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Running Head: PRM 524 - APPLIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT CASE 1

PRM 524 - Applied Project Management Case. The case of the Genesis System Upgrade

Dorothy A. Artis

Saint Leo University

PRM-524-MBOL 1

Professor: Dr. Laque Perkins

October 27, 2019

Student Signature: Dorothy A. Artis

PRM 524 - Applied Project Management Case. The case of the Genesis System Upgrade 3

Introduction 3

Requirements 4

The scope of the project 5

Stakeholders and Human Resource Management 6

Timeline, WBS and communications management plan 11

Work Breakdown Structure 12

Communications management plan 13

Project risk management 14

Project timeline update 16

Costs and procurement management 17

Make or buy 20

Integration management and progress 22

Project progress 24

Lessons learned 25

References 26

When it comes to fostering and championing for secure airport operations, companies should consider adopting the right mechanisms with respect to maintaining the ultimate degree of effectiveness of the implemented information systems. This project basis its arguments from the concept of upgrading the currently used information system in this case, the firm will strive its best to execute from beginning to end stage an effective and reliable system that will enhance the operations currently undertaken by the various airports. In the end, the primary aim of the project, therefore, revolves around the desire to come up with a solution that basis its arguments from the various security mechanisms and requirements that can improve the overall operations carried out on the day to day basis. The completion of the project will follow a set of critical milestones which include the initiation, planning, implementation or execution and final closure.

Each of these milestones plays a huge role in allowing the developers to create an effective solution that meets the demands of the airport in the context. The initiation phase stands out as one of the most critical milestones of the project. This conclusion comes from the fact that the initiation phase lays the foundation for the completion of the project. The planning phase contains key deliverables that play a huge role in boosting the success of the entire process and tasks (Fuller, Valacich, George & Schneider, 2017). During the planning phase, the project teams will convene a kickoff meeting that will create the ultimate direction to follow in completing the underlying piece of work (Burke, 2013). The implementation phase represents the completion of the actual work for the project.

This phase allows the developers and other team members to work together towards accomplishing a common goal. The last phase of the project includes closure. At this stage, the teams will conduct various tasks such as audits, procurement as well as user training among others. The creation of the system comes from the fact that the current system exhibits a reducing performance level because of the increased cases of security flaws. The creation of the proposed system will help to improve the operations carried out by the various airports in the United States.

For the completion of this project successfully, the team members will need to work together as a single unit. Additionally, the teams will need the required levels of support from the respective experts which in the end will foster better and positive performance. Finally, the project stakeholders should look at the expenses and resources necessary to support the operations of the final piece of work. The success of the project will arise from high-level interaction and the availing of the critical resources to the respective teams on time. Some of the vital requirements for the project include finances and workforce.

The system in the context will seek to provide numerous opportunities to the final consumers who will boost the overall operations carried out on a day to day basis. For instance, the project aims to create a modern platform that allows the airports to manage and comply with the set governmental requirements easily. Additionally, the system seeks to improve the operations carried out by the consumers from a performance perspective. In this case, the project will allow the airports to achieve high-level performance and efficiency in its operations.

Furthermore, the system in this context will seek to maximize the costs associated with security by offering high level and quality operations. As an upgrade of the existing system, the proposed solution will provide a guarantee that revolves around the provision of a secure passage of passengers from the various areas. Further, the system, unlike the current one, will foster reliability which will allow the users to access the required services and resources whenever needed. Besides, the system will enable the users to make their transactions safely without delays or concerns in regards to the security of their data or transactions.

However, the system will not meet all the customer expectations. For instance, the system will not dwell so much on the provision of system hardening mechanisms that will, in the end, reduce and possibly prevent the occurrence of cases such as intrusions or data manipulation by third parties. The primary reason that this project does not include this critical requirement revolves around the fact that the team will need to propose it as a new requirement or subproject. Additionally, this requirement does not fall under the original scope of the project thus not significant in implementing. Besides, the management holds the ultimate role and responsibility of guaranteeing the security and privacy of the esteemed customers.

A project must be carried out under the watch and supervision of the respective stakeholders. Stakeholders play a massive role in that they help to define the scope of the project, allocate the required resources and also provide the desired assistance from a financial and non-financial perspective. The selection for the ultimate stakeholders comes from the roles that each party plays in regards to the final project or solution. In this case, the project is meant to be used by the Los Angeles International Airport. Therefore, the management of the airport becomes automatically one of the key stakeholders for the project. The other stakeholders in this project include the airport security personnel, the inspectorate agencies as well as the ultimate users who add the passengers. The airport management plays a huge role in that they currently interact with the existing system.

Therefore, these teams understand the flaws that the current system exhibits. Additionally, these parties will play a huge role in that they will allow the developers to understand the challenges or the shortcomings that the new system should rectify to guarantee better performance or the attainment of the set goals. On the other hand, the other teams as mentioned will play a massive part in that they will help in the creation and shaping of the proposed system from a goals and deliverables perspective. These stakeholders will play a crucial role in creating the ultimate project goals that the proposed solution must achieve or deliver. Additionally, the stakeholders, in this case, will create a platform for measuring the success of the system with time-based on the requirements that the developers and the consumers need and expectations.

The other stakeholders, in this case, will include the developers, the project manager, the sponsors and also the community at large. These stakeholders hold the respective roles that they play and in the end affect the success of the underlying project. Therefore, the success of the project will arise from the functions that the various stakeholders play and the level of interaction that they exhibit. However, the success of the project may not solely stem from the efforts of the stakeholders the human resources management also plays a huge part towards affecting the success of a project. In this case, the human resource management concept includes all the parties involved in the coordination of the project directly. Some of these parties and experts may consist of the project manager among others (Turner, 2014). These parties create an effective and reliable management platform that fosters and champions for the achievement of the desired outcomes in the long run. The following figure shows the human resources required to undertake the project successfully.

The project will be completed through a series of phases. All these phases as mentioned in the previous sections play a huge role in fostering and favoring easy management and coordination of the system. Without these phases, the project team may find it hard to complete the project under the set budgets and timeline. Therefore the first step in the completion of the project revolves around the creation of a high-level plan. The primary milestones that the developers will need to follow and work on may include the initiation, planning, implementation otherwise referred to as execution and finally, the close-up stage. The following section shows the timeline for the project based on the previously completed piece of work. The table below shows the primary milestones for the project while at the same time outlining the associated timelines for each deliverable. For the team to complete the project successfully, it must consider following all these step and milestones which in the long run may foster the achievement of the desired outcomes (Kerzner & Kerzner, 2017).

The following figure shows a high-level summary or representation of the given information above in regards to the timeline for the project.

The figure above shows the timeline for the project highlighting the time delegated to complete each major milestone of the project. The figure also shows the different phases according to their size using color codes. Color coding the phases helps to determine their urgency and the time required to complete them without looking at the real statistics.

A work breakdown structure refers to a project management tool and technique that allow the project managers to perceive the entire piece of work as a collection of a similar piece of work conducted by various individuals. The completion of the Genesis project will require the services of various parties and the completion of crucial tasks at each milestone or phase. The figure below shows the work breakdown structure for the project highlighting the multiple tasks undertaken or delegated at each phase.

When undertaking such a vast project, communication amongst the various stakeholders and other related parties becomes essential. In this case, the teams will use diverse techniques and strategies to pass information from one party to the other. The primary strategy for communicating throughout the project revolves around the use of meetings. However, the team will call or attend meeting depending on its agenda and the type of information in the context. The first type of meeting to use includes the decision making the gathering. This meeting will offer relevant information about the system to the stakeholders and the developers. The developers will interact with the stakeholders to determine the ultimate goals of the project.

This meeting will always happen after every 14 days after the initiation of the project. Information sharing meetings will occur one in the project lifetime which will allow the various teams to offer the required knowledge to especially, the end users about the functionality of the system. Additionally, this meeting will provide the system users the needed developmental programs. The status report meeting will happen at the various phases such as the planning, implementation, and close-out (Meredith & Mantel Jr, 2011). This meeting will offer relevant information about the project progress to the stakeholders, therefore, should happen after every 7 days.

The completion of this project may face a huge challenge if the team fails to address the various risks that may arise in the process. Considering this project, it may fail in the long run as a result of the occurrence of multiple risks. Some of the most common risks may include communications, cost management, scope failure and executive failure among others. Executive failure refers to the inability of the senior management to offer the required support to the project. The senior management sometimes may concern itself with minimizing costs which may drive its attention away from the significance of the project. In the end, such a situation which has a 15% likelihood of occurrence can negatively affect the completion of the project. As a means to rectify or prevent such a risk from happening may include setting up effective and frequent meetings that seek to offer as much information about the significance of the project to the senior management as possible. Additionally, delivering the required information using effective communication strategies may help to prevent the occurrence of such a risk.

The project scope hazard may arise as a result of the negligence of the project team responsible for defining the boundaries of the project. This risk has a 15% likelihood of occurrence has the capability of halting the project in the long run. Such a risk usually affects the ordinary or the previously created plan and direction for the project consuming additional time, workforce and finances. The best way to evade the occurrence of this risk revolves around creating high-level meetings which will involve all the stakeholders in the project development process. Involving such parties, in the long run, may contribute a large part towards the creation of an effective and reliable scope document that represents the actual boundaries of the project.

The communications risks attract a rating of 30%. Communication risks refer to the hazards that arise from increased cases of misunderstanding amongst the various stakeholders and players in the project development process. Operating with a team that can communicate with each other effectively may reduce possible impacts such as incurring additional time, money and possibly workforce in case a communication risk happens. As mitigation, the best way to reduce the occurrence of this risk revolves around the implementation of effective and reliable communication channels and strategies. The project teams should understand the use of verbal as well as written messages strategies which in the long run can help to increase the level of understanding of the various members.

Cost management risks can arise as a result of the failure of the assigned teams to make the necessary assumptions or predictions of the finances and budgets that the project will consume or require. This risk has a 40% likelihood of occurrence making it among the most serious hazards that can affect the completion of the project. This risk affects the financial support of a project, therefore, paralyzing it as a whole. As mitigation, the company will employ a highly trained accounting as well as auditing team which will examine the use of finances throughout the project (Larson & Gray, 2015).

This figure shows a representation of the timeline of the project based on the tasks assigned to each resource or party.

When allocating cost to a project, the respective teams must first look at the possible size of each phase and the resulting tasks. Allocation of funds to support the project required high-level analysis of the existing activities and the created budgets. Before compiling the final budget, the first step includes analyzing the size and requirements of each phase. Different phases require different costs.

Additionally, each phase is different from the others in regards to its associated tasks and also the time required completing each activity. In this case, the project comprises four significant milestones. However, these phases require its respective costs to fund the underlying activities. The distribution of the costs varies from one phase to the other.

Similarly, the costs of each activity vary from one task to the other. Based on the given information, the total actual costs for the top-level activities in this case amount to $14000. On the other hand, the costs required to complete the entire project amounts, therefore, to $41520. The total costs for the project in this case amount to $55520. When allocating costs for the tasks, the team may need to address the complexity of each activity. The top-level tasks should receive the highest level of funding. In this case, the given figures show that the project has not yet completed. The current status of the project indicates that the team has only completed a few tasks. Further, the team has not handled a large proportion of the high-level tasks. Additionally, the cost overview report shows the distribution of the funds across the various phases based on the current project status.

Depending on the size and length of the phases, the company allocates funds using this criterion. For instance, the initiation phase takes a relatively lower amount of funding in regards to the resources and finances. On the other hand, the planning phase assumes much lesser finances and resources due to its relatively smaller size and complexity. However, the execution phase takes the most amounts of funding and resources. The primary reason that makes the execution phase take such a huge amount of resources comes from the fact that this stands out as one of the biggest stages of the entire project. This stage requires the assistance of a large number of stakeholders and human efforts. The execution phase takes up large amounts of money and resources as a result of the kind of tasks carried out. Comparing this phase with the rest, one can confirm and conclude that it contains more complex activities and also that it involves various parties.

On the other hand, the closeout phase of the project does not take as many resources as the others. Subsequently, this is probably because the phase does not include complex and a lot of activities. The total costs required to complete each phase come from the resources, equipment and also the human efforts that go into each task of the Genesis project.

Looking at the distribution of the costs, the completed portion of the entire project consumed a total of $3360. On the other hand, the late project part cost the project a total of $19640. Finally, the future tasks or the incomplete activities set to be completed in the near future will attract a total cost of $32520. On the other hand, the costs that all the top-level tasks draw amounts to $55520. Therefore, the company must ensure that it provides this amount of money to foster the completion of the project successfully and also within the set timeframes. The late project portion may cost the entire process and company a lot in regards to both times as well as finances.

Additionally, with such a small portion complete, the company may find it hard to successfully meet the set timeframe for the entire piece of work. The costs are also evenly distributed amongst the various resources. The distribution of the costs among the resources comes from the tasks that each party undertakes in regards to the project. Based on the available information about the project, the company can them make an informed decision in regards to whether make or buy the solution.

In this case, the total costs for the completion of the project amount to about $55520. If all goes on well as planned, the total costs will not exceed the given level. On the other hand, if the project development process faces challenges, the costs may rise. Assuming that the project development process will follow the set guidelines and timelines, the best option to monitor may include making the software instead of buying an already developed solution. The primary advantage of the in-house development of the project comes from the fact that the company stands at a better position to control the activities carried out by the respective parties.

Additionally, the company can control the costs incurred in the end by minimizing the risks associated with outsourcing. From a costs perspective, the company by making the solution stands at a better position in regards to the fact that it can efficiently allocate the required budgets while at the same time guaranteeing the ability to meet the demands of the customers. Therefore, the company should consider to build the system instead of purchasing an already completed system because the former option presents lesser costs and more advantages as compared to the latter.

Task cost overview report

Resource cost overview report

In simple terms, the concept of project integration management refers to the tasks that are carried out in regards to providing a guarantee that the underlying piece of work meets the set demands by the relevant stakeholders and also the customers (Westland, 2018). Therefore, the concept of project integration management define them. However, the coordination of the various project parts may, in the long run, affect the ability to achieve the desired outcomes in regards to working within the budgets as well as the timeframe. Therefore, the project integration management in order to guarantee the best level of coordination of the various project parts and components makes tradeoffs.

Additionally, the project integration management allows the project manager to define, determine, coordinate and unify the various processes as well as tasks in the respective groups. Further, the project manager must make the relevant decisions based on the allocation of the available resources as well as the tradeoffs while at the same time coordinating the interdependencies within the domain knowledge area. All these tasks seek to help to achieve the desired stakeholder needs and expectations about the underlying project.

In this case, the project manager should consider using the project plan, in regards to its creation and executing and finally, integrated change control. To implement the concepts of project integration management successfully, the project manager should develop a pool of effective deliverables as seen in the project in the context, its completion basis its arguments from the previously designed deliverables. The project manager must define the various deliverables such as the scope, the charter, control and monitoring and but not limited to the management plan. All these deliverables appear and fall into the four main project completion milestones. These milestones include the initiation, planning, execution or implementation and finally, closure (Harrison & Lock, 2017). The above project followed all these processes and deliverables which may contribute a large part towards its success. The failure of the project manager to implement the concepts of integration management would create a conducive environment for the ultimate failure of the entire piece of work.

Project integration management helps the project manager to effectively coordinate the activities of the entire piece of work making it easy to complete the work according to the demands and needs of the stakeholders. Some of the most important keys to a successful project integration management process define the behavior of the project manager through the process. For instance, a project manager must be in a position to obtain the required buy-ins (Warner, 2011). Further, the project manager must develop an attack plan to use throughout the process. Additionally, the project manager must be in a position to create tradeoffs to the benefit of the ability to meet the demands of the stakeholders.

Finally, the PM must learn from the past mistakes. Incorporating these components, in the end, plays a huge role in guaranteeing better performance which meets the demands of the stakeholders. Based on this information, the success of the Genesis project may come from the increased levels of interaction between and amongst the developers as well as the primary and secondary players. The communication between these parties plays a considerable role in the success of the entire project. The developers, therefore, incorporate the information they obtain from the stakeholders during the various phases of the development process.

Cost overview report

Work overview report

Critical task report

Milestone report

After undertaking and delegating this project, one can determine that project management revolves around coordinating all those activities and workforce in regards to working towards achieving the desires of the stakeholders. Stakeholder engagement in the process allows the developers to remain compliant and cautious of the set requirements for the project under development. Maintaining the right levels of communication throughout the development process makes it easy to pass the required information in a timely manner. Further, communication, as well as the coordination of the various activities in the entire process, acts as the critical features of a successful piece of work. There exist multiple types of meetings in project management. All of these meetings play a considerable role in that they boost the overall ability of the respective parties to share information according to the phase of development or any other arising issues. Further, working as a group facilitates the completion of a given milestone successfully.

From another perspective, effective management of the available resources allows the developers to reduce the cases of wastage. Further, subjecting the budgets to audits can help to reduce and eliminate the possible instances of misappropriation of the available resources. The optimum resources must support a successful project. Risk management in the project development process allows the developers to make informed decisions in regards to eliminating the factors that can affect the successful completion of the underlying project. Therefore, when undertaking a project such as the Genesis Systems Upgrade that requires a large number of developers, the project manager should adopt the most effective communication strategy. Allocating the project requires resources to each phase may contribute towards the successful completion of the respective milestones.

Turner, J. R. (2014). Handbook of project-based management (Vol. 92). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Burke, R. (2013). Project management: planning and control techniques. New Jersey, USA.

Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.

Meredith, J. R., & Mantel Jr, S. J. (2011). Project management: a managerial approach. John Wiley & Sons.

Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2015). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK (®) Guide. Project Management Institute.

Warner, J. L. (2011). FOUR KEYS TO PROJECT INTEGRATION MANAGEMENT. Project Smart. Retrieved 23 October 2019 2019. From https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/four-keys-to-project-integration-management.php

Westland, J. (2018). Project Integration Management – A Quick Guide. Project Manager. Retrieved 23 October 2019 2019. From https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/project-integration-management-a-quick-guide

Fuller, M. A., Valacich, J. S., George, J. F., & Schneider, C. (2017). Information Systems Project Management: A Process and Team Approach, Edition 1.1. Prospect Press.

Harrison, F., & Lock, D. (2017). Advanced project management: a structured approach. Routledge.