Discussion And Responses

Reflect on the assigned readings for Week 1 and then type a two page paper regarding what you thought was the most important concept(s), method(s), term(s), and/or any other thing that you felt was worthy of your understanding. Define and describe what you thought was worthy of your understanding in half a page, and then explain why you felt it was important, how you will use it, and/or how important it is in project management. After submitting your two page paper as an initial post in the “Reflection and Discussion Forum,” then type at least two peer replies in response to your classmates posts (200 word minimum each) 

Primary post is due on Thursday and secondary post is due on Saturday 

Responses: 

For Shiva Tej

The success of any organization ultimately depends on the success or failures of the projects that are undertaken. One of the concepts that I felt worthy of understanding from the reading was the lifecycle that a project has to undergo from the beginning as an idea until it can be regarded as a failure or success a completion. This is because the whole idea of project management is the backbone of any organization or entity. Projects are the lifeline of organizations and they inform the day to day operations.

Many dynamics have to play out to manage a team of different skills and attitudes to a particular objective goal and being able to execute the diversity or commonality in their skill sets to achieve certain goals in the organization is the gist of project management. The other reason why I felt it was important to have an understanding of project management is that it would help shed some light into the workings of projects as the teams given the responsibility to put their ideas into action and implement them find the best way to ensure that they can deliver quality products.

Management of projects involves a lot of components that have to be carefully brought together to ensure there is an execution of a plan and the use of the resources allocated to achieve the tasks given. How the components are used will mark the success or failure of a project because there are no fixed ways to achieve a certain result, product or service as the goal of the different projects.

Different projects are allocated different budgets and the techniques that are available for use ae not similar. The individuals tasked with leading the project have to find a healthy way to compromise between all the inadequacies so that the final products represent the best possible use of resources. The size of the project is a factor that has to be taken into consideration and this has many meanings depending on the industry, the size of the entity undertaking the project among other considerations. The leadership has to take control of the project so that it can present a common goal for the different team members who are to implement the requirements of the project.

 Another concept that was very interesting to learn from the first chapter was the difference between soft and hard skills. The integration between these different skills to ensure that the techniques could be used for a common objective was worthy of my understanding. The realization that all projects have a lifecycle during which the plan has to unravel from realization to the last stage where the results are given. During this lifecycle, the different stages follow a certain model which needs to be approved from one stage to the next. These stages form a sieve during which certain small goals and tasks can be measured depending on the scope of the project.

The success of projects is always a direct boost to the overall benefits that an organization achieves considering the availability of different constraints. Following some of the best practices is a good way to ensure that the projects that are undertaken are not a waste of the resources an organization has including time and finance. “Projects occur for most of the time as organizations strive to produce a product or deliver a service”. (Milosevic, & Srivannaboon, 2006). The temporary nature of projects gives enough time for the learning in a practical nature the dynamics that have learned in an actual sense such as working with colleagues and a team. 

References

Milosevic, D. Z., & Srivannaboon, S. (2006). A theoretical framework for aligning project management with business strategy. Project Management Journal, 37(3), 98-110.

Response 2 for Sana Khan:

Why Companies are Using Project Management?

According to (Kloppenborg, Anantatmula, & Wells, 2019), the number one reason why companies are using Project Management is that it provides companies more control over determining and controlling the schedules for the project.

Major Activities and Deliverables at Project Life Cycle

Project Life Cycle is defined as the chain of events that occur in a project from its inception to its completion. Some major activities and deliverables that are involved in the project life cycle include initiating, planning, executing and closing. Some deliverables of project life cycle include selection analysis, a project charter, project progress report, the Work Breakdown Structure, a project plan, project result and measuring benefits (Kloppenborg, Anantatmula, & Wells, 2019).

Ten Knowledge Areas and Five Process Groups of The Project Management

According to the PMI PMBOK, there are ten knowledge areas of Project Management. These knowledge areas include integration, scope, scheduling, scot, quality, resources, communications, risk, procurement and stakeholder management.

The five process groups include initiating the project, planning the project, executing the project, monitoring and controlling the project and finally closing the project (Kloppenborg, Anantatmula, & Wells, 2019).

Measures of Project Success and Failure

Project success and failures are determined and/or measured in various ways, such as if the clients’ needs are met, if the deliverables have been used and customer is satisfied. Factors like unclear requirements, changes ins cope or scope creep, inadequate planning (scheduling, resources and budget) lead to project failure (Kloppenborg, Anantatmula, & Wells, 2019).

Important Techniques in the Project Management

I strongly believe that all 10 knowledge areas defined by the Project Management Institute are extremely important for the success of any project, whether it is a small or a large project. For example, using a solid selection criterion lays out a solid foundation for the upcoming project. A feasibility study plays an important role and helps the Project Managers cherry pick the best projects. Likewise, setting a project scope is also extremely important since it will put the project on the right track. In real world examples, scope creep is a serious problem that almost every project face. It is very important to make sure all the requirements are clear and easy to understand.

Stakeholder management is another important aspect of the Project Management because sometimes Stakeholders may want to change the scope of the project. This can lead to complications and any changes in the scope will affect project’s quality, schedule and budget. To avoid this from happening, change management should be kept into consideration. Project Managers should have a solid and clear change management plan in place to handle tough stakeholders. When measuring project success, it is important to look at the benefits achieved from the project. Project benefits should be sustainable to ensure project success.

According to my personal experience, unclear requirements, inadequate planning and scope creep lead to project delays and failure. To make sure a project does not have any of these factors, it is important to invest in good effort in project initiation and planning phases.

In conclusion, some important Project Management tools that can put a project on the path of success include a project planning, project charter, clearly defined scope, change management, and a WBS.

References

Kloppenborg, T., Anantatmula, V., & Wells, K. (2019). Contemporary project management (4th ed).  Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.