Bus697 project management strategy Wk 4 Discussion 2

One key concept in project management is to learn from previous projects.  The Lessons Learned review allows an organization to collect and document the results of both successful and failed projects.  Give an overview of a project you were involved with as a leader or team member.  Choose three of the project areas listed below and answer one question from each group of questions found in Chapter 12 of your text.  Respond to at least two of your fellow classmates’ postings; in your responses, try to respond to people who chose other areas/questions to answer.

• Time
• Cost
• Quality
• Scope
• Line Management
• Methodology
• Senior Management
• Customer Satisfaction
• Business Opportunities

TEXTBOOK ISNT PROVIDED! PLEASE USE INFORMATION BELOW---

As I’ve enjoyed the chance of working on Aerospace and Defense contracts, I can relate to the large group of different project offices which are usually present in this industry. As mentioned in our text, “Aerospace and defense contractors often established three different project offices, each serving Army, Navy, or Air Force clients. Few companies established project offices primarily to cater either large projects or small projects. Each project office had its own strategic planning, leading to sub-optimization and a lack of team work”.

With the different projects I’ve worked on; time, cost, and quality were always the key points for future contracts. If we missed the mark with any one of those three areas, it was nearly certain we would not be given extensions of present contracts or allotment of new ones. Consumer Satisfaction was pivotal in our deliverable of products. For example, we established system engineering architectures which entailed required capabilities linked

with specified gaps in military capabilities. As we weren’t supplying an actual product instead it was a frame work which covered the solution sets, this product had been comprehensive and precise. We created a myriad of diagrams designed to demonstrate how a solution was determined, evaluated, calculated and then chosen for consideration to be practiced into the Army acquisitions. If we were unablee to adequately capture this and show it to our customer, dis-satisfaction would originate. If this occurred, there was a good chance we would be restored by aanother government contracting firm. Not suitable.

Cost is another aspect we had a major influence on; not just the cost of doing the work but also the costs which needed implementation of chosen solution sets. This meant final cost analysis and cost comparisons. This method would need an extensive analysis of all linked values with the chosen solutions. We had cost person whose only job was to carry out this task. Quite tough, too.

At one instance, the former projects were once viewed as applicable only to the aerospace, defense, and heavy construction industries, but were now familiarized as being useable for other industries. The significance of allowing the project office to undertake strategic planning for project management was becoming obvious (Kerzner, 2005).

TEXTBOOK

Kerzner, H. (2005).  Using the Project Management Maturity Model: Strategic planning for project management (2nd ed.).  Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.  ISBN: 9780471691617.