Project Management Essay For Office Relocation.

Business Objectives for Office Relocation

You are employed as an Office Manager in a company based in the centre of London. The company provides consultancy services to businesses around the world, particularly in the area of management development. All of the consultants work remotely from home and the office function, with a team of 10 people, is purely administrative.

The Managing Director has announced that the offices will be relocated to the area around Banbury, Oxfordshire in order to reduce costs. She has asked you to lead a small team from the office and involve consultants to plan and execute this move. She wishes to retain the same size administrative team. In her announcement, she also confirmed the current business objectives and the specific objectives associated with the move. These include:

1.Continuing to grow business income by 10% annually

2.Enhancing profitability partially by reducing the physical costs associated with accommodation

3.Retaining the business earning capacity

4.Improving the quality of support the office provides to the consultants and clients

5.Improving the IT systems for the business

6.Minimising the human resource costs associated with the move particularly associated with redundancy, recruitment and training.

Activity 1

The Managing Director wishes to understand the full implications of the office move. She has asked you to prepare an initial report which considers the various projects needed to deliver the move to new premises.

a.Appraise the business objectives listed above and identify the projects which will be needed to successfully carry out the relocation. 

b.Considering your list of projects, develop the necessary project sub divisions and produce high level estimates of the resources needed to complete one of these projects including time and costs.

Activity 2

The MD has read your report and agreed with the work completed to date. She now wishes to get an insight into the way in which you believe the projects should be planned and delivered. She has also made it clear that all members of the team need to have the same shared understanding. She has asked you to use your selected project and produce a handbook on The Project Management Approach, for use by all members of the team.

The first section of this Handbook must:

a.describe and evaluate a suitable methodology for your chosen project

b.assess the feasibility of this project

c.include a structure for the management and administration of the project

d.define the roles and responsibilities of staff who will manage this project, producing a job description and person specification for a Project Manager.

Activity 3

In the second section of the Handbook you must prepare and describe a detailed project plan

Activity 4

In this section you must: 

a.describe and assess alternative project team structures 

b.design processes for quality management of the project 

c.design procedures for how project change proposals will be managed

Activity 5

This section of the Handbook covers monitoring and control of projects.

a.Produce two tables which identify

i.the issues and risks that may impede a project o the issues and risks likely to be encountered in the final stages of a project

Activity 6

The final section of the Handbook is an assessment of the tasks needed to be completed in the final stages of a project.
 

List of Projects

The following projects shall be implemented for achieving the business objectives.

• Data Conversion & Migration Project
• Automated Support & Maintenance  System
• Quality Management Project
• Automated Recruitment & Training System
• Automated Cost Management System

Project Sub-divisions & High-level Estimates

Automated recruitment and training system has been selected to develop the high level estimates, sub-divisions, resources, time, and costs.

Task Name	Duration	Start	Finish	Predecessors	Resource Names	Cost
Automated Recruitment & Training System	119 days	Mon 30-04-18	Thu 11-10-18			$194, 920.00
System Initiation	28 days	Mon 30-04-18	Wed 06-06-18			$14, 296.00
Analysis of Business Case	2 days	Mon 30-04-18	Tue 01-05-18		Business Analyst	$1, 280.00
Start-up Meeting	3 days	Wed 02-05-18	Wed 06-06-18	3	Business Analyst,  Data Analyst , Database Engineer,  Project Manager,  System Designer , System Developer,  Technical Expert , Technical Writer , Testing Associate	$5, 416.00
Feasibility Study & Results Analysis	2 days	Wed 02-05-18	Thu 03-05-18	3	Business Analyst, Project Manager, Technical Expert	$4, 000.00
Project Briefing	3 days	Fri 04-05-18	Tue 08-05-18	5	Project Manager	$2, 160.00
Submission & Authority to begin Project	2 days	Wed 09-05-18	Thu 10-05-18	6	Project Manager	$1, 440.00
Milestone 1: Project Brief	0 days	Thu 10-05-18	Thu 10-05-18	7		$0.00
System Planning Phase	23 days	Fri 11-05-18	Tue 12-06-18			$31, 320.00
Fact Finding Techniques	7 days	Thu 17-05-18	Fri 25-05-18	7	Data Analyst	$4, 200.00
Requirements Finalization & Scope Statement	4 days	Fri 11-05-18	Wed 16-05-18	7	Business Analyst, Data Analyst , Project Manager, Technical Expert	$10, 400.00
Estimation - Project Schedule & Costs	8 days	Tue 22-05-18	Tue 12-06-18	11	Project Manager, Business Analyst	$5, 440.00
Risk Management Plan	3 days	Thu 17-05-18	Mon 21-05-18	11	Business Analyst, Database Engineer, Project Manager, Technical Expert	$7, 680.00
Communication Management Plan	3 days	Tue 22-05-18	Thu 24-05-18	13	Project Manager	$2, 160.00
Allocation of resources	2 days	Fri 25-05-18	Mon 28-05-18	14	Project Manager	$1, 440.00
Milestone 2: Project Plan	0 days	Mon 28-05-18	Mon 28-05-18	15		$0.00
Project Execution	53 days	Tue 29-05-18	Thu 09-08-18			$67, 968.00
Determination of training and recruitments needs	6 days	Tue 29-05-18	Tue 05-06-18	15	Project Manager	$4, 320.00
Design and development of the system	28 days	Wed 06-06-18	Fri 13-07-18	18	System Designer , System Developer	$31, 808.00
Connectivity with the database	6 days	Mon 16-07-18	Mon 23-07-18	19	System Developer, Database Engineer	$6, 816.00
Network integration	10 days	Tue 24-07-18	Thu 09-08-18	20	System Developer, Technical Expert	$6, 080.00
Data migration	8 days	Tue 24-07-18	Thu 02-08-18	20	Data Analyst , Database Engineer, Technical Expert	$14, 400.00
Unit testing	4 days	Fri 03-08-18	Wed 08-08-18	22	System Developer, Testing Associate	$4, 544.00
Milestone 3: Application Screens & Code	0 days	Wed 08-08-18	Wed 08-08-18	23		$0.00
Implementation,  Testing & Control	28 days	Thu 09-08-18	Mon 17-09-18			$40, 704.00
System,  Performance,  and Security Testing	10 days	Thu 09-08-18	Wed 22-08-18	23	Testing Associate	$5, 600.00
Reporting of Bugs	4 days	Thu 23-08-18	Tue 28-08-18	26	Testing Associate	$2, 240.00
System reviews & inspections	5 days	Tue 11-09-18	Mon 17-09-18	27	Project Manager, Business Analyst	$6, 800.00
Implementation and change management	9 days	Wed 29-08-18	Mon 10-09-18	27	Database Engineer, System Designer , System Developer, Technical Expert , Testing Associate	$26, 064.00
Milestone 4: Implementation & Test Plan	0 days	Mon 10-09-18	Mon 10-09-18	29		$0.00
Project Closure	23 days	Tue 11-09-18	Thu 11-10-18			$40, 632.00
Integration with other applications and systems	8 days	Tue 11-09-18	Thu 20-09-18	30	System Developer, Technical Expert	$9, 728.00
User acceptance and feedback	5 days	Fri 21-09-18	Thu 27-09-18	32	Data Analyst	$3, 000.00
Approvals and Sign offs	4 days	Mon 08-10-18	Thu 11-10-18	33	Project Manager	$2, 880.00
System reflection	8 days	Fri 28-09-18	Thu 11-10-18	33	Business Analyst, Data Analyst , Database Engineer, Project Manager, System Designer , System Developer, Technical Expert , Technical Writer , Testing Associate	$21, 664.00
System documentation	6 days	Fri 28-09-18	Fri 05-10-18	33	Technical Writer	$3, 360.00
Milestone 5: Closure Report	0 days	Fri 05-10-18	Fri 05-10-18	36		$0.00

Project Methodology

The methodology that has been recommended for the project is Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK). This methodology has been recommended because a phased approach will be necessary for the management and implementation of the project activities. The management and conduction of the project will be carried out in a series of five phases. These phases or process groups will provide the Project Manager with the set of guidelines for efficient handling and management of all the tasks (Jamali and Oveisi, 2016).

The first task will be the initiation stage in which the business case will be analysed and the feasibility study will be carried out. A start-up meeting will be conducted and the results of the feasibility study will be analysed and chartering of the project will be done. The second process group will be the planning stage. It will cover the fact finding and analysis of the project requirements. There will be planning and estimations done in the areas of schedule, cost, risks, communication, and resources. The third stage will be the project execution stage in which the training needs and recruitment requirements will be estimated. The design and development of the system will be done along with database connectivity and network integration. Migration of the data sets and unit testing activities will also be carried out. The fourth stage will include implementation, testing, and control tasks followed by the closure activities in the final project phase (Rose, 2013). 

Feasibility Study 

Technical Aspect

The technical tools and equipment that will be used in the project will be compatible with the rest of the tools that are being used in the project. The system designed will also be compatible with the existing applications.

Operational Aspect

The resources that have been assigned with the project tasks and activities have been allocated with the duties on the basis of their skill sets and abilities. The operational excellence of the resources has been validated and the project is therefore feasible from the operational aspect (Shen et al., 2010).

Economic Feasibility

The estimated cost for the project is $194,920. The organization will be able to bear the costs. Also, the estimated cost includes the probability of risks, changes, and re-works (Dikareva and Voytolovskiy, 2016).

Projects Needed for Successful Office Relocation

Structure for Management/Administration 

Roles & Responsibilities

Resource Name	Role and Responsibilities
Project Manager	Feasibility analysis, project briefing, Requirements Finalization & Scope Statement, Estimation - Project Schedule & Costs, Risk Management Plan, Communication Management Plan, Allocation of resources, Determination of training and recruitments needs, System reviews and inspections, approvals and sign-offs, system reflection
Business Analyst	Analysis of Business Case, Feasibility Study & Results Analysis, Requirements Finalization & Scope Statement, Risk Management Plan, System reviews and inspections, approvals and sign-offs, system reflection
Technical Expert	Feasibility analysis, Requirements Finalization & Scope Statement, Network Integration, Data Migration, Implementation and change management, Integration with other applications and systems
Database Engineer	Risk Management Plan, Connectivity with the database, data migration, Implementation and change management, System Reflection
Data Analyst	Fact Finding Techniques, Requirements Finalization & Scope Statement, Data Migration, User acceptance and feedback, System Reflection
Technical Writer	System Documentation
System Developer	Design and development of the system, Connectivity with the database, Network integration, Unit Testing, Implementation and change management, Integration with other applications and systems
System Designer	Design and development of the system, Implementation and change management
Testing Associate	Unit testing, System, Performance, and Security Testing Reporting of Bugs

Job Description & Person Specification for Project Manager

The Project Manager will be required to carry out the activities as Feasibility analysis, project briefing, Requirements Finalization & Scope Statement, Estimation - Project Schedule & Costs, Risk Management Plan, Communication Management Plan, Allocation of resources, Determination of training and recruitments needs, System reviews and inspections, approvals and sign-offs, and system reflection.

The decision-making, problem-solving, and conflict resolution activities will also be carried out by the Project Manager (El-Sabaa, 2001).

The inter-personal skills that will be necessary for the Project Manager have been listed below.

• Communication & Negotiation Skills
• Decision-making & Problem-Solving Skills
• Conflicts & Dispute Resolution Skills
• Analytics Skills
• Creative Thinking Skills
• Critical Thinking Skills

Project Plan 

Project Approach 

The methodology that has been recommended for the project is Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK). This methodology has been recommended because a phased approach will be necessary for the management and implementation of the project activities. 

The project phases will include initiation, planning, execution, implementation & control, and closure.

Project Resources

The project resources will include Project Manager, Business Analyst, Technical Expert, Database Engineer, Data Analyst, Technical Writer, System Developer, System Designer, and Testing Associate.

Project Scope

The project resources will carry out the activities as feasibility study, project planning and estimation, design and development tasks, network integration, database connectivity, data migration, unit testing, system testing, system implementation, and closure activities (Fageha and Aibinu, 2013).

Project Schedule & Budget

The project will start on 30^th April 2018 and will end on 11^th October 2018 and will continue for 119 days (Lombard, 2008).

The total costs of the project will be $194, 920 (Kujala, Brady and Putila, 2014).

Project Milestones & Deliverables

Milestone Name	Start	Finish
Milestone 1: Project Brief	Thu 10-05-18	Thu 10-05-18
Milestone 2: Project Plan	Mon 28-05-18	Mon 28-05-18
Milestone 3: Application Screens & Code	Wed 08-08-18	Wed 08-08-18
Milestone 4: Implementation & Test Plan	Mon 10-09-18	Mon 10-09-18
Milestone 5: Closure Report	Fri 05-10-18	Fri 05-10-18

The list of the deliverables that will be provided by the project team members will be project brief, project plan, application code and screens, implementation plan, test plan, and closure report.

Stakeholder Management & Communications

The project will include external stakeholders as Project Sponsor, Supplier Groups, and End-System Users. The internal stakeholders will include Project Manager and other resources in the project team (Walley, 2013).

The external stakeholders will be provided with the project information on a weekly basis through weekly status report. There will be an internal team meeting that will be conducted among the internal resources on a daily basis.

Alternate Project Team Structure

The alternate project team structure may include the functional units with resources assigned to each of these units.

The functional units will include management unit, design unit, analytics unit, development unit, testing unit, and documentation unit. The resources will be assigned to each of these units as per their skills and abilities (Ibrahim, Costello and Wilkinson, 2014).   

High-level Estimates for Resource Planning

Project Quality Management 

The project quality management will be carried out in three phases.

Quality Planning

This is the phase in which the quality requirements will be assessed for the project and the applicable best practices and standards will be listed.

A quality management plan will be prepared and the roles will defined for the management of the project quality (Laszlo, 2009).

Quality Assurance & Control

The validation and verification processes will be carried out in this phase for the assurance and control of the project activities.

These will include the conduction of testing activities, reporting of defects, along with the reviews and inspections by the senior management and resources.

Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement planning and implementation will be done so that the project quality and performance is always improved as per the latest changes and updates. 

Management of Project Changes 

The project changes will be managed in set of three phases that have been listed below.

• Change Planning: A change management plan along with the template for change requests will be prepared in this phase. The change requests that will be approved by the project sponsor will be accepted and implemented by the resources of the project team.
• Change Execution: The changes as mentioned in the approved change requirements will be executed and a simultaneous testing and review activity will be carried out (Padar, Pataki and Sebestyen, 2017).
• Change Reinforcement: The changes will be reinforced in this phase by the senior management and administration.

Issues & Risks

Project Risk	Description	Probability (Highest is 5 & lowest is 1)	Impact (Highest is 5 & lowest is 1)	Treatment Strategy
Technical Risks	There may be technical failures or issues in the tools and equipment used in the project	3	3	Risk Transfer
Schedule/Budget Overrun	The estimated schedule or budget may not be followed by the project team (Sanchez et al., 2009)	2	5	Risk Avoidance
Security Issues	There may be attacks on the information and data security associated with the system	4	4	Risk Avoidance & Mitigation
Resource Risks	The resources may show a drop in their productivity and efficiency levels	2	5	Risk Avoidance
Compatibility Risks	The new system may not be compatible with the existing applications once they are updated	2	4	Risk Avoidance
Requirements Inflation	The frequent changes in the project scope may lead to the issue	3	4	Risk Avoidance

Final Stage: Issues & Risks 

Project Risk	Description	Probability (Highest is 5 & lowest is 1)	Impact (Highest is 5 & lowest is 1)	Treatment Strategy
Quality Risks	The project resources may not adhere to the quality standards and practices	1	5	Risk Avoidance
Ethical Issues	The project resources may not adhere to the ethical standards and practices	2	5	Risk Avoidance
Legal Issues	The project resources may not adhere to the legal standards and practices	1	5	Risk Avoidance

Tasks to be completed in Final Stages 

There shall be five major tasks that shall be completed in the final stages of the project.

• Integration with other applications and systems: The system that is developed shall be integrated with the existing systems tools being used in the organization.
• User acceptance and feedback: User acceptance testing and feedback processes shall be carried out for identifying and implementing the areas of improvement.
• Approvals and Sign offs: Sign-offs shall be obtained on the project deliverables.
• System reflection: The resources shall reflect upon the project activities and learnings.
• System documentation: The system documentation as user manual, assistance guide and a list of frequent asked questions shall be prepared 

References

Dikareva, V. and Voytolovskiy, N. (2016). The Efficiency and Financial Feasibility of the Underground Infrastructure Construction Assessment Methods. Procedia Engineering, 165, pp.1197-1202.

El-Sabaa, S. (2001). The skills and career path of an effective project manager. International Journal of Project Management, 19(1), pp.1-7.

Fageha, M. and Aibinu, A. (2013). Managing Project Scope Definition to Improve Stakeholders’ Participation and Enhance Project Outcome. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 74, pp.154-164.

Ibrahim, K., Costello, S. and Wilkinson, S. (2014). Establishment of Performance Scales for Team Integration Assessment. Australasian Journal of Construction Economics and Building - Conference Series, 2(2), p.36.

Jamali, G. and Oveisi, M. (2016). A Study on Project Management Based on PMBOK and PRINCE2. [online] Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.5539/mas.v10n6p142 [Accessed 27 Apr. 2018].

Kujala, J., Brady, T. and Putila, J. (2014). Challenges of Cost Management in Complex Projects. [online] Available at: https://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ijbm/article/viewFile/39454/22715 [Accessed 27 Apr. 2018].

Laszlo, G. (2009). Project management: a quality management approach. The TQM Magazine, 11(3), pp.157-160.

Lombard, P. (2008). Project scheduling and cost control: Planning, monitoring and controlling the baseline. Project Management Journal, 39(2), pp.115-115.

Padar, K., Pataki, B. and Sebestyen, Z. (2017). Bringing project and change management roles into sync. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 30(5), pp.797-822.

Rose, K. (2013). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)-Fifth Edition. Project Management Journal, 44(3), pp.e1-e1.

Sanchez, H., Robert, B., Bourgault, M. and Pellerin, R. (2009). Risk management applied to projects, programs, and portfolios. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2(1), pp.14-35.

Shen, L., Tam, V., Tam, L. and Ji, Y. (2010). Project feasibility study: the key to successful implementation of sustainable and socially responsible construction management practice. Journal of Cleaner Production, 18(3), pp.254-259.

Walley, P. (2013). Stakeholder management: the sociodynamic approach. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 6(3), pp.485-504