Engineering Project Management - Term Paper Example

Engineering Project Management Name Course Tutor Date Engineering Project Management Commentary The portfolio discusses the project management techniques and their usefulness in organizations. The paper provides a critical discussion of PRINCE2 project management method. It also provides a comparison between the two methods designed by the government of United Kingdom, PRINCE2 and PMBOK. A critical analysis of engineering project is also provided using project management. Safety information Project users need to be protected from any possible harm as a result of the project. Project managers should therefore ensure safety measures and environmental controls in carrying out the project. Summary Project management involves planning of resources required in a project, organizing them to work together, motivating and controlling the resources to achieve the project objectives. Projects may be short-term but are set to achieve specific objectives that normal business operation might not achieve. Project management requires that care is taken and project team focuses on the purpose of the organization and work within the required organization budget. Managers can therefore keep track of the organization’s interest in the project and stay within the financial plan. Project management techniques provide the technical skills and management strategies required to carry out successful projects. PRINCE2 and PMBOK are among the approaches used in handling projects. The approaches are provided by the government of United Kingdom and govern public projects within the UK. Background knowledge The complexity of business and economic settings call for business organizations to make adjustments in order to cope with the changes. Diversification increases the time span that organizations use in handling operations. Therefore different organizations have developed the need to employ various tools in improving their organizational procedures. Project management therefore is a transformation tool that organizations employ achieve process change management. PRINCE2 and PMBOK are among various project management tools that organizations can use to achieve such transformation of processes. This paper critically analyses PRINCE2 project management method and PMBOK project management method and compares the two methodologies in relation to their scope. It also evaluates an engineering management project basing on its achievements and failures in execution of the project. The first part of the paper includes PRINCE2 method while part two includes comparison between PRINCE2 and PMBOK methodologies. The third part provides the analysis of an Engineering management project. Part 1: Prince 2 The UK government enacted the second version of projects in controlled environments to provide standards for management of public projects within the UK government. The methodology provides a guide to adequate project control and organization. The method ensures efficiency basing on processes of activities and explains why such guidelines should be followed for a project to be successful. This is also based on the assumption that the teams involved in a certain projects are strangers and has never worked together before Clarkson (2010). Lifecycle of a PRINCE2methodology is shown below: Prince 2 considers a project manager as a professional in the project management sector. It provides that, the project manager should draw plans for the project, coordinate its execution and authorize its closure. The professionals are held accountable for achieving specific objectives that the project is meant to achieve. Managers are therefore expected to attain realistic and achievable objectives that should be clearly stated. Project managers are also representatives of clients and are expected to deliver up to or beyond expectations of clients. This is according to the capacity and authority of the organization. In the process of integrating the needs of clients through the project, project managers are required to have the ability to familiarize with internal processes of parties in the contract (OCG, 2007). Project management involves other representatives such as the board. The manager needs to work closely with the parties so as to attain satisfaction of the client, ensure quality throughout the project and cost and time effectiveness. Project manager’s roles must be distinguished from the executive roles and the two must not be shared by the parties. Project management in Prince2 methodology is governed by seven major principles. It assumes continued business justification and that people should learn from their experiences. There should also be defined roles and responsibilities in a project which should be managed by stages and exception. The project should also focus on end results, product and finally be modified to suit the project environment. Other than the principles, Prince 2 project management process also incorporates seven themes that are part of the project management standards. It considers projects in the business case perspective, considering the risks and organization necessary for the projects. It also observes quality, and devices plans for successful projects. The methodology accommodates change and provides motoring procedures for the project progress. Prince 2 provides for personal qualities and attributes for professional project managers. Project managers are expected to process quality standards that will enable them to carry out the required seven step prince2 process. The first stage of Prince 2 methodology, starting up a project requires that project executives are appointed, a team is selected and a project outline issued. Business justification of the project objective must also be stated. Planning skills are required in preparation of the initiation stage. The initiation stage gives a chance for debating on the project brief issued in startup stage to develop a business case. The board is supposed to assess project viability, its appropriateness as per that time and affordability before resources are invested in it. Quality approach techniques for the project and project controls are selected at this stage other than opening of project files. The board establishes resource requirements for the project and manages relationships among key stakeholders. Resource management includes timely availability of resources when they are required. Directing stage is chaired by the board, project sponsors who control the project activities. The project board has the role of authorizing project and following quality standards required in issuing a stage plan. Stage plans replacing existent ones should also be well authorized. Directing skills are also required in issuing ad hoc direction and for the board to sanction project cessation. This includes mobilization of staff and other resources used in the project. The controlling stage also offers a series of standards. The methodology requires division of the whole project into sub-projects and effective management. Control measures for project stages are defined by the sub-process. Prince 2 provides ways that project managers will follow in approving and receiving correspondences. Prince 2 emphasizes communication of project progress among parties affected by the project and its outcome and handling of risk issues as they arise. Project managers are required to implement reviewing procedures of the stages to help track the progress and institute corrective actions. The project management should also ensure that stage boundaries and product delivery are well managed. They are obligated to identify required procedures to end project stages. Evaluation of the outcome is required against proposed objectives and the plan, together with business case are updated. The management should also communicate any lessons learnt with stakeholders involved. Project managers are required to ensure that tasks and products allocated to the project teams were well authorized and managed. This majorly involves acceptance of the work package, execution and conveyance of the package according to the project requirements (Hedeman, 2010). Closure of the project is entrusted with the board and project manager among their roles and responsibilities. Prince 2 requires that all projects be officially decommissioned observing legal provisions. This includes releasing of all resources for allocation in other areas of business interest. The project executives are also required to develop follow up activities for the project and carry out formal evaluation procedures. There is need to provide measurement techniques to determine to what degree the objectives have been achieved. Project managers are required to identify any needs for improvement or adjustments in the post project analysis. Prince2 provides planning procedure at every stage of the life cycle. According to Great Britain (2009), this ensures that specific expectations are set and easier analysis of the project outcome. It also up to the project managers to ensure communication of requirements for all the stages to the team. This ensures that the whole team is working towards a common direction and team members are also motivated through involvement. Part 2: comparison of PRINCE2 and PMBOK PMBOK refers to the Project management body of knowledge. This methodology comprises of procedures and information aspects that are considered in the field of project as appropriate standards o guide project execution. Just like Prince2, the methodology is applicable internationally by project managers and business organizations in carrying out organizational projects. The method, just like PRINCE2 applies processes in execution of business projects. It involves five major processes that provide a guideline for carrying out the project. PMBOK provides ten lines of knowledge that are also employed in projects, processes and programs. It includes the initiation stage, where the project is introduced. The method then requires that a plan for the project is then drawn to provide direction. Planning provides a means for execution stage of the project. Execution involves carrying out the project processes. Project manager and other representatives are then required to design monitoring and control techniques for evaluating the processes. It is the project manager’s role to finally authorize closure of the project on completion. This method differs from prince2 in different ways. First, Prince2 methodology provides ha well scaled procedure designed to meet project requirements and appropriate to the project size. PMBOK on the contrary sets the procedures and how they are connected other than the methods and tools that it provides for a project. Prince2 provides a lifecycle that a project follows from start to the end, from start of the project to project closure. Planning and checking processes are continuous and applied through all the project processes. Processes provided by PMBOK overlap and interrelate as is designed in terms of inputs, which includes the plans and documents used in project, tools and methods which include mechanisms that are inputs are subjected to and outputs which is the final documents and outlays. PMBOK provides twelve units describing information, and are based on the function aspect of the project. Tools and techniques of the processes are described and processes illustrated to facilitate adequate management of the project. On the other hand, the six processes other than planning and directing offered by prince2 further subdivide to form forty five different procedures that are included in the general process. The process considers delivery of quality, requires that control is assured in transformation and planning is based on the final product (Stackpole, 2013). Prince2 develops a clear line between executive and professional steps. Expertise requirements are differentiated on the basis of skills required while management stages base on purchasing power and efficient allocation of resources. These elements might contrast in a way or another. PMBOK on the other hand considers a project phase to have a defined set of activities which interrelate and are terminated after attaining a given purpose. PMBOK methodology employs phases in stating and describing the project processes. However, Prince2 employs stages in describing the project processes. These are fundamental in carrying out the project. Project managers are also allowed to adjust the length of the process through additional stages depending on the project requirements. Part 3: Analysis of Windows Vista: Engineering management project Microsoft windows vista operating system is used in personal computers at home, work and businesses. This was devised to facilitate security measures on such computers. Engineering project management provides ways of managing special projects basing on practical aspects of engineering. Organizations employ engineering project management in transforming business procedures to suit the changing business environment. Reason for implementation of the PC was to provide security against the viruses and computers computer attacks that could affect organization’s documents and processes. Considering the number of attacks and threats in computers all over the world, there was need for protecting the PCs. In 2007, the operating system windows Vista was introduced to computers by Microsoft. This was a further security measure to computers. Organizations that adopted the system provided an experienced 7% cost reducing activities. Some users approved while others criticized the windows vista after its launch. Its usage reported at 8.8% by 2009. Windows vista observed Prince2 life cycle in execution of the project processes. The project defined definite purpose for its execution. The management expressed their vision and purse on a vision statement. They also created, a value statement that also continued organizational and project goals. The statement is a long term purpose for the organization that covers the project of the organization. The purpose of devising a system that will improve security for computers was in line with the long-term vision of insuring the future of computers. Project goals are set according to the objectives of the organization. Such goals and objectives are communicated throughout the organization vertically and horizontally through performance management (Gillen et al 2006). Windows vista also applied prince2 and strategies that delivered required results. A review procedure was also provided at the monitoring stage to check progress. The project involved additional features which solved previous gaps in the field of security that previous windows versions did not fill. This also provided a means for future windows versions and research. Provision for further research is an indicator that the objectives were considered in development of project goals. The project considered long-term vision for future of computers all over the world. Innovative design of windows vista transforms methods in which information is handled and used by personal computer users. Users are able to enjoy the changing privileges of controlling their computers, pre-installation advantages and changes in pre-booting procedures. Disk image and modularization are also among the features that the project solved in order to improve users’ know-how. However, there are number project management procedures that the project did not meet. Vista project failed to consider some benefits which contributed to some of the project insufficiency. The software and OS was slow in speed compared to windows XP. According to Gillen (2006), the third pack of windows XP was three times better off that vista in speed. Vista therefore did not deliver the required benefits as expected by interested parties. This is against the project management requirement as provided by Prince2. It provides that projects consider first benefits that accrue to stakeholders. This should be measurable from the results attained in a given project. This should be approved by a number or one of the stakeholders (Kerzner, 2009). Another of the challenges that occurred during the project was late delivery by the management. This goes against project management procedure requirements which provides early timely project delivery. The delay caused procrastination of the project launch since 2003. Microsoft windows 7 project almost clashed with the release of windows vista the same year as a result of the delay. Windows vista project managers did not observe communication to stakeholders of the project. The management failed to consider communicating to stakeholders to explain reasons for delays in launching the software. Communication is among the major requirement procedures that project management processes. The project manager must ensure that plans are communicated through the parties participating. Vertical and horizontal communication forms the big part of this communication. This ensures that focus is maintained by the project team and representatives and also motivation. Project management requires that stakeholders are involved throughout the project and that timely communication is assured in a proper way (Kerzner, 2009). Windows vista also failed to stay up to the quality that project management defines. Apple, its competitor managed to prove against consumers’ doubts that the application was boring and difficult to use. This made consumers conclude that the project was not worth and was a fake. It also did not apply to a higher quality than XP which was among expectations of users. This contributed to the failures of the project. The windows XP and windows vista expectation failure was raised by consumers at the time that windows 7 project was being wound up. The management therefore required to solve it immediately. This in turn was a risk to the business since the two projects almost overlapped. Form the engineering project, project managers need to efficiently evaluate objectives before initiation stage. These objectives should then be observed through the project processes by sticking to the project management guidelines. Time factor is also fundamental in project management in order to ensure efficiency and successful projects. Timely projects ensure that the organization is up to date in the changing business technologies and provides time for project adjustments and new projects. Project managers also need to promote communication among their teams and down from the senior positions. This also includes considering business interests such as organization image. Conclusion Project management provides clearly defined procedures for efficacy in execution of projects. Projects are meant to attain, specific objectives of the organization. These objectives should be in line with the goals of general organization. Prince2 and PMBOK are two methodologies that are employed in the project management. Prince2 provides efficacy and stages of project management that project managers are needed to adhere to. However, there are also differences between PMBOK and prince in terms of the processes, and delivering guidelines for project management. Bibliography Gillen, A. Perry, R. O’Donnel,B. (2006). WHITE PAPER: Analysis of the business value of windows vista. Microsoft Clarkson I. (2010). PRINCE2 Business Benefits: Best Management Practice for Portfolio, Programme, Project, Risk and Service Management, White Paper Kanabar, V., & Warburton, R. D. H. (2008). MBA fundamentals: project management. Kaplan Pub. Kerzner, H. (2009). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, John Willey and Sons Inc. Hedeman et al. (2007). Project Management Based on Prince2, Van Haren Publishing, Netherlands, 2 Office of Government Commerce (OCG), For successful project management: Think PRINCE2, The Stationery Office, Norwich Bentley, C. (2010). PRINCE2: A Practical Handbook. Elsevier, US Great Britain. (2009). Managing successful projects with PRINCE2. London, TSO. Great Britain. (2009). Directing successful projects with PRINCE2tm. London, TSO. Stackpole, C. (2013). A user's manual to the PMBOK guide. Hoboken, N.J., Wiley. . Blokdijk, G. (2008). PMP/PMBOK: 100 success secrets-- project management professional, the missing exam study, certification preparation and project management body of knowledge guide application guide. Gerard Blokdijk. Read More