Chapter 5, Exercise 5 page 195

7- Read one of the suggested readings or find an article related to project scope management. Write a one-page summary of the article, its key conclusions and your opinion.

Suggested Reading: Home Improvement (Levinson, 2004)

Home Depot was born in the late 70s to become one of the most known retailer in America, in less than 10 years with 60 stores they have reached incredible results in sales that yielded almost doubled revenues every two years and today they are the second largest American retailer and they keep growing and opening new stores.

Home Depot had a success and fast growth triggered by a decentralized business model with the ability to develop their own applications that made them skip the need of investing and risking on endless software implementations but the golden days were affected in the late 90s as the initial strategies became out-of-date and their systems costly to maintain, the company was not with the same shine and they were now fading and becoming just a normal retailer struggling to survive as competitors such as Wal-Mart and Lowe’s added more stores.

The company was shaken by changes in their marketing and merchandising in 2000 as a try to revert the bad scenario and constrain the growth of their closest competitors but the falling kept sharp till 2002 when they decided to invest heavily on technology. Their IT infrastructure was announced to have an investment of one billion and that was only part of a massive investment not only on IT but it also comprised modernization in their stores in general. The modernization included shortening staff members and it reflected directly on their costs and by the end of 2003 they had a growth on their figures but that was only when compared to 2002 when they were through a bad falling.

According to George Whalin (Levinson, 2004) the president of Retail Management Home Depot was using technology to cut off staff members and therefore reduce labor cost and increase profit margins but that move would not add anything to their customer service, “strategies to inspire investor confidence does not always make customers happy” (Levinson, 2004).

Home depot installed self-checkout stations to shorten the lines but it did not seem to work well and in their busiest seasons the stores seemed to be short of staff. In 2002 they launched a terabyte IBM DB2 data warehouse, the same that Lowe installed in 2000, basically Home depot was two years at a competitive disadvantage regarding their data warehouse. They also replaced their old POS screens for color, touch-screen and web-based POS, they installed technologies such as online UPC that is an electronic catalog for products without bar codes, online receipt lookup that is able to search for receipts 90 days back from the date, wireless scan guns, Web-based kiosks with computers, touch screen monitors in the paint department, E-learning to train technical staff members.

Customer service did not seem to be high priority at Home Depot, a company that for years focused on the interaction between employees and customers now focuses on self-service stations and signs that seem to be their best interaction. Lowe’s tried not to follow suit as far as the customer service concerns and even though they also invested on technology with the installation of self-checkout in 2003, they pointed the customer service deficiency from Home Depot to promote themselves with signs that referenced to customer services.

The best way for Home Depot to get over the falling is to have a faster turn over through their stores with less staff members but a store planning must be well designed for better layouts and clear signs, Home Depot must strive to efficiency while improving their customer service.

In my opinion, the growth of a retail company depends on a series of factors that include store planning, business strategies and technology but when it comes to retailing, customer service cannot be left behind at any part of the business strategy. Home Depot invested heavily on technology, self stations and considered reducing labor costs to increase their profit margins but somehow they have affected customers who were used to interacting with knowledgeable staff members and it has made a significant change on their figures as the sales dropped down. A look at close competitors has to be considered because any wrong move may mean competitive disadvantage, loss of money and time to return to the track. Investment on IT structure is vital for a company but a business strategy has always to point out and consider not only the needs but also the feasibility and the profitability margins that it will return in a short and long-term.

Reference

Levinson, M., (2004) – Home Improvement – Retrieved September 14, 2007 from http://www.cio.com/article/128650/Home_Improvement

Chapter 4 Exercise 4 page 160

6- Create a weighted scoring model to determine grades for a course. Final grades are based on three exams worth 15%, 20% and 25%, respectively; homework is worth 20%; and a group project is worth 20%. Enter scores for three students. Assume student 1 earns 100% (or 100) on every item. Assume student 2 earns 80% on each of the exams, 90% on the homework, and 95% on the group project. Assume student 3 earns 90% on exam 1, 75% on Exam 2, 80% on exam 3 90% on the homework, and 70% on the group project. You can use the weighted scoring model template, create your own spreadsheet, or make the matrix by hand (Schwalbe, 2006).

References

Schwalbe, K., (2006) – Information Technology Project Management – Fourth Edition – Cambridge, MA: Course Technology/Thompson Learning

Chapter 4, Exercise 2 page 160

5- Use spreadsheet software to create Figures 4-2 through 4-5 in this text. Make sure your formulas work correctly (Schwalbe, page 160).

Figure 4.4 (Considering year 1 as the current year)





References

Schwalbe, K., (2006) – Information Technology Project Management – Fourth Edition – Cambridge, MA: Course Technology/Thompson Learning

Chapter 4, Question 1 page 160

4- Write a two-page paper based on the opening case. Answer the following questions:
a- What do you think the real problem was in this case?
b- Does the case present a realistic scenario? Why or why not?
c- Was Nick Carson a good project manager? Why or why not?
d- What could Nick have done to be a better project manager?
e- What should top management have done to help Nick?

The opening case (Schwalbe, 2006) describes some problems that Nick, the project manager from a company in Silicon Valley, was facing regarding to equipment that was not working properly, lack of feedback to top management of accurate schedules and detailed plans of what was happening on the project. Nick was recently promoted from software developer to project manager, since he had the background needed to make this project a success, top management told him to do whatever he could to deliver the first version of the software in four months.

In my opinion, the real problem in this case was the lack of communication between Nick and top level management because it takes more than a talented and motivated person or team to make a successful project; lack of leadership can be the main reason of a project failure. Another problem that Nick faced was the lack of plan including poor requirement definition, scope control, test, poor defined estimation process and scope. It is very important to have a good plan in which activities are well defined and documented, adequate decisions and commitments are highlighted, risks identified and lifecycle defined. I also think that the fact that Nick did not have any experience in managing a project before made him focus on the role of software integrator and troubleshooter instead of performing the work of project manager. He did not have the required skills to lead the project the way the top management was expecting, the communication is usually the achievement of a common understanding and if there is no communication there is no understanding (Team Technology, n.d.). As a project manager, Nick had to ensure that the communication was going through the team and top level management.

The case does present a realistic scenario which a project has been underway for three years because of previous management problems (it has already gone through three different project managers). It is common to come across unfinished projects due to scope creep, lack of users or management involvement, long and realistic time scales and poor requirements. According to a survey (Frese, 2003), three out of ten IT projects fail on average and some of the problems are:

- Incomplete requirements and specifications: creation of a comprehensive requirements document is necessary,
- Poor communication: inconsistent or inadequate communication among stakeholders,
- Lack of users involvement and resources
- Executive support,
- Scope issues: inconsistency in cost and delivery time
- Technical incompetence: changing requirements and specifications; unrealistic expectations.

Every project involves risks, the risk that the technology will not work as planned or needed is the one of main concern, again, it is necessary to emphasize the need of a scope management involving the five main processes that are: planning, definition, creation of WBS, verification and control (Sliger, n.d.). The lack of good communication can easily turn an organization strategy.

I don’t think Nick Carson was a good project manager, the fact that he finished the project delivering the product on time does not mean that he performed his duties the way he should have. Good project management is a process of continuous improvement, learning and study, it is a process of making mistakes and learning from those mistakes and in order to have success, managers have to dedicate themselves to this never-ending process. IT technical project managers usually come from some technical background (Tucci, 2007) that means they could have possibly worked as system administrators, network operators or programmers and conquered their promotion through their struggle and skills. From their experience, they have learned how IT teams work and in my point of view, it was exactly what happened to Nick Carson. He had the skills needed for the project but because of his lack of experience, he did not deliver a good job. A manager is viewed by different ways inside an organization, for example, to an employer, a good project manager is the one who delivers projects on time and on budget giving the right feedback, but to the team he is the one who maintains a good working environment. I think Nick needed to be trained to be a good project manager to know how to sell the project, deal with changes, demands and report back to upper management.

Nick could have planned the project better, analyzed the risks, monitored progress, reported project status, assessed performance of the team and its members, interacted with users, management and the team (Ramirez & Meyer, 2004), communicated better and he should have had a better leadership to be able to make people do the job and not to perform their jobs himself. He should have been able to define stages for each interaction of the project because checklists, documents and templates are all designed to assist project managers at each stage. The top management knew that Nick was managing his first project, so they should have interacted more with Nick and his team, instead of just asking him to perform the job on time, they should have supported and communicated better. Managing a project is a very difficult job, and without support, makes things even harder for someone who does not have experience.

Overall, project managers need experience or support from those who have to make a project succeed; leadership and management are very important roles that a project manager has to play. They have to determine the exact needs of a company, defining a precise and clear scope, they need to communicate well, be organized, have problem solving skills and know how to deal with teamwork

References

Schwalbe, K., (2006) – Information Technology Project Management – Fourth Edition – Cambridge, MA: Course Technology/Thompson Learning

Team Technology Website (n.d.) – Communication Techniques – Retrieved September 11, 2007 from http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/soft-skills/project-management-training-part12.html

Frese, R., (2003) – Project success and failure: What is success, what is failure, and how can you improve your odds for success? – Retrieved September 11, 2007 from http://www.umsl.edu/~sauterv/analysis/6840_f03_papers/frese/

Sliger, M., (n.d.) – Relating PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) Agile practices: Part 2 of 4 – Retrieved September 11, 2007 from http://www.stickyminds.com/sitewide.asp?Function=edetail&ObjectType=COL&ObjectId=10631

Tucci, L., (2007) – CIOS scramble for project managers – Retrieved September 11, 2007 from http://www.fiercecio.com/story/a-good-project-manager-is-hard-to-find/2007-03-16?utm_source=related&utm_medium=internal

Ramirez, H., & Meyer, M., (2004) – Project Management: Is It Right for You? – From Certification Magazine, Retrieved September 12, 2007 from http://www.certmag.com/articles/templates/cmag_feature.asp?articleid=622&zoneid=9

Chapter 2, Exercise 5 page 66

3- Write a one- to two-page summary of an article about the importance of top management support for successful information technology projects.

This article (Gupta, 2007) describes the importance of e-business in an organization and relates the key role of a top level management to make an e-business project transition happens. Nowadays, companies are facing constant challenges of reducing costs, introducing innovative products and customer satisfaction. The market is increasing demands for lower prices, more products options, customizations, improved level of service and unique. Due to the demands top managers (including support of CEOs, CIOS and CFOs) examine their operations for new opportunities to meet all these challenges and therefore they realize that a big change is necessary to make the company competitive and profitable because if they do not handle the demands they may loose significant business in a short period of time. Organizations need to have a sustainable competitive advantage to survive and work to implement strategies that competitors cannot carry out efficiently. Organizations need to deliver a consistent difference in their product and service to be competitive and this advantage should be difficult to be copied and easily improved, maintained and developed.

A very important factor about helping project managers successfully lead projects is the level of commitment and support they receive from top management, a direct support makes things easier providing faster resolutions and better communication. Top management needs to assume responsibility for demonstrating leadership for quality and ensures that tasks are set with the right priority and are strongly supported by the entire organization, it is essential to involve as many leaders as possible at the beginning of a process and to choose the most motivated persons for the work. Some projects fail because of the lack of vision and leadership, so a proper level of executive sponsorship and top management support are necessary. No matter how well- run a project is, problems constantly arise, so it is important to have a direct person to contact that can solve the problem straight away. Some reasons that make top management commitment very important are:

- Adequate resources: project managers need adequate resources not to be distracted by events that do not affect their specific projects.
- Faster approval: direct support provides faster approval to lead with the unexpected needs.
- Cooperation: project managers need cooperation from people that work in different departments at the organization and top management may make this communication work faster and better.
- Support: the top management provides the necessary business support for the project manager

The article emphasizes the importance of developing a clear framework that establishes who can make which decision and how the project will be managed. A framework simplifies and facilitates IT managers to better access approaches, samples and tools, it also increases the level of competence and effort that managers bring to the project. A framework is a set of processes that manage the project through its lifecycle. Organizations have to perform a strategic assessment of the options available to them and a well planed strategy is necessary to identify the threats and opportunities. A good project does not depend only on management levels but the team has a huge role to play and it should have a good interaction, the team should be ready to delegate responsibilities as well as discuss problems to make changes happen and contribute to the project flow.

In an overall, any successful project requires a strong partnership between top management and project managers; top management has to assist project managers to what they need, their commitment is very important for a project to deliver what it is expected. They have to make people understand the importance of what they are doing and the activities they are charged.

References

Gupta, V., (2007) - Managing E-Business-Concepts & Cases / Factiva Website – Retrieved September 10, 2007 from http://global.factiva.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ha/default.aspx

Chapter 1, Exercise 3 page 34

2- Search the internet for the terms project management, project management careers, project portfolio management and information technology project management. Write down the number of hits that you received for each of these phrases. Find at least three websites that provide interesting information on one of the topics. In a one- to two-page paper, summarize key information about these three websites as well as the Project Management Institute’s Web site (http://www.pmi.org/).

My first search on the Internet was the word Project Management and Google brought me approximately 190.000.000 results for my inquiry, the second search was the word Project Management Careers and I had 11.400 results, the third search was the word Project Portfolio Management with 1.720.000 results and the fourth and last search was the word Information Technology Project Management and it brought me 133.000 results. During my research, I realized that the words were related to one another, so most of the websites I found interesting information are related to all of the given words but the main searches were based on project management word.

One of the websites is http://www.computerworld.com/, because it meets people’s need of technology through printed and online material, it is a trusted online source for the critical information needs of senior IT management, it covers news, articles, forums from the IT managers’ point of view with wide analytical opinion of how those news influences the daily operations of large technology business. It understands the real problems that affect information technology professionals delivering relevant and good information (Computer World, n.d.). The website covers a great number of topics and it is useful not only for professionals but for students as well as researchers, it comprises hardware, software, security, operating systems, networking & Internet, mobile & wireless, storage, servers & data centers, management, careers and many other interesting things. It also comprehends news, articles, blogs, forums, white papers and case study library. One of the benefits that the Computer World brings is that its content is free; users can access articles available on the website without registering or purchasing them.

Another interesting website is http://www.projectmanagement.com/, but differently from Computer World website, Projectmanagment.com focus on providing managers in IT, Finance and construction industries valuable content aimed at enhancing knowledge, increasing productivity and solidifying the bottom line (Project Management, n.d.). This website offers project managers a diversity of resources that help them improve their jobs. There are some tools available on the website such as templates, project plans, project risk advice, WBS and meaningful project support for the organization. The website provides samples and templates of WBS, scope statement, project plan, JAD preparation forms, project issues, project proposal compliance assessment, project notification sheet and form and a big variety of articles that can support project managers to compare software, products and services. Projectmanager.com content is free but users need to register the website to be able to access the articles, downloads and other available materials, users may also find articles to purchase. Project Managers can find step-by-step about how to manage a project, detailed processes and plans to help them carry out the procedures and also materials about planning the future. Users can also participate in blogs, forums, chat rooms, news group and message boards.

The third website that grabbed my attention while I was searching the word “project management” was http://www.managementhelp.org/ (Free Management Library, n.d.), it is a free management library and its main objective is to develop and promote professional materials considered valuable for the public. It gives users an overview about what Project management is, some interesting topics are: useful skills for team leading and group leadership, general resources such as management tools, articles and free project management book and materials. It is a good website for those who are in the process of learning and enhancing knowledge because of the available online library. The library provides free and easy access to comprehensive resources regarding to leadership and management, there is a community which gives tips about recommended books and articles. As well as the other websites, it has blogs, forums and tools to help people find the solution they are looking for. It provides free online lesson plans and lectures, study guides and some specific programs.

The Project Management Institute website focuses on application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to an extensive scope of activities, so that professionals meet their requirements of a particular project. It promotes career, professional development, offers certifications, networking and community involvement opportunities. It honours professional excellence through its Professional Awards program that recognizes individuals, organizations, professional development products and literature. Users need to become a member of PMI website to get 100% from what it offers; it can be student or individual. PMI gives members a wide range of articles, executive guide to project management, case study library, knowledge sharing and networking opportunities through its communities and access to PMBOK Guide – (Project Management Body of Knowledge). It is a very interesting and practical website for people who work as project managers.

References:

Computer World Website, (n.d.) – About Computer World – Retrieved September 10, 2007 from http://www.computerworld.com/

Project Management Website, (n.d.) – Project Management Home Page – Retrieved September 10, 2007 from http://www.projectmanagement.com/

Free Management Library Website, (n.d.) - Free Management Library – Retrieved September 10, 2007 from http://www.managementhelp.org/

PMI Website, (2007) - PMI Home Page - Retrieved September 10, 2007 from http://www.pmi.org/Pages/default.aspx

Chapter 1, Exercise 1 page 34

1- Visit the Standish Group’s Web site at http://www.standishgroup.com/. Read one of the CHAOS articles or a similar report on information technology project management on their site or a similar site. Write a one-page summary of the report, its key conclusions, and your opinion of the report.

This article (O’Hara, 2004) relates to information technology project management and what is important to a successful project, it shows the way it has to be managed, why developing a structured process is necessary and the key role of communication to move the project forward. It describes a mix of technical know-how and management skills that a manager must have to make the company and stakeholders get a positive outcome. It reveals the importance to determine the sequence of activities in a project to find a better solution for the tasks that have to be performed and some of these tasks include planning, scheduling and controlling IT projects. The article also emphasizes that a manager has to understand the development needs and some significant activities that cannot be left out, such as scope control, scheduling techniques and budget planning.

Project managers need to plan for the unexpected, keep conflicts at a minimum and cannot be afraid to deal with tough jobs, they need confidence and they cannot be intimidated by the environment to do well and deliver quality which ensures that the project will satisfy the needs of the company, it is necessary not only good communication skills but also know how to achieve the project needs and never take no as answer, they need to struggle to work with the defined budget and if necessary, they have to reassess the scope sliding tasks and motivate people to move forward even when the chances are stacked against them. According to the article (O’Hara, 2004), some factors that help projects to succeed are: user involvement, clear planning direction, vision and objectives to the many different people involved, minimized scope, proper planning, executive support, ability to explain technical information and the way it impacts the operation and communication. Managers need the ability to communicate well at different levels, they must be straightforward to take to the public what they need to understand.

Managers have been facing problems with workload, it is important to have an efficient scheduling time to avoid this matter and make sure that when defining the project scope each member of the team compromises to certain amount of hours to dedicate only on that project. Managers cannot wait for permission when the deadlines are tight, they have to make certain decisions by their own, take the right approach, be creative, have a good attitude and take responsibilities for their actions because by the time they wait for everything to be official, they lose precious time that can affect the accomplishment of the project.

In my opinion, managers need to be sure about the goals and objectives, establish realistic deadlines, be compromised and flexible to changes that may occur. They need to have a good budget plan and resource allocation to lead a successful project because every project involves risks and a clear consistent scope with justification and objectives can minimize them. I also understand that it is very important to create a customized work breakdown structure (WBS) that describes how a project will be managed to meet the company needs and deliver the quality of work as expected by the organization

References:

O’Hara, C., (2004) – Studies in excellence / Factiva Website – Retrieved September 10, 2007 from http://global.factiva.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ha/default.aspx