supply Chain Mangement policies for right availability of materials at the right time and at the right place. the pre-construction issues have been properly identifed and necessary actions have been taken in order to properly construct the office building. 3. The bar chart includes invoicing during different periods, cost to be incurred period wise , month wise deployment of resources, etc. The figures and the time mentioned are purely estimates.  Sl.no. Work Invoice Time of completion 1 Sub contractors construction time $100,000,000 2 yrs. 2 Electrical connection $200,000 6 months 3 Water pipeline construction $ 100,000 3 months 4 Garbage disposal arrangement $100,000 1 month Conclusion: Project management is a method that is carefully planned and organized with effort to achieve a specific objective. Here it is the construction of an office. So project management includes developing a plan for a project. In that, we defines and confirm a goal for the project and objectives, and we identify the task on how our goal will be achieved, calculate how much resources is needed, determine a budget and timelines for completion. And it also includes managing and implementation of the project plan. There is a regular control to ensure that there is accurate and objective information on performance and the mechanism to implement recovery actions are there; when necessary. There are different steps to follow like the feasibility study, definition, project planning, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance. Presentation & Structure: Each project is performed by a specific project team. For each manager roles will be assigned. The project manager is responsible for the ultimate success of the project. The project management responsibilities include managing all the works which is involved in the project. That means, competing demand for scope, time, cost, risk, quality and stakeholders with different needs, expectations and identified requirement. Additional staff will be added to the to the project team. The general effort will be agreed by the planning committee and the detailed staffing is done between the project manager and the appropriate functional division. In a project, continues effort is needed for specific individual assigned in the complete project life. And this will be reviewed and adjusted on a development cycle to development cycle basis. The head of the team will be the project manager. Team work has a vital role in a project management process. And he will be handling too many tasks for a single project. Normally, the project plan will be comprised by step by step manner. Some sponsors will promote this work and they often give importance to the beauty of the project. The truth is that view is not realistic. Creating a project plan which is too detailed and it is Micro Manage different members of the team by project manager. Micro Management is a method useful in dealing with who are lazy or uncooperative .There is a tendency of team to become independent and this will lead to the success of the project. When the members of the teams are independent then they take the decision. They should make sure that they don’t forget about the goal of the project. When the team members are reporting to the project managers about the completion of the work some times the report may be inaccurate and late. The project manager has too many issues to deal. The project manager must maintain a weekly status update, and then they will have a clear idea about the project completion. The remaining time necessary to complete the task should be listed. Through that way; the project manager have more control and the members of the team has the responsibility for their accomplishment. WBS is the most popular tool for delegating the task. WBS means Work Breakdown Structure. On applying this tool we can design the task and we can monitor the progress. Then each member will be responsible for their work. They will get the clear picture about what they want to do actually. There is no need for the project manager to Micro Manage anyone. This strategy will lead to the success of the project for which the team must be organized. Reference List Chapter 4 matreial procurement. (n.d.). Integrated publishing. Reterived March 31, 2010, from http://www.tpub.com/content/aviation/14017/css/14017_63.htm Read More