Project E & B

Project Management E & B

Week 3 Assignment 1

ABC Limited

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

1. Summary of the project

The project, in this case, is the automation of the cement manufacturing process. Cement manufacturing is a long process that utilizes many steps, many resources are used and this implies that the manufacturing companies have to spend a lot. ABC Limited manufactures cement but utilizes a manual process. The project involves automation and computerization of the process to make sure the use efficiency and effectiveness. The project involves the use of state-of-the-art equipment and computers to boost the manufacturing process.

2. Goals and objectives

The first goal of the project is to increase the production volume of the cement. The project intends to enable the company to triple its production volume. The second goal is to improve the quality of the products or the cement that the company manufactures. The product should be able to meet and surpass the expectations of the market. The third goal is to boost environmental friendliness. Currently, the company pollutes the environment through its manufacturing process and the project looks forward to eliminating this problem.

The first project objective is to install high capacity machinery that will enable the company to triple its production volume. For a company to increase its production volume it is necessary to modify its manufacturing process (Walker, 2015). The second objective is to utilize state-of-the-art quality control equipment and computers which will make sure the final product is of the desired quality. The third project objective is to utilize green energy so that the impact on the environment is reduced or eliminated. The project intends to utilize solar and wind energy in the manufacturing process.

3. The key customer and the stakeholders

The key customer is ABC Limited. This is a client whom the project will be delivered to. Whenever a project is being executed, there is a customer or a client that will use the completed project for their own benefits (Rose, 2003). In this case, ABC Limited is the customer who saw the need for improving its manufacturing processes and contracted the project to specialists to enable them to deliver it. The customer is responsible for providing details that should be addressed by the project. They provide information about what is currently available as well as what they would expect. This enables the project team to understand what they need to do to meet the needs of the customer so that they can design appropriately.

Apart from the customer who the project is being delivered to, there are also other stakeholders involved in the project. One of the major stakeholders is the supplier of the equipment and the materials required in the project. This is a key stakeholder because their contribution directly affects the project and its delivery. The project team has to provide details on the specific materials and equipment that they need from the supplier to make sure the project is successful (Rose, 2003). The supplier has the responsibility of availing all the required items on time so that the project is delivered as planned.

The second stakeholder in the project is the local government whose major role is to make sure the product is being delivered according to the set standards. The local government is responsible for assessing the project and determining whether or not it is been conducted according to the regulations. This will determine whether or not the project team will be given a permit to go on with the process. The local government will also conduct periodic checks to ascertain that the project is being executed in the right manner.

4. Key milestones

i. Decisions

Decisions are an integral part of project milestones. It is important to get the decisions right because they affect the delivery of the project (Schwalbe, 2015). This project is concerned with the automation and computerization of the manufacturing process in a cement manufacturing company and it involves many decisions. It is the responsibility of the project team to make the right decisions all the time for the interest of succeeding in its endeavor. Among the decisions that should be made is the selection of the suppliers of various items and materials needed for the project. This is considered a milestone due to its direct impact on the project.

ii. Planning

Planning is also considered a milestone because it is a basic requirement for the delivery of the project. It is important for the project team to understand the sequence of events and activities and how long they should last. The planning has to be efficient and effective to make sure the project is effectively delivered. The project manager should seek the input of others through consultation so as to effectively plan for the project.

iii. Communication

Communication plays an important part in project management and it is a tool that project managers need to utilize effectively (Schwalbe, 2015). It is a milestone in the sense that it determines how information is delivered and understood by different stakeholders in the project. Effective communication strategies should be used throughout the project to make sure each stakeholder plays their part and understands what is going on.

5. Timeline of tasks and deadlines

Task

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Analysis

Design

Development

Test

Release

As the timeline shows, there will be six major tasks involved in this project. Each task is assigned to its own time within which it should be completed. It is the responsibility of the project team to make sure tasks are executed as stipulated so that the project does not delay (Harpham, 2017).

6. Project cost, staffing, and non-staffing resources

The total cost of the project is $4 million. This amount will cater to everything including the purchase of various materials and items needed for the project as well as paying the different experts and the entire project team that will be involved in the project. As far as staffing is concerned, it is the responsibility of ABC Limited and the project team to consult and determine the kind of experts and specialists that should be brought on board to be part of the staff for the project. The non-staff resources needed in this project involve non-specialists who will be tasked to care of minor issues that do not need any special or specific skills.

References

Harpham, B. (2017). Project Managers at Work. New York: Apress.

Rose, D. (2003). Best Practices in Project Management. Phoenix: Arizona Department of Transportation.

Schwalbe, K. (2015). Introduction to Project Management (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning

Walker, A. (2015). Project Management in Construction. Hoboken: Wiley.