1.1 Introduction
At ABC Tech Company, we have experienced consistent growth over the past few years. The remarkable growth has led to the need for a larger office space because our current office here at Shoreditch is not large enough to ensure efficient operations and the increasing workforce. This is why we devised a solution to relocate our office to a larger space to accommodate more than fifty employees. The move to relocation is, however, a challenging task as it needs to be approached strategically and carefully to ensure the continuation of company operations, client base maintenance, and no loss of data.
1.2 Characteristics of a Project
A project integrates interrelated processes to attain particular goals within a schedule, budget, and quality. It entails coordinating team activity as various team members play multiple roles. Among the characteristics of a project is the presence of objectives (Silvius, 2019, p. 106-109). Objectives are the core aims of the project, and the utilization of analysis when the project is done helps to reveal how much has been achieved. Another project characteristic is the existence of a period. Projects are temporary and have a period beyond which they cannot go. All projects require finances to be completed; without adequate funds, a project cannot be executed; therefore, developing a budget in advance is handy in catering to a project’s financial needs. Every project has a life cycle that entails various stages to be completed. These stages include planning, designing, testing, execution, and others. Another characteristic of projects is risk and uncertainty. Assignments are based on predictions; hence project members should expect risks throughout the project life cycle.
A project manager is accountable for delivering the project by leading and managing the project with authority and responsibility. The project manager is a significant member of a project and can determine whether the project succeeds or not (Gasemagha & Kowang, 2021, p. 1345-1355). The role of the project manager is to ensure team coordination by defining roles and objectives to keep everyone aligned. A project manager delegates tasks effectively based on team members’ strengths, weaknesses, and capabilities. A project manager integrates team members’ feedback which is crucial in reviewing team performance. The project manager plans the project by breaking it down into tasks, outlining milestones, and setting a suitable schedule for completing particular processes. Another role of the project manager is to ensure adequate time management by effective planning and scheduling and detecting bottlenecks in advance.
1.3 Project Theoretical Framework
Our project will integrate the waterfall project approach, which is the most straightforward traditional strategy to run a project. The waterfall approach is a linear project management strategy in which client and stakeholder needs are collected during project planning and sequenced to accommodate the requirements. With the waterfall approach, a new phase begins only when the preceding one is complete. We chose the waterfall approach because of various reasons. Our project has well-defined goals and therefore requires the comprehension and sequence of tasks and processes, which can easily be achieved by the waterfall methodology (McGrath & Whitty, 2020, p. 188-215). It also strengthens the project’s structure and ensures the project team’s discipline and organization. Because of the waterfall nature of completing a phase before moving to the next, the model gives a clearer insight into project requirements and potential risks in advance.
2.1 Initiation Stage
In the initiation phase, we will explore and elaborate on the idea of the project. We will determine the feasibility of the project, establish the parties to be involved in the project, and the drafting of the project charter
2.1.1 Project Charter
The project charter aims to illustrate the necessity of the project and the benefit that will be brought along. We will develop a project charter to outline essential details regarding the project and also to raise our initiatives to relevant stakeholders. The project charter will entail the project goals and purposes. Our project has three primary goals, to enhance hiring more employees into the ABC Tech Company team, to increase space for the enhancement of more operations from the company, and to maintain and improve the client base despite relocating our office (Ghansah et al., 2021, p. 208-226) The project charter will also communicate the outline of the project budget and project schedule.
2.1.2 Identify stakeholders
In the initiation stage, we will point out stakeholders for our project. Our list of stakeholders will be determined by people who will approve, provide resources and impact our project. As the project manager, I will develop a project stakeholder evaluation to ensure we stay with all essential stakeholders. Our stakeholders include the project sponsor, the project manager, ABC Tech Company employees, AGS Moving Company, IT technicians and engineers, our business clients, and the government.
2.2 Planning stage
Project planning outlines deliverables, project schedule, budget, and team roles and responsibilities. During this phase, we will brainstorm on potential risks that could occur in the project. During this stage, we will also seek to secure a new office based on business-wise preferences and acquire and make necessary payments.
2.2.1 Project Requirements
We must access various resources for the project to succeed (Dubois & Silvius, 2020, p. 218-238). These resources include computer hardware, trucks for transportation, bubble wrap and plastic bags to wrap furniture, and a moving company to cater to our moving services by transportation, unloading, and offloading as we set out to the new office.
2.2.2 Project Scope
A project scope entails what the project will attain from what it will not. The scope is an essential document because it will be the foundation of the project plan. We will outline a clear project scope to prevent unnecessary tasks from arising that may impact the project schedule and project budget. Our project scope entails expanding the working space, relocating to the functional area, creating more employment opportunities in ABC Tech Company, enhancing customer relations, and enhancing our IT infrastructure.
2.2.3 Work Breakdown Structure
A work breakdown structure is a tool that helps complete large tasks by dividing them into smaller ones. For instance, our project will use a work breakdown structure to reduce the more significant task of moving by dividing it into packaging, wrapping, loading, and offloading. We will use work breakdown formats like WBS spreadsheets, flowcharts, and Gantt Charts.
2.2.4 Project Schedule
A project schedule detonates the activities and phases involved, how much each step will take, and the overall time the project is expected to take. Our project schedule considering all stages, will take three months to complete
2.2.5 Project Budget
The project budget determines the project’s cost from the initiation to the management and control stage. Our project will undergo financial costs on AGS Moving Company, labor costs, and maintenance of the new office
2.3 Management and Control Stage
Project management and control entail consistently reviewing the project stage while assessing possible setbacks and implementing relevant changes. During this stage, we will ascertain that the project keeps scheduling, does not exceed budget, and manages risks. We will also conduct a qualitative analysis to ensure that the project meets client standards and stakeholders’ expectations (WOLNIAK, 2022, p. 160.) As the project manager, I will practice risk management through various strategies. A strategy is utilizing a contingency reserve, which entails secluding finances for unpredictable costs. Another approach is using a manager reserve by secluding finances for predicted costs.
2.4 Execution stage
The execution stage entails bringing the project charter’s contents to practice to deliver products to clients. I will consistently track the project’s process to ascertain that outcomes adhere to the charter. In the execution stage, I will emphasize carrying out the management of people, processes, and communication lines to aid in the achievement of set goals. As the project manager, I will be open to new ideas from my team as I encourage them to brainstorm new ideas. Our project execution stage will entail transporting our furniture and office equipment from the office in Shoreditch to our new office. I will also see installing a new network system through ethernet and implementing a new ABC Tech software system to accommodate more employees.
2.5 Closing Stage
During the closure stage, the project team reviews and compares the results as stated in the project charter. As the project manager, I will assess how well our hardware and software networking system has been installed in our new office and confirm the expandability and maneuverability of our new software system to accommodate new employees. I will then release the paper to be signed by stakeholders for project approval. I will then conduct a mild closing ceremony to celebrate the project’s success.
3.0 Conclusion
Project management is an essential tool that every business needs to implement to embrace changes, improve customer service and maximize revenue realization. Adhering to guidelines and principles of project management by PMBOK is essential for project success. A project manager should select the right stakeholders and project team members, be open to ideas and encourage team coordination. A well-defined project scope with clear objectives and scope is an essential guidance tool that project managers should adhere to when coordinating a project. Effective risk management practices can draw the line between a project’s success and failure.
4.0 Recommendations
I recommend that ABC Tech Company integrates network security systems like user login monitoring and encryption to prevent data breaches that will put employees’ and clients’ personal data at stake if they fall into the wrong hands. I recommend that the company develop backup and secondary data storage systems to restore information in case of data loss from system failure or hacking.
5.0 References
Dubois, O. and Silvius, G., 2020. The relation between sustainable project management and project success. International Journal of Management and Sustainability, 9(4), pp.218-238.
Gasemagha, A.A. and Kowang, T.O., 2021. Project manager role in project management success. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(13), pp.1345-1355.
Ghansah, F.A., Owusu-Manu, D.G. and Ayarkwa, J., 2021. Project management processes in adopting innovative building technologies: a systematic review of constraints. Innovative and Sustainable Built Environment, 10(2), pp.208-226.
McGrath, S. and Whitty, J., 2020. Practitioner views on project management methodology (PMM) effectiveness. Journal of Modern Project Management, 8(1), pp.188-215.
Silvius, G., 2019. Making Sense of Sustainable Project Management. Annals of Social Sciences & Management Studies, 2(4), pp.106-109.
WOLNIAK, R., 2022. PROJECT MANAGEMENT STANDARDS. Scientific Papers of the Silesian University of Technology. Organization & Management/Zeszyty Naukowe Politechniki Slaskiej. Seria Organizacji i Zarzadzanie, p. 160.
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