Project Management

Posted: November 30th, 2013

Project Management

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Project Management

Exercise 3

I would recommend the functional organization form of project management structure. This is because the people from within the organization developed the concept of the new technology. They dedicated a lot of their time when coming up with this technology. Therefore, they have the expertise and knowledge of how the system should be developed. They can identify the weak and problematic areas of the technology, and they can decide how to strengthen the project further. In addition, the R&D department has a dominant role and interest in completing the project. The functional organization structure is relatively cheap to implement compared to other structures. The management of the project will be from within the organization

To make this recommendation, I would like to know the organization that Barbata Electronics is, particularly if it usually has many projects. This is because, if the company does not deal with many projects, then it would not be feasible to dedicate all the company’s time on a single project. The company can decide to use other alternatives such as outsourcing, giving the company’s employees the time they need to go on with their work. I would also like to know the financial status of the company, or their budget allocation towards the project. This will enable me to decide on the most suitable option, based on affordability. I would need to know the size of the project, and the level of importance that the project has to the company. The size of the project largely determines the structure to use (Larson & Gray, 2011). For instance, it is more practical and effective to use dedicated teams or matrix structures for large projects. I would also need to know if the development and completion of the project would involve people in other departments. I need to know the resources, other than finances, that the company has dedicated towards the project’s development. This includes the number of people who will be working on the project and the time that the company has appropriated (Larson & Gray, 2011).

Exercise 2

a.         I would make the decision based on the information that I have. I would choose not to go with the original idea of giving money to Chunk of Coal House, seeing that it is no longer in operation. I would give the money to the other alternative. Since there were only two options available, I am sure that I will have made the decision that most of the members would agree with, even without consulting them first.

b.         I would consult with the club before making the decision. This is because the decision made would involve and affect many people, especially the club members who would use the golf course for their games. The club can decide to go ahead with the alternate decision of extending the hole, or it can decide to do away with the renovations. Ultimately, the club holds the final decision, and I would have to consult them.

c.         I would call for a group meeting and inform the members of the emerging threats. The team members had come up with the original concept, and they would need to be informed in case of any changes. The members will have to decide whether they want to continue with the project as it is and look for other criteria that will enable the product to compete with the competitor’s product in the market (Larson & Gray, 2011). For instance, the team can decide to go ahead with the project and price it at a considerably lower cost than that of the competitors. The members can also decide to do away with the project, or they can decide to add more features, which will make it more appealing to the customers. There are several options to consider before making the decision. Since the development of the project was not a sole effort, the team members will have to decide on the next step.

Reference

Larson, W. E., & Gray, F. C. (2011). Project management: The managerial process. New York, NY: Mcgraw-Hill Publ. Comp