NicoleRevell-GB560 Assignment-Unit 6

docx

School

Purdue Global University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

560

Subject

Information Systems

Date

Jan 9, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by nicolerichards1202

1 Managing Projects Managing Projects: Best Practices and Personal Performance Analysis Nicole K. Revell Unit 6 Assignment GB560: Designing, Improving, and Implementing Processes Dr. David Starnes December 13 th , 2023

2 Managing Projects Introduction Projects are led by someone that is set out to accomplish a goal. Projects come in various sizes that involves different time requirements and different processes for each project. Davidson (2019) talks about how project management is the practice of leading a team of any size to achieve goals that have been set out for them to be accomplished in a resourceful and successful way. Project management is used constantly in every career. Project management prepares a business by applying processes, methods, skills, and knowledge to a specific project. Not every project is going to be the same, so it is important to choose the right project management methodology. Project management is aimed at producing an end product that will effect some change for the benefit of the organizations that first stared the project (APM, 2023). Project Management (PM) Methods Project Management Methods Throughout the years, several types of project management methodologies have been developed to be used for business purposes. Businesses research and select a method that best fits their needs for the specific project they are working on. The use of project management methods is for initiation, planning, and control of a range of tasks required to deliver the end product (APM, 2023). When selecting the right methodology to use for a project, there are methods that are going to be different from one another that have their own set of pros and cons. It is the responsibility of the project manager to evaluate the pros and cons to select which option suits them best.

3 Managing Projects Project Management Methodology Selection Choosing a methodology is important and should evaluate and answer all questions circulating around a project. When selecting a project Richards (2019) suggests the project manager decides on a program that will meet the project or organization needs, costs and the budget, user support, and if there was a mobile or cloud feature. Other considers taking when selecting can include the availability of a dashboard feature. This feature would allow the project manager to see the big picture of all the projects and how they integrate with each other. One these criteria’s are answered, the project manager will select based on their best research and judgement. Methodologies for Research When deciding on a project management methodology, the biggest decision is choosing a strategy. The first methodology that was researched is the waterfall (or linear). This model was first developed in the 1950s and is a more traditional method. This model typically includes five or six independent phases, and each of the phases relies on the competition of the previous phase (Miranda, 2023). This is how this method received their name. It allows for little to no room for changes to be made along the way of the project. The waterfall method is best designed for clients that know exactly what they want from projects and need a clear and defined structure. Projects best suited for the waterfall method include human resource management systems, supply chain management systems, customer relationship management, point of sales, and a few others (Harappa, 2021). Useful tools needed includes Gnatt charts for planning and to visually see the project step-by-step. Systems that use the waterfall method include Airtable and Trello which offers a few different monthly prices. The waterfall method is clear and direct.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

4 Managing Projects The second methodology that was researched is the agile method, which is just as commonly used as the waterfall method. This type of method was designed on the influence of the speed and flexibility of lean methods. This method is intentionally iterative and collaborative to managing software development projects that puts an emphasis on creating good products for customers (Miranda, 2023). By utilizing this method, businesses are able to respond more efficiently to their customers and adapt new changes. This method is most commonly used for software development seen in automotive, aerospace, construction, and engineering. Technology skills are necessary for using this method. An example of a program is scrum, which is designed for a smaller team, that guides a simple process of communication, planning, execution, and feedback (Miranda, 2023). Certified ScrumMaster is a specific program that uses this method and comes with a free version up to $25 monthly. The third methodology that has been researched is the hybrid, which is also known as structured agile. This method takes both the waterfall method and agile method and creates a structured and flexible workflow. Requirements for this method is documentation with quick implementation. This method aligns the develops and stakeholders. Dynamic Systems Development (DSDM) is an example of the hybrid method. DSDM was developed to add discipline to unstructured methodologies while retaining the adaptability of agile (Miranda, 2023). Costs of the program is similar to the waterfall programs with a variety of costs of free to $20 per user. There are constraints for requirements and costs that are determined at the beginning of a project. Users are able to use the best of both worlds by selecting this methodology of both flexibility and structure.

5 Managing Projects Methodology Similarities and Differences Analysis There are quite a few similarities and differences between all three methodologies when beginning a project. All three methods have a targeted audience with specific career fields that focus on both small and large groups. The methods are all very similar in the creation of the process with an established deadline and a guide that includes a timeline to stay on track. The methods are designed to provide support to the project managers and stakeholders. The differences are noticed in the flow of the process. Once method is more direct and goes in a step- by-step process, while one has a flexible approach, and the third is a combination of both where it allows little flexibility with a bigger focus on structure. The middle steps are where the differences lie. Each project requires structure, but the type of project determines which methodology is best to use for production and efficiency. Personal Project Analysis: Successful Project Personal Project Analysis: Successful Project The project I was assigned to was a career development program within my district. This was designed to develop hands on experience to prepare associates into the next stages of their careers. The program was a panel of five leaders with four associates selected. The program is a six-month long program that meets monthly in person but has weekly meetings. The concept of the program is to provide the necessary tools and create more interests in associates wanting to advance their careers. The Successful Project The successful project is a more recent professional project. This was a small project created to drive inspiration to the sales associates in our district and begin to advance in their

6 Managing Projects career. The company went through a merger, so there was a fear of career growth as the company experienced an increase of layoffs. The management team created a panel of five managers and created a project called Emerging Leaders. This project focuses on associates who expressed interest in wanting to advance their career into management but needed resources and tools to be successful. We created a timeline that included an interview panel, selection of candidates, in person meetings, Emerging Leader task creations, interview practice, creation of individual development plan, capstone presentation to panel and senior manager, then a graduation ceremony within a six-month period, typically starting in March and ending in September. The program created excitement and we saw an increase in interest within one year. The program created three promotions within one year. The program was structured with an overall goal to promote our associates to the next steps in their career. Project Management Elements Utilized It would be my best judgement that the methodology applied to the successful project is the waterfall methodology. The Emerging Leader program was designed and implemented in phases that began with a manager panel of five managers interviewing and selecting four associates. We created a monthly guide of necessary topics to develop with the Emerging Leaders. We then involved additional managers within the district to assist the Emerging Leaders in their home store location. We continued to provide drop-in visits and schedule visits to experience our call center location where they met additional departments. Once training was completed, the Emerging Leaders had individual assignments to “own a metric” and present their best practices. Then they would create their Individual Development Plan which is considered a T-Mobile resume and a development action plan. Concluding the program, the Emerging Leaders presented their development to the panel and senior manager. We concluded the project

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

7 Managing Projects with a graduation ceremony and an open forum to provide feedback to improve for the next program. Application of Skills The success of this program depended highly on organization and goal development. A timeline needed to be created and communicated among the other managers. We managed the project with application skills using Microsoft Teams and Google Drive. There we were able to design and edit the timeline of events which included specific dates and times of meetings and their locations. Communication needed to be efficient as well to coordinate schedules of five managers and four Emerging Leaders. PowerBI was an additional tool utilized throughout the program to track numbers and evaluate those numbers. Tracking our numbers was a way to track our progress as well as providing training to the Emerging Leaders on how to read and interpret PowerBI. Areas for Improvement Just like any project, professional or personal, there are always areas for improvement. The first area of opportunity would be providing more delegation. Most of the work fell on two of the five managers. There was enough workload that could have easily been dispersed then presented to the Emerging Leaders. This caused an unfair amount of work resulting in longer hours than the rest. Another improvement would be effective communication. Text messaging is faster but can also be interpreted differently. Same with the use of Zoom. Not every member of the program had easy access to Zoom and would have to either miss a meeting or cut it short because of the restriction to one computer per store. The feedback the program receives is always appreciated to improve for the next class of Emerging Leader graduates.

8 Managing Projects Personal Project Analysis: Unsuccessful Project Personal Project Analysis: Unsuccessful Project The most recent project I was part of and helped start that was unsuccessful was the DE&I participation in our district to create more outreach and community involvement. The lack of participation goes against the company values. Participating in events within the district is to help increase the store’s foot traffic creating a higher volume of sales and services. The Unsuccessful Project The district consists of nine store locations within a 45-mile radius. The goal of this project was to increase our traffic volume and generate more revenue. The district noticed a lack of involvement with the community and traffic was decreasing over a few months. Beginning January of 2023, a team of 3 managers were created to locate and participate in DE&I and outreach events. We had a task of one event a month with every store participating. My role was to locate events centrally located for all the stores and coordinate with the event coordinators. The team was great at communicating with senior management, each other, and event coordinators. The struggle was meeting and implementing. Other store managers were not willing to send associates and it was always the same one store going to the events. By the end of the year, two stores had the most participation out of nine locations. PM Elements Utilized The methodology used during this project was the agile methodology. Although there was a plan that was designed, there was no flow in the process which began to reflect on the lack of communication. Even though we were using programs such as Microsoft Teams and Google Drive, there was still inconsistency with cancellations and lack of utilization of the calendar. The

9 Managing Projects agile methodology is a more flexible approach and ultimately the project was unsuccessful because the team carried a more flexible approach with lack of accountability. The team was not able to meet deadlines and deliver successful results. Areas of Weakness During this project, I personally faced some areas of weakness. I did not fully know every manager at the other locations, so that led to a lack of communication, and I depended on the other project leaders to deliver the communication. I was able to develop a calendar of events by using Teams, but there was lack of granted access for others to use because I was not fully savvy with this program. When on the weekly manager Zoom calls, I could’ve improved the meetings by showing more interest and excitement. The managers are motivated on results, so presenting numbers of success at the events would have helped with the success of the project and it’s consistency. I have used Google Drive a few times in the past and found it was easy to communicate with, upload and share documents, assign tasks, communicate with. Skills Needed for Overcoming Weakness In any project, there are always room for improvement and overcome any weaknesses. In the is project, the skills needed would be effective communication, delegation, accountability, and confidence. By utilizing and implementing these skills, there would be more consistency and results to be delivered. Deadlines would have been met, participation increased, and an increase of volume in the stores would have occurred. There were several resources granted to us, however, we just chose not to use them effectively. Given another chance at this project, I would utilize my reflections and apply what I have learned to make this project more successful.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

10 Managing Projects Areas for Improvement My recommendations for this project would be utilize the hybrid methodology. This would allow the project to be more structured, but also flexible enough that the other managers can implement their own DE&I and outreach event based on availability and location. Each month would be consistent of securing one event per store but needs to be planned further in advance. Another recommendation would be to use a better document sharing program that permits everyone access to upload their own information. When a team has more structure and is presented with a deadline, there is no room for mistakes or missing any objectives in the process. Conclusion Project management is an effective skill and tool to obtain for any business, no matter the size, that is looking into ways to better their business. It is important to understand and know the different types of methodologies and programs, so the most effective method is selected depending on the project. Managers have an important decision to make with the assistance of following a criterion that best fits the project and the business.

11 Managing Projects References Association for Project Management. (2023). What is project management? Retrieved from: https://www.apm.org.uk/resources/what-is-project-management/ Davidson, J. (2019). Everyday project management. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Harappa. (2021). Examples of the waterfall method. Retrieved from: https://harappa.education/harappa-diaries/examples-of-the-waterfall-model/ Kogan, K., Blakemore, S., & Wood, J. (2015) Project management for the unofficial Project manager. BenBella Books. Miranda, D. (2023, July 12). Project management methodologies all PMs should know. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/project-management- methodologies/ Richards, C. J. (2019). Select the right project management tool for your L&D projects. Association for Talent Development, 73(5), 20121.

NicoleRevell-GB560 Assignment-Unit 6

Related Documents