Write responses as if you are replying to the individual DISCUSSION 1 Triple Constraint and Lessons Learned The triple constraint in Project Management is known to be time, cost and scope. The ability to manage these three items very often leads to project success. Identify two success factors from Chapter 11; then compare them with two components of failure from the same chapter. Provide an example of a project you led or were a team member where one or more of these factors came into play. #1 Karen Aprandini The ultimate goal with any project’s success is that the customer is satisfied, whether they are an internal or external customer. There are primary and secondary success factors within any project. A primary success factor focuses on if the customer classifies the project as a success and primary success factors is defined for internal successes. Two primary success factors that customers may define are projects that are within the timeframe and within its budgeted costs. Having the ability to identify primary and secondary success factors could help with the development of a risk management plan as well as helping the project manager decide which risks are work taking (Kerzner, 2005). Although projects strive for an end result of success there are times where failure is planned. According to Kerzner (2005), when unmeetable expectations are formed, failure is virtually assured and this is called planning failure. This type of failure is the result of what was planned to be accomplished as opposed to what can possibly be achieved. There is another type of failure which results from poor performance. This failure is called actual failure and is perceived as the difference between what was achievable and what was actually accomplished (Kerzner, 2005). The last project I was a part of was a successful project. Our client expressed many times that they were extremely happy with how we developed and ran their project for them. As a consulting company, we focus a great deal on satisfying our clients and proving our abilities to run projects for them. #2 Milinda Williams With the overall goal of a project is getting it done for the intended customer, the text offers that “success has also meant getting the job done within the constraints of time, cost, and quality.” (Kerzner, 2005, pg. 156). Two of the success factors mentioned in the text are when the project is done within cost and when it is accepted by the customer. A project that is done within in cost is a success because all of the budget decisions and in-project decisions were made in order to ensure no extra funding was needed. Along with staying within cost, customer satisfaction is also an important goal. A satisfied customer could lead to repeat business, as well as, new business due to a reputation of doing good work. In contrast, a failure can be seen as “when the final results are not what were expected, even though the original expectations may or may not have been reasonable.” (Kerzner, 2005, pg. 157). Two of the components of failure are delays in problem-solving and conflicting priorities between executives, line managers, and project managers. A delay in problem-solving could lead to a number of other issues. Those issues could be in increase costs for labor, equipment, extended times for project completion, as well as, not being able to meet the timeline agreed upon with the customer, which means an unsatisfied customer and a potential negative reputation. Conflicting priorities between executives, line managers, and project managers could lead to a number of issues within the project, to include a project being cancelled. Although the key is to get the customer what they asked for, each of the different entities involved in the project will have their own goals that they feel may be more important. Executives may be concerned with their bottom line and budget concerns. Line managers may be concerned with their own portion of the project, without regard of the total project. Project managers may be primarily concerned with finishing the project in accordance with the agreed upon details with the customer. One of the projects that I was a part of was when I was still in the military. We were supposed to clean out a warehouse full of parts and equipment by either returning serviceable parts/equipment back into the supply system or prepare unserviceable parts/equipment for destruction. Although the tasks were completed, it was not done in the agreed upon time, the budget was not met, and it became a logistical nightmare. There were also conflicting priorities between the executives (Battalion Commander and Command Sergeant Major), line managers (non-commissioned officers), and project managers (Company Commander and First Sergeant (myself)). During meetings, we all had issues that we felt were more important than the other entities. It caused a lot of delays, but the project was ultimately completed. DISCUSSION 2 Lessons Learned Analysis One key concept in project management is to learn from previous projects. The Lessons Learned review allows an organization to collect and document the results of both successful and failed projects. Give an overview of a project you were involved with as a leader or team member. Choose three of the project areas listed below and answer one question from each group of questions found in Chapter 12 of your text. a. Time b. Cost c. Quality d. Scope e. Line Management f. Methodology g. Senior Management h. Customer Satisfaction i. Business Opportunities #1 Gerry Mann A project that I was had worked on as a team member included a construction remodeling project for a kitchen and living room. After speaking with the client on what they wanted to achieve, I went to our project manager to obtain quotes. The project manager provided the necessary quotes for materials and labor. The client approved of the quote and submitted a down payment. I worked with the project manager to ensure a set schedule was in place and all material needed was ordered. The project was completed on time, within budget, and met the customer’s expectations. Time- Was tracking easily accomplished? Cost- How accurate were our estimates? Quality- Did we conform to the customer’s specifications? The schedule was easily tracked as the project manager detailed required work to be completed on the schedule. Each task was defined and delegated to appropriate person(s) to ensure they were completed on time. The estimates were accurate as costs did not exceed the provided budget. The quotes and labor for the labor were analyzed thoroughly to ensure proper estimation on the quotes. This was done by compiling of information for the work, breaking down the material and labor needed. This allowed accurate quotes for material from vendors and project manager was able to identify the amount of labor for each task. The customer was extremely pleased with the work and appreciated that the project kept to schedule and budget. #2 Jemilat Adebiyi In phase 5, the closing process, the project manager identifies and documents lessons learned during the project so that future project teams can benefit from the team feedback. According to Kerzner, “evaluating these projects provides valuable information for improving standards, estimating future bids, and improving how business is conducted” (Kerzner, 2005, p. 193). The report summarizes what went well, processes that did not go well and why, and any adjustments to address them (Barkley, 2014, Section 2.7). I was on the project implementation team to install an accounting integrated software. The software had four modules, and I was responsible for the inventory module. The project involved implementing software at our 22 locations to automate and track inventory in real-time. Three areas of the project are scope, line management support, and customer satisfaction (Kerzner, 2005, p.194). Scope – were the objectives clearly defined? The project manager clearly defined the objective of the project at the kick-off meeting. This approach gave the team and stakeholders a basic understanding of the scope of the project. Line management (functional) support- did the assigned personnel have the required expertise? The project manager assigned the functional managers to act as the subject matter experts (SME), but some did not have the expertise. They did not disseminate information or train their subordinates on what to do. This deficiency resulted in a lack of communication because the employees required to use the system had no knowledge of the system or what to do. Customer satisfaction – was the customer pleased with the price-quality- value relationship? Customers can be internal or external. For this project, the internal customers, who were the location employees, were unhappy and unsatisfied with the deliverables. They had little or no awareness of the new system and no training. To address these issues, we set up a team responsible for conducting on-the-job training at every location. Also, we included the change management team, whose focus was to address any change issues.

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