Project of Building the New Club - Essay Example

December 23, 2007 The owner of Benimhanna Project Manager Successfully managing this project of building the new club Beingassigned the office of Project Manager, I would first try to develop an understanding of what my Project is about and how am I supposed to carry on with it. Many documents such as Project Scope, requirements analysis, contract documents, plan and drawing, Project Execution Plan, contracting and purchasing plan, equipment lists, installation plan and testing plan would enable me to thoroughly understand the project. This major project has to be done piece meal. As Project Manager I would use the drill down technique to break it into sub projects. The sub projects would include Civil Works, Mechanical Works, HVAC Works, Electrical Works, and other works like those involving the construction of the swimming pool and the cinema hall. Then I would appoint sub project managers to supervise these sub projects. These sub project managers would be well versed with their area of concern. Once the sub projects have been identified, it is time to move to the project planning phase. The activities and tasks involved in the sub projects would be highlighted and then scheduled. Civil works would include laying the foundation of water heaters; different health fitness machines and HVAC equipments. Civil structure and finishing for the cinema Hall and the swimming pool are also included under this sub project. Other civil tasks which have to be done before any other sub project is initiated include trenching for laying of utilities lines such as electrical cables, hot water, and cold water piping and drainage lines. Numerous activities shall be associated with the sub- project Electrical Works. For instance installation and erection of electrical sub station, laying down cables, installation of Motor Control Centers, installation and commissioning of instrumentation and electrical works. Some activities shall be specific to a particular system. For example the swimming pool system shall include filing pumps, vacuum pumps, filters, underwater lights, jumping board etc. Obviously while constructing the cinema hall we will have to keep several factors in mind like avoiding reverberations, good quality audio and stereo system. Therefore another project to be added to our list of sub projects would be the Cinema Hall Sub Project. Here various tasks specific to the construction of the cinema hall, like the installation of acoustic system, sound system, HVAC system and fire alarm and fighting system would be carried out. After all I do not want the club users to be complaining about poor sound quality and bad air conditioning. Last but no the least is the Mechanical and Plumbing Works Sub Project. This would further be broken down into different parts like operation of water heaters, installation of plumbing systems with fittings, installation of fitness machines and the HVAC system. The significance of the work breakdown structure is emphasized in some articles. "In a hectic business environment, project fundamentals such as scope definition and the Work Breakdown Structure often take a backseat to a "just get going" mentality.(Wright,C.,2007) Once I have defined the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) as above, I would move unto the planning phase. The project planning matrices would help me here. Three components, which can be controlled and measured using this plan, time, cost and resources, are drawn in triangular form whereby an imbalance in one shall have an impact on the other two. Another tool would be the project planning cycle. The project is first planned, then executed, then monitored and then reviewed. If there are some flaws detected during the review phase then the cycle is repeated again otherwise we move towards the project closure phase. Planning software's would also prove beneficial in the planning phase. Project planning beings with the time plan. Therefore I would first schedule the sub projects. According to some sources" This project schedule will become a primary tool for the Project Manager to assess the progress of the project" (method 123). Let's analyze why projects go bad. "It's no surprise that most bad projects-particularly the ones that organizations repeat every few years-are flawed because the front end plan is weak or was never attempted. It's up to the Project Manager to get the real definition of success before the project starts." (Billows, D., 2003) However a prerequisite for this would be categorization of activities and tasks into dependent and independent (parallel), also defining their start and finish dates. Until and unless the Civil Works sub project is not completed the Mechanical Works Sub Project can not be inaugurated. Thus these activities cannot take place side by side, and their start and finish dates are to be adjusted accordingly. However Mechanical work and electrical works are parallel activities. Once I am done with scheduling I would use the critical path method to highlight the milestones in this project. The critical path would actually elucidate the activity or set of activities which take the longest time for completion. Being the most time consuming it would inevitably affect the project closure time. In this particular project, the construction of the cinema hall would appear on the critical path. The Resource plan would follow the time plan. I would determine the type and amount of resources required. Thus I would use foresight and experience to predict the quantity of manpower, materials, and equipment needed. According to sources:" The most important aspects of the project/sub project Manager's job concern human beings are: Evaluating the properties of people, Allocating people to activities, Motivating people in their work, Communicating with people Thus the hopes, fears, attitudes and actions of human beings are the prime concern of the project Manager. Therefore as a minimum requirement, the Project Manager should like people". (R.Hed, Sven, 1973, p.141) Therefore I am supposed to assess the skills of the workforce in addition to resource allocation. To be successful in the above endeavor I have to establish liaison with the project team, and thus be an excellent communicator in addition to a leader. In this project the equipment required would include fitness machines, air-conditioning equipment, audio system, equipment for spray tanning and non surgical facelifts, and equipment for conferencing. The material required would include building blocks for construction purposes, pipes and fixtures, and furniture. The materials schedule strongly tied up with the construction schedule will result in "just in time" concept of material procurement. To be really successful it requires continuous follow up on the vendors selected for supplying materials. Having multiple suppliers just in case one fails to deliver so that the project schedule is not affected After completion of the resource plan I would move onto the next plan-the financial plan. Once again my communication skills are going to be tested. For chalking out the financial plan I need to collaborate with the owner of Benimhanna. The cost of different allocated resources would be determined. This is an essential step because later the cost effectiveness would be calculated by comparing the actual spending with the forecasted spending. Two important tools to help me in financial planning would be Project cost estimate and project cost budget. Now that the resources and the costs are known it is time to move onto the quality plan. After all the Project Manager's prime concern is the stakeholder's satisfaction. For this I would like to make forms and questionnaires to become well acquainted the final consumers, the investors and the owner's interests an expectations. These Review forms would enable us to know what the customer wants from my project group. Thus we could easily assure them of the standards used by us. Then a Quality Assurance Plan and a quality control plan would be construed. Use document forms and compare with standard criterion. Then I would use modeling software to create a prototype of our original plan. This would aid me in the risk plan. Whereby I would see the possible problems which are foreseeable. And then see to what extent these are preventable, and propose a possible solution(s).Potential risks in his project are: Cash flow problems Critical activity might slip leading to late completion of the project Delays in material procurement Design changes during the execution phase Lack of co-ordination between sub projects managers. Forced Measures such as Acts Of God Bankruptcy of the construction company Strikes Poor quality of workmanship leading to reworks and consequent delays in the execution of the project Project cost exceeding the approved budget Safety related incidents The possible solutions are: Strict monitoring of the agreed construction schedule and taking prompt actions to avoid holdups and delays. Strict monitoring of the cost incurred against the cumulative progress of scheduled work will ensure the release of the funds for the phase of activities. Prompt payments to contractors to avoid cash flow problem and working with them in resolution of the technical and other problems. Project tools such as Gantt chart and PERT and critical path analysis should be used to manage time and to ensure that the activities on the critical path do not slip. Resource Levelling-"Resource levelling is a function that allows you to optimize the use of resources by delaying activities and adjusting resources to reduce the peaks in the histograms."(E Harris,2001,p.18-1) Procurement schedule follow-up and communication with suppliers. Freeze design before execution. Inevitable changes due to physical constraints must be regularized and approved prior to starting work so that cost and time control is kept within limit Develop team spirit. Coordinate meetings and prompt resolution of issues. Thus, as Project Manager, I have to know how to deal with people and get things done. As according to sources:" The three skill groups a Project Manager must have in order to be effective: a technical skills group, a Project Management skills group and a peoples skill group."( B.Cagle,2005, p.23) Quality Assurance an Quality control plan must be followed in letter and spirit Strictly adhere to cost allocation of different projects Make the workers educated in line of safety hazards so as to increase safety awareness. Also identification of potential safety hazards and unsafe acts should be carried out by conducting daily safety talks for increased participation and involvement of workers towards safe execution of the project. Strict enforcement of safe work permits. This risk plan should be documented and would be consulted during the project execution phase. After completion of the risk plan we shall move unto the acceptance plan. The criterion to gain customer support shall be listed in document forms. Then I would, with the help of the project team, make a communications plan. Here the methods to show progress to all the stakeholders shall be depicted. The method best suited would be through our clubs official website, and emailing newsletters to stakeholders. As Project Manager I am to ensure that the people benefiting from the project are to be satisfied. As according to sources:" The stakeholders involved with a project may be many and possibly diverse in several respects including interests, needs and priorities. Satisfying the stakeholders is one of the key objectives of the project and the project manager."(Brandon, p.22) Finally comes the procurement plan .The Review forms and registers of various suppliers are to be consulted .And the supplier providing better and cheaper product is to be selected. Contracts are to be given and copies of these are to be kept in an official register. Copies of material procured are to be kept in the records as well. Now once the project planning is completed we shall move towards the project execution phase. This is a very critical phase in my office as Project Manager. I have to be extremely attentive about minute details. All the activities previously on paper are to be started. I have to supervise these activities. During this phase I might re-allocate resources where needed. Time management is critical throughout this phase. The critical path is to be monitored carefully, deleting and adding activities where necessary. Useful tools like Gantt chart, PERT and Critical path analysis are used for this purpose. According to sources, "when a project is under way, Gantt Charts help you to monitor whether the project is on schedule. If it is not, it allows you to pinpoint the remedial action necessary to put it back on schedule."(Mindtools, 2007) While "Critical Path Analysis formally identifies tasks which must be completed on time for the whole project to be completed on time, and also identifies which tasks can be delayed for a while if resource needs to be reallocated to catch up on missed tasks. A further benefit of Critical Path Analysis is that it helps you to identify the minimum length of time needed to complete a project. Where you need to run an accelerated project, it helps you to identify which project steps you should accelerate to complete the project within the available time. This helps you to minimize cost while still achieving your objective." (Mindtools, 2007) Similarly for Cost Management the allocated budget is to be strictly followed. Usually a spreadsheet is made listing the cost of resources and miscellaneous expenditure. This would then be compared with the forecasted prices and thus profitability determined. A status report, to monitor the, progress is kept. During the execution phase I am supposed to encourage the team members and communicate with them. According to Gary Heerkens:" Motivation is all about recognizing a need that exists within an individual and finding a way to satisfy that need. This is a key point in understanding how to develop a high performing team."(2001, p.20) This might mean holding meetings with them frequently and instilling in them the spirit of team work and collaboration. Thus liaison between me and my project team is essential for the success of this project. I have to ensure that my team is never demoralized because a team which is disheartened can not perform well. Also I have to gain my workforces trust, give them responsibilities and appreciate hard work. This would help create a healthy work environment. After all sources, say about Project Manager," They are genuinely interested in unleashing the full potential of their employees. As a result, they are not simply task focused and expand a considerable amount of time and energy creating workforce cultures that enable their staff to run with the ball themselves and perform to the best of their abilities."(Forster, 2005, p.74) I am supposed to be ready for some surprises i.e. trouble because of some unforeseen loopholes. However my decision making are restricted by the project limits. The Governing Group is to be consulted if a decision is no within the project limit. For instance if a change in the design has to take place during the execution, the owner has to be consulted before any step is taken .Plus the workforce is to be trained to manage stress, and about safety hazards as well. As the project execution draws to a close, a review of this phase is to be conducted. To ensure that all the milestones of the project execution phase have been successfully achieved. Thereby assuring that the project is completed within time, quality and budget. The implementation review follows and finally the project closure. Every successful start must have a perfect ending as well. As Project Manager I am supposed to ensure that the project documentation is handed, phase reviews have been completed, contracts have been closed, and the project successfully completed. Bibliography B.Cagle, R.2005.Your Successful Project Management Career. New York. AMACON Brandon, Dan. Project Management or Modern Information Systems. United States Of America.IRM Press Billows, Dick. Project Planning: Really the Creative first step,22.12.2007, E Harris,P.1999.Planning Using Primavera Project Planner P3 Forster, N.2005.Maximum Performance a Practical Guide to leading and managing people at work. Massachusetts. Edward Elgar Publishing Inc Heerkens.G.2001.Project Management. McGraw-Hill Professional Mind Tools, GanttCharts.22.12.2007, Mind Tools, Critical Path Analysis & PERT Charts.22.12.2007, Project Management Guidebook. Also available from website, 1973. Project Control Manual. Sven R.Hed. Wright, Chris. September 27, 2007, 3 Steps to a Well-Defined Project Plan, 22.12.2007, . Read More