Unit 3 of Project Management and Entrepreneurship
Unit 3 of Project Management and Entrepreneurship
KHU-702
UNIT-3 PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project Management, in a simple term, it means managing a project from end to end.
The person who supervises the whole project is called the Project Manager. He
supervises the resources that are available in order to finish a project. The Project
Managers uses different techniques, methodologies, skills. He has the required
knowledge which will help the Project achieve the objective as per the criterion which
has been agreed upon by all the parties.
Feasibility study is carried out (in order to know whether the objective of the
project is achievable and thus can be launched)
The project manager should mention the different requirement, the business
case that was presented and the need of this Project in the business.
Every aspect of the project is taken into consideration for the smooth running
of the Project and the required solution is also provided in the project
planning phase.
The project schedule is updated as and when the planned task is finished as
well as the project planning is modified as per the requirement of the situation
during the execution.
( d) Project Monitoring
The third and the fourth phase of the project management go hand in hand in the
process of project management.
During this phase the Project is monitored proactively: In order to know
whether the project is going as per the planning, it will also help to know
whether the Project is not going over budget and whether the quality of the
Project executed till now is up to the mark.
This phase brings about the completion of the project, and the objective of
the project is achieved.
The team members are acknowledged for their efforts they have put in for
the Project.
The learning while completing the Project is shared with everyone for
future reference.
The final documents, any reports or any other relevant documents are
handed over to the team who would be operating the Project regularly.
(c) Leadership
Leader guides the team and help them to bring out their greatest work.
Project Manager ensures that the right person does the right task at the right
time.
He ensures that the process goes according to the plan throughout the project.
A project manager keeps in mind the known issues and make such a plan that
eliminates most of the issues.
Proper planning makes the workflow transparent as everyone is aware of who
is doing what by when.
Proper process helps in boosting the process. It ensures such a plan is
made that is aligned with the overall strategy.
Project Management is important because without an orderly and easily
understandable process, the organization risks project failure.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A PROJECT MANAGER
Project managers are responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the
completion of specific projects for an organization while ensuring these projects are
on time, on budget, and within scope. Project managers help to reduce costs,
maximize company efficiencies and increase revenue. Project managers share
responsibilities across what’s commonly referred to as the project life cycle, which
consists of five phases (or processes).
1. Initiating
Project managers begin each new project by defining the main objectives of the
project, its purpose, and its scope.
They also identify key internal and external stakeholders, discuss shared
expectations, and gain the required authorization necessary to move a project
forward.
Important questions that project managers ask during the initiating phase are such as:
Has this project been executed before? If so, what was the result? What
information from that past project should be considered in this project?
2. Planning
The plan established during this process helps project managers examine:
Cost
Timelines
Risk
Quality issues
Communications
Outline key deliverables and milestones
3. Executing
5. Closing
Resources are freed who are no longer needed for the project. Review the work
of third-party vendors or partners in order to close their contracts and pay their
invoices.
Archive project files for future reference and use.
After the project has been completed, a post-implementation review is often used to
identify key lessons learned. Understanding what went well, what could be done
differently, and what to stop doing can help inform and improve project management
practices moving forward.
THE PROJECT LIFE CYCLE
The project manager and project team have one shared goal: to carry out the work of
the project for the purpose of meeting the project’s objectives. A standard project
typically has the following four major phases--initiation, planning, implementation,
and closure. These phases represent the path a project takes from the beginning to
its end and are generally referred to as the project life cycle.
The project’s tasks and resource requirements are identified, along with the strategy for
producing them.
The project manager coordinates the preparation of a project budget by
providing cost estimates for the labour, equipment, and materials costs (The
budget is used to monitor and control cost expenditures during project
implementation).
Once the project team has identified the work, prepared the schedule, and
estimated the costs, the three fundamental components of the planning
process are complete.
(c) Implementation Phase (Execution): During the third phase, the implementation
phase--
The project plan is put into motion and the work of the project is performed.
(d) Closing Phase: During the final closure, or completion phase, the emphasis is on--
The last remaining step is to examine what went well and what didn’t, which will help
future project teams.
Project Feasibility
Project feasibility is the study of a project's various elements to determine if it has the
potential for success. Before a project begins, a company can evaluate the project's
feasibility to identify obstacles, form strategies to overcome them and ultimately
attract investors. Managers consider their available resources and financial
requirements when determining a project's feasibility. The feasibility of a project
becomes clear when a business plans to launch a new product, expand its location or
perform activities that impact the company and its departments.
A feasibility study presents the pros and cons of a project so managers and
stakeholders are aware of the project's potential problems before its implementation.
The study may save the company money and time by first confirming that the project
is worthwhile and can likely reach a successful conclusion. Feasibility studies answer
questions about the availability of resources, the tools teams need to complete the
project and the project's return on investment (ROI). Feasibility studies also help
project managers and stakeholders.
Understand all aspects of the project feasibility
Technical Appraisal is the technical review to ascertain that the project is sound with
respect to various parameters such as technology, plant capacity, raw material
availability, location, manpower availability, etc. Usually, technical appraisal is carried
out by independent agencies carrying out technical studies or by the institution by
their in-house technical experts. It ensures that the project is technically feasible i.e.
all the inputs required to set up the project are available.
It is important for the unit to have flexibility to alter its product mix to survive
in changing market conditions.
Smooth flow of production can be achieved if the various stages are matched
well.
External consultants must be employed for proper selection of
machineries and equipment.
(g) Flexibility
It takes into account the costs such as raw materials, power and fuel, product
research and development, interest on borrowings, etc.
Characteristics of environment
Environment has a far reaching impact on organizations. The growth and profitability
of an organization depends critically on environment in which it exists. Any
environmental change has an impact on organization in several different ways.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING
Expectations: Demand which are made by interested group in the light of current
issue.
Approaches to Environmental Scanning
Technique of Environmental
Scanning
1. SWOT analysis
Based upon the results of the above analysis a SWOT matrix is prepared which
consists of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats present in the
organization's internal and external environment and its impact on the business is
studied. A firm must direct its strengths towards exploitation of opportunities and
blocking threats which minimizing the exposure of weaknesses at the same time.
SWOT Analysis is an important tool for auditing the overall strategic position of a
business and its environment. The basic objective of SWOT Analysis is to provide a
frame work to reflect a firm's ability to overcome barriers (threats) and avail
opportunities emerging in the environment.
Market Appraisal is the review carried out by financial institutions to ascertain that the
products manufactured by the project can be sold and its value realized.
Whether the unit has competent sales force and distribution network to sell the
products manufactured?
How the unit is going to capture its share of the feasible market?
Whether the unit can sell its products at the desired price points?
Is there a sizeable potential market for the products and whether the unit has
a suitable marketing strategy?
Is the unit in a position to deliver marketable products from the resources
deployed?
It ensures that the project has the competent sales force and distribution
network to sell the products manufactured.
It can sell the products at the price points such that it can service the interest
on loans taken. Even after servicing the loan, there is sufficient surplus for the
unit to carry out sustainable operations.
It ensures that there is a potential market which can be met by the production
capacity of the unit.
There is a well thought of sales and marketing strategy favourable for long
term operations.
Sales and Marketing
Two main aspects are demand analysis and market analysis. For example, a
company wants to launch a new brand of high quality furniture in the domestic
market. Important questions that should be asked to get a correct market and
demand analysis will be:
Q.1 Who are the buyers of the furniture?
Q.2 What is the total current demand for this new furniture?
Q.3 How is the demand distributed temporarily (pattern of sales over the year
geographically)?
Q.5 What price will the customers be willing to pay for the improved range of furniture?
Q.6 How can potential customers be convinced about the superiority of the new
furniture?
Q.8 What channels of distribution are most suited for the furniture? What trade
margins will induce distributors to carry it?
Q.9 What are the prospects of immediate sales?
MANAGERIAL APPRAISAL
(ii) Organizing - Organizing is the second key management function, after planning,
which coordinates human efforts, arranges resources and incorporates the two in
such a way which helps in the achievement of objectives. It involves deciding the
ways and means with which the plans can be implemented. It entails defining jobs
and working relationships, assigning different tasks associated with the plans,
arranging and allocating resources, design a structure which distinguishes duties,
responsibilities and authorities, scheduling activities, in order to maintain
smoothness and effectiveness in operations.
(iii) Leading -Leading involves the social and informal sources of influence that you
use to inspire action taken by others. If managers are effective leaders, their
subordinates will be enthusiastic about exerting effort to attain organizational
objectives. The behavioral sciences have made many contributions to
understanding this function of management. Personality research and studies of
job attitudes provide important information as to how managers can most
effectively lead subordinates. To become effective at leading, managers must
first understand their subordinates’ personalities, values, attitudes, and emotions.
Studies of motivation and motivation theory provide important information about
the ways in which workers can be energized to put forth productive effort. Studies
of communication provide direction as to how managers can effectively and
persuasively communicate. Studies of leadership and leadership style provide
information regarding questions, such as, “What makes a manager a good leader?”
and “In what situations are certain leadership styles most appropriate and
effective?”
(iv) Motivating - Motivation is the word derived from the word ’motive’ which means
needs, desires, wants or drives within the individuals. It is the process of
stimulating people to actions to accomplish the goals. In the work goal context,
the psychological factors stimulating the people’s behaviour can be--desire for
money, success, recognition, job-satisfaction, and team work etc. One of the most
important functions of management is to create willingness amongst the
employees to perform in the best of their abilities. Therefore, the role of a leader is
to arouse interest in performance of employees in their jobs. The process of
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motivation consists of three stages--
A felt need or drive
(v) Staffing - Staffing can be defined as one of the most important functions of
management. It involves the process of filling the vacant position of the right personnel at
the right job, at right time. Hence, everything will occur in the right manner. It is a truth that
human resource is one of the greatest for every organization because in any organization
all other resources like- money, material, machine etc. can be utilized effectively and
efficiently by the positive efforts of human resource. Therefore, it is very important that
each and every person should get right position in the organization so as to get the right job,
according to their ability, talent, aptitude, and specializations so that it will help the
organization to achieve the pre-set goals in the proper way by the 100% contribution of
manpower. Thus, it can be said that staffing is an essential function of every business
organization.
1. The program should measure the right things - The effective program must weigh
both performance in accomplishing managerial goals and performance as a
manager. It is also entirely possible that the evaluator might wish to measure a
manager's expertise in non-managerial skills and knowledge. But a manager who
does well two standards of goal performance and managerial performance can draw
upon expertise in non- managerial areas.
2. The program should be operational - The most effective appraisal program will not
be an exercise separate from the operations of the individual manager. It should be
operational in the sense that it evaluates what a manager does in his job and not, as
has been the case with traditional appraisal programs, what raters think of the man
and his work habits.
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