The author also explains the risks associated with certain contracts. Performance assessment is another important issue that arises in the book. Kerzner asserts that the performance of workers should be assessed for several reasons. One of the primary reasons for assessment is to determine both the mistakes and the successes experienced by a team when working on a project. These experiences can be used to assist management teams in the future. Additionally assessment can be used to offer team members incentives. These incentives will provide the team members with the motivation needed to excel in the future. It is important that organization also establish for workers a system in which what is expected of them is evident. Some projects fail simply because people do not understand what is expected of them. Performance assessments establish the standards that the organization desires to have.

Qualilty Management is also discussed in the book. In some cases managers get so involved in organizing the project that quality management is ignored. Quality management is important because any organization wants to have consistent standards as it pertains to the products that they produce. To this end project managers have to make certain that the quality of the products is monitored and found to be consistent with the quality that the organization finds acceptable. Quality management is also important because a poor quality product can be rejected and profitability can suffer as a result.

Kerzner also places some emphasis on modern project management. The author discusses new models and methodology. He explains the ways in which these new models can be influential in the context of newer business models. There is an emphasis placed on finding and implementing the appropriate model for the project that has to be accomplished. If the wrong...

Therefore project managers must pay special attentions to the models that they choose.
Finally the book discusses the characteristics of the project office. The author emphasizes that certain attributes are consistent with a successful project office. For instance the office should be organized and everyone in the office should be aware of and know their roles in the process. In addition the author explains that there can be different types of project offices depending on the industry and the type of product that is produced. However, managers must be certain that the office environment is in congruence with the type of project that is occurring. The wrong type of office environment could be disastrous.

Conclusion

The purpose of this discussion was to examine the book Project Management a systems approach to planning, scheduling and controlling by Harold Kerzner. Overall, the book contains a great deal of information concerning the manner in which project management should be carried out. Although the primary focus of the book is on project management, there are also many other topics that are explored. These topics such as risk management, time and stress management and how to work with executives can be utilized inside and outside the context of project management. Kerzner does a good job of exposing the various aspects of project management to the reader. The book also explores what issues need to be avoided by project managers that want to be successful. On the whole this book provides a firm foundation for project managers and organizations seeking to adopt a project management strategy.