chapter review

chapter review

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT
What I have learnt in this chapter is:What is the project? A project is a temporary effort or work undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. This means a work that we do in a period of time. For example, one of the projects in IIUM is implementation wireless connection. The important person in a project is project manager. What is project manager? Project manager is the person responsible for working the project sponsor, the project team, and other people involved in a project to meet project goals. However, in order to make successful project, the project managers have to consider into triple constraint of project management which is; scope goal, cost goal, and time goal. Plus, project manager also have responsibilities like planning, scheduling, coordinating and working with various people. Furthermore, they must have some other skill set in order to be a leader in a project. In this chapter also, I have learnt the term of project management and its framework. Under project management framework, there are nine knowledge areas known as core knowledge areas (time, cost, scope and quality) and four facilitating knowledge areas (human resource, risk, procurement, and communication) as well as project integration management that affected by all other knowledge areas. Moreover, in chapter 1 includes the project management tool and techniques. Obviously, in project management we must have some tools or skills such as WBS, Gantt chart and so on.

CHAPTER 2
THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONTEXT
What I have learnt in this chapter is: In this chapter, I have understood the view of project management and how it applies to information technology projects. I also learnt to concept of organization, the four frame of organization, organizational structures and its culture. Here I want to brief a little bit about three sphere model of system management. The model consist three concepts which are business organization and technology. I want to give an example according this concept which is implementation of wireless connection in IIUM. Firstly we have to consider the business concept; is the wireless connection costly? Where IIUM gets budget for this project? Under organization concept, who will train the person to facilitate the project? How the project affected the student and IIUM staff? Lastly under technology concept, what application that IIUM use for this project? What hardware specification that IIUM use for this project? Furthermore, in this chapter also I have learnt the organization frames which are structural frame, political frame, human resource frame, and symbolic frame. Plus, under organizational structures consist three basic structures; functional, project and matrix.

CHAPTER 3
THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESS GROUP: A CASE STUDY
Under this chapter I have learnt: The five project management process group, the typical level of activity for each and interaction among the process group. Moreover, I have learnt how the project management process groups relate to the Project management knowledge areas. Firstly, what is process? Process is a series of actions directed toward particular result. Project management can be viewed as interconnected process because it includes: initiating processes, planning processes, executing processes, monitoring and controlling processes, and closing processes. In order to understand more about project management process group, there is case study which is JWD Consulting’s project management intranet site. Under project initiation, it includes recognizing and starting a new project or project phase. The main goal to formally select and start off the projects and the key output from this stage is assigning the project manager, identifying key stakeholder, completing a business case, and completing a project charter and get signatures on it. Under the project planning, the main purpose is to guide the execution and the key output includes the team contract, a project scope statement, a work breakdown structure (WBS), a project schedule and a list of prioritized risks. Then, project execution usually takes most the time and resources and project manager must use their leadership skills to handle the group members, and challenge that occur during project execution. After execution stage is monitoring and controlling stage and it involves measuring process toward objectives, deviation from plan and taking correction actions. Moreover, the outputs include performance reports, requested changes and updates to various plans. Lastly, project closing involves gaining stakeholder and customer acceptance or the final project and the output include project archives and lessons learned as well as the organizational process assets.

CHAPTER 4
PROJECT INTEGRATION MANAGEMENT
In this chapter is actually the continuation from chapter three but it explain more in this chapter. Chapter 4 also describes an overall framework for project integration management as it relates to project management knowledge areas and project life cycle. There are various process under project integration management which are; developing the project charter, developing the preliminary project scope statement, developing the project management plan, directing and managing the project execution, monitoring and controlling the project work, performing integrated change control and closing the project. I also learnt the strategic planning and project selection and it involves determining long term objectives, predicting future trends and projecting the need for new product and services. Usually some organization use S.W.O.T analysis to perform the strategic planning and as part of the strategic plan is to identify the potential project, use some realistic method for the project and formalize project initiation by issuing a project charter. And the most important criteria for selecting the project is needs, funds and will for making the project. Moreover, we can categorize the IT project by addressing the problem, opportunity and directive. In this chapter also elaborated the financial analysis of the project and there are three primary methods for determining the projected financial value of the project which are net present value (NPV), return on investment and payback analysis. Furthermore, chapter 4 elaborated more about the process of project management such as project scope statement, project management plan, project execution, the tool and technique for project execution , monitoring and controlling project work, and project closing.

CHAPTER 5
PROJECT SCOPE STATEMENT
Under this chapter I learnt about the elements that make good project scope management, its process and content. Under project scope management processes contain; scope planning, scope definition, WBS, scope verification and scope control. The most important part in creating scope management is WBS. What is WBS? WBS is a deliverable oriented grouping of the work involved in a project that defines the total scope of the project. Under scope verification, it involves formal acceptance of the completed project scope by stakeholders. And this acceptance often achieved by a customer inspection and then sign off on key deliverables. Plus, scope control involves the controlling changes to the project scope and the goals are to influence the factors that cause changes, to assure changes and manage changes when they occur.

CHAPTER 6
PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT
Under this chapter elaborated the importance of project schedules and good project time management. It also defines the activities as the basis for developing project schedule as well as understands the relationship between estimating resources and project schedules. Chapter 4 also explains various tools and techniques to help project manager mange the duration of project. Under project time management process contains activity definition, activity sequencing, activity resource estimating, activity duration estimating, schedule development and schedule control. What more important in this chapter is network diagram. Network diagram is a schematic display of the logical relationships among or sequencing of project activities. Another technique for managing time in project is Gantt chart and it provide a standard format for displaying project schedule information by listing the project activities and their corresponding start and finish dates in a calendar format. Then, critical path method is widely use in most of organization and it is a network diagramming techniques used to predict total project duration. It is for project that determines the earliest time by which the project can be completed and the critical path is the longest path through the network diagram and has the least amount of slack or float.

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project management-assignment-

project management-assignment-

Question 1
In one paragraph of not less than 50 words, summarize the three-sphere model of systems management in your own words.

Basically, if we want to start a project, we must think the three basic concept of system management, which are; business, organization, and technology.Under the business concept, we tend to think, are this project make a profit and how to maintain the revenue? Or, how we get the budget in order to make the project? These questions will appeared when we think about project more to business. Then, if we talk about the organization, we tend to think about the organization or society. Will the project affected to the organization? How we implement to the organization? Furthermore, when it comes to technology, this question will come, what will we use to create the project? How much hardware that we use to the project? Is it good to use the simple software to create the project? These questions will be appeared under the concept of technology. So, how can we make a successful project? The answer is we have to balance the three concept of system management. In other hand, we have to look the entire concept using a holistic approach. With this, the project may success, Insya Allah.

Question 2
Search the internet and scan information technology industry magazines or websites to find ONE successful IT project. Describe the project. List TWO each of the business, technology and organizational issues that you think can be addressed for the project.

One successful IT project that I found is wireless internet connection in UPM. UPM has established the wireless internet connection at everywhere, around the university, even at the hostel.It makes the student easier to browse the internet in order to get the information from the internet. Moreover, the student can get access to the system easily. The question is how UPM make the project successful? Firstly, under the business concept, how much cost to build the system? Then, what method that UPM can use to generate the budget? Then, regarding to the technology concept, the question is; what specification of hardware that will be use in order to support the project? Do UPM create the system itself or hire another company to build it? Then, under the organizational concept, the issue is will this project give impact to the UPM society? Who will administer or maintain the system?

Question 3
Which of the issues that you have defined above do you think is the MOST important to the project and why?

The issue that I think the most important is how much the cost to build the system. It is because; we must have the budget in order to build the project. Moreover, we have to utilize all the constraint especially the cost of project. However, the other issues also important such as what specification of hardware that will be use in order to build the project, but it is not so crucial.

Question 4
Search the internet and scan information technology industry magazines or websites to find an IT project that failed or have problems due to any ONE of business, technology or organizational issues. Describe the project. Describe the issue that made the project failed.
One of the IT project that have failed or have problems is e-attendance in IIUM. IIUM has established one system which is the students has to swipe their matric card to the device and that device will record their attendance. Initially, the system has success, however, for the long period, the system doesn’t change anything. IIUM tend to use the previous method in taking attendance. Why? I think, it is related to the organization. The question is; how the student who doesn’t have matric card can enter to the class? Is it possible to the student swiping their friend’s matric card if their friend doesn’t want to come to the class?

Question 5
Think of a real or an imaginary organization that you are interested in. Draw a graphical illustration of each of the different organizational structures (i.e. functional, project, matrix) for the organization that you have selected.


Question 6
Discuss the importance of top management commitment for successful project management. Provide examples to illustrate the importance based on an already implemented project that you are aware of, or based on an imaginary/proposed project to be done in future.
In order to become a successful project, the top management play the important role towards their under management. Here, I will list down the importance of top management such as Director of the project, CEO, or Manager.
• The top management must to observe the progress of the project.
• The top management has to cater all things regarding to the project such as budget and so on.
• The top management has the authority to control all the activity in the project.
• The top management such as project manager has to tolerate with other staff and understand their opinion or suggestion.
• The top management must open-minded and think creative towards the project.
For example, in CONVEST 09 (IIUM), the top management like CEO has to cater all things from biggest to the smallest things regarding to the project. He also has to observe the other staff or project manager either their do the work or not. So, the top management has their important role in order to make the project is successful.

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