The paper looks at the project management adn the challenges faced within two organizations: AT&T as well as Huawei Inc. It looks at the similarities in the challenges as well as the differences and also at the way the two companies faced and solved these challenges in unique approaches.
Project Management
AT&T is a leader in communication technology that connects people all over the world. Just as their customers and business depend on them and their services to remain connected, AT&T depends on the internal resources they have particularly project and program managers so that they can remain as the best service providers. Huawei is a Chinese Telecom giant that deals with products such as fixed-line communications, optical transmission, mobile communications, data communications as well as mobile terminals and handsets. Huawei technologies saw the need for the inclusion of project management for the tools and techniques so that it ensures the strategies proved effective, efficient and profitable. This paper looks at AT&T and Huawei and the steps they took when it came to the improvement of their portfolio management process within the corporation.
First, current situation within the two organizations when it comes to project management can be examined as follows; AT&T fosters project management culture and the improvement of individual and organizational competencies so that it can institute common standards therefore it established project management centre of excellence (PMCOE). This targets 10,000 project managers, program managers and supervisors as well as those who hold project management professional credentials in the company. This aims for internal recognition as resource for consulting in project management, training, mentoring, processes tools and techniques. Huawei on the other hand launched project management development program which is comprehensive so that it can bolster the core competencies and at the same time meet challenges of the competitive market internationally that has been increasing.
These efforts by the two organizations were not quite effective due to various challenges that they faced that saw a need for the improvement of project management. AT&T faced a great challenge with its PMCOE during project activities. There was merging of two companies that were very distinct in project management improvement SBC and AT&T which had different areas of focus. This saw the need for PMCOE to re-evaluate the entire project and find an appropriate way the strengths of both organizations. PMCOE also found it difficult in the determination of the mode best fit to support the 10,000 employees of the AT&T project management team. It would also be a challenge to maintain effective and efficient communication which is a very key element to ensure success of PMCOE. With a great size of the PM population, it would be necessary for the PMCOE to determine the best way to share information on this large scale (AT&T, Inc. 2004). Huawei on the other hand having recognized that project management is a critical aspect for the sustainable development, there was still a serious problem when it comes to planning and logistical challenges. This is due to the fact that the number of employees and projects is very large about 14000 and above. This challenge is very crucial to the company especially due to the fact that it is an overseas business that has gone through expansion. The expansion to five continents came along with a cross-culture and country project management challenge despite the fact that the expansion was the initial key driver in terms of revenue and profit. The expansion of Huawei saw its transition to a provider of comprehensive telecommunication solutions from manufacturing hence a more complex project management was required. Internal challenges were also inevitable including change in management structure and project manager position created and incorporation of project management as part of a development tool for the organization.
These two organizations took steps towards the improvement of project management; AT&T through the PMCOE used a project management methodology that was in line with A Guide to project management Body of Knowledge whose first priority was ensuring that there is smooth merger of the PM practices of the two companies. It was done in a five step process that involves an initiation process, planning process, actual execution process, the monitoring and controlling process and finally the closing process. To ensure that AT&T supports a project management community, consultants were established by the PMCOE in support of business units in the company. Communication being a vital aspect for the success of the project, formal communications management plan was established by PMCOE. Huawei used a different approach through the establishment of mechanisms for the training and development of project managers as well as strengthening practices and processes involved in project management. The program aimed to set up project management competency and procedures and a platform that will improve project manager's knowledge and performance, development of about 100 project managers and finally establish channels that will be used for the improvement of project management for external cooperation. Just like AT&T, Huawei used a guide to project management Body of Knowledge as a basis the project development program.
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