Project Manager Essays (Examples)

Project Manager for an Engineering Firm: Job Description

As a project manager for an engineering firm, I am under no illusion whatsoever that my job will be an easy one. This is more so the case given the project intensive nature of engineering industries. In an attempt to enhance my understanding of my prospective job position, I come up with a detailed job description for the aforementioned position.

Job Description

oles and esponsibilities

Project managers for engineering firms are largely responsible for not only the development but also the supervision of various projects. They take the appropriate steps to ensure that the said projects observe a host of pre-determined conditions in relation to safety, quality as well as cost. A project manager's job description according to Lessard and Lessard (2007):

usually requires that the project manager define the scope of project, form a team, identify stakeholders, identify decision-makers, and establish…

Project manager scenario: How to 'fix' the project

It has come to our attention that a number of our employees have resigned from a recent project and have created their own company with the funding of a competitor. The first consideration we must discuss is a legal one, namely that company secrets might be used in their new effort. "A non-disclosure agreement is a written legal contract between an employer and employee. The non-disclosure agreement lays out binding terms and conditions that prohibit the employee from disclosing company confidential and proprietary information… [including but not limited to] proprietary knowledge, trade secrets, client or product information, strategic plans, and other information that is confidential and proprietary to the company with competitors" (Heathfield 2013). There are serious concerns that the employees may have violated their agreement, and the legal staff should be consulted to protect the interests of the firm.

In addition…

There is a delicate balance there between natural leadership abilities and office politics, and the employee who crosses it often finds himself or herself ostracized from the group because of the idea that he or she tried to 'take over' the group. In truth, though, that take over had to come from somewhere if the project was to be completed on time and correctly.

A project can be completed without strong leadership, but with what kind of quality as the result? Projects without strong leaders are not as good. They do not have as much thought put into them, and people do not make enough of an effort to ensure that they are done correctly. They can make a break a department or a company if they are big projects that are undertaken or presented to others. They need good leaders who will stay around and see them through.

What…

project manager, what is your opinion about risk-Taking?

It is impossible to characterize risks as 'good' or 'bad.' The question is if the risks of the project are outweighed by the potential gains the project may offer. "Taking big risks can be beneficial to a firm that is able to accept them because it enables opportunity. For this reason, risk must be defined as including the probability of both good and bad outcomes" (Kwak & LaPlace 2005: 691). Risk-taking is an essential component of business, given that the future is always unknown. Yet the project manager must do all he or she can plan for likely future scenarios to mitigate unnecessary risks and ensure that the risks that are undertaken are likely to benefit the organization, improve its fortunes, and cause minimal harms.

It is vital that risk-taking does not become a 'cover up' for sloppy planning. Allowing a project…

Project Managers Oversee Virtual Project Teams in the Manufacturing Industry with Consideration for Effective Communication

The researcher has taken this matter ' How Can Project Managers Oversee Virtual Project Teams in the Manufacturing Industry with Consideration for Effective Communication' since the researcher has felt there was a growing demand in project management to address this concern.

Thanks to a rising global competition, today's companies are no longer limited by geographic location. Globalization drives a lot of companies into developing markets and low income nations so that they can take advantage of their intellectual capital, and minimize the cost of operation. A recent study by the Garner Group, states that by the year 2008, 41 million corporate employees will work in a virtual workplace at least one day per week [Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.com, "Virtual Teams"]. In this literature review we will look at the challenges of the virtual team communication in the…

Following the discussion presented in the paragraphs here above, we may conclude that, as a risk factor, a decision made by the customer that would imply modifying the initial requirements of the projects would have direct implications in terms of time, resources and scope used on the project, mainly due to the need to relocate and rethink the original plan of the project, increasing time and human resource initially spent on it.

8. Two of the main issues that project management and project managers face in term of projects are related to falling behind schedule and to over budgeting. The Earned Value Analysis solution is an excellent way to deal with both at the same time. The EAV measures the way a project has evolved through its different phases and helps forecast the eventual cost at deadline, along with the variances that may occur along the way.

Of course, if…

Project Management and Business Strategy

How and why project managers need to be able to contribute to business strategy?

Every complex organization engaged in commercial activity relies heavily on the support systems designed, implemented and supervised by project managers, because "the project manager ensures that the project, once defined, is executed efficiently by managing the day-to-day activites, reporting directly to the client on project related issues" (Pellegrinelli and Bowman, 1994, pp. 125-132). The overall strategic objectives outlined by members of an executive management structure require adept project management to ensure that deadlines are met in timely fashion, budgetary restrictions are adhered to, and deliverables conform to the specifications provided by clients. Within the specific field of information technology (IT) project management, the use of quality control and quality assurance (QC / QA) programs involves the precise application of numerous tools, techniques, principles and practices designed to ensure that IT projects…

Project Manager vs. Product Owner

What are the differences in organizational structure?

TPM (Traditional Project Management practices) projects adhere to a very thorough plan which is formulated prior to doing any work on the venture. The basis of this plan is the notion that the solution or goal is explicitly defined at the outset. Aside from small deviations brought about by requests for change, the project goes along the plan, and the solution is attained. This approach's success is founded on accurate goal specification in the project definition phase and preliminary scoping activities.

APF (adaptive project framework) projects also keep to a comprehensive plan; however, this plan is not developed at the project's onset. ather, it is developed in steps, as each cycle defining the project's life cycle attains completion. Project timeframe and budget are laid down at the beginning. Following each cycle's completion, the client as well as project…

Project Management and Information Systems

Project managers can assist in the organization of information systems, which in turn can aid businesses in integrating security and infrastructural needs to facilitate business objectives. Indeed, a business user can be directly involved in the core activities of building an information system. Software development methodologies (such as agile development) are just one example of the type of means by which project managers can apply themselves to the task of organizing IS in order to benefit both IS development and the business's own infrastructure. Thus, project/IT managers can ensure that IS development projects are aligned with business strategies and goals by providing oversight, leadership, direction and integrative formulas for success. This paper will examine each of these points to show that project management, information systems development, and business organization are overlapping issues that are central to every firm's overall progress.

As Mir and Pinnington (2014)…

Teams should also work together to negotiate key issues so everyone will interact in a smooth manner working in a "linear fashion" toward the project goals and objectives (Hansen, 103).

How Threats Create A Cohesive Team

Significant threats, including those imposed by war or natural disaster, often bring team members together into a cohesive unit, more so than at other times. Teams come together when faced with significant threats such as this because they are uniting under a common cause and condition; typically the threat puts each member equally at risk, and team members recognize the importance of pulling together as a unit to overcome a natural disaster (Green & Knippen, 1999). The source of cohesiveness is often recognition of a common threat and common goals and objectives, namely to overcome the particular threat.

Once a threat has passed team members may either remain cohesive or fall back into dysfunctional…

Due in part to globalization, businesses around the world now require a large degree of project management and innovation. Project management enables companies to maintain their competitive position relative to peers in the industry. To maintain this position management must ensure that time and costs are controlled throughout the duration of the project. This is a critical element as it helps to determine the overall financial performance of a department or business segment within an organization. Strong financial performance ultimately allows the company to continue to innovate as it plows profits into new and better projects. The process of controlling costs and time on specific projects is know as earned value management and is critical to overall organizational success. Through this process management can better detect early warning signs related to projects and proceed to enact mitigation efforts in order to alleviate concerns.Identify and discuss your projects greatest challenges (at…

IT Project Manager

Information Technology is a very wide area that needs technical expertise and up-to-date knowledge on the latest innovations and developments. Technology is very dynamic and the technology developers are unveiling more user friendly systems on a daily basis making Information Technology Industry very competitive. Through the use of Technology, information sharing has become an easy task as news on the latest technological advancements is shared with the rest of the world in real time.

Consumers of technology products have become wary and more sophisticated in their consumption which dictates the pace at which the advancements and new inventions take place. The sophisticated lifestyles of human beings have created the need and the demand for state of the art technologies which have evolved from the traditional use of the desktop devices and other massive devices to pocket hand held devices which process equally more and faster information on…

skills that project managers need to be successful. Briefly describe the project management skill that you believe is most important. Explain why you believe it is most important and whether and how it can be learned.

One of the most important skills for a project manager to possess is time management skills. Time management skills affect the project in a multitude of different ways. All projects are limited by time by definition and the project schedule is one of the three greatest restraining factors in project management. Therefore in this aspect, time management is central to the success of the overall project. Software development projects are often complex associations of various activities and therefore managing in such an environment takes advanced time management skills.

However, there is another facet to time management that affects the productivity of a project manager and that is their personal time management skills. Although this…

construct a team, excluding project manager, 5 memebers, basic skilled. extensive outsourcing. Overtime allowed a 1 meeting .

Project Management

Delphi Printers and Peripherals is a leading firm activating the field of telecommunications and information technology, within the specific niche of printers and peripheral products. The organization has consolidated its position through the high quality of its products, as well as the creation and enforcement of a strong company image.

Today, Delphi Printers and Peripherals is developing a new printer, that would operate at quality standards superior to those of any of the previous products. Still, this endeavor is overshadowed by the fact that one of Delphi's primary competitors is currently creating a similar product, which would soon be launched within the market.

In this context, it is the desire of Delphi Printers and Peripherals to speed up the production process, in order to ensure that they come to launch…

Deputy Program Manager

Proposed Position:

Deputy Program Manager - Key Personnel

Creation of a Deputy Project Manager position is necessary to free and properly devote the Project Manager's time, energy and focus to project managerial duties. The current program manager satisfies extensive job specifications, encompassing multiple transactions with the Military, Government employees and contracting representatives while responsible for eighty (80) employees and four (4) subcontractors in different locations. In addition to managerial tasks, these activities generate considerably time-consuming administrative, clerical and organizational tasks, including but not limited to: answering phone calls and taking messages; interfacing with customers and employees; preparing correspondence; filing; record keeping; scheduling appointments; maintaining project calendar(s); on-boarding; and check-in. These time-consuming administrative tasks consume significant amounts of time that the Project Manager could more beneficially devote to managerial responsibilities. Consequently, project management would be greatly enhanced by the appointment of a Deputy Project Manager who would chiefly…

Communication Challenges for Project Managers

Unit 3 The first article that details the pitfalls of communication for project managers is Foong's "Effective communication: a challenge to project managers." This article focuses on the various points of difficult project managers might encounter while attempting to communicate with people during the tenure of a project. Those pitfalls most eminently include a range of stakeholders, various factors of diversity for project team members, and the lack or inefficacy of a communication plan explicitly for a particular project. The diversity that project managers are sure to encounter include geographical, educational, and experiential factors that can greatly vary amongst those working on a project. Moreover, project managers need to not only create a communication plan that is inclusive of both stakeholders and team members, but they must also specifically tailor it to meet the various needs of these people (Foong, 2014).

Sweeney's "Top five communication…

Managed -- the ole of Project Manager:

Case Summary:

As a futures brokerage and clearing firm, Finvest Group invited me to explore the idea of developing a powerful trading division. Through discussions with the firm's CEO and the recommendations I provided, I was hired as a project manager and head of electronic trading. Though the firm was famous for talented brokers and excellent service, it was also renowned for total lack of technology. Some of the features of Finvest's lack of technology included few AOL accounts for several workers, dial-up connection for external communication, and a corporate network with few computers.

The major challenges in this task included changing the manager's perspective on technology and gaining respect from several executives who had worked together for years. As the project manager, I needed to design and implement a new business-wide information system. Since the company was very fragmented with workers having…

Project Management

Major Facts from the Case Study

This case study demonstrates how a project manager spends a busy day in her office by overseeing the routine activities and discussing the ongoing project with her fellow managers and lower-end staff. achel is the project manager of a large information systems project. She is responsible to supervise the job responsibilities and the progress of project activities and report them to her boss on daily basis.

Sometimes, she has to come earlier in the office in order to handle the excessive burden of work. She experiences an encouraging and supportive organizational culture in her office where all organizational members -- from top level managers to the lower level staff work collectively and whole heartedly for the achievement of organizational goals. The whole project is being supervised by a number of project managers; including achel, Neil, Victoria, etc. Other project team members include…

Project Management

Review the "Lessons Learned" section of the project risk diagram. Describe how the Lessons Learned activity helps you become a stronger project manager, who else it helps in the project team and also describe how it helps PMO. 200 words

Documenting the lessons learned is one of the most important aspects of the closure phase of the project. It is important to an individual project manager because they can reflect on their performance and find areas for improvement. A project manager, with the assistance of their team and supervisors, can find areas in their management capacity in which they can work on for future improvements. They can also make note of things that went right so that they can recreate those items in the future. For instance, if a change management procedure or a communication medium worked well then the project manager will know to use these in…

"

There are several benefits that a global consumer electronic firm could derive from inter-project learning.

First, inter-project learning allows firm to enhance project completeness. Prencipe, & Tell (2001) argue that inter-project learning allows firms to execute a project in a best method. In the present competitive market environment, project is the key to the dynamic competitive capabilities. Typically, accumulation of knowledge builds project competencies, which could enhances market performances of a global consumer electronic firm. Experience has revealed that project-based firm has been able to record high profit in the market environment. ( Brady, and Davies, 2004).Through inter-project learning, a global consumer electronic firm will be able to better estimate the project costs and this will enhance ability to deliver the project with success. Moreover, the inter-project learning will enable the company to estimate the project risks efficiently. By better evaluating the project risks, the project manager will be…

The project manager should at all times be present to monitor and ensure that it's the correct mixing of materials being done, it's the right quality of material being used, and it's the right amount of time being given to the treatment process in the different construction phases. In the event that this is not observed, and the building is erected, there's a high probability that the building will deteriorate at an early stage before its lifespan or even collapse as witnessed almost daily Zwikael and Ahn, 2011()

As a construction is ongoing, a major contribution to its success is the relationship between the different stakeholders. This includes the architect, the engineer, the owner, the contactor and the workers. In order to smoothly run the project and limit malice and incorporation, there should be a union and set goals and objectives between all these parties so as to ensure everyone…

Thirdly, having the ability to motivate the project team is a characteristic of a project manager. Projects can have ups and downs for the project team. When target dates seem far from reach, having a project manager with the ability to motivate the group by setting smaller goals and giving incentives can improve the team's morale. Communicating when things go well instead of only talking about the negative can help communication overall and help motivate the team to continue with their hard work (Bastian).

Student 2: (150 words no sources)

It is important for project managers to have effective leadership and there are several characteristics that help make someone an effective leader. A few of the most important characteristics are having patience, organizational skills, and being creative. Patience allows the project manager to deal with troublesome situations by staying calm and being able to make decisions in even the most…

Project isk Management

isks associated with projects successful completion

A project is an undertaking of human beings towards satisfying world needs. Projects are endeavors with a defined beginning and an end. Projects suffer from scope, time, cost and quality constraints. It is necessary for project managers to manage the risk of developing weak scope. Scope of a project incorporates the objectives of a project, the target population, the output and impact of that endeavor. Therefore, managers of project need to do a problem analysis, stakeholder analysis, environment analysis to know if the project is sustainable (Cleland & King, 1988). On the risk of time, managers need skills on time management. Management of projects requires one to be well versed in developing schedules. Time management involves developing systems that has a specific time of completion and start time.

Scheduling of projects includes hiring of individuals for the accomplishment of projects. There…

Project Management

How well the client's value was understood.

Normally the client's values are not understood well or possibly at all. This often results in many delays or modifications because if the values are not understood then the quality is unlikely to meet the end-users expectations. There are many ways to try to mitigate these risks in a project during the planning phase. However, there are often a wide variety of different stakeholders that may have different expectations for the project. Therefore, it is important to incorporate as many viewpoints as possible to get something of a comprehensive account of the stakeholder's values. Furthermore, in many cases stakeholders do not realize what their own values and expectations for a project actually are. Thus it is important for a project manager to try to tease out as much critical information from the stakeholders as possible so that they know how to…

Project Management

For the tax preparation software, the status would be yellow. Everything appears to be moving forward properly at this time and there have not been any reasons to get behind or to have overtime on the project. However, there is more to the issue than just what is taking place at the moment. There are concerns that may present themselves in the future, and in order to plan for these properly it is necessary to focus on what could occur based on these concerns. There are two risks that are the most important to consider. These are that it is hurricane season in Florida, where three of the developers are located, and that the one person who decided to take early retirement (and is leaving in a week) is the only person who knows how to work with the IS to get approval for the final product. All…

Project Management

Elements of Business: Project Management

Postings to the Discussion Board

The Critical Path of PET charts

Successful realization of business goals of any organization, there has to be an efficient project management in control. Most performing organizations bare witness of how the good managerial functions and change has brought to them. The critical path will always entail the sequencing of duties and events, to ensure that a project is not delayed. The critical paths of most projects are designed in search a manner that the delay or acceleration of the entire project is determined by one activity. Once one activity is altered, it leads to the entire change of project timeline. The process of creating the critical path in most cases requires activity sequencing (Sawyer, 2009).

Prioritizing the correction of existing projects

In cases where the project has steps that follow a certain sequence, a certain task must…

The scope is also made flexible to adapt to any incoming changes that may impact the company in near future.

A single line for management of communication must be established,

Dual management lines make communications more difficult to manage. When team members receive conflicting instructions from project and functional managers, time and effort are wasted clarifying the communication. The team might be unable to react fast enough to meet changing project requirements. (ichman, 2002)

The main communication plan involves the audiences that should be reached and the format used such as for the management, it is advised to chair a meeting twice every week to address about the current situations and also to get feedback and act accordingly. For the finance department, daily feedback (either directly through a representative or indirectly through email) required on the current status of the company's finances and how they are coping with the changes.…

The use of Gantt charts for enabling interprocess integration and knowledge management in the A&D industry is a best practice for also managing process-intensive projects (Singh, Keil, Kasi, 2009). These include the development of new computer systems and advanced technologies where the project needs to capture the knowledge to fulfill its objectives. Project management's core set of tools therefore needs to be focused on how to augment and strengthen project performance while also capturing process and product knowledge critical to its success (Besner, Hobbs, 2006). The combining of Gantt charts, progress reports, change requests and the use of kick-off meetings to set objectives is critical in this regard.

ecommendations to Project Managers Using the Product Launch Activity Plan

The pro-forma Product Launch Activity Plan shown in Table 1 of the Appendix is designed to provide project managers with a framework to define a Gantt chart to manage the new product…

Therefore, it is recommended to thoroughly evaluate the company's culture in order to determine how the company in case usually influences the project management culture. Based on this evaluation, project managers can develop successful strategies (Sharma, 2010).

The approach of companies towards training programs is an important factor that must be taken into consideration. Some companies prefer to rely on the experience and knowledge of their project managers. However, this does not suffice in order to develop successful projects. It is also necessary to invest in training programs for these project managers, because this improves their skills and determines the success of the projects they are involved in. Therefore, it is important to include this in the company's culture.

2. The steps in project management are represented by: definition, planning, execution, and delivery. The definition step consists in determining the objectives, specifications, tasks, teams, and responsibilities of the project. The…

Project Management

Like things information technology management, business intelligence typically implemented form a "project" --, a special kind organizational arrangement set specific things a specific period time, opposed a regular ongoing part organizational structure.

Project management: My experience

"To be successful in the field of BI, a project team needs members with an understanding of and appreciation for the information needs of the user community as well as the technologies" (Wu 2005: 1). It is not enough for a project manager to know how the technology works 'for himself.' He or she must know why, how, and if the technology will be useful to others and will have applications in the field. The project manager must truly be someone who can wear two hats: he or she must be fully abreast of developments in the field and thoroughly understand the technology of the project. Yet the manager must also be…

Project Management

As developed in the 1950's by the U.S. Navy as a method to manage complex projects; the Program Evaluation and eview Technique (PET) "is a network diagram that visually displays the activities and milestones which are required for project completion" (NETMBA.com. N.D. PP. 1). The assembling of a PET chart requires the compilation of all tasks related to implementing and completing a project, developing activity times and their proper order, and identifying the critical path; the absolute necessity for effective project management.

In terms of creating a timeline, what is meant by the critical path of a PET chart?

The critical path is "the sequence of schedule activities that determines the duration of the project" (Makar, A. September 10, 2009. PP. 1). Whether a project is outlined in days, weeks, or even years the critical path "identifies the total calendar time required for a project" (NETMBA.com. N.D. PP.…

Project Organization

The case involving Ozkites is showing how the company has the ability to seize upon new opportunities. However, to be able to take advantage of the increasing demand requires focusing on: the organizational structure and recruitment strategies. Together, these elements will highlight the challenges impacting the firm and how they can be effectively addressed in the future. This is the point that the company can meet this demand and increase their bottom line results in the process.

Organizational Structure

A matrix organizational structure is utilized when a company is taking a decentralized approach when it comes to their operation. This means that personnel and resources will work together as a cohesive unit. Yet, at the same time, different entities are working independently of one another. The basic idea is to utilize this approach to take advantage of everyone strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, there is a focus on arranging…

Project Management

What is the difference between leadership and management? How do these two terms relate to a project manager?

Leadership defines the vision and mission for a project or business, and then orchestrates the many departments and divisions together for their fulfillment. A strong project leader will also seek ot unify diverse teams by concentrating on making the wide range of talents all combine for greater accomplishment than one person or team alone could attain. In short, a leader know how to use a strong, compelling vision and mission to unify diverse teams and people to a common, challenging goal or objective.

While a leader defines a vision or mission for a business, a manager is given the responsibility of making sure all departments, functional areas of the company and external stakeholders are all orchestrated to a common set of performance metrics. Managers are given the task of ensuring…

Also, if any team member cannot work while the others are there for practical concerns then we must be aware of scheduling concerns. Each member of the building crew will be properly certified in order to meet city inspection guidelines.

The team will be presided over by the manager, who is the only person in a supervisory position. The plumber, the electrician, and both the general laborer and the foundation specialist will report only to the team manager. The only possible exception to this rule is if the general laborer is qualified to work for more than one of the aforesaid professions, in which case he or she will answer also to the plumber, the electrician, or the foundation specialist. Any interpersonal conflicts should be settled amongst themselves but if any conflict cannot be resolved civilly and in a democratic manner then the team manager may need to step in…

Project Management

If you were Palmer at the end of the case, how would you respond?

Olds having decided to work full time in Consulting for Crosby meant that Palmer had no alternative, but to accept his decision. Palmer should accept this decision as trying to bring Olds to his team would result in negativity as Olds wanted to work in Consulting and not Auditing. Palmer should find a suitable replacement for Olds in order for the project to continue. Employee sharing amongst different managers should be addressed and avoided at all costs. Employee sharing always results in divided attention and the employees cannot concentrate on the different roles or responsibilities. In order to avoid similar situations, Palmer should inform Sands of Crosby's unwillingness to be a team player. This way Sands will discuss with Crosby of the need to work as a team within the organization. Palmer should also…

Q2. The chance of risk events occurring and their respective costs increasingly change over the project life cycle. What is the significance of this phenomenon to a project manager?

Managing risk throughout a projects' duration is one of the most challenging and complex series of tasks a project manager will need to contend with on a project-by-project basis. As the deadline for a project nears, the costs of risks both from a delay standpoint in addition to a complete re-definition of the project itself become potentially very costly. Given how critical risk management is in managing projects and keeping them on schedule, it is surprising how many it projects specifically don't rely on risk management approaches and strategies to mitigate the potential impact to projects. Risk management, at all phases of a project, is in fact insurance against unforeseen events that could significantly delay or even discontinue the project altogether.…

Project Management Accreditation

Project Management

A project is a temporary group endeavor, with an agreed beginning and duration time frame, organized to produce a unique product, service or result. (PMI 2011) A distinguishing characteristic of a project is that it is progressively detailed as the project is better understood by the people working on it. Another characteristic of a project is that it is not a routine operation, although a project may be assembled for the purpose of establishing the procedures that ultimately become routines. Owing to the temporary nature of projects, managers, team members and specialists are assembled for a stated period of time; they often have never worked together before as most of the team members are drawn from regular operating units. Examples of projects are software development, the construction of a building or bridge, a disaster relief effort, or a drive to expand a sales territory in…

Project Management

IT Project Management Questions

Outsourcing -- Big Savings, Big Risks

Social Software for Project Management

Social Software can provide a number of opportunities for managing projects. What are some challenges or issues that should be considered before a project team implements a blog or a wiki?

Jonathon Edwards, an analyst with the Yankee Group, states that "Some people clutch to their corporate email boxes as if they were cigarettes. They're hopelessly addicted. We're all so accustomed to it. You can't change the way people work overnight." Blogs and wikis have a number of advantages over email. As a project manager, how could you reduce your project's team's resistance to rely less on email and embrace the use of social software?

Global Technology Solutions

Question One -- What role does quality play in the IT project Methodology?

How does verification/validation and change control support quality in an IT project?…

Project Management: The Essentials

The elevance of a Project Charter

A project charter is, in basic terms, a fundamental document that marks the initiation of a project. It outlines details such as the project's objectives and goals, duration, budget, deliverables and scope (Grisham, 2011). The lead project manager prepares the same, and the sponsors, by appending their signature to it, authorize him or her to undertake any activity that appertains to the project (Grisham, 2011). It is clear from this description that a project charter serves as a formal authorization of "the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational activities to project activities" (PMBOK, as cited in Grisham, 2011, p. 164). The absence of a project charter presents a number of risks and problems to the manager. These include high chances of project failure, impediments to authority, unnecessarily long decision-making procedures, difficulty…

The challenges for the project managers relative to protecting the digital rights of the book are tough to counter, outside of creating a special ink that cannot be accurately photographed digitally or scanned. To attempt this strategy of creating ink that is not easily duplicable would have significantly increased the production costs, squeezing margins on the book as it moved through distribution channels. The risks of electronic duplication at this point can only be met with litigation against those distributors who violated the embargo, thereby making it possible for those fans wanting to gain notoriety by posting pages before the book was available to get the attention they want, even if it means ruining to books' value. In summary, the project managers did assess and respond to the risks they could foresee, and outside of significantly increasing the production cost, they did mitigate the larger risks of the books being…

Project Management

The 'lesson learnt' section is highly informative and exceptionally convenient in improving the skills of an experienced project manager. In this section, one becomes aware that although proper planning is paramount for any project, it should not be assumed that the implementation phase would take place in accordance with the plan. Depending on the level of planning, scope of the project coupled with other factors, every project is prone to risks that could jeopardize the successful and timely completion of the project when inadequately addressed. The section emphasizes on the importance of performing an adequate project risk audit for any projects and the various mitigation measures against the identified risks. Therefore, it is imperative to perform a project risk audit following selected projects (Barkley, 2006).

The section is also exceptionally handy to HMO's, the audit staff, project and functional managers. For the audit staff, a risk audit enables…

Project Management

The project I was involved in is in the IT industry. It involved a team of five individuals: a project manager, three developers and a tester. The final deliverable was the completion of a module of the larger application, namely a model that involved several calculations in Excel and the development of a set of charts and graphics. All human resources were involved at the time of development. Other resources included computers and software applications that were necessary in the process.

There were several project management tools used. One of the most important was the project status reports. The project status report allowed the project manager (and, in fact, any of the members of the team) to give an immediate answer to top management when asked about the evolution of the project. The project status report appeared as one of the most comprehensive instruments. It shows not only…

Project Management

The baggage handling system (BHS) project is in motion. Initially, our company Boeing Airport Equipment Automated Systems, Inc. (BAE) stipulated that no change requests should be accepted. However, it is proving impossible to ignore the influx of change requests from major stakeholders, namely the airlines.

As project manager, I have determined that our policy regarding change requests should itself be changed, from a public relations standpoint. We cannot risk further isolating core stakeholders, for risk that the entire project fall apart later due to technical, design, conceptual, or implementation flaws that might arise. It is my duty as project manager to attend to the change requests, and I believe that BAE could learn a great deal from reading and responding to those requests. We shall do so in a systematic and organized manner.

Challenges

Change requests might interfere with our workflow. "Each requested change and recommended action must…

" (Lavell & Martinelli, 2008) Mark Kozak-Holland emphasized that the most critical aspect of the Great Escape project was risk management. The work of building the tunnels was extremely dangerous -- danger of collapse of the sandy soil and bad air in the tunnels. The airmen had to place a high probability on the Germans discovering the plot owing to the traces of the excavated soil and nosy guards. The cost of failure would be catastrophic -- this was a "do it or die" proposition. (Kozak-Holland, 2008)

eferences

Garg, am (2008), Delivering Multiple Sites and Time Zones Projects: A Case Study in the Telecom Industry, PM World Today, Vol. X, Issue XI, etrieved November 10, 2010 from http://www.pmforum.org/library/cases/2008/PDFs/Garg-11-08.pdf

Kozak-Holland, Mark (2008) Project Lessons from the Great Escape Case Study -- Part 1 etrieved November 10, 2010 from http://www.maxwiderman.com/guests/great-escape/intro.htm

Kozak-Holland, Mark (2008) Project Lessons from the Great Escape Case Study --…

This focus on the key success steps associated with a project is an effective way to concentrate on the most critical problems, rather than focus on every possible potential problem. In addition, while some would say that it is better to prepare for the worst and think of every possible problem, this in itself can be a waste of resources and can reduce the amount of focus on the most important potential problems.

The next important issue is how to manage identified risk. This process is one that requires careful balance. Most importantly, the resources put into a project need to be balanced effectively. For example, consider a project where a potential major risk is identified, but it only has a 1% chance of occurring. Is it beneficial to invest a large amount of resources to reduce the impact of this risk? In most cases, the answer will be no.…

Project Management Techniques:

Signatures Inc. is a company that focuses on manufacturing personalized products like coffee mugs and pens with company logos. The firm generates over $40 million in annual revenues with a workforce of more than 300 workers. Since the company is in the middle of a large multimillion-dollar SCM implementation, it has hired a project management outsourcing company to take charge of its project management efforts. The decision to outsource its project management initiatives is based on the challenges it has experienced in middle of this costly implementation process. Actually, Signatures' implementation of the expensive SCM project has been failing because of three major reasons. The three reasons are the use of traditional waterfall methodology, failure to follow SDLC and skipping the testing phase, and the development of the project plan during the analysis stage, which was never followed or updated by the old project manager. Therefore, the…

Project Management

Integrated project management involves the practice of ensuring that the various elements of the project are effectively and efficiently coordinated. This involves making trade-offs amongst competing objectives and alternatives with the aim of meeting or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations. The project management system plays a critical role in the process of allocating resources to a given project or task. esource allocation involves the development the project plan, determining the various resources required in order to accomplish the project successfully and implement the designed plan. Although this may seem like a relatively simple activity, it is a highly complex task that requires skilled personnel and an effective project management system in practice. This is mainly because the acquisition of resources requires funds, which is a limited resource in itself. In fact, the project management team must be skilled in the use of limited resources. This may include the…

The culture is fantastic, and very distinctive. The county has a blend of Portuguese and African influences. Cape Verdean music is well-known in world music circles and we feel there is tremendous opportunity to capitalize on the richness of Cape Verdean culture. There is a large Cape Verdean diaspora that lends additional nuance to the culture.

The infrastructure is still relatively poor, but has been improving in recent years. There is not much paved road, although the roads to our location from the capital and its airport will be paved. The airport at Praia is brand new, having just been opened five years ago, overcoming a major infrastructure hurdle. The main problem we have now is that most of the flights are domestic -- the only international ones are from Lisbon, Boston and some African cities. e need to see more European flights to that airport if we are to…

Project Management

Project Title: Opening of Branch Store in La Jolla CA.

Project Manager: SELF

The main store is located in Del Mar and is the only store that serves the entire community plus the extra population that comes in to shop here from surrounding towns and neighborhoods. The long distance that the clients have to cover has been a concern for both the clients and the management as well. It is from this point of consideration that the management should venture into opening another branch in La Jolla so that it can help shorten the agony of clients having to travel long distance to source for the fresh produce from the main store.

The main objective is to reduce the time wastage for the clients between their homes and the point where they can source for the products of the company.

To retain the clientele that the store has…

Project Management

One of the ways that a project manager could use the data described in the article to keep the project on track is by prioritizing the respective components of the project. The prioritization aspect of Microsoft Project is important for when "projects are tight and fewer resources are available" (obb). Additionally, it is possible to make sure that the resources devoted to one project do not overlap with those of another by using software such as Mariner. Lastly, Mariner's approval system is vital to the ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget because it provides a means of getting permission to implement certain elements of a project.

The project management software discussed in the article entitled "Projecting project management" by Drew obb can improve a mid-project status report to the sponsors by providing the framework for that report. Specifically, Microsoft Project can provide a "high-level…

Implementation of the Plan

The implementation program will focus on the five crucial aspects that will run concurrently: provision of funds, educational programs, development of Voluntary Counseling and Testing centers, availability of ARV drugs, and awareness campaigns (Kartikeyan p. 388). In the achievement of the goals and objectives of the implementation plan, it is ideal to have the financial resources. This implementation plan seeks to increase the size of the healthcare budget by the government towards the course of HIV and AIDS elimination. These financial resources will be crucial towards the execution of other components of the implementation plan such educational programs and campaigns, training of the personnel to offer VCT services, and other relevant services. It is, therefore, ideal to increase the size of the healthcare budget by setting aside about $1.5 billion towards this course. NGOs and IGOs will also chip in towards the contribution of the financial…

Project Management

Project Libra: To Terminate or Not to Terminate

Visit www.itweek.co.uk/News/11329438 to see the string of news stories related to Project Libra. Identify some of the sources of the problems the project faces.

Project Libra exemplifies several attributes of failed projects the most notable of which is the breakdown in project team, Fujitsu Services (ICL) system integrator and enterprise software vendors. Most evident of a filed project management structure is the ballooning size of payments made during the project with literally nothing to show for it.

These are the most significant lessons learned from the failure of Project Libra. First, the British government should have had a series of measurable goals and objectives in place first and required monthly updates on project status and delays. This would have drastically reduced the confusion over just what the status of the project was, as is evident from background readings on this…

Project schedule and risk management are some of the most important components of project management. These components play a crucial role in project planning, which is a process used to organize various areas of a project such as workloads and management of the project team. Project schedule basically refers to a listing of the activities or tasks, milestones, and deliverables of a project that includes the expected start and finish dates ("Project Scheduling," n.d.). isk management is a process through which a project manager and team predicts risks, estimates impacts of these risks on the project, and describe reactions to these issues. This process usually involves the preparation of a risk management plan or outline in order to accomplish these goals.

Definition of What Needs to be Done:

One of the most important aspects to consider when developing a project schedule is all the work that needs to be completed.…

Project Management

Project Information, History, Intent, and Life Cycle

Gray and Larson, (2008) define project as "a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result." (p 5). Essential feature of a project is that it has a defined beginning and end often subject to time or fund constraint to achieve stakeholder's goals and objectives. Gray and Larson (2008) differentiate between project and program. "A program is a group of related projects designed to accomplish a common goal over an extended period of time." (Gray and Larson, 2008 p 6). Major goal of any project is to satisfy customers' objectives, and features of a project are they:

have established objectives.

Have a life span definitely a start and the end.

Usually involve several professionals and departments.

Have specific costs, time and performance requirements.

However, a project is different from program where workers are performing repetitive operations daily within…

(Braunschweig; Day, 150)

Most of the current generation of project managers expects the project management tools to furnish them with almost real-time knowledge in order to facilitate their decision-making. Some of these tools like DOFF, "Field of the Future," "Smart Fields," Microsoft's "Oilfield Connectivity" and i-Fields are currently being examined by exploration and production oil companies. Some of these tools have the capability of generating information from apparently incongruent data and helping managers take important decisions based on them. (Oilfield Connectivity - Capturing the Value of the Digital Era)

There is substantial amount of risk in oil exploration and production since the concerned target is located many thousands of feet under the ground. There are a number of factors that can cause uncertainties and risks in these fields which may include the weather, people, geology, safety, and availability of tools and equipment. Agility is an important requirement in the oil…

The reasons for optimization of the project plan are to save time, to save money and to save in over-allocation of human resources to the project. Management of people, processes, and performance is critical in project management success. According to the work entitled: Integrated Project Management Optimization:

"In this case the decision space is confined by the restricted human capacity and the candidate architectural solutions. The well-known limits are the development capacity, the available cost, the required quality, the dependability etc. The real task is to find the optimal scheduling of the work to keep the given time limits, or to realize the optimal allocation of the human capacity to reduce the cost of the project. Our aim is to trace this problem back to combinatorial optimization." (Doban, 2005)

The following illustration demonstrates the different aspects of project management that must be considered by the project manager:

Source: Project Management…

(Chaffey et al., 2006)

The enhanced version of the website will be designed in such a way that it gets integrated into the existing systems by reading and saving data to those systems. This website will also maintain a log for the management to review the nature and reactions of traffic on the website. In order to attract more traffic, user will be given the opportunity to view results as he/she wants. This will really create a huge difference between the hotel and its competitors. The enhanced version will be so much user-friendly that the user will have the opportunity to view results as he/she requires.

Some Light on Project isks

Although it is expected that the enhancement of website will bring a really very positive change for the company, but the hesitation of management for this enhancement of website can result in cancellation of this project.

There are certain…

PINCE2 is used in both the public and the private sector. It is mainly used in the UK by the government, but the method is successfully applied internationally also. PINCE2 is useful because it focuses on business justification, it supports a well established organization structure for the project management team, it provides a product-based planning approach.

The method also focuses on segmenting the project into several stages that can be easier managed and controlled. Users find this method to be quite flexible. This means that the method can be applied to different levels of the project.

PINCE2 offers two qualification levels: PINCE2 Foundation, and PINCE2 Practitioner. But the advantages of PINCE2 go further than that, including: increased control of resources, the ability required for managing business and project risk with increased efficiency.

The main customers of PINCE2 are: individuals that need to gain project management skills, individuals looking for more…

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…

Project Management: Case Study in Managing a Complex Shipyard Project in Singapore

Background of Complex Shipyard Construction Project

Company background

Project Overview and Objective

ork Process of Building Construction

Issue Analysis in Shipyard Construction Project Management

Literature Review of Project Management

Issues in Scope Management

Methodology of Scope Management

Lessons Learned from Scope Management

Issues in Cost Management

Methodology of Cost Management

Lessons Learned from Cost Management

Issues in Human Resources

Methodology of HR Management

Lessons Learned from Human Resource Management

Case Study in Managing a Complex Shipyard Construction Project in Singapore

Introduction.

This paper introduces the special features of a completed shipyard project, together with its construction and human resource management processes as well. The organization of the paper provides an introduction to the topic, an overview and background of the In the first part, this project illustrates overview of the complex background of a complex ship-building project as…