Discussion 7 - Response to Peers

Top of Form

              According to Pearlson, Saunders, and Gallenta (2019), a project is “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result”, and each project has a definite beginning and ending. This makes it much different that an employee’s day-to-day job since it does have a definite ending where most job tasks are continual. Another difference is that project’s have a particular scope, focusing on only one endeavor, whereas day-to-day job tasks span multiple endeavors that may or may not be related to one another. The main attributes of a project are purpose, trigger to change, quality control, product or service, and duration (Pearlson et al, 2019). The main elements of a project are the project management, project team, project plan, and common project vocabulary (Pearlson et al, 2019). The project manager is part of the project management element, and makes sure the various factors such as time, cost, scope, and quality are properly balance and the project team members are completing throughout the project (Pearlson et al., 2019). The project manager is a vital component of the project team, and without this leadership, the project may become imbalanced, and the project team may become unmotivated and confused likely leading to unsuccessful project (Pearlson et al, 2019). Top management also needs to be committed to the project, or the project is likely to get derailed without having the funding or freedom to make the necessary changes for the success of the project.

            Project management success can be determined by evaluating four dimensions of the project. The first dimension is resource constraints, and a successful project will meet the time and budget criteria (Pearlson et al, 2019). For example, I am currently on a project for my employer related to redesigning our childcare center offerings. We have established a timeframe to create a plan for redesign and have it implemented by August 2021. To have project success, we will need to meet this deadline. If we do not meet the deadline, the childcare center will not be able to operate in the Fall 2021 when we would be reopening it as a student resource. The second dimension is the impact on customers, which means to be successful, a project needs to benefit the organizations end customer (Pearlson et al., 2019). In the childcare redesign project, we are currently surveying the student population to determine their childcare needs and how best we can serve them, so we design a center that meets their needs. If we are not successful, then it is likely the childcare center will be underutilized and experience financial loss. The third dimension of the project that can be measured for success is the business success, which means the whether the project met its return on investment goals (Pearlson et al., 2019). In the childcare redesign project, we already know we will operate at a deficit, but the goal is to minimize the loss for the college and maximize the utilization to justify the loss. If we fail to minimize the loss, it is likely that the childcare center will have to permanently close in the future. The final dimension is prepared for the future, which means whether or not the project will likely be successful in the future at meeting the needs of the customer and continue to provide business success. In the childcare project, if we do not measure the future impact of our project, then we may put work into redesigning the childcare for it to not sure student needs, will lose more money, and ultimately will fail. It is critical for future success for us to design the project in an effective manner that reduces cost to the college and provides a quality service to our students.

            IT projects often are not treated the same as other projects for various reasons including their unique challenges. IT projects tend to be more complex in nature, and the higher the complexity, the more likely the project will fail (Pearlson et al., 2019). Additionally, IT projects are more difficult for project managers to estimate budgets and schedules, making it harder to stay on track and often leading to a failed project (Pearlson et al., 2019). Another unique challenge is the need for the project manager to be a subject matter expert due to the complexity of the projects and the need for understanding related to selecting the right management tools for the project (Pearlson et al., 2019). IT project managers can reduce their risk of failure by addressing the complexity, clarity, and size of the project. The complexity issue can be address by IT project managers through leveraging the skillsets of the project team members, utilizing vendor and consultant for additional expertise, and integrating the project within the organization (Pearlson et al., 2019). The clarity issue can be addressed by identifying stakeholder goals and striking a balance between the various goals and by sustaining the commitment to the project (Pearlson et al., 2019). The final and last solution is to pull the plug on the IT project because sometimes the project is too risky and is unlikely to succeed. According to Pearlson et al. (2019), one in five projects unfortunately fail, so pulling the plug sometimes is the most viable option.   

Reference

Pearlson, K., Saunders, C.S., Gallenta, D. (2019). Managing and Unsing Information Systems: A Strategic Approach (7th Ed.). John Wiley & Sons.