Optimizing Projects: Establishing Necessary Methods & Processes - Essay Sample

Introduction

The selection and promotion of the best practices and the introduction of the project health checks form the basis for setting up the necessary methods and business processes crucial for implementing, executing, and conducting various projects.I believe the above sub-processes were implemented since the initial sub-processes (select and promote best practices) largely involve the organization's needed management knowledge. As such, it defines the set of procedures and practices that assist the organization in establishing better performance and enhancing the skills of the executing teams, particularly on the principles of project management and knowledge management. The second sub-process (Introductory project health checks) is highly critical in helping organizations recover from failed projects (Aubry et al., 2007). In most cases, the project health checks allow the project teams to take a break from the usual tasks and routine thus, creating more time for critical evaluation of projects and various work statuses in an objective way. Consequently, every current issue within the organization can be effectively controlled while ensuring that the processes and methods applied in practice are in line with the documented practices and methods of the organization. Moreover, the introductory project health checks significantly aid in the evaluation of the organization's overall performance and prevention of further occurrences of challenges within the organization.

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The Sub-Processes Documented In Phase II?

The sub-processes documented in phase II include:

• Portfolio prioritization
• Risk management
• Quality management
• Management meetings
• Portfolio budgeting
• Project approval and imitation
• Activate project
• View, prioritize, and approve new project requests.
• Portfolio analysis and assessments
• Status reporting standards
• Issues management
• PMO reports ( weekly, monthly, quarterly)

Project Measurement, Monitoring, and Control

The above sub-processes were documented in the second phase because they result from the implementation of the first two sub-processes (selecting and promoting best practices and introductory project health checks), which primarily respond to the current situation and the best-needed practices (Aubry et al., 2007). As such, phase II sub-processes are derived from the initial two sub-processes. Hence, creation of status reporting standards, answering to management issues, tracking of the organization's progress while performing a monitoring and control process, developing report methods for the PMO, re-initiating on-hold projects, performing portfolio analysis and assessment, reconsidering and prioritizing future projects, portfolio prioritization, budget set-up, risk management and quality assessment and team meetings management. Each of the sub-processes, as mentioned above, is used as a crucial point of reference by an organization executing any given project.

Discuss What You Think The Differences Between A Process And A Procedure Is With This Case Study?

A process is responsible for defining the significant elements in business while a procedure is more concerned with the business's execution, as documented by the organization. It is critical to understand that the functioning of a process is at a higher level, mainly while dealing with various departments and functions. In several cases, a process incorporates a procedure in its functions. Contrastingly, a procedure functions in a more detailed form. The use of flow charts can be invoked to aid in an elaborate distinction of the related elements (Aubry et al., 2007). For this particular case study, I think it was vital to create a process before the creation of a procedure. This is because a comprehensive process provides the necessary blueprint for the nature of a working procedure. In this particular case study, 7-eleven decided to establish itself as a "consultative procedures and process PMO with minimal policing," this is mostly associated with verification and measurements instead of checklists use that were highly ineffective.

Discuss Why Phase III Is Listed As One of the More Important Phases

Phase III has been listed as one of the more essential phases because it is in this phase that the majority of the processes elucidated in the 7-eleven case study have been implemented. Although 47 processes available for 7-eleven, the seven methods are believed to be vital for success. The seven processes are mainly linked to project management concepts.

The first process is the weekly project management meeting. The process is very crucial since it entails the necessary information regarding the leads of the project. It also created an opportunity for every concerned member of the organization to air their views and obtained a regular update on various issues within the organization through team discussions. The second process is the milestone chart. The milestone chart is specifically essential in providing required details on critical events planned and scheduled to happen at a given time during the project (Aubry et al., 2007). The events can be used as a platform to brief every member of the organization on the progress of the project.

Furthermore, the risk report is equally essential since it covers all the potential risks involved during the implementation of the project. The report also provides matrix risk analysis and other mitigation techniques. Another necessary process is the issues report; it mainly focuses on the challenges encountered during the work and may significantly impact the project's progress.

The scope change report is equally crucial in phase III; projects often fail to observe the set time or surpass their initial budgets due to this process. As a result, implementing an effective change control process suppresses the challenges. The report covers the issues dealing with change in scope and ensures the project is not affected when any form of transformation occurs within the organization (Aubry et al., 2007). Nonetheless, the weekly status report is also a necessary process; it assists the project leads and management in comprehending the progress status of the project and the actions to be taken to make the project a success.

The last critical process in this phase is the IT cost estimations. The workbook usually comprises 17 worksheets with a summary of everything that the organization needs to undertake (Aubry et al., 2007). It also entails a software development worksheet with both external and internal costs of the software in the application, hardware cost, training cost, network and security cost, and the software licensing cost.

The processes implemented in phase three are more vital than other processes. The third phase processes are linked to the significant proportion of the project management concepts, execution, and implementation. Hence, the project management team can realize a considerable success in the project.

Reference

Aubry, M., Hobbs, B., & Thuillier, D. (2007). A new framework for understanding organizational project management through the PMO. International journal of project management, 25(4), 328-336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2007.01.004