The Future of the Automobile Industry - Coursework Example

Car for the Future Project Name Institution Instructor Course Date of Submission Introduction `The future of automobile industry in many nations is still a dream that seem difficult or challenging to achieve if proper management of such projects is not applied in good doses. It is empirical that solar energy can produce a lot of kilowatts and power to machines and other energy consuming components on automobiles. Evidently, solar powered cars require a close scrutiny to assess how such projects can benefit the automobile industry as well as the transportation sector in many countries. Many project managers see the project as the most hard to achieve especially when it is considered that there should be more solar panels to provide enough energy for the automobile (Home 2013). Considering that solar panels are installed on the topmost part of the automobile, it is crucial and more critical to determine the shelf life and performance of such vehicles especially when efficiencies are considered. In order to determine the benefits of solar powered cars for the future, it is important to note that experimentation, assessment, and creativity is required by any managers in charge of similar projects. The number of solar panels to be installed on any automobile depends upon the function of the car and the size of any automobile. As a project manager, it is important to identify various methods that can be used to obtain good results if the project is fully implemented and endorsed in the transportation sector (Home 2013). Efficiency of any project depends upon how the inputs are directed and manipulated at the production level. Production of cars will depend on how the inputs are management with reference to time and costs at the time of production and during the time of usage for the intended purpose. It is important also to note that understanding of renewable energy aspects is put into consideration before the energy optional sources are determined and selected. Scope Baseline As a project manager, it is important to design a scope baseline structure in order to give a directional assessment of performances of prototypes to pave way for the development of new car models in the future (Chapman 1997). Car for the future project should be analyzed, documented, and planned for in good times in order to establish cost of all inputs. It also helps in scheduling of production phases in order to obtain a workable flow and completion of activities during the production and usage phases. A working baseline should also provide information on how the project will be executed before control of production activities commences. A scope baseline involves application of control techniques and conventional closed system to serve as a project propulsion effort. For any project, plans, resources, methods, and specifications are considered to be inputs that must be manipulated in order to achieve good results. It also ensures that the output process is clearly monitored and closely compared to the production plan (Elizabeth & Larson 2012). During the process of solar powered cars, adjustments of the plans can be done to ensure that the output conforms to the original plans at all times. This also ensures that any variance during the production stage will be assessed and reported periodically to the project scrutiny and production team. To achieve this, project activities should be handled in a closed system network and that the responsible teams should be able to determine the production stages and determine any changes that may result if the specifics are not followed with skills and order and if the production is not carried out in good time. Every effort should be made such that the project is controlled in good times and at the right time before it fails or unnecessarily delays. A scope baseline involves a closed system application of skills and techniques. The scope baseline will involve an establishment for the scope, schedule, and timeframe in which the project should be executed (Harold 2003). The three aspects are to combined by inputting them under a controllable umbrella version. Once the project has been combined under these aspects and dimensions, the project managers gets an easy avenue through which the processes can be monitored, controlled, and measured. Any project that does not exist in three aspects becomes a very difficult aspect in project management. If proper considerations are not made in time, the Car for future project execution processes slows down at a pace that can cause delays or even improper execution of projects (Edward 1975). Incase the aspects are not combined in a closed system, it becomes very difficult for the specific project activities to be monitored and assessed. If a project can not monitored and executed according to its baseline plans, it may be necessary that radical changes are made to make sure that it conforms with strategic and cost benefit management plans. Any changes that are made within a project should be re baselined and re incorporated within the performance plans and schedules. Safeguarding the project against flaws and misguided operations may reduce performance qualities of a solar powered car or they may even make the project infeasible. Project Management Plan A working management plan includes optional routes through which other duties can be executed incase the outlined routes proves to be slow or retarded. It is in the same way a road map to success may be changed with time incase the inflation rates change in future or the laws in a specific country change. In any management plan, a timeline should be provided in order to cut-off other unnecessary expenditures that may a rise during the project working period. In the past management plans, stakeholders did not fully understand the end result of a project and at the end, they got frustrated (Edward 1975). Every stakeholder that will get involved in this project will have to provide a portion of technological skill and guidance at the same time. Before the project is fully launched, the roles of every stakeholder will be outlined and fully explained to individual stakeholders so that they become committed to the project. It is of great benefit if stakeholders understand the contents of the management plans and if they are critically aware of the consequences and delays that may arise during the period of launching the project. Normally, the project plan will include business experts, business sponsors, end users, and auditors. It also includes a project manager and a project management team. Before, the project is launched, a kick off meeting will be held to review the processes, tasks and make sure that every stakeholder and the experts are ready to get committed throughout the period of execution. It is of great importance and of benefit to the company because it skillfully launches the planning stage and process. Work Breakdown Structure A WBS is thought of as a task breakdown because it smashes the tasks into small deliverables that can be managed. In a well organized manner, WBS includes a breakdown of large deliverables into a workable hierarchy of smaller disintegrated duties and tasks. It provides a well analyzed combination of cost estimation and control techniques. It also provides a well guided flow of control and schedule development (Chapman 1997). A breakdown structure consists of a hierarchical decomposition of events into smaller workable packages and deliverables. It first outlines the end objective then it subdivides it into manageable components with reference to duration, size, and responsibility. Apart from the manageable components, the breakdown involves an outline of the necessary steps that must be considered and put into consideration in order to achieve the overall objective. The best break down ever revolves around the primary requirements of the project instead of being directed at the work required to produce the actions (Odland 2012). Work Breakdown Structure Five Time Management Techniques For any project to be beneficial, proper management of time should be achieved at all stages of project execution. Every project cycle has a beginning and it has an ending and therefore, time must be managed always in order to finish tasks and assigned responsibilities before the outline time elapses (Edward 1975). Paying a close scrutiny in project time management, it is clear then that time management goes hand in hand with the management of the project schedules. An efficient time management ensures that the project gets done before the date line. This approach saves time for the participants, stakeholders, and resources. For one to manage time well, he or she may be forced to use an action plan or a do breakdown list which identifies tasks with specific time assigned. Priorities must also be set, errors communicated, expectations identified, and refreshing breaks identified in time. Projects consume resources and have costs which must be looked upon critically (Elizabeth & Larson 2012). Workers getting involved in the project needs to be paid, and the facilities, equipments therein being used are expensive to operate and maintain. With regard to these costs, it is therefore of great importance that projects reorganize all indirect costs meaning that the project should achieve benefits directly from resources without necessarily having a direct business contact between the resources and the project under consideration. Five cost Management Techniques and their Importance In Car for future project, costs can be lowered down by applying five techniques in a skillfully manner. This is because; every business vendor will always look for avenues of making money while utilizing the less costly bottom line (Odland 2012). One of the techniques is by renegotiating all the contracts at the end of every year because multiple contracts have a potential of reducing the overall costs. The second best tool is by asking the esteemed customers on what they prefer should be produced and on what should be modified to concur with their expectations. The other most efficient technique of lowering cots is by ensuring that terms are matched with returns and every inventory should move at a different rate. By negotiating this with all time components suppliers, it motivates all sellers to sell only quality products. Requesting vendors to be responsible with their own inventories is also the best way of ensuring that they become responsible of all the marketing changing influences until when the products are sold. Holding revenue production constant ensures that the revenue being generated within the frameworks of production is growing from time to time and that there is no external influence that may infiltrate the normal working criteria of revenue generation. On the other hand, time can be managed by strictly adhering to the schedule that was outlined at the initial stages of production (Odland 2012). The same can also be achieved by making sure that the delivery is made within the stipulated time and that the management team is only working on ensuring that all products are received in the warehouse of the company. Other aspects that may be used include use of a baseline structures to control flow of events in a planned way because any deviation from the structure may increase the costs or may retard the rate at which activities are executed. Time can be managed considerably by ensuring that raw materials or products are outsourced from suppliers that are within their reach. At the end of every season of production, an evaluation should be made so that critical paths are avoided at all times unless the situation threatens the performance of the car for the future project (Chapman 1997). Bibliography Chapman, J. (1997). Project baseline management. Retrieved from http://www.hyperthot.com/pm_exec.htm Edward R. M. (1975). The Harmonogram of Karol Adamiecki in: The Journal of management, 18 (2). 358 Elizabeth & Larson, R. (2012). 10 steps to creating a project plan. Retrieved from http://www.projecttimes.com/articles/10-steps-to-creating-a-project-plan.html Evans, M.H. (2006). Excellence in financial management. Course 19: managing projects. Retrieved from www.exinfm.com/training Harold K. (2003). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. Wiley: New York, N.Y. (8th Ed. ed.). Home, S.T. (2013). Design & build a solar car. Retrieved from http://www.hometrainingtools.com/solar-car/a/1522/ Odland, S. (2012). 5 ways to control costs. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml Read More