Selling Project Management Report

Posted: January 4th, 2023

Selling Project Management Report

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Selling Project Management Report

Roto Air is a company that specializes in the manufacture of components for the aviation industry, including drones for commercial purposes. Roto Air acquired a small company that would enhance its vertical integration. The acquired company was one of Roto Air suppliers. As such, the new arrangement promises to reduce logistical delays and increase production efficiency. However, the acquired company lacks the technical capacity and skills to handle complex projects. The lack of a formal project management system at the company necessitates a rigorous professional development exercise that imparts project management skills into the new management team.  This report breaks down project management by identifying its different aspects and the benefits they would deliver to the new management team at Roto Air. The recommendations are related to how project management can be employed in the Quick Drop 100 project, and particularly, building electro-mechanical assemblies by the acquired company. 

Project and Project Management and Routine Operations

While several definitions of projects exist, the project management institute provides definitions of projects and project management that can be used by any industry. In this regard, a project is a ‘temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result’ (Project Management Institute, 2020). Similarly, (Wysocki , 2011, p. 3) defines a project as ‘a sequence of unique, complex, and connected activities having one goal or purpose and that must be completed by a specific time, within budget, and according to specifications’. As such, the keywords in defining a project are ‘temporary’ and ‘unique’. A project is a temporary undertaking because it has a specified commencement and termination time, thus giving it a finite lifespan. Projects are categorized as investments and commercial projects because they change work processes and generate income, respectively (Rehacek, P. (2014). In this regard, the projects that would be undertaken after Roto Air acquired the new company will accomplish both objectives. In turn, project management is defined as ‘the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements’ (Project Management Institute, 2020). Project management involves the initiation, planning, execution, control and closure of the activities of a team that targeted specific goals within a specified period.

A project is delineated from a routine operation by its unique nature. While routine operations are the regular activities undertaken in an organization daily, project activities are specific operations seeking to realize a singular prescribed goal (Project Management Institute, 2020). As such, routine operations lack uniqueness because they are performed regularly in normal business operations. Sometimes, it is challenging to differentiate routine operations from commercial projects because of the difficulty in interpreting the uniqueness of the activities and processes (Rehacek, P. (2014). ISO 21500 captures this complexity in defining uniqueness to distinguish routine operations from projects. Therefore, ISO 21500 guides project management across all types of organizations by promoting standardized principles that can be applied in a globalized project era (Brioso, 2015). The nature of the tasks performed at Roto Air is compatible with the projects approach. Roto Air produces components for clients in the aviation industry and therefore, continuously deals with the changing of specifications to suit the clients’ demands. Roto Air is essentially a supplier for the aviation industry and thus, in a constant state of change as it responds to the changes of components as prescribed by their clients.  Moreover, the acquisition of the new company necessitates changes as the two companies align their competencies and capabilities. This process will involve fundamental changes in the new company, considering that it has no history of using the project approach. As such, the change process can be viewed as a project that should be undertaken using project management principles (Mir & Pinnington, 2014). Because of the unique nature of Roto Air’s work, projects are actually a frequent undertaking that they would appear routine. So long as the company deals with different clients and different component specifications at different times and for different periods, its activities would not be considered are routine but rather as projects. Each project seeks to achieve as specific set of deliverables for a specified period as documented in the supplier contract.  

Benefits of Project Management Methodology to Roto Air

Project management methodologies have gained popularity since project management debuted as a distinct discipline in the 1960s. A project management methodology is ‘a set of guidelines or principles that can be tailored and applied to a specific situation’ and comprises ‘a specific approach, template, forms, and checklists used over the project life cycle’ (Charvat, 2003, p. 3). Projects In Controlled Environment Version 2 (PRINCE 2) and Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) are two project management methodologies that are commonly used across the world (Karaman & Kurt, 2015). Project management methodologies should describe project phases, assign resources to various project phases, measure project progress, and correct any defects found in the project (Charvat, 2003). Project management methodologies ensure that project changes are accommodated without causing budget and time overruns.

The project management methodology would deliver several benefits to Roto Air. Firstly, the methodologies structure the project processes by providing standardization and customization options. As such, projects can be undertaken using a proven standardized process, while allowing customization to suit the project context (Joslin & Müller, 2015). For Roto Air, which undertakes project regularly, having a project methodology that is adopted across projects improves efficiency and predictability, while reducing risks. Secondly, the methodologies would facilitate communication within the Roto Air projects by building a common language for use in projects (Wells, 2012). Roto Air personnel could be involved in several projects simultaneously, and hence need to have a standardized language that can be used across the different projects. This communication cohesion would reduce the time used in explaining the different aspects in projects, while ensuring that everyone in the company is in the same page regarding these projects. Thirdly, the methodologies would improve the efficiencies and cost-effectiveness of Roto Air projects by streamlining the project efforts to avoid wasteful duplication of energies. As noted earlier, Roto Air undertakes several projects concurrently and the project teams need to streamline their efforts across the different projects in which they are involved. Besides, methodologies would reduce excessive documentation, thus enhancing cost-effectiveness and efficiency in project at the company. Fourthly, the methodologies would help manage and reduce risks and uncertainties that would endanger the success of Roto Air projects (Wells, 2012). Project management methodologies inject predictability into project. The setting of realistic budgets and timelines through a rigorous methodology would help deliver project at the company within schedule and budget. Moreover, methodologies would help identify and correct errors early before they can impose high costs and extend time at the expense of the success of the projects. They can also help avoid mistakes altogether, thus improving project efficiency. Ultimately, the project management methodologies would increase the chances of project success and deliver a competitive advantage to Roto Air.  

Role and Importance of a Project Sponsor

A project sponsor is an individual, a group of individuals, or a corporate entity that avails resources to support a project, thus facilitating the delivery of a successful project. The project sponsor is a critical project stakeholder who is instrumental to the implementation of projects through financial, technical and moral support. Apart from mobilizing project funds and marketing the project, a project sponsor supports the project manager and project team through technical guidance, corporate governance, and leadership.

The project sponsor is charged with the role of linking the project with its stakeholders at the strategic decision-making level. Besides, the project sponsor is responsible for the overall accountability for a project by ensuring that funds and energies are directed towards the intended purpose and the project delivers the anticipated benefits to the client, community, and society (Schibi & Lee, 2015). As such, the project sponsor contributes to the success of a project by clarifying the project vision, oversighting the project governance and guaranteeing the realization of the project benefits and value. Therefore, project sponsors should not only be conversant with the projects sponsored, but should also be able to align their strategies with those of the projects they sponsor.  

For the Quick Drop 100 project, a project sponsor could be drawn from the aviation industry because of their familiarity with aviation projects. Boeing and McDonnell Douglas are suitable project sponsors for this project because they invest heavily in research and development, and therefore would assist technically and financially, a drone development project. Since the drone project is a capital-intensive undertaking, sponsors with enormous funds alongside their technical capabilities would be instrumental in the Quick Drop 100 project.

Benefits of Project Teams and Methods of Developing Them and Improving Communications

Project teams that have diversity and interdisciplinary competencies contribute to the success of projects. Project teams provide broad knowledge and avail diverse skills to the project management process, thus helping the project manager deliver successful projects. Winning project teams are constituted by individuals drawn within and outside an organization based on the quality of their inputs and contribution. As such, team members should focus on the diversity of the membership to benefit from the competencies and skills in the various disciplines associated with a project (Project Management Institute, 2017).

The Quick Drop 100 project will require a new team comprising individuals from the newly acquired company to be incorporated into the existing product development team in Roto Air. Prudent team building efforts are required in creating a new team for the drone project. The members from the acquired company bring in expertise in electro-mechanical assemblies, which is pertinent for the drone development program. However, existing members from Roto Air are experienced in aviation projects and are versed with project management approaches, which the incoming team lacks. As such, the team building process will involve the training of the incoming members from the acquired company in project management because they already possess the technical skills in their areas of expertise. As such, the building of a functional team for the drone project is likely to take more time to accommodate the skill upgrade initiative. Moreover, the working cultures of the team members from the two companies will have to be harmonized to ensure coherence of working styles. As such, the drone project leader has an onerous task of ensuring that the team is functional by mentoring the team members, while addressing any dysfunctions that may arise (Kerzner, 2017). 

The essence of working teams is communication because it enables team members to share information, skills, and competencies seamlessly. Effective communication enhances the group knowledge of the project team and promotes cohesion and collaboration among them (Kerzner, 2017). Information management systems improve the communication in project teams enabling real-time information sharing and giving visibility to all project stakeholders. Although the Quick Drop 100 project would benefit from the face-to-face communication among the project team members, considering that it would be small. Some of the project team members are likely to be working in other projects simultaneously. In this case, the information management system would help the team members to function virtually, without affecting their performance in other projects.     

Project Life Cycle

A project life cycle is the series of stages that describe the project phases starting from the project initiation to its closure. These stages are time-bound and have controls for monitoring purposes. The stages include project initiation, planning, execution and termination. In the initiation phase, the preliminary drone ideas are evaluated, alongside their associated resource requirements, risks and the cost, time and resource implications of each option (Kerzner, 2017). The planning stage involved the refinement of the ideas proposed in thee initiation phase. Since the Quick Drop 100 drone development project will require not bidding process because it will be spearheaded by the new company that was acquired by Roto Air. As such, the planning process will focus on costs, time and performance indicators. The execution phase will involve the actual development of a working drone that fits the market specifications. At this stage, the designs are brought to life and the product tested sufficiently to ensure that it performs as expected. Any modifications resulting from the feedback from the tests will be incorporated to improve the drones and ensure that they have reached commercialization standards. Finally, the drone development project would be terminated once a feasible prototype is obtained. This would pave the way for mass production of the drones upon reviving orders from interested clients.  

The project life cycle ensures that a project remains focused on its vision and purpose, addresses all the risks that threaten the success, and is delivered within the deadline and budget. Besides, it can be used to compare different product development projects and help determine the factors that influence project success. In this regard, this project life cycle would be integrated into the standard life cycle template adopted by Roto Air for use in other similar projects. 

Project Charter and Its Role in Preventing Scope Creep

A project charter summarizes a project by outlining the project objectives, the implementation plan and the associated stakeholders. As such, it also documents the project scope and authorizes the commencement of a project. Scope creep is the deviation of a project from its initial plan, which contribute to time and budget overruns, and endanger the success of the entire project. The project charter prevents project creep by detailing how project changes are to be addressed upon their occurrence.  

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

A work breakdown structure (WBS) breaks down all the project tasks and activities. It comprises of sequentially arranged fragments of work packages that are visible, measurable and controllable. As such, WBS enables the allocation of time, financial and material resources to specific tasks and assigns responsibilities to those charged with executing the project. 

A proposed Work breakdown structure for the Quick Drop 100 project is illustrated in table 1.

Table 1. Gantt chart of a sample work breakdown structure of the Quick Drop 100 project

ID	Task	Days	Start	Finish	Preceding task	Assigned to	% complete	Status
A	Kickoff meeting	1	30/03/20	31/03/20		Brittany Nunez
B	Write specifications for drones	7	1/4/20	7/4/20	A	Jackie
C	Develop drone designs	14	8/4/20	21/4/20	B	John Shawn Ivan
D	Evaluate design proposals	7	22/4/20	28/4/20	C	Brittany Nunez
E	Order long lead items	1	29/4/20	30/4/20	D	Jackie
F	Manufacture drone components	14	29/4/20	12/5/20	D	Steve Alan Theodore
G	Write drone assembly instructions	2	29/4/20	1/5/20	D	Jackie
H	Write test instructions	2	29/4/20	1/5/20	D	Jackie
I	Assemble drones	1	13/5/20	14/5/20	F	Steve Alan Theodore
J	Test drone	7	13/5/20	19/5/20	I	Steve Alan Theodore
K	Release drones to market	7	20/5/20	26/5/20	J	Jackie
L	Evaluate feedback	3	27/5/20	30/5/20	K	Brittany Nunez  Steve Alan Theodore
M	Write mechanical instructions	2	31/5/20	3/6/20	I	Jackie
N	Write electrical instructions	2	31/5/20	3/6/20	I	Jackie
O	Assemble user manual	1	4/6/20	5/6/20	M,N	Jackie
	Total	68	30/03/20	5/6/20

 Table 1 describes the work packages for the Quick Drop 100 drone development project. It also allocates the time that each task should take and the project members involved. Once the project is underway, the progress of work done and the project status at designated milestones will be recorded in the spaces provided in the Gantt chart. This chart will be loaded into the information management system to provide project visibility to the project team and the pertinent stakeholders. Any problems occurring in the project’s life cycle will be detected early and addressed accordingly. Ultimately, this work breakdown structure will help the project manager monitor the progress of the project and address any arising issues. Moreover, it will keep the Roto Air’s senior management and the project sponsor updated on the progress of the project. As such, the work breakdown structure will act as a communication tool for sharing pertinent information related to the drone development project.    

The Kickoff Meeting

The kickoff meeting is the first meeting between the client, the project team and other pertinent project stakeholders. It denotes the commencement of the project. The meeting is an opportunity for the familiarization between the client, project team members and project stakeholders. The project manager will introduce the project team to the senior management of Roto Air and the project sponsor. Also, the kickoff meeting will provide a chance for addressing and clarifying issues that may affect the project during its lifecycle to forestall budget and time overruns later in the project (Kerzner, 2017). Typically, one meeting suffices for small short-term projects.

A kickoff meeting for the inauguration of the Quick Drop 100 drone development project would discuss the project ground rules and assumptions and constraints. Moreover, the technical specifications and drawings, along with the work breakdown structure and resource estimates would be discussed and arising concerns answered. However, complex projects such as the Quick Drop 100 drone development project may require more than one kickoff meeting. Specifically, a pre-kickoff meeting may be necessary to thrash out issues related to the cost estimates.     

Benefits and Uses of Project Management Software

Project management software is an information management system used in project management. This software facilitates the planning, scheduling, allocating resources and change management during a project. As such, it serves as an administrative tool that enables the project manager and other project stakeholders to manage budgets and control costs, monitor project progress and document project activities. It provides visibility to all the decisions and activities in a project because it is accessible to all project stakeholders, albeit with different access level authorizations.

Project management software enhances the efficiency of the project by facilitating communication and information sharing, supporting collaboration, improving scheduling, task delegation and budget management and orientating new team members into the project. In the Quick Drop 100 drone development project, an information system would be useful, especially to members working on multiple projects and lack time to attend face-to-face meetings. As such, the information management software would facilitate virtual teams, thus increasing team member autonomy and flexibility (Kerzner, 2017). This facility would encourage more members to participate in project teams, raising the morale of team members and their performance levels.  

Benefits of Professional Certification and the Role of Ethics in Project Management

Professional certification in project management is essential for any person involved in projects because it demonstrates the education and experience levels. Thee certification facilitates the participation in projects by acting as a pre-qualifying criterion for the inclusion of an individual into a project team. Individuals interested in project work gain valuable skills and networking opportunities that come with industry recognition. The holders of project management professional certification are held to a code of ethics and, therefore, are expected to act ethically during their project engagements. As such, the role of ethics in project management is to facilitate ethical decisions and actions upon encountering ethical dilemmas. Adhering to ethics ensures that project team members remain honorable, respectful, fair, responsible and honest in their project work. Ethics also provides that the project members prioritize stakeholders’ interests, thus enhancing satisfaction with the project.  

Identification and Mitigation of Risk in Projects

Projects are prone to risks and uncertainties that jeopardize project success. Project risks should be identified and their mitigation options explored early in the project lifecycle to forestall their detrimental effects on the project implementation process. Such early identification and mitigation planning ensures that the project remains on course even when the risks occur. As such, risk occurrence does not lead to scope creep or time and budget overruns.   

Data-Driven Decision-Making

Data-driven decision-making injects objectivity and pragmatism into the decision making processes associated with projects. Data makes decisions to be rational and the implementation of the decisions to be effective because they are supported by verifiable evidence. For instance, if Roto Air was to choose between changing the design of a component and reworking it when it does not fit the client’s purpose, the pros and cons of each option should be weighed against objective criteria. The use of objective decision-making methods, such as multicriterial decision-making (MCDM) techniques like the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), leverages the data from projects to enhance the quality of decisions (Jabbarzadeh, 2018). Data-driven decisions can be documented to be referenced later. Such institutional memory would help the company make speedier decisions of future project, making the project teams agile and responsive. Indeed, this decision-making approach could be a source of a competitive advantage for the reconfigured Roto Air, thus positioning it favorably in the aviation component industry.     

Project Management Office

A project management office (PMO) is necessary at Roto Air, considering that the company supplies components to the aviation industry. Moreover, with the acquisition of the new company, Roto Air is poised to undertake more projects and engage new clients due to its increased capacity and capabilities. A PMO would help to standardize the project management processes in the company by aligning the cultures and strategies of the two companies. Since the new company had no project management systems, the PMO would help upgrade the skills and capabilities of the new management team. This process would be a gruesome and rigorous undertaking that requires a dedicate PMO. The first task of the PMO would be to align the working cultures of the diverse members to enhance cohesion and unity of purpose. As such, the PMO would undertake change management continuously because culture alignment is an ongoing process. Besides, the PMO would serve as the command center for the projects because it would coordinate all the project activities at Roto Air (Kerzner, 2017). Since the company will have an expanded customer base following the acquisition of the new company, the PMO would be the port of call for customers wanting to engage Roto Air.    

Collection and Publicizing of Lessons Learned

The lessons learned from a project should be documented, shared and archived after project termination. Project managers should capture these lessons along the life cycle of the project before creating a consolidated document at the end of the project (Chaves et al., 2016). At Roto Air, the Quick Drop 100 project would produce valuable lessons because it would be the inaugural project of the new formation following the acquisition of the new company. It would be the first time that members drawn from the two companies are working together in the same project, remembering that the previous companies had a buyer-supplier relationship. The lessons drawn would enhance the knowledge and experience of the project team, especially that from the newly acquired company. Project members and the entire organization have a chance to reflect on a concluded project, discuss the positive and negative experiences, and develop plans to enhance the positive experiences and prevent the negative ones, in future projects (Chaves et al., 2016). These lessons would be part of infusing the project management culture and systems into the incoming team from the acquired company. Moreover, the lessons would help align the technical synergies of the diverse team members, thus setting precedence of how future projects would be undertaken.

Recommendations

Roto Air must undertake a rigorous and comprehensive professional development program to upgrade the project management skills among the members of the newly acquired company. Members of the newly acquired company should undergo coaching, mentoring and formal training programs to impart project management knowledge and skills. This approach would help integrate the new company into the project culture of Roto Air, and improve the outcomes of future projects. Moreover, the Quick Drop 100 drone development project would be a suitable platform for introducing the new company into the systematic project management practices. As such, the project should be leveraged as a learning opportunity by the members of the acquired company because they would be working abreast experience project teams members from Roto Air. Such an opportunity would enable the exchange of tacit knowledge as the project team members interact with each other, building the organizational knowledge and capacity of Roto Air.

Conclusion

Integrating the newly acquired company into Roto Air comes with the uphill task of creating a project management culture among the new members. The entire workforce from the new company is not conversant with project management systems. However, the Quick Drop 100 drone development project provides an opportunity to create functional project teams from members draw from both companies. Besides, the project would provide a learning opportunity for orienting the members of the acquired company into project management systems and practices to augment their technical knowledge. 

References

Brioso, X. (2015). Integrating ISO 21500 guidance on project management, lean construction and PMBOK. Procedia Engineering, 123, 76-84. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2015.10.060.

Charvat, J. (2003). Project Management Methodologies: Selecting, Implementing, and Supporting Methodologies and Processes for Projects. John Wiley & Sons.

Chaves, M. S., Araújo, C. D., Teixeira, L., Rosa, D., Júnior, I., & Nogueira, C. (2016). A new approach to managing Lessons Learned in PMBoK process groups: the Ballistic 2.0 Model. International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management, 4(1), 27-45. doi:10.12821/ijispm040102.

Jabbarzadeh, A. (2018). Application of the AHP and TOPSIS in project management. Journal of Project Management, 3(2), 125-130. doi: 10.5267/j.jpm.2018.1.001.

Joslin, R., & Müller, R. (2015). Relationships between a project management methodology and project success in different project governance contexts. International Journal of Project Management, 33(6), 1377-1392. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.03.005.

Karaman, E., & Kurt, M. (2015). Comparison of project management methodologies: prince 2 versus PMBOK for it projects. International Journal of Applied Science and Engineering Research, 4(4), 572-579. doi: 10.6088.ijaser.04059.

Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. John Wiley & Sons.

Mir, F. A., & Pinnington, A. H. (2014). Exploring the value of project management: linking project management performance and project success. International Journal of Project Management, 32(2), 202-217. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2013.05.012.

Project Management Institute (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Retrieved from https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok.

Project Management Institute (2020). What is project management? Retrieved from https://www.pmi.org/about/learn-about-pmi/what-is-project-management.

Rehacek, P. (2014). Standards ISO 21500 and PMBoK® Guide for Project Management. International Journal of Engineering Science and Innovative Technology (IJESIT), 3(1), 288-295.

Schibi, O. & Lee, C. (2015). Project sponsorship: senior management’s role in the successful outcome of projects. Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2015—EMEA, London, England. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Wells, H. (2012). How effective are project management methodologies? An explorative evaluation of their benefits in practice. Project Management Journal, 43(6), 43-58. doi:10.1002/pmj.21302.

Wysocki, R. K. (2011). Effective project management: traditional, agile, extreme. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.