New Start-Up Project Proposal For Epco Builders In Kenya

Discussion

The main aim of this paper is to propose a new start -up project for one of the leading construction companies in Kenya known as the Epco builders. This company is of the leading businesses in the construction industry within the country, and is certified by the National Construction Authority as a category NCA1 (Ocharo and Kimutai 2018). The company headquarters are located in Nairobi, and the company has an annual revenue collection of KShs. 5 billion. The business is also able to handle related projects of up to KShs. 12 billion. The company often gets many projects from the government of Kenya, as well as independent builders. The company has penetrated this market, and now aims to expand its market and areas of operation. As a result, a new project for the Epco builders is being proposed in this report. The report also outlines the different aspects of the project and investigates the risks or challenges associated with the same. The area of leadership, as well as its effectiveness is also studied.

Basic Idea:

The idea for the new company, which will be a part of the Epco builders in Kenya is being outlined below.

The new start up venture will aim to supply all the different material that is required for a particular construction project (Njeru and Kimutai 2018). This branch of the business will offer construction site cleaning services as well. According to the new proposed idea, Epco builders require a proper plan to execute this project, and then use the same to form a comprehensive team for construction and cleaning of the site. This will be a worthy investment as their parent company will be able to take on construction projects, and complete them without help from external sources. It will also be a positive strategy that will help increase the annual profit of the business.

In order to bring the proposed idea to fruition a number of different project management strategies need to be applied (Salat and James 2019). These strategies need to be full- proof, and the administration should have a plan for any risks or challenges that might arise during the process. The strategies that might be effective in this case are being outlined below.

• The first and most important step of this process is to ensure that a proper, step- by- step plan is prepared for the same. The different areas that are to be managed as a part of this new project need to be identified, and the proper ways to manage them are also to be discussed among the members with the senior management and leadership (Musau 2020)
• The second step is to ascertain the different stakeholders that will be associated with this business and then, plan a meeting with them. This will help ascertain the role that these individuals will play as a part of this new project. The human resources that will be required here are also to be discussed.
• The third step is to determine the budget for this new project. This budget is to be calculated with an approximation. Based on the same, the schedule that the project will follow should be determined.
• And finally, the project and its success are to be thoroughly assessed with the help of relevant analytical frameworks like SWOT and PESTLE. Proper risk management analysis should also be conducted to ensure that there are no unknown risks or challenges arise after the project has been started (Mohamud and Nyang’au paul 2020).
• After the project is started, the members of the senior management and leadership should keep a close eye on the project and its progress so as to ensure that all strategies are being implemented correctly (Kweyu 2018).

These are the main strategies that the company needs to put to use in order to help this new project flourish, and ultimately become a successful branch of the Epco builders in Kenya.

Project Management Strategies

The life cycle of any project has 5 different stages which are being outlined and discussed in context of the new project that is being discussed in this report.

• Initiating: The initiation of this project will begin with the approval of this new project by the different authorities within the company, which are the senior management and leadership of the same. This acts as a cue for the project management team to start planning the different parts of the project (Okinyi and Keiyoro 2019).
• Planning:Planning is the most elaborate within the lifecycle of the project. This stage requires identifying the different areas of operation within the proposed project, and determining the human resources and financial investments required for the same. For the new project in raw material supply and construction site cleaning, the main areas of operation are acquiring the raw materials for supply, having a well thought out delivery system to supply the said raw materials to the correct location, as well as form a crew with experienced members who will be able to oversee the process of operation (Wachira and Ngari 2019). Apart from this, a supervising team and an administrative team is also to be formed. Marketing and advertising are also an important aspect of this project.
• Executing:Once the planning part of the project’s life cycle is complete, the developed departments and operations need to be started. With the help of proper strategies, and a well- developed training and development program, gathering the human resources necessary for this project is not a difficult process. The Epco builders are also able to finance their own project. The good reputation of this company in their own area of operation will also help in promoting and developing this new business project (Nasila and Cloete 2018). It should be ensured that proper strategies are used when implementing the proposed project, so as to avoid any unnecessary risks.
• Monitoring:The responsibility of monitoring this new project, falls onto the head of the project management team. However, the leadership of Epco builders should also have their own team who will be responsible for supervising the progress in this area, and discussing the same with the administration (Mbusi 2020).
• Closing:Finally, when the project has been completed, and the operations begin within this new company under the Epco builders. But the project should be monitored, and their revenue collection needs to be analysed so as to ensure that all processes within the company are running smoothly.

Following these steps will help in the methodical development of the project at hand.

Leadership is a very important part of any business organization, and the new project that has been proposed is no exception to the same. In 1978, this company was started by Mr. Ramji D, who is the current managing director of this organization. He is an able leader who manages his organization very efficiently, and has been able to develop a good reputation for his company within the relevant industry (Simon 2018). The members belonging to the senior management of the company also helps in supervising and leading individual teams within the company. The managing director of this company follows a democratic style of leadership. This indicates that when making a serious decision regarding the business, the leader takes the opinion of his employees and considers using the same. Thus, the value associated with employees within this business is very high. However, due to the location of the branches of the company, as well as an independent administrative team for the same (Ogeto 2020).

Without proper leadership, the productivity and therefore, the profitability of any business organization is reduced significantly. With the inclusion of this new project, the area of leadership should be under further focus. Leading the project is necessary to be able to manage all issues within this new company, and implement proper strategies for the same. However, this not possible by the leader alone (Munyoki 2018). As a result, a member from the senior management should be in- charge of supervising this new business, and ensuring that all operations within the same are being carried out smoothly.

Project analysis and evaluation is a process that allows an individual from the project management team to identify any challenges or problems pertaining to the project, even before the same is started. Evaluation of the project proposed in this paper reveals an issue that needs to resolved before the operations within this new company under Epco Builder’s is inaugurated.

The analysis reveals that the one problem that this project might face upon initiation is that of competing with the other players within this business industry. The construction industry of Kenya is extremely competitive (Ikiao 2019). Even though the Epco builders are able to grab a lot of government funded construction projects, and have developed a positive reputation for themselves. However, other prominent players in the industry who operate in the area of raw material supply and construction site cleaning will become direct competitors of these established companies. But no proper strategies have not been outlined to deal with this issue.

Project Life Cycle Stages and Processes

In order to resolve this issue, the management and leadership should come together, and use the reputation of Epco builders to get more projects in the area of operation of the new company. This will create a positive reputation for the company in this area as well, and the revenue collection of the company will increase steadily. The project evaluation also reveals that the company’s structure has not been identified, and as a result of the same, the operations might be disrupted. Analysing the structure of the proposed idea reveals that a matrix structure is the most efficient for this company (Oloo et al. 2020). This is because the different departments within the company operate independently, and communication is not always necessary for the same.

Another issue that was identified during the project evaluation is the aim of the Epco Builder’s to form a comprehensive construction team with a supply for raw material, machines, builders as well as a cleaning crew. In order to promote this, the Epco builders should change their own marketing and advertising strategies and include this new company within the same. This will help these new services provided by the sister company gain some popularity, and the independent operations within this company will be boosted (Kirui and Kimani 2020).

These two issues that have been identified as a part of the analysis of the project plan needs to be addressed and resolved before the operations within this new company are started. This will help ensure that there are no immediate challenges within the operational process of this new project.

The budget that has been allocated for this particular project is. $42,060.00. This is a high amount, and this amount of funding will help this new project, and increase the total revenue generation for the Epco builders. The quality of the project is good, as the same has been in the process of planning and execution for over 2 years. The funding that was available for the project itself was also reasonable, and therefore the project should not possess any flaws within the same. Proper training has been provided to new employees so that they become capable of performing their duties within this new company. Thus, no questions can be raised on the quality of the project (Kirui and Kimani 2020). The execution process for the same, should however, be closely monitored so that the quality of the same is not compromised.

Leadership and Control Problems

Conclusion:

In conclusion, this paper proposes a new start -up business venture under the wing of the Epco builders, which is one of the leading companies in the construction industry of Kenya. The new venture that has been proposed in this report is that of the supply of raw materials needed for construction, as well as a construction site cleaning services. The report talks about the basic idea, and then studies the different basic strategies that are responsible for the success of the proposed project. Next, the life cycle of the project is outlined and discussed in context of the project that has been proposed in this paper. The different stages of project management are highlighted. The way this business organization operates under the leadership of Mr. Ramji D. is analyzed, and any issues within the same are identified. The leadership and company structure proposed for the new project is also elucidated. The project is analyzed with the help of relevant evaluation strategies, and the different issues that might arise once the business is started. Addressing and resolving these issues are a must, before this new business is inaugurated. The time required to complete the whole project is outlined in this report as a schedule. The financing required to fund the project is also highlighted. Finally, the paper provides an overview of the quality of the project, and the different factors that impact the same. It should also be mentioned here that the proposed project ensures high quality. 

References:

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