Monitoring Process Scenario

Scenario: IT Solutions, a tech company that specializes in the design of specialized databases was
approached by the owner from Teklines Music Repair Shop with requirements that seemed to be easily
fulfilled with an integrated database. When the Junior Project Manager demonstrated this solution,
Teklines Music Repair Shop was not impressed. He did not like the interface and disappointed that the
system did not also including billing and payroll capabilities.

With the project in jeopardy, the everyone is turning to you, an experienced senior project in order to fix
things.

Questions:

1. Can you identify the root cause and risks associated with the project?
2. What Project management areas would you need to help you address the issues with the
project?
3. What strategy would you develop to avoid these types of issues on a project in the future?

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Analyzation

IT solutions company owner must identify the risk causes before taking the project and before they give
it to the Junior Project Manager.

The owner is responsible to ensuring that adequate and timely risk identification is performed. He or
She is the first participant in the project. The sooner risks are identified, the sooner plans can be made
to mitigate or manage them. It is important to all project management personnel receive specific
training to this project.

Root Causes:

 People - even if a group’s process and technology are flawless, human actions (whether
accidental or deliberate) can put the business at risk.
 Process – flawed or badly documented process can put the business at risk even they followed
perfectly.
 Technology – the IT staff may precisely follow a perfectly designed process yet fail to meet
business goals because of problems with the hardware, software and so on.
 Environment – some factors are beyond IT group’s control but can still affect the infrastructure
in a way that harms the business. Natural events such as earthquakes and floods fall into this
category, as do externally generated, man-made problems, such as civil unrest or changes to
government regulations.
Project Risks:

 Executive support - disregards communications

 Scope – uncontrolled changes, inaccurate dependencies, activities are missing from scope
 Cost Management – inaccurate forecasts estimate, exchange rate variability
 Stakeholders – ignore project communications
 Communication – project team misunderstand requirements
 Resources and Team – quality training for certain skills
 Technical – technology components are not reliable
 Integration
 Requirements – unclear
 Procurement
 Authority – unclear
 Project Management – lack of management

They should cover the project documents:

 Statement of Work
 Work Breakdown Structure
 Budget
 Acquisition Plan
 Execution Plan

As a Senior Project Manager I will use Risk Identification tools and techniques to identify the root causes
and risk associated with this project:

 Document Reviews
 Information Gathering Technique
 Brainstorming
 Delphi Technique
 Interviewing
 Root Cause Analysis
 Swot Analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats)
 Checklist analysis
 Assumptions Analysis
 Outputs to Identify Risks
 Risk Register – list of risks, list of potential risks, Root Causes of Risks, Updated Risks Categories
 Qualitative Risk Analysis
 Probability and Impact Matrix
 Risk Data Quality Assessment
 Perform Qualitative risk Analysis
 Determining Quantitative and Impact
  Expected Monetary Value Analysis
 Risk Register Updates

Project Management Areas (PMBOK GUIDE)

1. Managing integration - Projects have all types of activities going on and there is a need keep the
“whole” thing moving collectively – integrating all of the dynamics that take place.

2. Managing Scope – Project need to have a defined parameter or scope, and this must be broken
down and manage through a work breakdown structure.

3. Managing time/schedule – Project have definite beginning and a definite ending date.
Therefore, there is a need to mange the budgeted time according to a project schedule.

4. Managing Cost – Project consume resources, and therefore is a need to manage the investment
with the realization of creating value.

5. Managing quality – Project involve specific deliverables or work products. These deliverables
need to meet project objectives.

6. Managing human resources – Project consist of teams and need to manage project team (s)
during the life cycle of the project. Finding the right people, managing their outputs and keeping
them on schedule is a big part of managing a project.

7. Managing communication – Project invariably touch lots of people, not just the end users
(customers), who benefit directly from the project outcomes.

8. Managing risk – Projects are discovery-driven process, often uncovering new customer needs
and identify critical issues not previously disclosed. Projects also encounter unexpected events.

9. Managing Procurement – Projects are procure the services of outside vendors.

10. Managing Stakeholders – every project impacts people and organizations and is impacted by
people and organizations. Identify stakeholders level of interest and their potential to influence
the project.
 The project management areas I would need to help me to address the issues with this project
is Monitoring and Controlling.

According to PMBOK 4.5 Monitor and Project work is the process of tracking, reviewing and
reporting the overall progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project
management plan. The key benefits of this process are that allows stakeholders to understand the
current state of the project, to recognize the action taken to address any performance issues, and to
have visibility into the future project status with cost and schedule forecasts.

Monitoring is an aspect of project management performed throughout the project. Monitoring

includes collecting, measuring, and assessing measurements and trends to effect process
improvements. Continuous monitoring gives the project management plan team insight into the
health of the project and identifies any areas that may require special attention.

Control includes determining corrective or preventive actions or replanning and following up plans
on action to determine whether the actions taken resolved the performance issue.

 The strategy I would develop to avoid these types of issues on the project in the future is to
develop Risk Management Planning.

There are no guarantees on any project. Even the simplest activity can turn into unexpected
problems and even the most carefully planned project can run into trouble.

We can use risk planning to identify potentials problems or issues on a project to avoid in the future.

There are four basic ways to handle a risk:

1. Avoid
2. Mitigate
3. Transfer
4. Accept

Managing risk on a project is a process that includes risk assessment and mitigation strategy.

Risk assessment includes both the identification of potential risk and the evaluation of the potential
impact of the risk.

Risk mitigation plan is designed to eliminate or minimize the impact of the risk events-occurrences
that have a negative impact on the project.

There are four various ways to mitigate risk:

1. Risk avoidance
2. Risk sharing
3. Risk reduction
4. Risk transfer