Business case of Challenge UK
Svejvig and Andersen(2015) stated that project management (PM) methodology is termed as system of methods in addition to principles to manage the project work. It helps the organization to standardize project processes as well as helps in understanding how to manage plan. The PM methodology provides the project team with standards for initiating as well as managing various project activities required to deliver a successful plan. By means of using those methodologies, the project manager can reduce project risks, prevent duplication of data plus increase in project success rate. The project management methodology provides the project manager a framework to manage project tasks which are required to be done. In this paper, there is discussion of three benefits of adopting project management methodology to manage an IT project. In this study, the selected project is Challenge UK new system. By adopting of PM methodology, the IT organizations can able adapt new project challenges along with invest in limited resources to get project success. Joslin and Müller(2015) mentioned that a successful PM culture is adopted by utilization of PM methodology. There will be expand of project manager’s skills to make them understand how to manage project plan efficiently. It is discussed that there is increase in motivation of project team members lead to increase in business productivity.
Challenge UK is small company provides activity holiday as well as outdoor courses to people at all ages at their activity centres. Different activities are canoeing, rock climbing, caving as well as hill walking. The current manual system of the company is usage of computing like email, spreadsheets in addition to word processing. There are various problems with existing system as it causes errors while entering data in the system. There is difficulty in coping with expanding volume of the business organization. After performing a feasibility study in the company, the consultant recommended some possible points to be implemented in their business. Therefore, the business consultant of Challenge UK identified areas where improvements required, and recommended to implement a computer system. The system should handle procedures of course booking, holiday voucher issues as well as hostel check in operations. It is recommended to purchase as well as use of sales ledger package for dealing with invoices and payment records. Therefore, a new sales ledger system should implement in the business so that they can deal with their customers efficiently. In order to implement proposed system in Challenge UK, the project manager should perform an investigation of project management methodologies suitable for the system and its possible benefits adopted in the business. In this system implementation project, the PM methodology is a way to apply set of standards and guidance to deliver the project work. It becomes mandated by PM office to get project success.
Discussion on the three benefits of Project Management Methodologies
In IT projects, adoption of PM methodologies have some benefits like better accomplishing of required project results, improving productivity and embracing of evaluation process. Other benefits are better managing and planning of resources, setting realistic and manageable expectations and better facilitation of communication with team and clients. Following are the three main benefits among identified benefits for adopting PM methodology in IT projects:
(1) Better managing and planning of resources: In order to implement new sales ledger system, the PM methodology helps them to manage the project plan efficiently and enable them to resolve problems in their existing system. Once the project plan starts, the project manager is one who is responsible to manage and plan resources required to develop and implement system in business organization (Joslin & Muller, 2016). Available resources are skilled and professionals to manage all the works. Each individual project resources are assigned different project tasks focused on their skills plus expertise to handle it. For this service based company, the resources are considered as people, therefore there is identifying the team members and allocating them for the project. The resource planning is changing and adjusting on regular basis to reflect on scope changes and availability of the employees such that the project schedule is on time. Before resource planning for system development project, there will require to estimate the project duration as well as time to complete the work on scheduled timeline (Badewi, 2016). In this case, critical path method is used to illustrate project structure plus identification of task dependencies and duration of each project activity. This method helps to calculate entire time to finish the project. The resources involved in this project plan are bookings manager, activities manager, accounts manager, system developer, analyst, project manager, financial officer and system tester. Effective managing and planning of resources allow to avoid over allocation and team workload.
(2) Better facilitation of communication with the team and with clients: In order to get success in the development project plan, communication is key significant requirement for project success. Interaction among the project clients and project team members will help to discuss project issues with each other. Team meeting is conducted to discuss those issues on weekly basis so that decisions are also taken. Communication is also performed to guide plus manage the project events to ensure that project objectives are met. Group participation helps to take project related decisions and achieve profit. A communication plan is prepared before starting the project by mentioning communication purpose, frequency, channels and communication owner (Joslin & Müller, 2016). Through communication plan, it will enhance ability of the team to understand client’s requirements and help to build trust as strong partnership. In team meeting, the client knows who does what task and creates trust in credibility of project team.
Among the communication channels, one way interaction is best as it will better help to understand issues from individual project team. During the interactions, there is setting of expectations plus requirements of project clients. At the time of one-to-one interaction, the project manager listens to the individual resource carefully and as a leader they can help their members to achieve project objectives and business goals. In this project, interview is conducted individually with activities manager, booking manager, hostel desk staff and issuing office clerk to understand problems they are facing and getting rid of it quickly (Svejvig& Andersen, 2015). It will provide an opportunity to present project activities plus changes in the new sales ledger system project.
(3) Improving productivity: The project manager should prioritize the suggestions of their team members to improve their business productivity. After going through feasibility study, the consultant recommended to develop its old manual system with a new system so that they can manage their business problems. The consultant identifies project needs and prepares proper structure to replace old computer system (Badewi, 2016). The system will lead to improve business productivity of Challenge UK by improving cash flow, increase in sales, easier funding processes, minimal redundant control and simple application process for the course. The project team members should strict to their deadlines so that there is no possibility of any delays in any project activity. Making small changes to the project plan will lead to improve in levels of business productivity. It will allow to get quality work in short period of time and reduce amount of time required to do unnecessary project tasks.
Joslin and Müller(2015) discussed that one of the important aspect contribute towards employee motivation is hard work of the project team members. The members should create daily project schedule as well as follow it efficiently to improve business productivity and increase in sales. It allows to meet with responsibilities and enables to manage company strategically. Sales ledger system is used in Challenge UK as a platform of growth. It helps to disclose financial position for the business to organization in addition to helps to take required financial decisions.
Based on the above mentioned benefits of PM methodologies, following are suitable methodologies selected for the implementation of sales leader system in Challenge UK.
Agile methodology: In this project management methodology, there is no such documentation and requirements gathering procedure, while it helps to provide respond to changing project requirements. Therefore, better facilitation of communication is main benefit of this methodology. This methodology provides the resources a freedom to make incremental modifications in the project plan (Badewi, 2016). It is suitable for creative project so that it makes an innovative changes in the business lead to improve productivity. By means of this agile methodology, there is getting feedback from project stakeholders to make changes in existing business functions. In challenge UK, the project manager is focused to make changes in existing system by conducting a feasibility study by consultant. This study will help the manager to make sure that the project will proceed further to make changes in existing manual system. Mahadevan, Kettinger and Meservy(2015) discussed that this approach will reduce risk of project failures as the resources are being involved at each project steps. One of the disadvantage of this methodology is that as there is lack of fixed project plan, therefore it leads to make a difficult resource as well as schedule management.
Waterfall model: This model is easier to understand as well as use for implementing the proposed system in the business. Division between the project stages are easier regardless of the project experiences. Hornstein(2015) mentioned that there is clear documentation of the project requirements so that the system will implement successfully. At the time of implementation of IT solutions in Challenge UK, there is examination and documentation of existing course booking, course voucher issues plus hostel check in systems. This project methodology makes easier for resources to move in as well as work on project plan when required. One of the main disadvantage of this project methodology is that this waterfall approach is dependent on the project understanding plus analyzing business requirements (Chauhan, Rana& Sharma, 2017). Lack of flexibility will make it poor to select for complex project plan. It is commonly used in software development project with proper communication among client and staffs and better managing of project resources.
Conclusion
It is concluded that in the IT project, the project management methodology allows to control management processes through efficient decision making as well as problem solving. It ensures to provide success of the business processes, technologies plus methods. In last few years, usage of project management methodologies are increasing. Based on the selected IT project for implementation of sales ledger system in Challenge UK, waterfall model and agile model is suitable. The main aim of this two methodologies is standardization, arrangement plus organize work procedures of the project plan. It is greater tool for generating business efficiency as it is being used. The main benefits of project methodologies are planning of the project resources, better communication and improve in productivity. In terms of the project resources, the project methodology helps to shorten learning curve of the team and transformed them as per company’s personal style. Focused on standardization, it lowers risks and improves project work. In this system implementation project, project management methodology improves to achieve required project results, prioritizes business resources and sets schedule and scope of project from the beginning. Finally, the project methodologies will help the project manager to keep track of project progress and its current status. It enables project progress work to be structured properly.
Following are recommendations suggested to the project manager to make improvement in the implementation project plan:
Helping to deal with unknown: Before selecting a suitable methodology for the IT projects, the project manager should deal with project uncertainties. Reviews of the project uncertainties will help them to understand its impact on the project. Based on the risks consequence, the project manager should select the project methodology to perform the work.
Control and monitor: The project manager should control and monitor the project schedule and cost before it would provide impact on project success. They should offer with control system to balance the project and make decisions quickly.
References
Badewi, A. (2016). The impact of project management (PM) and benefits management (BM) practices on project success: Towards developing a project benefits governance framework. International Journal of Project Management, 34(4), 761-778.
Chauhan, B. D., Rana, A., & Sharma, N. K. (2017, September). Impact of development methodology on cost & risk for development projects. In 2017 6th International Conference on Reliability, Infocom Technologies and Optimization (Trends and Future Directions)(ICRITO) (pp. 267-272). IEEE.
Hornstein, H. A. (2015). The integration of project management and organizational change management is now a necessity. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), 291-298.
Joslin, R., & Müller, R. (2015). Relationships between a project management methodology and project success in different project governance contexts. International Journal of Project Management, 33(6), 1377-1392.
Joslin, R., & Müller, R. (2016). The relationship between project governance and project success. International Journal of Project Management, 34(4), 613-626.
Mahadevan, L., Kettinger, W. J., & Meservy, T. O. (2015). Running on Hybrid: Control Changes when Introducing an Agile Methodology in a Traditional” Waterfall” System Development Environment. CAIS, 36, 5.
Svejvig, P., & Andersen, P. (2015). Rethinking project management: A structured literature review with a critical look at the brave new world. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), 278-290.
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