Introduction
The Gantt chart below depicts the tasks required to finish the project of developing the company’s management information system. The overall project duration is three months, and the timetable matches this goal.
Project management methodology report
Generally, the goal of selecting a methodology is to offer a project framework and its project team so that they can achieve project goals in accordance with the expectations of stakeholders and important clients. Manley’s presently has four locations operating around London, all of which strive to deliver DIY services to their consumers through their distinct value offers. Since Manley’s first started operating seven years ago, the firm has grown to four locations, with plans to establish more to fulfill market demand and the management team’s future development goals. As a result, their management launched a project to update the company’s website, develop a management information system, and develop a loyalty or reward program.
To incorporate the team’s collaborative attempts to enhance the present website and integrate new features, the chosen technique for replacing Manley’s existing website would need an agile project management methodology. According to Dima and Maassen (2018), the agile approach promotes adaptability, cooperation above top-down management, and speedy delivery while sticking to a defined objective. Agile techniques provide a constant response, allowing team members to tackle difficulties as they emerge. The many support groups are encouraged to make recommendations and proposals for the website’s ongoing growth.
The next project to develop a Management Information System would require the use of a waterfall technique, in which each phase must be finished before moving on to the next. According to Meredith and Zwikael (2020), when the project gets limited by time or cost and the objectives and scope are known clearly, the Waterfall technique is used. In such situations, the Waterfall technique offers a set of activities based on the prior phase’s approval. Each person has defined duties and focuses more on the project’s desired deliverables. Finally, developing a loyalty program would necessitate using an agile project management technique to consider the team’s joint efforts in designing a reward and loyalty system for consumers who use the company’s products and services. This would encourage various support groups to make recommendations and proposals for the incentive program, as well as attract new vendors.
Given the short timeframe of three months, it is advised that the company focus on developing the Management Information System first since it provides greater benefits to the organization in terms of operational improvements and customer service once the system is in place. Additionally, the resources of the company, such as stocks, subcontractors, staff, marketing, and sensitive data, will be better managed. The next task would be to redesign the website in order to extend Manley’s market. It is crucial to make sure that the online system for ordering is easy to use and understand, especially for individuals who are not technologically aware. The last item to focus on is the loyalty program, a reward scheme for returning consumers who use the company’s services.
Project Details
Considering the above order of priorities in section one, the selected project to be carried out will be the development of a management information system. The Gantt chart below depicts each group member’s various duties and responsibilities.
Gantt chart
Roles and responsibilities
Stakeholder meeting
Through different departments and the project development team coming together to discuss different needs and ideas on the project before commencement, different information can be collected to ensure requirements are listed appropriately. The stakeholder meeting will allow the project team to properly introduce each other and clarify what to expect throughout the project. It will also cover how active each stakeholder will become and how frequent communication they may expect as a result of their involvement. Through the process, the company will be able to gather the necessary information required for the development of the Management Information System.
Posting and selection of applicants needed
The human resource department will be responsible for listing down the personnel needed for the project and stating the requirements to qualify. The human resource can then post the vacancies so that qualified and interested persons can send applications for an interview (Meredith and Zwikael, 2020). Once the interview is over, the human resource will weigh the qualities of the applicants and narrow down the list to those who are best and most qualified to participate in the project development process. Based on the positions announced, the human resource will vet applications and announce the final project team after two days.
Training and deployment of Applicants
The human resource will then train the qualified candidates based on the culture of the company and provide them with the list of requirements during the project development process. Additionally, necessary resources will also be provided during this period. Training will take place in two weeks, after which the development team will be allowed to start working on the project.
System Analysis
The project manager and the development team will conduct a system analysis. During this process, the project development team will identify the necessary components required within the management information system. According to Dima and Maassen (2018), system analysis is done to examine a system and its components. It enhances perfect system development and assurances that all of the system’s components will function efficiently to accomplish their goals.
Problem and Risk Identification
The project manager will present the system analysis report to the stakeholders, and all of them will discuss the risks associated with the project. With problem and risk identification carried out correctly, all possible threats that might later arise during the project development process would have minimization plans. The project manager, in this case, can state all possible risks and problems and will discuss the possible solutions to be put in place. The executive assistant and the company owners can also discuss whether each of the listed plans to mitigate the risks is necessary.
Definition of the scope
Scope definition will be conducted by the store owner, project manager, and human resources. They will discuss the specific goal, timeline, and other necessary project details to be added within the specified deadline.
Budget proposal
The project manager will prepare the budget based on the project requirements and share it with the accountant manager. They will then discuss the necessary elements within the budget and determine whether the initial budget allocation will be enough to complete the whole project.
Software design
The project development team will conduct this under the supervision of the project manager. This stage consists of three stages: software and interface design, system specification development, and system module development.
System Performance Testing
Performance testing will be conducted by a test engineer on various modules developed. Testing will be conducted on the end computers at the workstations. The test engineer, upon completion, will then produce a performance test report.
Debug Issues
If performance problems are identified within the system, then the project development team will work together to debug the issues discovered. When no other issues are discovered in the system, then the process continues.
Documentation
The overall process of the project gets documented by the project manager. All the activities covered and any other involvement with the project is recorded for future reference and use. During Documentation, the project manager records all the project procedures from the start until the end. Providing all the required information about the project as a whole ensures that the project can be traced, and goals that were set can be compared to the achieved goals among other components such as budget and the people responsible.
Sign-off
This step involves the owner, store manager, human resources, project manager, and development team. This step involves confirmation of whether the system has been developed as indicated in the project scope. After project sign-off, this shows that the project is completed perfectly without any bug issues, and the company has confirmed that the system design meets its objectives.
Organizational structure
The organizational structure governs how actions such as delegating responsibilities, planning, and overseeing are directed toward accomplishing the goals of an organization. Organizational structure drives organizational behavior and serves as the foundation for standardized operating practices and procedures.
The organizational structure is depicted in figure 3 above, and it is hierarchical, with the chain of command beginning with the owner and his son. Beneath them are the many support groups that are crucial to the store’s daily operations. Because of the current project in the company, the project manager reports to the owner, ensuring that all tasks are submitted and any concerns are escalated for rapid resolution. At the same level as the project manager, there is an executive assistant who also has direct contact with the company owner about meeting schedules, job prioritization, customer coordination, staff, and external partners.
The management team and its staff are listed below the project manager and the executive assistant. The first includes the four store managers who assist the four assistant managers in supervising the store’s operations and engaging directly with consumers. The administrator is in charge of office assistance, such as responding to phone calls and handling other client inquiries (Meredith and Zwikael, 2020). Apart from the operations team, which has direct contact with consumers, there are additional support categories, including the following:
Store Managers
A Store Manager oversees a store’s daily operations and ensures they operate smoothly and effectively. Their responsibilities include motivating sales managers, developing marketing strategies, providing advertising material, and training new staff.
Accountant Manager
Accounting’s primary tasks are to maintain an accurate financial record, keep an expense log, and compile information for reports that are frequently required by law. The accountant is also in charge of all financial matters, such as tracking all costs, revenue, and other corporate operational expenses while maintaining profitability. The accountant is also in charge of financial forecasting and tax payment processing.
Human Resource (HR) Manager Responsibilities
A human resource manager’s major responsibilities are to supervise departmental operations and manage employees. The HR officer is in charge of numerous employee-related duties such as recruitment of new or replacement staff, skill development training, and performance monitoring to ensure that goal performance measurements are fulfilled.
Administrator Responsibilities
The primary responsibility of an administrator is to ensure that each department within the company performs properly. They serve as a link between the executive and the workforce. They motivate employees and help them achieve the organization’s objectives.
Procurement Manager Duties
Purchasing supplies and items for use and resale necessitates thought, and as a result, the Procurement Director performs an important position inside an organization. The procurement manager’s primary responsibility is to organize and engage with purchasers and buying departments in various organizations (Martinsuo and Ahola, 2022). In Manley’s, the procurement manager will be responsible for supervising all of the company’s purchasing needs to strike the best deal with the suppliers, resulting in the lowest cost from the most outstanding potential quality.
Executive Management Duties
An executive is responsible for planning, directing, and forming organizational operations for their organization or corporation, and is often in charge of developing strategies and policies to attain corporate goals. Executives occasionally travel to meetings and conferences and local, national, regional, or overseas offices (Meredith and Zwikael, 2020). Additionally, the account executives deal with consumers and manage their needs so that their complaints are addressed and resolved effectively.
Designers
Designers are responsible for developing the shop design based on the owner’s updated requirements while keeping current market trends in mind.
IT manager
The IT manager is a new post that has been developed in order to have a key individual handle the support and administration of the new Management Information System that is to be introduced to the organization.
All of these important individuals will work directly with the project manager since he or she focuses on the many projects set by the owner, which include website upgrades, management information system development, and a loyalty program for returning clients.
Project Monitoring
Purpose of Critical Path Analysis (CTA) or Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
Project management is divided into five stages: Project initiation, Project planning, Project Execution, Monitoring, and Closure. The initiation phase is whereby the scope of the project gets defined, and the foundation of the project gets laid. An outdated website, a lack of a management information system, and a consumer loyalty program are among the issues noted. The objective is to do these tasks while maintaining proper team and stakeholder cooperation. During this period, the project manager takes command and details the project’s objectives and structure, including expected costs and timetable (Meredith and Zwikael, 2020).
In complicated projects like this, several activities must be handled and monitored to ensure that the goal completion timeframe of three months is fulfilled. The CPA is extremely useful in identifying which activities must be accomplished on time to avoid delays during the project life cycle.
A critical path analysis reveals the order of interdependent and critical stages that form a project schedule from start to finish. Non-critical actions are also highlighted. In project management, a critical path is the sequencing of project network operations that summarizes to the longest overall length, independent of whether that longest period includes float. This allows for the job to be completed in the least amount of time feasible. The critical route method enables teams to identify crucial tasks in a project (Meredith and Zwikael, 2020). This offers them a better understanding of their project’s timetable and the relationship between tasks, providing them with a better view of which task completion may vary and the ones that must remain constant.
Purpose of CPA diagram
Prioritizing Important Tasks
Understanding the important route of the project will help Manley’s to prioritize which activities need more attention. The critical path activities have a direct influence on the company’s capability to execute the project on schedule. When planning the management information system project development, any delays within the project activities would push back the project’s completion deadline.
Setting Deadlines
Manley’s can also apply deadlines to each work using the critical route. Employees within the organization must finish any activities on the critical path before the deadline in order to keep the project on track (Takagi and Varajão, 2020). The timescales necessary are determined by tasks all along the critical route. Tasks must be managed in order for the whole project to be finished on time.
Create a CPA or PERT diagram
The critical path analysis is shown in figure x below. The project’s critical path is highlighted. This indicates that any delays in the activities will lead to an extended schedule.
The general quality management process
During the planning stage, all team member’s tasks are assigned, and all events are scheduled on the calendar. Based on the project’s requirements, resources get identified and assigned. Communication difficulties, as well as the procurement of resources necessary to fulfill the job, may occur. The project manager examines if the resources required are within budget and whether there are hazards that require backup measures (Takagi and Varajão, 2020). Regular upgrades are also performed to verify whether everything is working in order.
The most time-consuming step may be completing all the deliverables and creating a quality management methodology. The project will become a success if the outcome meets the expectations of the stakeholders (Takagi and Varajão, 2020). Everyone needs to be able to keep track of the timeframe and be capable of meeting the agreed-upon deadline. There are times when scope-related concerns arise, and they must be communicated to key stakeholders to make them aware of the change. It is the project manager’s responsibility to ensure that team members and support groups follow the agreement and to provide consistent evaluations if adjustments are required (Meredith and Zwikael, 2020). Expected risks, as well as prospective quality concerns, must be avoided and rectified as soon as possible.
Change control procedure
In Manley’s management information system development, the project manager should oversee project enhancements and changes. Every plan, including a quality plan, should have a realistic aim or purpose. The aim of quality control operations should be clearly conveyed to all project stakeholders. The project manager must identify enhancements that will improve project quality and efficiency (Ng, 2019). The project change management team is in charge of controlling the project change process, as project alterations between developments will ruin previously accomplished work.
Controlling the project for change entails managing any conceivable changes that may occur. Risks, quality, and cost are some of the issues that may arise during this period. High, medium, and low risks are all possible in case a change occurs. The project manager must determine which risks to prioritize so that they do not have a substantial influence on the project (Ng, 2019). Revised budgets must be approved, especially if they exceed the budgeted amount. All updates and alterations must be justified by the project manager.
Method to measure project performance
The last stage of a project is project closure. During this phase, the project’s performance should be consistently monitored using the established indicators listed below:
- The website must be updated on a regular basis to reflect the company’s new shop openings.
- The online booking platform should represent the designers’ current schedules and availability. As a result, the IT staff should constantly examine the timeliness and accuracy of the information displayed on the website.
- As a result, the IT staff should constantly examine the timeliness and accuracy of the information displayed on the website. Because of the vital benefits it provides, the management information system functions as the organization’s mainframe (Meredith and Zwikael, 2020). The performance indicator should ensure complete monitoring of designs, financials, and other business-related statistics.
- There should be updated prizes for repeat customers in the loyalty program. This is accomplished by constant monitoring and keeping track of client information and online orders.
- All paperwork and reports generated during the project closing phase must be completed within this period. The project manager completes all requirements and obtains client approval to guarantee that the criteria, which include scope, budget, and timeframe, are achieved (Ng, 2019). The management also expresses gratitude to the staff for a well-done job, and the project’s success is acknowledged.
Reference List
Dima, A.M. and Maassen, M.A., (2018). ‘From waterfall to agile software: Development models in the IT sector, 2006 to 2018. Impacts on company management.’ Journal of International Studies, 11(2), pp.315-326. Web.
Martinsuo, M. and Ahola, T., (2022). ‘Multi-project management in inter-organizational contexts.’ International Journal of Project Management, 40(7), pp.813-826. Web.
Meredith, J.R. and Zwikael, O., (2020). ‘Achieving strategic benefits from project investments: Appoint a project owner.’ Business Horizons, 63(1), pp.61-71. Web.
Ng, JJ, (2019). ‘Understanding project management directions from project management trends.’ IEEE Engineering Management Review, 47(2), pp.128-132. Web.
Takagi, N. and Varajão, J., (2020). ‘Success management and the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK): an integrated perspective.’ Ais Electronic Library. Web.