Project Management and the Transformation System In this research paper, the author discussed he concept of project management employing in a construction firm. The author described briefly, the mission of construction organization, i.e. its product and services, intended markets, and how the product or service is distinct from those offered by competitors. The author also analyzed the scope of integration of project management concepts such as; Project Planning, Portfolio, Life Cycle, Team Management, Scheduling and Controlling the Project. Firms can benefit by integrating project management concepts to overcome the issues like team management, planning and managing. A project is considered winning if it completes on time, goes on to follows a pre-set schedule, remain within the provided budget, and finally its customers are pleased. For successful completion and for the satisfaction of costumers, it should have a specific time frame and must achieve the prior set targets by deploying resources both men and materials.

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Organization Information 4

Defining Project 4

Planning the Project 5

The Project Life Cycle 6

Project Initiation Phase 6

Project Planning Phase 7

Project Execution Phase 9

Project Planning Phase 9

Project Execution Phase 11

Organizing the Project Teams 12

Performance Appraisal 14

Knowledge Management 16

Building a Team of Knowledge Experts through Training and Development 16

Conclusion 18

References 20

Project Management and the Transformation System

Introduction

A project is considered winning it completes on time, goes on to follows a pre-set schedule, remain within the provided budget, and finally its customers are pleased (Phillips, 2009). Though this definition describes the customary approach to project management success idea, a fresh aspect to defining in general project success has come out. This new aspect of project success, concerns with the requirement to associate project management with the project's end product.

Or it can be said that project success in no more considered within the boundaries of meeting the project restraints of scope, time, and cost; somewhat, it is a premeditated relationship that attaches the final creation to the end-user's approval beleaguered to attain on the whole project objective (project success). Shenhar and Dvir (2007), defines this new approach to project success as business-related procedures that are planned to carry business effects somewhat than a set of project actions that have to be finished on agenda.

Organization Information

I am currently working in a construction firm as a project manager. The organization takes construction projects from all around the country. For this purpose the firm has hired Engineers, Architects, Project Managers and other Staff. The mission of the organization is to provide construction services satisfying customer's requirements within the given budget. For this purpose each project needs to be planned and executed and completed effectively.

Defining Project

A project as defined by K.G. Lockyer (2005) has a definite time frame with definite beginning and end points and is anticipated to attain a decided set of goals by developing the resources both human and materials. Project Management is more and more becoming a vital part of every organization for the reason that with the increasing rate of vastly changing technology the businesses have to adapt it and in the business environment with rigid competition as discussed by K.G. Lockyer (2005). Thus it is necessary for business organization to integrate project management concepts so at easily respond to the competition and rapidly bring about the objectives and thus can attain competitive advantage in its area of business.

Planning the Project

Planning is a necessary part of every project and it is upon the project leadership to effectively plan the project. This is also necessary because planning vital not merely to proficiently administer the project but also to carry out the phases of the project professionally employing the available resources as well as the workforce. The truth that the transition of the project from one phase to second is promising merely through the effectual management of the project manager who recognizes the suitable workers to perform a particular job a known phase and also successfully administers the transition of the leadership and power flanked by leaders of the teams contained by the project, making it obvious that the planning and control of the project is a necessary management factor that a leader must possess. It is also interesting to note that in a managerial situation, the term planning is mostly used dissimilar from leadership even as in a project management situation planning cuddles leadership. Thus is clear that...

By controlling and planning, the leader will be able to eliminate the wastage of resources as well as its best use. The augment in the usage of equivalent procedure and serial procedure methods through the Gant charts thus makes it more clear that the effectual planning is an necessary leadership trait for the effective management of the procedures and organize them jointly at suitable points. (K. G. Lockyer, 2005)
The Project Life Cycle

This term consults total life cycle of a project from beginning to finish, that is to say, the beginning, development, implementation, scrutinizing or scheming, and exclude phases (Watson, 2009).

Project Initiation Phase

Activities that are taken up by project planners in the ignition phase score the beginning points of a project. Shenhar et al. (2007) described that the initiation stage in a project life cycle characterizes the strategic significance of the project to the enterprise. Other project management experts have stated the start up phase of a project as the stage that describes and approves the project; engages the recognition of a need, an issue, or occasion; and can bring about the client asking for a proposal from a possible performing organization (Gido & Clements, 2006).

This stage is distinguished by the endorsement of a project charter. The authority to start on the project or phase is prearranged in the course of a project charter. Kerzner (2006) argued that the endorsement of the project charter is a standard procedure that over and over again is absent in organizations. Additionally Kerzner states that the project charter must be utilized to allow work on the project; describe the power, liability, and responsibility of the project team; and set up capacity limits for the project. Other major effectual practices in this stage of the project life cycle, as stated by Khang and Moe (2008), are to recognize the possible recipients and review if there is a need of develop; bring into line the development preferences of supporters, the capabilities of possible executing organizations, and the development of requirements; build up and assess project substitutes; and produce awareness and hold up major stakeholders.

In brief, creation of a project charter is the final objective of the project initiation phase this phase prior to the beginning of before the project planning in the project life cycle. The project charter is usually a document consisting one-page that holds the first round project capacity declaration and opening budget; approves the project commencement meeting; and approves the project manager, the person responsible for the supervision of the whole project's planning, execution, monitoring and closing stages.

Project Planning Phase

"If there is no plan, there is no control" (Hutka, 2009). Project controlling phase is very important and must not be overlooked. Dai and Wells (2004) discussed that project failure rates have been high in spite the fact that there are benefits of employing all the project management techniques. Resultantly, project planning techniques have gained great importance and interests among organizations and researchers on the basis that need exists to appropriately control and manage large-scale projects to restrain this failure rate.

Successful planning has a contribution in implementing the innovative concepts and manipulates the creative problem-solving procedure at a very early phase of project development. It also enables precise cost approximation to be shaped. Additionally it plays a role of an early warning system and forces the project team to remain focused in achieving their target. Successful planning also lessens risks related to project and helps in the on time completion of the project. Successful planning can assist in developing the strategic information for customers to deal with risk and make a decision whether to entrust funds to take full advantage of the possibility of a successful project

Other scholars in the field of project management have described project planning as the system for rendering intentional objectives into tactical actions; an iterative process handled within the planning procedure group; it is an art of asking, Who, What, When, Why, How Much, and How Long? And the purpose as what is needed to be done, by whom, and by when with the intention of fulfilling one's allocated liability; homework to allocate the resources; to determine of the particulars about the project; and the course of how to define and mature project limits, to develop the project management strategy, and identify and schedule the project actions that must happen within the project (PMI, 2004). Thus planning for project is not a one-time approach; relatively, it is a continuous process. Phillips (2004) asserted that project managers along with the team members come up to the planning processes as many times as they feel a need during the project.…