11/11/2018 MGT530 – Operations Management MGT530 – Operations Management Project Management Module Introduction Readings Note: The following readings may require you to be logged in to the Saudi Digital Library. You may do that here (https://lms.seu.edu.sa/bbcswebdav/xid-27610786_1). Required Chapter 17 in Operations Management. Chapter 17 PowerPoint slides (https://lms.seu.edu.sa/bbcswebdav/courses/MGT-530MASTER/Presentations/Stevenson_13e_Chapter_17.pptx) – Operations Management. Alawneh, A. R., & Sweis, R. J. (2016). The relationship between the emotional intelligence level and the effectiveness of a project manager: The case of Jordan (https://search-proquestcom.sdl.idm.oclc.org/docview/1809941698?accountid=142908). International Journal of Information, Business and Management, 8(3), 13-27. Baghdadi, A., & Kishk, M. (2017). Assessment of risks associated with Saudi aviation construction projects and of the risks importance (http://www.ijimt.org/index.php? m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=83&id=1054). International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, 8(2), 123-130. Recommended Prodan, A. P. (2017). A tailored methodology for project management (https://searchproquest-com.sdl.idm.oclc.org/docview/1927462618?accountid=142908). FAIMA Business & Management Journal, 5(2), 5-13. For Your Success In this module, you will explore the behavioral aspects of project management as well as components of the work breakdown structure. Think about projects that you have worked on in the past. Are there tools you could have used to better plan and track the projects? What worked well and what needed improvement? This week: https://lms.seu.edu.sa/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_3259063_1&course_id=_43144_1&framesetWrapped=true Participate in the Discussion Forum, which asks you to examine a past project and consider what 1/7 Participate in the Discussion Forum, which asks you to examine a past project and consider what 11/11/2018 MGT530 – Operations Management contributed to its success or failure. Take the graded quiz, covering concepts from Modules 11 and 12. In this course, the Discussion Forums are an excellent way to share your observations and learn from the history and experience of others. Remember the following: Embed course material concepts, principles, and theories, which require supporting citations along with at least one scholarly, peer-reviewed reference in supporting your answer unless the question calls for more. Keep in mind that these scholarly references can be found in the Saudi Digital Library by conducting an advanced search specific to scholarly references. You need to reply to at least two peer discussion question post answers to the discussion question. These post replies need to be substantial and constructive in nature. They should add to the content of the post and evaluate/analyze that post answer. Normal course dialogue doesn’t fulfill these two peer replies, but is expected throughout the course. Answering all course questions is also required. Use Saudi Electronic University academic writing standards and APA style guidelines. Learning Outcomes 1. Evaluate the behavioral aspects of project management. 2. Apply project management models, including Gantt charts, PERT, and CPM. 1. Introduction Projects are different than routine work. Stevenson (2018) stated that “projects are unique, one-time operations designed to accomplish a specific set of objectives in a limited time frame” (p. 732). Most often, projects focus on what are called the triple constraints of time, budget, and scope (or, cost, schedule and performance). Imagine how Saudi Telecom does business. Even though the same circuit type might be sold to all customers, each customer’s installation is unique based on the location where the circuit is terminated. That installation would constitute a project. It is unique to that customer and geography, happening one time, and accomplished within specifications in a specific time frame. Once the circuit is working, Saudi Telecom would monitor the circuit for alarms. That ongoing monitoring is routine work and not project work. As the project manager completes the installation of the new telephone circuit, the project, like all projects, follows a life cycle. Review the life cycle, which occurs in five phases: Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 https://lms.seu.edu.sa/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_3259063_1&course_id=_43144_1&framesetWrapped=true 2/7 11/11/2018 MGT530 – Operations Management Managers and leaders must determine which projects to implement, select a project manager and project team, plan and design the project, control the resources, and determine when a project should be terminated. The project manager (PM) must keep track of the work completed, underway, and planned to ensure that the project is completed on time, within budgeted amounts, and within scope. The PM must also communicate appropriately to ensure the resources of the organization are used effectively to deliver a quality project outcome. Alawneh and Sweis (2016) have determined that there is a positive relationship between successful projects and the emotional intelligence of the project manager. Review the twelve steps in successful project management in the following video. Project Management in Under 8 Minutes (Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkuUBcmmBpk) Explore If you are considering project management as a career, research the https://lms.seu.edu.sa/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_3259063_1&course_id=_43144_1&framesetWrapped=true 3/7 11/11/2018 MGT530 – Operations Management professional certification options offered by the Project Management Institute (http://www.pmi.org/) (PMI). PMI certification is globallyrecognized. 2. Project Management Concepts Project managers have many tools at their disposal that aid in tracking a project’s status for time, budget, and resources, and to ensure that the project does not get off track and suffer from scope creep. One such tool is the work breakdown structure (WBS), which is a listing of tasks to be performed along with the associated dependencies for work that must precede or follow any other task. Today, software programs are available to aid the project manager with developing the WBS. Project managers also use Gantt charts, named for Henry Gantt, who pioneered the use of these charts for industrial scheduling activities in the early 1900s. The purpose of the Gantt chart is to organize and depict the actual or planned use of resources by unit of time. The image below is a simple Gantt chart showing how one might track the use of three hospital operating rooms, including when they are in use, idle, or are being cleaned and readied for the next surgery. Click to enlarge (Source: CSU-Global Faculty) The program evaluation review technique (PERT) is another tool used to schedule, organize, and coordinate tasks within a project. PERT charts add the dimension of linking tasks to each other so that dependencies may be shown and a critical path identified. With a PERT chart, we begin to see that certain paths toward project completion may take longer than others. The following diagram depicts activities on a construction site using an activity-on-arrows approach. Time for completion in days is tracked. Click to enlarge (Source: https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/toolbo x/buildright/content/bcgbc4007a/03_develop_tr ack_revise/03_network_systems/page_001.htm) https://lms.seu.edu.sa/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_3259063_1&course_id=_43144_1&framesetWrapped=true The critical path method (CPM) is a tool that can be used to consider paths through a project to its 4/7 The critical path method (CPM) is a tool thatMGT530 can be– Operations used to Management consider paths through a project to its 11/11/2018 conclusion. With CPM, the longest path through the project determines the expected duration for the project. Knowing the critical path can help the project manager understand the critical activities for ontime project completion. Review project management in action with the building of the Alton Bridge in this video clip. Alton Bridge Go to the Video (https://www.viddler.com/embed/27703c50/? f=1&autoplay=0&player=full&disablebranding=0) This video explores the project to build a new bridge across the Mississippi River in the United States. 3. Risk Management Responsibilities Whether it is the construction of a house, the implementation a new software system, or planning for a sporting event, projects run the risk of failure. Baghdadi and Kishk (2017) studied aviation projects in Saudi Arabia and found that labor issues, design changes, corruption, knowledge and skills deficiencies, incomplete designs, changes in the law, and poor design quality are just some of the risks that befall projects. Projects may run over budget, take more time than was estimated, or have to be changed in some way that impacts the original scope of the project. Managing these undesirable outcomes is part of risk management for projects. Projects follow a specific lifecycle from planning, to implementation, to completion. The risk of undesirable outcomes has a higher probability of occurring earlier in the project. If the project is further along, then the probability of those identified risks occurring is lower. If one should occur, however, costs will have been sunk in the project, and it may require costly adjustments to successfully complete the project. Thus, the cost of risks is greatest at the end of the project, as shown below. Click to enlarge (Source: Stevenson, 2018, p. 763) https://lms.seu.edu.sa/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_3259063_1&course_id=_43144_1&framesetWrapped=true 5/7 11/11/2018 MGT530 – Operations Management Therefore, project managers should plan risk management strategies. The objective of such planning is to mitigate the risks that may occur. Not all risks can be eliminated, but risk mitigation strategies can be put in place to lessen the impact should they occur. Examples of mitigation strategies might include purchasing spare component parts for critical elements, keeping contingency funds available, or having additional technicians on hand in case they are needed. Still, some risks may be unavoidable. For example, a project team may determine that the risk of bad weather delaying work on a project is just something to accept since it cannot be controlled. Another example would be the currency exchange rate when executing an international project. 4. Conclusion Projects simultaneously represent the organization’s strategic opportunities and risks. Understanding and managing resources for projects then becomes important in reducing risk and maximizing opportunities. Whether projects end successfully or unsuccessfully, the closing phase is important to understanding what failed and what went well in order to limit the former and replicate the latter in future projects. In closing, watch how successfully aligning strategy with project management leads to positive results in this video. Michael Porter: Aligning Strategy and Project Management (Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKcSzH1SvCk) https://lms.seu.edu.sa/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_3259063_1&course_id=_43144_1&framesetWrapped=true 6/7 11/11/2018 – Operations Management Harvard Professor M. Porter discusses how to MGT530 align strategy and project management within an organization. Check Your Understanding Place the five phases of the project life cycle in the order in which they occur. Check Your Understanding Click Here to Begin References Alawneh, A. R., & Sweis, R. J. (2016). The relationship between the emotional intelligence level and the effectiveness of a project manager: The case of Jordan. International Journal of Information, Business and Management, 8(3), 13-27. Baghdadi, A., & Kishk, M. (2017, April). Assessment of risks associated with Saudi aviation construction projects and of the risks importance. International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, 8(2), 123-130. Stevenson, W. (2018). Operations management (13th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. https://lms.seu.edu.sa/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_3259063_1&course_id=_43144_1&framesetWrapped=true 7/7
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