Jason: Project Management and Project Essays

Submitted By D1pl0m4t
Words: 1188
Pages: 5

Before we can even begin to implement a new CRM solution we would have to look at project management. There are five major variables of project management that need to be used correctly to ensure we have a successful CRM and run into as little problems as possible. Them five major variables are scope, time, cost, quality, and risk. Scope defines what work is or is not included in a project. Time is the amount of time required to complete the project. Cost is based on the time to complete a project multiplied by the daily cost of human resources required to complete the project. It also include the cost of hardware, software, and work space. Quality is an indicator of how well the end result of a project satisfies the objectives specified by management. Risk refers to potential problems that would threaten the success of a project. When we look at the scope of this project we need to look at the new application and see what needs to be added to it and what we already have that is best left alone. Finding this out should be top priority and the first thing we look into. This will give us a better understanding on exactly what we will need. Information such as new modules for inputting orders and transmitting them to production and accounting. Having this information can help use calculate the the time and cost needed to complete this project. Since we will need to instal new hardware since our old hardware is out of date we will need to include time spent to instal all necessary hardware for the project. This could end up taking quite some time depending on what types of upgrades are needed and how much of an upgrade must be done. Also since this will be a new application we will need to train the people intended to use it. Add in extra time for unwanted situations such as something not working as it should be and could need to be evaluated and fixed. With this project cost will need to be strongly considered. With the additional costs of replacing our out of date hardware we will run into a high cost of implementing this system. Also the time needed to have the hardware installed could add a substantial amount to the final cost of this project. Costs from training, the new software and other expense will all come into play. Project planning will be able to help us keep the cost down to as little as possible and still have a successful system. Quality is a big variable in that it can bring many up a lot of problems if not viewed. We need to ensure that the system is easy to use so that it can be easier to train employees. It will also include purchasing the necessary hardware upgrades to run the new application smoothly. Keeping accurate information that is easily accessible is key in this system and with out that the costs can skyrocket with going back and having to change things due to issues in quality. Many risks can come into play with this project. We need to plan for them. The costs due to having to update hardware runs us the risk of overspending if we do not use caution. Also not giving employees enough training on using the system could lead to quality issues. We have to add different risk factors into the project and create a plan for them factors in the project. The success rates of these type of projects being completed on time and on budget is very low. That being said we can have a better chance of success if we use project management effectively. Some things that should be considered with this project to help us get the best business vale should be the use of formal planning and tools for documenting and monitoring project plans. The two most commonly used methods for documenting project plans are Gantt charts and PERT charts. A Gantt chart lists project activities and their corresponding start and completion dates. PERT stands for Program Evaluation and Review Technique. A PERT chart graphically depicts project tasks and their interrelationships. The Gantt chart visually represents the timing and