Anna Diedrichsen

s193956
21-01-2022

5 Connecting the Dots

This section examines the project's success and addresses how the project manage-
ment practices contributed to the project from start to end. By connecting the four
perspectives, purpose, people, complexity, and uncertainty, we can assess whether
the project by Chr. Hansen can be determined as a success. After an extensive anal-
ysis of the project, it is clear that all perspectives are interconnected. They are inter-
dependent and overlapping to cover all areas of an aspect.

In project management theory, the purpose of a project must be desirable and ad-
dress a real need (Geraldi et al. 2017). According to this project, the purpose was
clarified in an early stage and strong(Chr. Hansen 2021). Purpose connects Why to
What illustrated by The Golden Circle, which shows how the people and complexity
perspectives connect to the purpose. The desired goal was to “Deliver two premium
cultures,” which could be achieved by finding “The right combination of strains” in or-
der to “Create value with higher perceived quality”(Figure 1.1). The scope was de-
fined and measured by the stakeholders' acceptance. By knowing that the project
was executed to satisfy e.g., customers preferences, the steering group, and the up-
per management requirements, the product life cycle and success criteria were real-
ized.

The role of the PM, Tania Gerogieva, was to manage stakeholders, connect the right
people to the right tasks, and to foster a healthy and open work environment. The
project management theory outlines the key focus areas in managing people; at-
tracting, engaging, and integrating (Geraldi et al., 2017). According to relevant prac-
tices related to people's perspective, Gerogieva aimed to choose the right communi-
cation channel and which information to manage when distributing information to
e.g., the upper management.

Further, according to the theory connected to the complexity perspective, a compre-

hensive project management plan is key for the PM to integrate employees and
show how tasks are supposed to be executed effectively in relation to the purpose.
Gerogieva succeeded in engaging the production team through supervising, clear

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 Anna Diedrichsen
s193956
21-01-2022

tasks and by determining motivation to clarify a strong purpose and plan for each
employee.

The project was closely monitored and controlled to prevent and eliminate risks and
uncertainties. The overlap between the people and uncertainty perspective is clear.
A high level of international employees was involved in the project, which in general
project management increases the level of uncertainties and risks. People interpret
work differently, which requires the PM to master excellent communication skills. On
the other hand, diversity strengthens work execution and allows a project to move
forward. According to the project, Chr. Hansen is an experienced, well-established
enterprise who knows how to communicate to stakeholders, allocate resources ef-
fectively and make adjustments, reducing risks beforehand.

Overall, the project can be determined as a success with respect to the constraints in
the iron triangle. According to comprehensive research, it can be discussed if mea-
suring success through the iron triangle is the best proxy for project success (Geraldi
et al., 2017). Its simplification allows a project to measure wrongly and not suffi-
ciently. It avoids other relevant KPIs by e.g. not considering risks, safety, and satis-
faction. The project delivered the desired output on time but over budget. No doubt
that the purpose perspective was of high importance and prioritized.

Whether or not the project management can be justified as a success, according to

the theory, Gerogieva practices and focus showed excellent knowledge of what was
expected and overview required in effective communication and motivation of rele-
vant stakeholders involved. It is difficult to say if changes in the project management
would have led to less detours and kept the project on budget. No confidential docu-
mentation was presented meaning that more information would have been able to
justify the success in further details.

Lastly, it is important to consider that unconscious biases cannot be avoided in

project execution and when conducting data to examine this project.

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