Week 8: Assignment: Hardware Replacement Project

Working to understand the risks a project may endure along with the cost associated is critical in every project management plan. Understanding potential risks based on the project type, resources needed, timeline and budget still leaves gaps that creates uncertainty for actually predicating the outcome of the project. There is not a true way to predict when and where a project risk will occur but designing a plan to properly address and manage those risks will increase confidence while eliminating the element of surprise.

The initiation of a project entails several elements that must be organized to ensure the overall success of the project. Planning, design, structure, and risk analysis are some of the areas that are essential in initiating a project. The group must thoroughly plan and organize the components of the project to corroborate that the proper elements and hierarchy are in place to validate that the project is executed smoothly and risks are minimized. Through comprehensive planning, an organization can plan a successful project, ensuring that all elements are planned for and minimize the overall risks involved.

An old adage-plan the work and work the plan, in essence this is the key to successful project management. Project Managers (PM) must first plan out the project and then monitor and control the execution of the program work. There is a tendency for projects to short change the planning process. This is a common mistake. The time spent properly planning will result in reduced cost and duration, and increased quality over the life of the project. Using tried and true best practices for a PM will provide assurance that the program /project will be beneficial and successful.

The paper is divided into three sections, the first of which will establish a timeline of events. This project background will serve as a case study for the analysis in the following section that will be structured such that each of the previously mentioned facets will be independently analyzed and contrasted with project management principles. Finally the paper will conclude with a summary of the analysis and recommendations based on

There are five major variables to consider when starting a major IT projects and there are scope, time, cost, quality, and risk. Most major IT projects will require a project manager to handle to overseeing of the project. The project management refers to the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to achieve specific targets within specified budget and time constraints. Project managers activities will include the planning of the work, assessing the risk, estimating the costs required to complete the project, and several other important duties. As in other areas of business, Project management for

Resources used will be primarily the project team members. To reduce risk all members need to be aware of the project schedule so that the right team members are available at the right times. Adequate computer resources, physical space and other support staff need to be ensured so that the project does not fall behind schedule.

The initial cost of the project will be the sum of the development, project administration, implementation, and financing functions. Development cost include IT system design, process planning, and feasibility analysis. Hardware upgrades, software development, infrastructure improvements are included in the implementation costs. Administration expenditures cover other costs such as training, furniture, network infrastructure, utilities, and insurance. Kudler expects to use this system for a prolonged period of time; therefore, the cost of the life cycle will need to be calculated also. Furthermore, the benefits of worker productivity gain, expenditure decrease, and employee utilization gains will also be calculated in the economic feasibility analysis. Once the initial cost of the project is determined, feasibility can be determined on the economic level. According to article, “Implementation: The operational feasibility perspective”, operational feasibility will be achieved if the following steps are followed. Step 1, managers and employee negative perceptions of change must be addressed openly. Step 2, positive factors for change must be reinforced. Step 3, the highest stress should be dealt with first. Step 4, change must start at the top of the organization. Step 5, informal and formal lines of communication should be used. All managers and workers should be involved or represented in the design.

This course provides the foundation for successful project planning, organization, and implementation within the realm of information technology. The course uses real-world examples and identifies common mistakes and pitfalls in project management. Topics covered include project scoping, estimating, budgeting, scheduling and staffing, tracking and controlling, and software tools for project management.

The objective of this project is to help train DC Construction staff with their BRIX problems by planning how to operate the new system. The company will provide 20 laptops for this training session. When DC Construction changes their BRIX system, they will also change their financial system. Currently all locations have trouble with the financial and accounting system. The sites do not have a standard system, which may have contributed to the problem. The new STIX system will allow each site to have a high of compatibility through a standardized operating system. The company will implement the new system in six months, and will be operational, company wide, by August 30 next year. A development team will come up with a project plan to

| It is not possible to complete a project of the required scope with such a small amount of resource - staff, money or both

1. Read the scenario information provided under Australian Hardware – your brief in Appendix 1.

First and foremost, the project scope must be controlled. The entire reason for applying the scope control process is to locate and direct the parts of the project that could increase or decrease beyond what has already been determined in the original approved project scope plan. The next control method needed would be scheduling and is one of the most challenging but essential needs within project control. The project schedule can be impacted by many issues, such resources, funding, material, weather, my health and on and on. Further, risk control would include accomplishing the risk management plan to reply to risk events over the time frame of the project. It must be remembered that even the most the most exhaustive and inclusive examination cannot possibly recognize all risks and probabilities completely in a project. So using project tools, like workarounds, will be necessary. Workarounds are unplanned on reactions to a risk event and are, at best, short-term solutions. Finally, cost controls would be vital to this project. A project could go over budget for many causes and frequently it is not just one item but the cascade of small many increases that combined to affect a budget failure.

In order to achieve their business objective, project management and the used methodology are key factor which will be responsible for the success or failure of this project.

Bob Lewis (Info World, 1996) sets forth the five keys that he believes differentiate successful projects from the others: scope control; regular, concrete, reasonable results; weekly status meetings; team buy-in to the plan; and walking around.

A key activity in project management is assessing project constraints. A project has three limitations: scope, budget and schedule. These limitations are project constraints because they are sensitive to change and have an impact on project risk. Risk is exposure to uncertain outcomes. Project constraints are mutually exclusive. If one constraint changes it affects the others and adjustments may be required to compensate and manage risks. For example, a delay in the schedule can increase the risk that the project will not finish on time. Time is money and delays have a negative impact on the budget. To