Thursday 30 August 2012
Week 6 - Project Management
A Project Management Plan will form an integral component of your final project documentation. In gaining an understanding of how to apply the principles of PM, it is worth thinking about projects (no matter how small) in which you have been involved, and that have failed for one reason for another. Describe the project, identify (as best you can) the point of failure of the project, and then link that to an aspect of the Project Management Body of Knowledge that could have helped minimize or avoid the failure.
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Last week, our guest lecturer, Thomas Swana, highlighted four key areas of project management (scope, cost, quality and time), as being highly important to ensure project success. These are amongst the twelve knowledge areas mentioned in “Project Management Body of Knowledge”.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal experience the components that were not monitored properly was TIME and SCOPE:
In first year we had an assignment where we had to design a house. Every week we had a different drawing to hand in (floor plan, elevation, cross-section, etc). The week that our cross-sections were due, I underestimated the time it would take for me to complete the two drawings and when it came to the day it was due I was not finished. I assumed it would take me more or less the same amount of time to complete the drawings as the other drawings. However, I was wrong as these drawings were far more detailed. I ended up having to work through the night to complete the drawings.
This is where I should have implemented better time management. It is important not to underestimate the work load or the time it will take to finish an assignment. Be sure to understand the extent/scope of the assignment and then allot the appropriate amount of time to complete the assignment. This was a major life lesson for me. I now try to finish work early and not just on time.
In grade 11, in my Design class we were required to design and make key rings. The resources that were available to us were cardboard, cello tape, scissors, clay, Vaseline, silicon, resin, catalyst, sandpaper and Brillo brass polish.
ReplyDeleteWe used the clay to create prototypes of our key-ring designs which we placed inside the boxes made from cardboard; we then poured silicon over the clay prototypes and filled up the boxes to create a silicon mould. After the silicon dried up, we were ready to make the actual key-rings. We then poured resin mixed with catalyst into the moulds after having smeared the moulds with lots of Vaseline so that the resin key-ring would come out with ease. Once the resin was dry and hard, all that was left to do was to smoothen it out with sandpaper and polish it with brass.
My key rings did not come out good at all. I was too focused on making a great design that I did not manage my time well and I hadn’t foreseen problems that I would encounter when making my key-rings. My problem was that I only had one design; it was good on paper but wasn’t very practical for someone making key rings for the first time. I had also spent so much time on the design that I had to do a rush job with silicon mould.
Proper planning and time management is what I needed for my project to be a success.
Over the course of this degree we have been given various projects to complete. There is only one projects that have I experienced a complication with, but luckily it didn’t fail in the end. The project groups were allocated to us and despite having group meetings and working together; there was one member that let the team down. As I said previously, luckily the project was salvaged with hard work and did ultimately succeed. The point of failure was not having knowledge of team member’s strengths and weaknesses and deception about having completed the work. I have now realised that it is best to determine the strengths of each team member and allocate work load accordingly, this will help create a cohesive and happy team. When linking this to an aspect of the Project Management Body of Knowledge I think that scope and quality could have been improved on. By better determining the scope of the work required it could be allocated accordingly and by increasing the quality planning and control will help achieve success.
ReplyDeleteWhile at school I did art as a subject. It was during matric that I had the biggest issue with deadlines. Beacause I am a perfectionist and I need to finish one task before I begin another (In time I have become more lenient in this regard). So I was left with only one week to finish my entire art portfolio as well as my signature final piece.
ReplyDeleteI worked almost 22 hours a day on that assignment but this could have been avoided if I had managed my time more successfully and not concentrated on one step at a time, I wouldnt have had this issue. The fact I only had one week to start and complete an entire painting could have been detrimental to the success of the painting, my matric results and ultimately my career. I however managed to finish in time and produce an artwork that wasnt compromised in any way. However it did provide too much stress in a time where stress is the last thing you need.
This could have been avoided by better time management and processes.
The project that we completed but could be considered a failure in the long run was to build a bar at our student digs made out of a wooden frame and a bamboo outside for aesthetic reasons.
ReplyDeleteThe best link to failure was the scope and cost features of the project management body of knowledge. There is also a link between scope and cost within our project.
At the outset of the project in January our digs mate is an architect and designed the bar and got the quantities for wood, bamboo, nails and paint.
He then approached the rest of the clients (digs mates) and gave us the breakdown of the project and costs involved. We all agreed and so the project began. The problem came when since it was summer we never accounted for the weather and the discussion of a roof in the scope of the project. When the winter rains started rolling in we had no roof and the sudden realization made the project increase in unexpected cost but still needed to stick to a budget we could afford. Subsequently the bar has been severely damaged due to the rains and is need of great repair for summer. I think the failure in the project is that when discussing the scope of the project was not to take every factor into play as in the roof and thus alas the cost associated with that feature. We accounted for the roof afterwards but the use of inferior materials to stick within budget was a failure. In future we have learned to consider all options and the link between the scope of the project in terms of what we want and what is needed and the link between the cost associated with the wants.In considering the scope and cost features of the project body of knowledge we could have had a successful project.
A while ago I tried to enter into a business agreement with a friend. The project was to make money doing handy-man activities. Unfortunately we failed because of lack of consideration for COST and SCOPE.
ReplyDeleteThe initial cost of setting up a business as well as tools was too much for us to handle, and the work was actually far more complicated than we thought it would be!
This is something we need to think about before another ambitious entrepreneurial venture.
Over the June/July holidays,since I love baking and making desserts, I attempted to make my first milk tart. The recipe I used resulted in a deep layer of the filling compared to the crust. I proceeded to put this in the refrigerator and after about 2/3 hours it appeared to be set and i removed it out of the tin. A few minutes upon removal, the edges flopped and I realised that it hadn't completely and thoroughly set.
ReplyDeleteThe point of failure of my 'project' was time management. Although I had done everything right prior to the setting, I had not allowed enough time for setting and instead of producing one cohesive milk tart, I had a couple of sections on the milk tart. Likewise with respect to project management, each activity must be given the time it requires and not be rushed through.
For me, I would have to say that the ConTech Project we did in first year was probably the worst project I have ever handed in.For this task, we had to find a development that would be developed throughout the year, and monitor the project via 4 smaller hand in’s in order to produce one main assignment at the end. This was an interesting and exciting assignment but the wheels fell off as the group failed to work together properly. The group as a whole was not a ‘unit’ in a sense that it didn’t have the same objectives in order to produce a successful project. We experienced problems from the start, as individuals would not pitch for meetings, and one member of the group did not even identify herself until it was time to hand in the 3rd part of our project. These problems were clear from the start, but were never properly ironed out and it seemed like no one elese knew what they were doing. This ultimately lead to me working on the project entirely on my own, barely making the deadlines and not producing a project that is of a high quality. I think this is where Time and Scope come into play. The fact that the group members had no idea what was going on, or what was required of them made it more and more difficult to complete the project as it progressed. If we as a group had taken the time in the initial phases of the development to sit down and come up with a proper plan of action so that everyone understood and all the objectives were clear, then it would have made the assignment more bearable. If we had taken the time to formulate a brief, so that everyone knew what, how, when and why, we could have saved time and done a lot better in the final result. Communication was also a huge problem here especially as team members did not pitch to informal meetings in order to set up a proper communication channel.
ReplyDeleteThere are many things that can cause a project to fall apart, but as mentioned by Mr Swana, which quality, time and the scope of the project. Personally the one I would say I still struggle with is time, over-estimating the time I have left before a project is due. This then has a domino effect on the quality of the end product by underestimating the scope and time constraints of the project. I seriously have time management issues.
ReplyDeleteAn example of this, would by when I had the whole June/july vacation to complete a major essay I had to do. I kept postponing it over and over again, until we opened again in July. I then recieved a mediocre mark, all because I didnt fully grasp the scope and especially the time constraints of the project. I always say I will do better the next time, but the habit is still there with me. If I had done the essay on time, I would have produced a high quality product, because I am capable of that, but I guess I will have to do better next time.
In the context of a group project, I believe the most common issue I face is lack of proper leader, or an anchor person to make the whole project gel into one well executed product. The guest speaker mentioned this, and when he brought this issue to light, I was in full agreement with him. Good leadership is vital.
The PMBOK has really defined the steps for project management, and as in depth as it is, in many a times I can relate to projects not meeting standard due to the lack of these management processes. Reading over the steps does seem as though they are long winded, but considering them altogether they're logical, progressive steps which I think we sometimes over look as we just run them through our heads.
DeleteI think if more time was taken to actually sit down and fully discuss the process and use the tools in reaching each process output- maximum efficiency can definitely be created.
Many a times I fall into same trap of committing the same project management felonies (personally- procrastination; not sticking to scope etc)and although I know the terms, and know my inefficiencies, try my best to change up my approach to project I find myself still falling in same trap.
What I think needs to be done, is for these steps and processes to be formally addressed, take the time to even write them out just so that constantly can be reminded; made aware and refer back to them so that don't loose track and efficient management and balance of objectives can be achieved
THE PROJECT: Designing and printing a large batch of T-shirts for Res. Students. The task was performed by the Res-Committee. The project’s constraints were: time and cost.
ReplyDeletePOINT OF FAILURE: Over-looking the cost implications of the complex design which resulted in a costly final product. The design was approved by the students as well as submitted to the printer’s timeously. In the end we found ourselves in a situation where we had great-looking T-shirts at an unaffordable rate.
PM SOLUTION: Make certain of the stake-holders; who they are? What their needs and requirements are? As well as what they can and cannot afford to consume.
We failed to meet the stake-holders effective demand...had we applied the Project Management Body of knowledge; Such failings could have been avoided.
Over the last three years there have been various projects that have worked and others that we have had to struggle through. Funnily enough the two projects that i found the most difficult in terms of group work were different; one we were allocated groups and the other we could choose the groups. In each situation we encountered a student who did not seem to be interested in completing work on time or contributing to the team.
ReplyDeleteI believe that, as a group, our biggest point of failure was not communicating properly. Group members would sometimes get worked up and then 'explode' at inappropriate times or in a rude way which then further contributed to the corrosive work place.
This flaw of communication could have also been the solution to our problem. If we had stepped back slightly and looked at the situation and then came to meetings cool, clam and collected then our work environment would not have been further corroded. Also if communication happened more effectively outside of the meetings between group members then we would all have understood one another a little better and then would have been able to be more understanding.
As was conveyed to us during the guest lecture on Project Management, the four essential characteristics’ or areas of concern for a project are scope, cost, quality and time.
ReplyDeleteThinking back, there are many projects, which although have not been a failure outright, specific aspects of those projects have been questionable. Living a student life, time seems to be the most relevant point in relation to projects. Not having much of a structure or routine as a student makes it all the more difficult to be disciplined with ones self in creating a work ethic. One particular situation that stands out most notably is our Property Studies 3A course last semester, which required a feasibility study to be performed. Literally 3 days prior to hand-in, our group started the project. Due to the fact that we had not managed our time effectively during the semester, we had to work flat out for three days straight – and by flat out I mean staying in the Cad labs till sunrise on a couple of occasions. The end result was rather impressive considering our complete failure on time management.
Relating this to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, the section on project time management is obviously most applicable. The document outlines the processes required ensuring the timely completion of a project. They are:
•Activity Definition – identify specific activities that must be performed to produce the various project deliverables
•Activity Sequencing
•Duration Estimating – how many work period will be needed to complete the individual activities?
•Schedule Development – analysis the above information to create a project schedule.
Had we properly followed an outline of this nature, we would not have had to overexert ourselves and fall to the pressures of stress – but then again, you can only learn from your mistakes.
The key components of Project Management are: cost, quality, scope, and time. I think there are very few projects that have gone completely well in terms of adhering to the above characteristics.
ReplyDeleteHowever, one project that I did fail stands out. In my first year at UCT we were given the task of designing and building a 3 bedroom stand-alone house with a detachable roof. Designing the house went ok. It was the building that I underestimated. The project was an individual assignment, but I had no previous experience in anything like it which meant that I could not share the load with someone who had more experience. What lead to my poor performance was my poor skill-level (as the physical building required much detail), which forced me to work a full 24 hours to submit on time.
Time was my downfall, but this could have been avoided had I started earlier given that I was venturing into unknown territory.
A few years ago my dad and I decided to build a new motorbike using the one we currently had. The idea was to re-do the bike so that by the end of the project it would look completely different to the original. The ideas were there, the personal were on hand and enthusiastic to complete this project. However the project failed. The main reason for this was because we did not manage it effectively and in the end we got to a point where we lacked the required resources to reach completion. The lack of cost management was the biggest problem.
ReplyDeleteI think I learnt some valuable lessons from this failure, because as a property student it has become clear how important project management is. Often people have great ideas when it comes to developing, and rush into getting them implemented, but if these ideas are not managed properly, there is great risk that the building project could fail and large sums of money lost.
Project management is key to ensure that the costs and scope are kept in tact. Ideally you want to start with a range of ideas and have a successful mix of management that ensures these ideas are created. Furthermore the client wants the project to be completed on time and with good quality. All these factors must be considered to manage a project successfully.
In high school, I was a member of a small society that raised awareness on HIV/AIDS at school. This one time, we were invited to attended an arts function that involved other societies with the same goals but from different high schools all over town. It was more of a recreational event where we had the opportunity to meet other people who did the same thing and to share ideas and so on. The catch how ever was that each society had to create a dance piece of about five minutes or less for entertainment. Now the mistake we made was to make sure everyone in the society took part in the dance, regardless of talent(don't know why now that I think about it). To make matters worse,my high school was more on the conservative side so the piece was watered down and no one looked like they were really enjoying themselves.
ReplyDeleteThis was a massive fail, especially after seeing all the other performances. As a society, we failed to communicate among ourselves and establish the main goal of the event and how to achieve it(scope of the project). We also failed to put our best dancers forward and to highlight their strengths for the piece to work(quality of the project). Although we had an adequate rehearsal period(time allocated for the project)and did not part with any money as it was a school event, we paid dearly for our mistakes in the end(overall cost of the project), all because we had a poor brief. Had we implemented the main points in project management and communicated better, the outcome would have been different.
Our course has allowed for students to work in groups, some which have been successful and some which have not. I have been in many different groups and a project that comes to mind was a project whereby the project integration was poorly conducted. As this was poorly done other parts of the project began to fall apart. Communication began to fail as well as team work began to fail. Unfortunately this meant that the project as a whole was not up to standard. Regardless of our efforts we had lost the will to work as a team, some more than others, and this meant that the project itself was going to suffer.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, the project served as a massive learning curve for us all. Project integration is hugely important. When members are coordinated aspects which they cannot handle or do not have sufficient knowledge it hugely affects the project at hand. Thankfully, the property course has allowed us to make mistakes where still possible and learn from these rather than learn the wrong mistakes at a later stage.
Thomas Swana highlighted the 4 key considerations of Project Management: Scope, cost, quality and time.
ReplyDeleteFunny enough, the developers that my group and I are currently consulting with have created one unsuccessful project that I have recently viewed. The quality and time taken to construct the building was completely fine, however it has fallen short in the scope and cost facets.
The house was highly inappropriate for housing a mere 10 retirees, as poor utilization of space and design (with extremely large communal areas)resulted in a use that was sub-optimal. In fact, the house could easily have housed 15-20 individuals and common costs could have been shared over a greater number of retirees. The NGO is aiming at cost minimization and therefore, the space should have been used in a more appropriate manner i.e. communal areas could have been made smaller and more rooms could have been built in the design.
These are costs over-and-above the sections of resource planning, cost budgeting, cost estimating and cost control that are outlined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (as these are associated with construction costs and not revenue benefits or efficiency).
Property Management is a key aspect when determining the success or failure of a project. The four main components of project management include scope,cost,time and quality. It is thus important to take all of the above into consideration carefully when executing a project.
ReplyDeleteOne project recently where this was highlighted was the building of the tower in the first couple of weeks of Property 3B,where we worked within our groups on a project for the first time.
Our group worked well together and developed our tower however many flaws came about and although the tower was within the scope of the project it however was way over the cost limit and the quality of the tower was poor as it continuously fell over. The group however completed the project within the time allocated but but it was highlighted that if all the considerations are not met the project becomes a failure. Therefore clearly indicating the effectiveness of project management whilst focusing on each point thoroughly and seeing the link between the different considerations.
Therefore in this project,in order for it to have become a success- cost effective methods should have been used such as cost budgeting,cost control and cost estimating as well as regular quality control and a better understanding of the end products requirements in terms of quality and cost.
ReplyDeleteThe Problem I faced throughout my high-school career was inadequate project time management. A project that stands out was in a design class we were given a brief to design a chair. The brief was vague but it allowed us to entertain a range of ideas. My issue was that I spent too much time creating ideas for the project and left myself far too little time for actually building my chosen design. This meant that while the design was a good concept and got marked well, the end result was a poor reflection of that design. A more structured time management plan could have helped prevent this issue and would have given me enough time to succeed in this project.
ReplyDeletewith most projects embarked on, I think you encouter problems. Some however more detrimental then others, some which can be easily fix and others where a whole new idea must be formed:) Project management is very important in projects, even smaller ones, project adds highly to the element of success and getting projects done on time and according to the specifications. One of the most challenging projects would have to be the construction project done in first year. It was a whole year project, which we had to monitor a building and constantly keep updating the project. This was especially difficult as most of us didnt know each other get, so getting everyone togther at the same time was difficult! project managemnet consists of scope, quality, time and cost. I think the reason the project was also so difficlut is that each one had a different perspective of what they though should go into each element. Some expected a higher quality then others while some though more time should be spend on the projects. I think the underlying solution to these problems would be communication. Communicating with members and finding out what they think can really help in project management and the success of a project.
ReplyDeleteOver the last three years we've had to complete many group projects for various subjects in our degree. Generic problems which seem to have arisen out of the majority of these have been issues with communication and deliverance of work. These two aspects are perhaps also linked in many cases, where if more regular, honest and constructive communication takes place it will be superseded by an improved deliverance and quality of work. In this regard I think a good Project Manager should possess the skill to be able to act as a mediator of sorts between parties to ensure that information is clearly conveyed, as well as expectations and deadlines clearly understood.
ReplyDeleteWe have all been involved with many projects since we entered the educational system. Many of these projects required planning and in order to succeed members in each of these groups needed to take action with regards to these plans and not just think about them. Our thinking can only do so much it is our execution of our thoughts which matters the most.
ReplyDeleteThere is one project which stands out for me whilst studying at UCT. The project involved group members creating an innovative product or service and required members to develop a comprehensive business plan around the idea so that we could present it to potential investors for funding. The point of failure in this project was the lack of a CLEAR vision for the product from the outset of the project. As the project development process progressed group members simply just made assumptions as to what they believed the ultimate vision of the product was and when the group met, a few days before the due date, we realised that some members had conflicting views. The plan of work was laid out yet without a clear vision we could not obtain the results we aimed for as the 'investor' himself said he was slightly confused about our pitch. We 'passed' with around 60 percent, but our goal was to achieve a result of at least 80 percent and therefore in my view we failed ourselves and our idea.
I believe that this could have been avoided if the group had met on regular intervals but more importantly if the group had set a clear vision for the product from the outset of the planning process and then the management of the project would have happened more effectively. The vision should not have been restricted to our mark at the end of the project but should have been made clear for the actual business idea itself.
It is almost like a development company setting financial goals for a development when it is complete yet undertaking the development without any architectural drawings or plans which ultimately serve as the vision for the project. The management of this project will be in complete disarray. There needs to be a common understanding of the vision between group members for this vision to materialize into reality.
The key components of project management are cost, quality, scope and time and each of them are equally as important as the other. A project cannot succeed unless all of the above mentioned components are dealt with appropriately. Often, I have left projects and assignments for the last minute by not managing my time correctly. Sometimes I have been able to pull it off, but other times the quality and scope of my work suffered as a result. Over the years I have learned the importance of time management, and what a difference it can make to a project. Firstly, in terms of being able to have enough time to accurately research the topic, and secondly in terms of relieving extra stress from putting yourself under too much pressure when the due date arrives. It is important to be aware of the factors that can influence the success or failure of a project, and then ensure you take all the steps you can to successfully deal with them all.
ReplyDeleteThe formal definition of PM outlines that there must be an application of knowledge, tools, skills or techniques in order to meet the expectations set for a particular project.Therefore, from my understanding, we are looking at the management of several input variables that go into a project or particular effort, the efficient management of the inputs will lead to a desired output however the inefficient management of one or more inputs will lead to the inefficient management of other inputs and ultimately an undesirable output. The best example i could give is in terms of an exam.
ReplyDeleteProject management is a concept that can be integrated into every project, assignment, task or preparation; The easiest area where PM can be analyzed is during exam preparation. The most ideal situation is for one to have employed adequate time management practices during study time and also employed quality effort during that time which would have allowed for adequate scope understanding and ultimately led to good quality exam marks with minimal loss of marks (cost)(note that in some cases the employment of the inputs is cyclical). No one concept of project management can be looked at exclusively as shown above, it always works in some form of spill over effects were the original problem could differ. In a property development you may have poor cost management which affects the quality of the product.
Project Management is crucial aspect in order to achieve specific goals. Property Studies have certainly taught me how to work as a team and how to deal with different people, as everybody has different strengths and weaknesses which contribute to a group. Over the past 3 years, we have completed many projects in a groups. Sometimes group work can be a challenging as I found it simpler and easier to work by myself. This is because you can manage the project by yourself and do not have to factor in , your group members opinions or ideas. However, I have learnt a lot by working as team to accomplish projects. Most projects that I have been involved with as a team have been successful however in first year I struggled with one particular project. Looking back at it, no one specifically was in the wrong, it was merely that everybody had different strengths and weakness. Me and my friend, preferred to do things under stress as we work better when the pressure is on, however understandably so not everybody is able to work in this way. The other 2 members of the group found this highly annoying. When working in a group you cannot only put your self needs first, compromising is vital. The key components of Project Management namely cost, quality , scope and time. If I have to analyse the failure of our project, the aspect of time management would have been our downfall. In the end, I learnt a great deal about working as a team and Project Management would have helped me a lot to deal with the problems that we encountered as a group.
ReplyDelete