Major Variables of Project Management - Assignment Example

MAJOR VARIABLES OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT Major Variables of Project Management Affiliation How do the five major variables of project management scope, time, cost, quality, and risk—relate to this scenario? The scope of the project is important so it must be identified before the initiation of the implementation. In this scenario, the scope of this project is not clearly identified. It is clear that the department is going to implement a CRM application, but the scope of this project does not define operations need to be performed or what steps will be required to complete this project. In addition, the firm should identify the steps that are feasible to implement. In order to identify the scope of the application a detailed system analysis should be performed in which a system analyst can interview the system users to clearly identify the requirements and the scope of the system. In the same way, they can study existing systems and the processes to complete this kind of project (Hughes & Cotterell, 2002; Kerzner, 2009). Time: Since this is a project that is initiated to implement a new CRM application under certain restricted situation so the time factor will also have considerable impact on the overall project. For instance, the decision regarding the replacement of a new hardware can take some additional time and it can affect the working of the department. In the same way, the placement of orders and delivery will also require additional time. The IT department must establish a stable project plan and schedule in light of project activities and actions need to be performed in order to complete this project so that accurate time can be assigned to each activity. The cost of this project can vary depending on the decision regarding the solution (Hughes & Cotterell, 2002; Kerzner, 2009). Cost: The cost of the project will heavily depend on the selection of a solution, For instance, if the department chooses to replace the old hardware with completely new hardware, then the overall cost of the project can be more than the cost of changing only some part of the hardware. Like time estimate the cost estimation should also be determined through appropriate cost estimation techniques (Hughes & Cotterell, 2002; Kerzner, 2009). Quality: In the context of this project the quality will demonstrate the level of project satisfaction. If the project is successfully completed according to pre-established requirements and provide the required functionality for which it was initiated, the project will be acknowledged as the success and this success will define the quality of this project (Hughes & Cotterell, 2002; Kerzner, 2009). Risk: A risk is anything that can have an effect on the successful execution of the project. In this project there can be a variety of risks such as a risk of not meeting the deadline, the risk of not finding the appropriate hardware. All these risks can have serious effects on the success of this project (Hughes & Cotterell, 2002; Kerzner, 2009). What considerations must be applied when selecting projects that deliver the best business value? In this scenario, the IT department is going to implement a new customer relationship management system. However, the problem is that the current hardware does not support this new implementation as it is an outdated hardware. Basically, before the implementation of a management information system an organization must identify the problem. In this scenario, the problem has already been defined. The need to define problem can take some additional time for the reason that different staff members of an organization can have various innovative ideas. In addition, defining problem also entails identifying various important elements such as the severity of the problem, the reason of the problem and what impact does this problem impose to overall organization (Laudon & Laudon, 2009). Additionally, one solution is to carry out a detailed system analysis in which a system analyst carefully studies and examines the existing system (hardware or software) by going through existing documents, work papers, system operations and practices. However, after defining a problem an organization looks for the solution. In this scenario, the main problem is already available so the organization needs to determine and take decisions about what actions should be performed in order to deal with this issue. What kind of solution they should select in order to resolve this issue. What are the objectives of a solution to the problem? (Laudon & Laudon, 2009) In addition, in light of the problem an organization identifies a variety of solutions to resolve it. For instance, in this case the problem is outdated hardware which cannot be used to run modern customer relationship management system. However, a problem can be resolved in many ways and there can be a number of solutions to a single problem. For instance, an organization can choose to purchase a new hardware and it can replace old hardware with new hardware or it can make changes to existing hardware in order to make it compatible with the new software application. In the same way, new CRM software can be obtained in accordance with the existing hardware. For instance, the IT department can look into its decision of choosing a modern CRM software and it can develop a CRM software that is compatible with the existing hardware. These are some considerations that the IT department must consider while selecting a solution. However, the selection of a solution will heavily depend on various factors such as the assigned budget of the department or resources or education level of its employees and so on. Moreover, the organization must also consider various other aspects such as outsourcing or insourcing. In this scenario, if the department does not have necessary resources that are required to complete this problem then it must think about outsourcing. The department should outsource this project to a firm that is expert at completing such projects. On the other hand, if the firm thinks it can complete this project in house, then it must go with this decision. However, this is a very critical decision that requires extensive study and analysis. In the same way, the department should also consider the users’ response and they should involve their end-users at every stage of the implementation because if the end-users of the system do not accept the implementation of the system then the system implementation cannot achieve the success (Laudon & Laudon, 2009). What factors that influence project risk? What strategies would you recommend for minimizing this project’s risks? A risk can be anything that can influence the project and there are many factors in this project that can influence the risk. For instance, there is a factor of delay in decision making. For instance, if the department does not have capable experts who can select an appropriate solution, then it will have a serious impact on the project schedule and the overall project will be delayed. This issue can be resolved by researching for appropriate solution or hiring an expert from outside firm so that the selection could be made as soon as possible (Laudon & Laudon, 2009). The new CRM application can be difficult to use for the staff members and there is a risk that they will refuse to use it. So in order to reduce this risk department should call a meeting in which they discuss their solution and ask for employees’ feedback and this will increase their confidence (Laudon & Laudon, 2009). The desired hardware can be costly, so it can increase the overall budget of the project. In this scenario, the department should identify their requirements carefully and decide for the solution that is most appropriate in this scenario and according to their budget (Laudon & Laudon, 2009). In view of the fact the department is going to implement a new solution and the old data and records will have to be moved to the new system. This transfer can create the risk of data loss or corruption. The department should take a proper backup of the previous data and store it in a secure location. It will minimize this risk (Laudon & Laudon, 2009). Summarize your response by identifying best practices for managing this project. First of all, I will develop a project plan will get the agreement of all the project team members and stakeholders on the project plan. I will break the project into smaller activities. After that I will identify tasks against each activity and resources to complete each activity. I will develop a risk management plan containing all the major risks and associated impact on the project. I will take strict measures to stick the project on schedule. In addition, strict quality measures will be taken to ensure the quality of the project. For instance, with the completion of each activity there will be a review session in order to determine the accurateness of the activity (Kerzner, 2009). References Hughes, B., & Cotterell, M. (2002). Software Project Management GLASGOW: MCGRAW-HILL PUBLISHING COMPANY, 2002. (3rd ed.). Glasgow: McGRAW-HILL Publishing. Kerzner, H. R. (2009). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. New York: Wiley. Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. P. (2009). Essentials of Management Information Systems. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Read More