PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project Management



Abstract

Information technology (IT) project implementation is still a grey area. There are differences of opinion among educators and practitioners on strategic emphasis and implementation methods. Implementation of IT projects, especially large IT projects, is synonymous to management of changes in an organisation, be it for altering the work culture or gaining competitive advantages. When formulating effective change management strategies to support the introduction of IT, it may be useful to integrate and use concepts and practices drawn from disciplines such as traditional project management, organisational/product innovation, and change management theory and practices. This paper examines project management and product innovation literature to identify change management concepts and practices.

Project Management

Introduction

This paper is based on a case study regarding project management. The XY Computer firm has hired consultancy services from PM Right Track, a well-established project management firm. Being a project manager, I am responsible for looking at the software malfunctioning and will have to suggest recommendations for applying project management techniques in the software department of XY Computers.

Phases of Project Management

Typically, the process of project management involves five phases. The labels used to describe these five phases vary somewhat in the literature; however, the generally agreed principles of project management according to the PMI are initiating processes, planning processes, executing processes, monitoring and controlling processes, and closing processes. During Phase I, initiating processes, the project objectives are defined. Details concerning the overall scope of the project are documented in order to keep the project manageable (Tan, 1996). At this phase, qualitative researchers may determine the size of the project (regional or national focus) as well as general timelines (e.g., expected deliverables at the completion of a 3-year research grant). Phase II, the planning process, involves detailing all of the activities to be accomplished in order to successfully complete the project. Work breakdown structures are created to illustrate the hierarchy of all work units, subprojects, tasks, subtasks, and the interdependencies among these components. Time estimates and cost factors are carefully considered as well. During this phase, qualitative researchers plan all tasks, responsibilities, and time estimates associated with the project. Once finalized, this plan is considered the baseline plan (Slevin, Pinto, 1986).

During Phase III, the executing process, the activities detailed in the baseline plan are implemented. In Phase IV, the monitoring and controlling process, progress is compared with the baseline plan. Any problems that arise are dealt with by adding, deleting, or adjusting activities to work toward successful completion of the project. For example, the time estimated to transcribe and analyze the interviews may have been underestimated, so adjustments would be made to keep the project on track (e.g., reduce the number of interviews, or hire additional assistants to transcribe and analyze data). The baseline plan is not changed, but revisions and progress are documented. This phase provides flexibility in an emergent research design as the research path evolves. The final phase, the closing phase is an often overlooked but vitally important aspect of project management (Skelton, Thamhain, ...