Case Study for project management- chapter1-3 free essay sample

Relay race approach has its good idea to conduct first a study of what the consumers’ desires before getting into the decisions of making a new project or product to determine the needs of the customers. But, having this approach is much suitable for local projects. In the other hand is the Cross- functional approach. Cross functional approach is ideal to a large project especially if the project is getting worldwide. This approach needs to hire experts’ people to build a team for the departments. With this, the success of the project can exceed from the expectation. But, failure of the project has its big chances if the department or team was not united. (b)In my own evaluation, I think it is the relay race approach. Because for me it is much better to have a not so small project successful than having a large project with a big lost of yours if you failed. 2. It is the Swedish company who has more power while less power was on Aaronside. 3. Yes. It is because cross- functional approach requires hiring expert people to build a team for a certain project. 4. I think it is because of the fact that VPs want to make the major decision by themselves without the consulting to the members. Additionally, VPs request to the members to bring only the necessary information and come up to that kind of decision without asking for any opinion or approval from the members as respect to their presence. 5. Yes. Because it is not right to tolerate such things. CASE: Cocable Inc. Jovana Riddle Answers 1. The advantage to the Cocable case is that the company was open for a change to improve their company. Additionally, the employees were trained to the extent of their capabilities to work at Cocable for the continues development of the company. But introducing project management to new product development can lead to difficulties in the part of the company especially on the employees. The company would provide money on the trainings and increase their annual expenses. Taking this risk also can’t give them an assurance to the progress of Cocable Inc. CASE: A RobustArm Global Industries’ Sledgehammer Dragan Z. Milosevic, Peerasit Patanakul, and Sabin Srivannaboon Answers 1. The SPM process is very important to the company because it push them to the top as they receive the Baldridge award. That moment turns to the non-stop changing for their company’s improvement. Employees were also proud being them part of the company and boost them to do their best to work with the company which was a global multi-million-dollar business. 2. The RGB was on the right way in developing SPM process. They strictly follow the steps and phases of SPM which direct them for good results perhaps developing this process need more money and can results to reunited team because SPM promotes equal opportunities to all team members to become boss. CASE: Another Trojan Horse Stevan Jovanovic Answers 1. First of all I would like to say that it was an inspiring event in history of project management. I learned that It really takes time to have a complete and successful project. It matters to follow steps and never skip on every phases that the project needed. Trojan Nuclear Plant proved that waiting is worth. The team of John were patiently making the project into smaller division until Trojan Nuclear Plant achieved its best CASE: Call a Truck Dragan Z. Milosevic, Peerasit Patanakul, and Savin Srivannaboo Answers 1. CAT, Inc. 2. James, the new elected CEO of CAT, Inc. made a vision that pertains to the changes of the company that opens it to the world of technology probably with the use of computer. CAT, Inc likely got its new-look to the public. It gets bigger and better. It provides the customers (drivers) convenient and satisfactory services to meet their needs that the other company can’t provide. 3. Project management plays as their guide to established changes in the company. It provides them processes to a smooth flow of their projects. CASE: The Project Hand- off Method Dragan Z. Milosevic, Russ J. Martinelli, and James M. Waddell Answers 1. Yes, there are multiple project managers in control of the project as it progressed through the development life cycle. With them, the management of the project was accomplished through a project management model. Hence, a project manager with the functional expertise specific to the phase of development the product was currently in assumed ownership of the project. 2. Yes, because it was clearly stated there that hand-off method of development is usually in smaller, less mature, and technically the companies focused into it although the true project management value is not well understood. 3. Hand- off method is projects by definition are finite,(pros) their impact should continue after they have been completed. (cons)The consequence (If not), one may question what the point of the project was in the first place. Many projects roll themselves into operations. The company should now be using the information or system that resulted from the project. A transitional period will often take team members directly from the project into their roles in the daily operations of the company. Chapter 2 CULTURAL ASPECTS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT CASE: Engineering Culture at Beck Dragan Z. Milosevic, Peerasit Patanakul, and Sabin Srivannaboon Answers 1. Definitions of culture mentioned in the case: Engineers pride – the habit of calling their selves â€Å"engineers†, which they are. â€Å"Run to the end† – the first priority was securing new business, and a concern for producing a product at times fell through cracks. Designers to cost (cost to design) – this approach implies that engineers first design the product, then they figure out the price, which the customer may consider overly high. Customer centric – is being able to help translate what customer’s precisely want of the product design. 2. What I want is Beck’s culture is that having that â€Å"Customer centric† approach. It is good to know that this kind of culture can able to translate the customer’s wants. With this, they can provide a better service for the customer. CASE: The Jamming Dragan Z. Milosevic, Peerasit Patanakul, and Sabin Srivannaboon Answers 1. The jamming approach work well in the 2nd scenario. It was defined there as â€Å"cohesive† which shows unity in spite of differences in cultures but showcasing each expertise to contribute in the project to meet success. 2. According in the situation, (pros) the jamming is a fine method to be used in a team. Success of the project is possible like shown in scenario 2. It has a good effect if only the members would have a very good harmony working together. In addition, its plasticity may be such great asset to multicultural project managers that many of them view it as ideal in the development of culturally responsive project management strategy like what they saying â€Å"two heads are better than one†. Meaning having different cultures is like having different evaluator that probably become the asset of the company . But like what the case define,(cons) Jamming’s basic design may not be in tune with all cultures and may not even be appropriate for the execution by teams composed of members with varying levels of competency in other people’s project management scripts. Jamming is possible also for an â€Å"overpersonalization† of relationship between the project manager and the counterpart, characterized by high emotional involvement, loss of touch with and ignorance of other team members, and reluctance to delegate. Chapter 3 PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESSES CASE: Special Session Sabin Srivannaboon Answers 1. The project management processes mentioned in the case is the project initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing process groups. 2. I think it is the monitoring and controlling which is themost challenging among the rest of the processes because as it was define, Monitoring is collecting, recording, and reporting information concerning all aspects of the project performance that the project manager or others in the organization wish to know while controlling uses the data supplied by monitoring to bring actual performance into approximate equivalence with planned performance. This process groups are very essen tial in terms of supplying and collecting information because of the fact that failure in this process will probably a failure in the whole project. 3. They are related because they are both fundamental in project management. Without the five processes in project management there will be no knowledge areas. Therefore, project management is just another process of those knowledge areas. 4. My understanding about termination by starvation was it is the big loss of the fundamental resources to flee from the problem. CASE: Waterfall Software Development Osman Osman Answers 1. The advantage of waterfall is that it has a discipline enforced: every phase has a defined start and end point, and progress can be conclusively identified by both vendor and client. It reduces wastage of time, effort and neither risk of schedule slippage nor the expectation of the consumer not being met. This methodology was somehow unrealistic and unsuitable for the vagaries of the world. Thus, attaining the customer needs, estimating time and costs with accuracy is definitely difficult to achieve. Therefore, waterfall methodology is best suitable for projects which are stable and assuring the customer needs at the first stage to reduce conflict. 2. For me, I will directly clear on creating the phases. Creating steps which are not essential to the project should be terminated to reduce time consuming and can delay to the progress of the project. 3. Yes I agree with his way to solve the problems because he consider all the aspects and people involved before making any decision or actions to avoid the same problem with the involvement of Sam and Jason regarding the incorrect implementation of development phase. CASE: Extreme Programming Mani Ambalan Answers 1. Extreme Programming is a methodology which was software or project management methodology that promotes simplicity and agility. This methodology is applicable also in non- software development processes in the fact that it eases the task of every individual performing a particular activity in an organization. 2. For the part of the organization it is expected to be difficult for them to adapt on the modern changes from their traditional way. Conversely, for the sake of the organizations development they need to cope in the growing needs of the market and in order to do they need to embrace changes in the organization. With this methodology, it will help the organization to uplift from traditional to modern ways to attain the same goal. 3. What I like in this methodology is that it’s characteristic that promotes simplicity and agility within the organization. In addition, it will probably help the organization in the growing demands in the market. CASE: Do You ZBB? Rabah Kamis Answers 1. ZZB stands for Zero Base Budgeting. Its primary principle is to help employers or departments to get started with their priorities, project costs, and identify which projects will get funding and support. Therefore, they are the one who give focus on what is essential to manage the inadequate resources and to minimize time. 2. The ZZB benefit the company by letting their employees to create their own ZZB line. They let the customers, peers, and other business partner to communicate with them for other modifications or changes. Also, it gives the boss the opportunity to concur or ask for the modification from the employee. 3. For me the disadvantage of ZZB is that it can delay the progress of the project because of its repeated periodically. Which some individuals have weekly ZZB list while others have quarterly ZZB lists that can cause conflict in time management of the project.