The Trophy Project

The paper is divided into three sections, the first of which will establish a timeline of events. This project background will serve as a case study for the analysis in the following section that will be structured such that each of the previously mentioned facets will be independently analyzed and contrasted with project management principles. Finally the paper will conclude with a summary of the analysis and recommendations based on

Larson, E., & Gray, C. (2010). Project management, the managerial process. (5th ed., p. 158).

With the exceptional growth in technology, the present day projects are often large and complex involving a significant risk. So, a Project Management Methodology enables the delivery organization to handle these projects comprehensively, systematically and in an integrated manner, which results in strategic, tactical and operational benefits.

In the current business environment, the demand for project managers is ever growing. In short, project management is a provisional project constrained by time, cost and scope (A guide to the project management body of knowledge, 2013). Between the immense organization, optimization, and communication assets skilled project management brings to a project, it is easy to see why project management is a booming field of study. Furthermore, project management can be both financially and personally rewarding when long term milestones and goals come to fruition.

Gray, C. F. & Larson, E. W. (2008). _Project Management: The Managerial Process_. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hills Companies, Inc.

Executive Summary Project management is the science of planning, organizing, executing, and managing the resources needed to achieve a specific goal. Effective project managers (PM) strategically facilitate the entire project management process to ensure the project’s success. To do this the PM must adequately meet the specific requirements (i.e., time, scope, quality, and cost) set forth by the project and its stakeholders. It is theorized that PM must possess a set of core competencies in order to successfully manage a project. Those competencies are development of project management knowledge areas, application of appropriate project management tools and techniques, understanding of the project

Project management is defined by BusinessDictionary.com as, “Approach to management of work within the constraints of time, cost, and performance requirements.” Project management requires careful planning and studying all of the factors involved with in the project. Project Managers must first establish the needs of the stakeholders and provide a project plan which includes the cost and time frame the project will be completed. In addition, projects requirements should be clear and concise to ensure the Project Manager stays within

From the outside looking in, it would appear that the biggest contributing factor to the failure of the project was poor planning. It would be my recommendation to these two that the next time they implement a functional strategy. These strategies, “are narrower in scope than business strategies and deal with the activities of the different functional areas of the business production, finance, marketing, human resources and the like” (Rue, Byars, Ibrahim 2013).

The Trophy Project was fundamentally mismanaged from the start. The management functions of planning, organizing, staffing, controlling and directing personnel and resources were poorly executed by both senior and project level management. Customer expectations were not well defined and scope creep was allowed to take place without proper administration. There did not appear to be a corporate champion for this project who could mentor and resolve conflicts that were beyond the authority of the project manager. Plus, the project manager appeared to be inexperienced and was not very adept at negotiating with upper level and functional management to obtain the proper resources necessary to achieve the project

This organisation has not adapted to the new economy and the demands of its customer, the customer in this case appears not be a consideration. The attitudes of the leaders of this organisation are ones of bureaucracy, directorship and blame. The leaders do not seem to be inspiring or empowering their employees.

The lack of support from top leadership on The Trophy project compounded Reinhart’s problems and made managing the project a complete nightmare. This was also mainly due to the fact that there was no business case formulated for this project. The baseline plan might have been formulated but it did not cover all aspects of the project plan. For instance there was no clear

Although there are signs that the company has a matrix structure in place, they do not follow a programme management approach and numerous failures within the structure exist. Their approach to management is still that of a traditional organisational approach, which tends management to lack both strategic purpose and customer focus.

Prior to this course, I thought that in order to manage a project you need to be a project manager. However, this course changed my perspective on project management. As I continue to read the book, I realized that I actually manage many projects, and project management is not only limited to organizations. Throughout our lives, we manage many projects from planning a wedding to building a house, some of those projects may take few days and some may take years to complete. In addition, I also learned that there are no two projects that are alike, each project has it’s own unique elements that set it apart from other projects.

Project management is a series of steps taken in sequence to manage a project through all phases from conception to completion. The steps are documented in a strategic plan. The plan is used to ensure that all parties are working towards a common goal. Project management requires applying knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to specific activities in accordance with established standards and guidelines. There are five basic functions of project management: planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling. Basic activities of project management include: identifying project requirements to define the outcomes; addressing various needs, concerns and expectations of others; setting up, maintaining and carrying out communications; managing others; creating project deliverables; and balancing competing project constraints.

1. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge; PMBOK Guide. 2008 Fourth edition. United States of America. Project Management Institute, Inc.