Managing Projects
Task 1: Jonpa Ltd.
Activity (Tasks)
Duration (Days)
Preceded By
A
5
-
B
2
A
C
1
A
D
4
A
E
3
A
F
6
E
G
8
B, C, D, F
H
5
G
I
4
H
J
3
H
K
5
I, J
L
12
K
M
6
L
N
1
M
O
1
B
P
6
N
Q
1
O, P
1. Network Diagram
2. Determining Timing of Activities and Total Float
In determining the timing of the activities, it is important to focus on 4 important relationships: finish-to-finish or FF; start-to-start or SS; finish-to-finish or FF; and start-to-finish. It is also important to focus on the sequencing of the activities.
FF is the relationship that shows that one task must finished before another can begin, this can be observed in the relationship of task A to B, C, D and E. The SS relationship shows that one task must start before another task can start; this shows activities to happen in tandem. FF shows relationship where in one task must be completed before another task does. The last relationship is SF where in it requires one task to start in order for the task B to finish ( 2003).
It is also important to focus on calculating float or the time where in an activity can slip before it changes the critical path or also known as the slack. It is the maximum amount of time where in an activity can slip without pushing out the finish date of the project ( 2005).
The float or slack for each activity can be calculated as the difference between the late start and early start for the given activity:
Slack = Late Finish – Early Finish or (Late Start – Early Start)
3. Determining Project Duration and Critical Path
The red broken-line in the network diagram represents the critical path of the project. Determining the critical path in the network is considered as a vital toll in creating the schedule due to the fact that it shows where the most of the schedule risk will occur ( 2005). The critical path is considered as the longest-duration path in the network or the activities that lie on, or it cannot be delayed without delaying the entire project. The project duration can be calculated after all of the projects have been done ( 2007).
4. Earliest Date of Completion
If the project starts on January 26, 2009, given the 62 days completion of the project, the earliest date in order to complete the project is on April 6, 2008.
5. Changes and Effects on Duration of the Whole Project
a. A 2 day delay during activity C
If activity C will be delayed for 2 days, it will not affect the entire duration of time of the project, because, the task will be finished same as activity E, at the same time, before the activity G will be done, activity F should be finished.
b. Activity B is completed 1 day before
If activity B is completed 1 day before, it will not affect the entire duration of time because activities C, D, E and F should be finished, before to start activity B.
c. A 1 day delay during activity O
Just like the first two conditions, if activity O will be 1 day delayed, it will not affect the entire duration of the project, this is due to the fact that the activity is not located in the critical path and it will have to wait for the activity P to be finished, in order to continue to the last activity or activity Q.
5. The purpose of the network diagrams.
The main purpose of the network diagrams is to visualize the project work and shows the relationships of the different work activities as well as how the work will flow or evolve from its beginning to end ( 2003 ). Furthermore, it can also help to show the interrelationships of activities in the different parts of the work breakdown structure hierarchy, thus establish a vehicle for scheduling activities. As a result, it can help to reduce uncertainty in the entire project by the process of breaking it into different small phases that have been analyzed as well as sequenced in advance before starting the work (2003).
Task 2: Johnson and Johnson’ Opening of New Base Project
Executive Summary
Due to the different changes in the internal and external environment, as well as the need to maintain competitive advantage in the entire industry and market, Johnson and Johnson focuses on establishing new base in the North East of England, as well as to transfer their staffs in the said new base. However, there are different activities and efforts that must be done in order to ensure the success of the project. This paper will focus on the different aspects and activities that must be done and focused by the project managers in order to ensure that all of the important internal and external matters will be managed in effective manners. It will mainly focus on analyzing the different demands and expectations of the internal and external stakeholders as well as the process of managing the entire project management team.
I Introduction
Johnson and Johnson are a company that specializes in the microbiological testing of swimming pool water quality. They specifically test swimming pool water for pseudomonas, e-coli, colony counts and legionella. They collect samples from swimming pools and then send these samples to the local hospital for a laboratory bacterial analysis.
Currently Johnson and Johnson have one base in the North East of England, where in they employ 1 manager, 3 assistant managers, 2 administrative officers and 10 water testing technicians.
Recently, the companies have acquired a new base and have built a custom laboratory within the said base. The base is about 1,500 sq meters in size. The existing staff will then transfer from the old, to the new base, and a new microbiologist will be employed in order to operate in the said laboratory.
II Scope
This study will focus on the different skills and competencies that are required by the project manager, together with the different concerns, stages, processes, leadership, administration as well as control problems that are related with the management of the entire lifecycle of the project.
III The Project Management Process
A. Setting up Objectives
Before starting the project, it is important to set up different objectives that will serve as the guidance for the project manager and the entire manager. It can also help for the project management team to focus on one vision or goals of the project.
The objective of the project is to determine the feasibility of the project regarding opening new base. It will also focus on the process of transferring the employees from the old base to the new one, by ensuring that the new base will open on time and within the budget.
· The project must meet budget;
· The project must be operations in the predefined time;
· The project must meet the expectations and demands of all the stakeholders;
· The project must meet the health and safety requirements;
· The project must provide opportunities for future expansions and requirements.
B. Formulation and Development of Project Team
The process of formulation of the project management team is considered as the first and the most vital process in the entire management of the project. This is due to the fact that it focuses on bringing together the different people whose talents, skills and abilities will help the entire team to accomplish the entire project in the desired time and budget. It is important for the project managers to focus on the demands and needs of the planner, engineer, accountant, secretary, procurement, expeditor, designer and draftsman in order to have a wide understanding regarding different issues that will help to have an ability to adapt the ever changing project requirements. Thus, the formulation of a strong team is considered as vital in the project. This is due to the fact that they must be able to talk and deal with the different issues mutually, then learn to negotiate any soft or shadow issues that may arise in order to resolve the different problems effectively.
This process will include the process of hiring and selecting different individuals that are considered as expert in their given professions. It will also be important to focus on the different aspects that are related with the connection and relationship between the different members of the team in order to prevent misunderstanding that can cause future problems in the project.
It is also important to consider that the project teams pass through a series of different development stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, maturing and declining (2003).
During this stage, it is also important to focus on the different roles and responsibilities of each and every team members in order to ensure that each and everyone knows what’s their contribution as well as their importance in the group ( 2005). By doing this, it will help the entire team to prevent redundancy or repetition of actions or activities, thus saving time and effort.
C. Stakeholder Analysis
The main purpose of analyzing the stakeholders is to know the needs and expectations of all the stakeholders of the study or those individuals or organizations, both internal and external that is actively involved in the project, or whose interests will be affected by the project to be implemented ( 2003).
Managing the needs, demands and expectations of the stakeholders is the primary responsibility of the project manager, this is due to the fact that it can help to ensure the success of the project, thus, the manager should create an environment where in the stakeholder will be encouraged to contribute and share their skills and knowledge (2003).
It is also important to consider that each and every stakeholder have different demands and perspective about the project, that’s why it is important to focus on their individual demands.
Figure 1 Stakeholders’ Needs, Expectations and Priority
Stakeholders
Needs and Expectations
Priority
1. Customers
To improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the services of the companies.
2
2. Users/Employees
To lessen their workload
1
3. Project Team
To have a clear directions from the project leader
6
4. Boss
To ensure that the project will meet the predefined time and budget; and ensure the success of the project and its effectiveness in the entire operations of the companies.
5
5. Legal Requirement
To ensure that the entire project process will meet the different requirements of the local and international laws.
3
6. Regulatory Authorities
To ensure that the entire project process will meet the health and safety requirements from local and international regulations.
4
Figure 1shows the stakeholders’ needs, expectations and priority of the project. This is important because it will give the project manager the idea about the entire concept of the project.
Customers – the customers are the people who receive and pay for the benefit from the facility ( 2003). Thus, the main demand of the customers focuses on getting what they paid for. Thus, it is important to know that the main demand of the customers is to improve the quality of the services or ensure efficiency, effectiveness and accuracy of the tests that are being conducted and offered by the company.
Users – the users are the people who will operate the facility on behalf of the owner when the entire project is completed (2003). The users are the employees of the companies: manager, assistant manager, administration officers, water testing technicians and microbiologist. It is important to consider that their main expectations and demands for the project are to improve their working effort as well as their environment. It will also be important in order to ensure their better performance.
Project Team – the team members are those individual who plan, organize, implement as well as control the entire project in order to deliver the facility on the designated time and budget ( 2003,). The main demands and expectations of the team members are to have clear directions from the project leaders, as well as other stakeholders in the project.
Boss – the boss is the person where in the project manager reports regarding the development of the project. The main expectation and need of the boss in the project is to ensure that the project will meet the predefined time and budget; and ensure the success of the project and its effectiveness in the entire operations of the companies. In addition to that, boss also demands that he or she is properly informed regarding changes about the project.
Legal Requirements – it is important for the project to follow different rules and regulations in local, national and international level (2003).
Regulatory Authorities – regulatory authorities are considered as external stakeholders and ensure that’s why it is important to consider that the entire project process will meet the health and safety requirements from local and international regulations.
In general, it is important to understand that ensuring that the stakeholders on the project will work together and gain consensus on the project decisions is considered as the primary responsibility of the project manager. Thus, it is important to have a strong coordination as well as communication with all of the stakeholders (2004).
D. Leadership and Management
Leadership and management style, together with the effective communication process is important. This is due to the fact that it can help in order to ensure that all of the stakeholders are properly connected with each other and receiving what they have expected regarding the project.
Leadership is considered as critical to high performance on a given project. Leadership focuses on the different factors such as the mission, vision and future state of the nature, goals and changes; high personal commitment as well as motivation to the said goals; actions that will help to achieve the said goals, together with the different strategies; as well as the process of inspiring and maintaining the commitment of others in order to achieve the said goals (2004).
In order to ensure success of the project, it will be important to focus on application of the employee-oriented leadership/management style. This is due to the fact that employee-oriented manager shows a high emphasis on the members of the team and focuses on participation and teamwork regarding the process of decision-making, problem-solving, planning as well as control. It can help the project manager to focus on the personal needs as well as interests of the stakeholders, particularly the team members that will help to increase the creativity and initiative of the members. Thus, it can help to increase the production and achievement of the group because the morale and satisfaction of the employees will be high, therefore, helping to strengthen the commitment of the employees. However, the decision-making process will take longer ( 2004).
E. Communication
Constant and effective communication between all the stakeholders of the projects is considered as the most vital and crucial factors in order to ensure the success of the project. It is considered as the requirement of getting the right things done in the right manners. As knowledge is considered as power, it is also important to consider that the process of sharing knowledge helps to empower every each and every stakeholders of the project (.).
That is why it is important to have a communication plan or the written strategy in getting the right information to the right person at the right time. In addition to that, it is also important to focus on how often to communicate with each stakeholder with respective information
This can be attain by having a visibility room that will display the different project documents such as the project charter, milestone chart and issues log; the current version of the statement of work, project plan, project scheduler, responsibility matrix, risk management plan and other important forms; and information about the development of the project
It is also important to focus on communicating with the upper management together with the customers and other important external stakeholders. This can be done by informing them regarding the different changes or alteration of the project
At the end of the project, a close-out reporting will be presented in order finalize the project in the eyes of all the stakeholders as well as serve as a reference for future development
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