Project Management Semester Test
Mzansi shuttle project
Project management bodies of knowledge
During the implementation of the Mzansi shuttle project, the project management bodies of knowledge have the responsibility to ensure that the multiple workers employed for this dynamic project have the expertise and are certified to meet their standards of distinctive knowledge. It is also imperative to ensure that the employees have the relevant resources available to them in that particular field they are employed in. (Morris, Crawford, Hodgson, Shepherd & Thomas 2006) One may deduce that project management bodies of knowledge are a significant guide to the human resource activities of any project.
The use of knowledge is imperative for the daily work of a project as large as the Mzansi shuttle. The Mzansi shuttle project is a multinational project due to the various groups of people from different countries being involved in it such as the Nigerian and South African’s that form part of the Dangote enterprise. International organizations have a high intake and a high output of information. The value of knowledge sharing has been recognized by most international and supranational bodies of knowledge and as such they have set up information and knowledge management programs. Many organizations consider information management as part of their internal procedures and remain tacit about their activities which may be expected from a venture such as the Mzansi shuttle project. (Ringel-Bickelmaier & Ringel 2010)
The project management bodies of knowledge may look towards the implementation of the project based organization. (PBO) The versatile management of the Mzansi shuttle project would benefit from the use of PBO which is ultimately sui...
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...Possible hindrance of work breakdown structures
The Mzansi shuttle project is a large and intricate project and needs a lot of attention to detail however, when creating the work packages the manager should be careful of going into too much detail as this will lead to the project manager having to micromanage the project and eventually slow down the Mzansi shuttle project which should be avoided. Tasks and activities of the project should not be confused with deliverables, the tasks and activities may change however the end result should remain the same. Using the work breakdown structure as a replacement for the project plan will hinder the project objectives. The work breakdown structure can be changed and this will hinder the deliverables of the project from being achieved.
(http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/work-breakdown-structure-purpose-process-pitfalls.php)
A work breakdown structure is a key project deliverable that organizes the team 's work into manageable sections. The Project Management Body of Knowledge. defines the work breakdown structure as a "deliverable oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team”. Basically the work breakdown structure is something that is put together which defines the scope something that project team can understand. On the other hand, project requirement is kind of a document which tell management, what has to be produced and the exact date of completion. It also is based on responsibility factors. Requirements are the expectations which the product need to fulfill. Requirements are collected from the customer, stakeholders and Sponsor.
Knowledge work according to Raman, (1999), contains activities, which are "information-based, knowledge intensive and knowledge generating" (p. 2). The paper's theme is, "organizations staying ahead of the competition have come to realize knowledge and knowledge workers are their key to success in today's environment where knowledge and information have become commodities" (Raman, 1999, p. 1). This paper's theme traces the historical development of knowledge management and knowledge workers; differentiates between knowledge workers and non-knowledge workers, and illustrate the knowledge workers experience in the author's organization. Knowledge systems contain the potential to increase business value (Bang, Cleemann, & Bramming, 2010).
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet project requirements (PMBOK Guide, 2008). Using this definition, it is made evident that the parties involved in the Denver International Airport (DIA) Baggage System project in the 1990’s failed at applying basic organizational practices towards managing the triple constraint of scope, time, and cost goals. The combination of inherent risks, uncertainties, and dysfunctional decision making geared the project towards disappointment while simultaneously designating it as a text book example of what not do when taking on a complex project. By looking at the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats we can pull together a basic plan of action that would have set the DIA’s baggage handling system as a marvel model of rapid automation.
T.D. Wilson (2002) makes a point of identifying several sources of articles, references and course syllabi with varying takes on knowledge management within organizations. Wilson is convinced that organizations misuse the terminology “knowledge management” and that their activities are more concerned with managing information than with the management of knowledge (Wilson, 2002). Wilson defines knowledge as involving “the mental processes of comprehension” or, as “what we know” and information as the expression of what we know and can convey through messages (Wilson, 2002). By researching the use of the “knowledge management” Wilson conveys that the terms knowledge and information are used interchangeably, which results in an inaccurate application
Bob Ebeling and Mark Boisjoly were both engineers and are best known as the main people who tried to cancel the launch. The O-ring problem at lower temperatures wasn’t something we later learned. Ebeling knew that given low enough temperatures it would fail and cause the main tank to explode. However, “Problem reporting requirements are not concise and fail to get critical information to the proper levels of management. Little or no trend analysis was performed on O-ring erosion and blow-by problems.”
“Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind” a famous quote about our goal by Seneca. It is a metaphor about the achievement goal and objectives by good planning skills. One has to plan for what one wants to achieve and where one wants to go. One of the most important things is to have good planning, before taking any project the first think you should do is to create project plan. Planning can be defined as preparing a sequence of action to achieve specific goals and objectives. According to Kerzner (2009), “project planning is desirable that the project manager is involved from project conception through execution. It must be systematic, flexible to handle, closely disciplined through reviews and control and capable of accepting multi functional inputs (pg. 412)”. The importance of planning a project is to describe the work so that it will be easily identifiable to the project team member.
PMBOK, (2013). A guide to the project management body of knowledge : (PMBOK guide). 5th ed. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute, Inc..
Our modern society encounters rapid changes that inevitably lead business organization to become continuous innovative engine in facing the dialectic of stability and change to meet the demand of ongoing changing environment. In order to be remaining competitive through providing superior value; today, businesses are required to gear up its knowledge based activities by taking knowledge management initiatives seriously. Surely, knowledge management in organization gets its momentum in recent discussion of both academic and practitioner fields. The diversity of disciplines (Economics, Information and Library Science, Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Communication, Cognitive Science, Organizational Behavior and Theory, Psychology,
Introduction With today’s rate of development in technology, there has also been an immense increase in global information sharing. Innovations in technology and design seem to be emerging in the market almost every month. One of the key aspects of any business is to gather, organize and efficiently apply this information. According to Antonic (2005), economic assets are fast becoming of secondary importance in the market as companies ascribe more importance to intellectual capital. With the right application of knowledge management methods, companies can achieve a competitive advantage by managing the immense amount of information available (Balanced Scorecard Institute, 2002).
Projects are implemented as a means of achieving an organization’s strategic plan. Operations and projects differ primarily in that operations are ongoing and repetitive while projects are temporary and unique. A project can thus be defined in terms of its distinctive characteristics- a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service. Temporary means that every project has a definite beginning and a definite end. Unique means that the product or service is different in some distinguishing way from all other products and services. For many organizations, projects are a means to respond to those requests that cannot be addressed within the organization’s normal operational limits (Project Management Institute
Over the course of my professional life, I have become increasingly involved in project management roles. Doing so has made me aware of the many varied challenges that can face projects and the project managers who are charged with bringing them through to completion. The success or failure of projects, in whatever economic, political or social field, rests not just on the quality of the project’s goals, but also on the abilities of those involved in the project – and above all those who are managing it – to bring it to successful completion. To do this, project managers need to be equipped with a very wide range of skills, many of which are unrelated to the type of project itself. So, for example, a project manager of an engineering project must not only have engineering
“Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to organisational and project activities to achieve the aims of an organisation through projects” (PMI, 2003).
When planning a new project, how the project will be managed is one of the most important factors. The importance of a managers will determine the success of the project. The success of the project will be determined by how well it is managed. Project management is referred to as the discipline that entails the processes of carefully planning, organizing, controlling, and motivating the organization resources so as to foster and facilitate the achievement of specific established and desired goals and meet the specific criteria of success required in the organization (Larson, 2014). Over the course of this paper I will be discussing and analyzing the importance of project management.
Over the recent years, we have been exposed to the importance of knowledge management. Generally, knowledge management can be defined as the process that involved identifying, capturing, evaluating, distributing, and effectively sharing and using knowledge (Koenig, 2012). It played a significant role in many organizations. Sandhawalia and Dalcher (2011) support by stating that many organizations realize that the effective use of knowledge assets and resources giving them the ability to innovate and respond to fast changing customer expectations as well as help support a range of critical operational and innovative activities.
Project management involves all activities that encompass scheduling, planning, and controlling projects. A successful project manager ensure that an organization’s resources are being used both efficiently and effectively. Most projects need to be uniquely developed require a sense of customization and the ability to adapt to any posed challenges. The scope of effective project management includes defining what the project is and what is being expected to be accomplished. Projects are imposed to fulfill a certain need and project managers must have the ability to create the proper definition. Goals and the means used to attain those goals have to be clearly stated. Project Managers must also have the ability to plan