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Project Management Questions
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Project Management Questions
Network Diagram and CPM Analysis, and Activities on Critical Path
Schedules are essential management tools that can be used to communicate work sequence and activities for projects. They provide a feasible mechanism to track the progress of a project. The use of early and Late Finish dates, Float or Critical paths often appear in computer-generated schedules. Project managers use the values generated from the schedules to calculate the expected time, identify critical path and activities that the project is dependent on for its completion.
The critical path method presents a set of scheduling activities whereby the minimum completion time for a project is calculated. The scheduling procedure generates a network of events that may be used to ensure that no project delays occur and that resources would be adequate to ensure the completion of the project.

The critical path of the above network activities is A-G-H-I-J
The process of calculating LS, EF, ES, LF, and TF is shown below in the table
ID Duration (Days) Early Start (ES) Early Finish (EF) Last Start (LS) Last Finish (LF) Total Finish (TF)
A 20 0 20 0 20 0
B 1 20 21 39 40 19
C 25 21 46 40 65 19
D 20 21 41 55 75 34
E 30 20 50 45 75 25
F 15 21 36 65 75 44
G 45 20 65 20 80 0
H 10 65 75 65 65 0
I 5 75 80 75 75 0
J 5 80 85 80 80 0
S-curve and calculation SV,CV,SPI and CPI
                (RM)
ID Date BCWS BCWS AccumACWP ACWP AccumStatus BCWP BCWP AccumA 10-May 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 100% 5,000 5,000
B 14-May 2,000 7,000 1,800 6,800 100% 2,000 7,000
C 15-Jun 3,000 10,000 3,000 9,800 100% 3,000 10,000
D 24-Jun 20,000 30,000 11,000 20,800 60% 12,000 22,000
E 1-Jul 30,000 60,000 36,700 57,500 100% 30,000 52,000
F 15-Jul 3,500 63,500 3,500 61,000 100% 3,500 55,500
G 15-Jul 5,000 68,500 4,000 65,000 90% 4,500 60,000
H 20-Jul 80,000 148,500          
I 28-Jul 50,000 198,500          
J 1-Aug 1,500 200,000          
TOTAL   200,000   65,000     60,000  
CV = BCWP – ACWP
= 60,000 – 65,000
= -5,000
SV = BCWS- BCWP
= 68,500- 60,000
= 8,500
Risk Management Processes
Three methods may be used for the risk management process.

Firstly, the risk rating and severity method help in the identification of its likelihood and severity of an incident (Hamzah, Idrus & Gomez, 2013). It gives project managers relevant information regarding how they should respond to issues that may have an impact on the production project. The table below is an assessment of the risk severity and likelihood.
Likelihood Risk probability Rating Severity Severity probability Rating
Most likely Most likely to happen base on experience 4 unacceptable May cause loss of business 4
Highly possible Highly possible base on experience 3 Serious Will seriously affect business 3
Possible Possible to happen 2 Minor effect business but manageable 2
Remote Remotely possible 1 Negligible Acceptable 1

The alternative method for risk assessment is the use of a risk rating table. The risk rating table helps in the identification of the severity of an incidence and hence its impending impact on the project. High risks are left to the management to help minimize their adverse effects on the performance of a project. When the risk level is unacceptable, the project manager may be forced to discontinue the project. The risk rating table for the project is as shown below.
Likelihood (LH) 4 8 12 16 Ratings Actions
3 6 9 12 1~3 Control at staff level
2 4 6 8 4 Control at Manager level
1 2 3 4 6~9 Action to reduce risk.
Severity (SR) 12~16 Unacceptable. Action to reduce risk
Risk Response method
Item Issues LH SR ratings Impact Response
Set up utilities Wiring, and plug points 3 3 9 Not enough points, sudden Short circuits, overloading, Blackouts. Done by a reliable competent contractor.
New signage Authority approval, spelling mistakes 1 2 3 Check by HRD staffs PIC HRD executive
Internal construction Follow to planned design 3 2 6 Partitions and doors not correctly fixed Inspection by utility department.
New Computers staff unable to operate 4 4 16 Business disruption Training provision on the new system
programmes has bugs 3 4 121 Business disruption Test run system. One month overlap period
Relocation period relocation glitches 4 4 16 Stop operations to relocate. No backups if delayed Parallel running old system till new system stable
Significant Risks that may Affect Business Process
The new equipment may hamper the staffs from operating as is required and may prompt the organization to plan for training activities and expenses
The new program may depict glitches and bugs, which may have a detrimental impact on the performance of the system. Thus, the project manager may be forced to consider the need to use both systems in parallel to ensure that the new system is well-implemented t the organization operations.
There may occur the relocation of hardware and its non-performance. Accordingly, unforeseen circumstances may hamper the progress of the business primarily when a parallel system is run as a strategy to enhance operation.
Roles of Project Manager in Manufacturing
Successful projects derive their success from adequate planning and thus the execution of ideas. Putting together a project process demands the use of knowledge and skills that aim at making the process much easier. Therefore, a project manager must understand their roles in respective organizations. Better understanding of their roles and responsibilities ensures that they are able to deliver on their duties with utmost skills and agility. Accordingly, Kerzner and Kerzner (2017), explains that project managers must have a combination of skills including the ability to ask questions, detect unstated assumptions, resolve conflicts and even generate managerial skills that would be useful for the process. Critical amongst the responsibilities of a good project manager is the need to identify the impacts of a risk in the manufacturing process and possibly identify its implications on the success of the manufacturing process. As a result, project managers in the manufacturing industries ought to be keen enough to recognize the need for open communication and offer viable opportunities for risk management. Poor risk assessments and mechanisms may have detrimental effects on the success of the project.
A pertinent role of the project manager is the ability to make informed decisions that have a positive impact on the task. Decision-making processes play influential roles in the identification of how the firm will address the risks it faces in the course of production. In other instances, customer requests, urgent orders, and the need to adhere to specific production methods play influential roles in shaping the production process. Notably, project managers are aware that risks play vital roles in shaping the outcomes of the success of a project. Proper planning and adhering to the required policies on the production process all have an impact on the success of the organization.
The project manager also ensures that all processes of the project remain on track. The ability to streamline production processes without neglecting the bigger picture all ensures that the production process is successful. Project managers should be team oriented persons who depict the ability to motivate others when the processes of production seem daunting. The manager is a leader who should strive for the need to make to focus on organizational success rather than foster on decision-making processes, which affect the outcomes of the manufacturing process. Project managers in manufacturing can identify the need to rectify specific production methods by streamlining them and creating an environment whereby every person is eager to contribute to the success of the project.
Manufacturing processes can only be successful when the managers have standardized the processes in manufacturing. The manager is responsible for the creation of a working schedule that would be used to streamline the process. According to Chiocchio and Essiembre (2009), part of strategic planning processes is dependent on the efficacy of the work breakdown structure, which gives accurate details regarding the dependencies of the project. The manager would have adequate information on the standardization procedures of the manufacturing process and develop a standard inventory, which ensures that the project manager makes the production process standardized and straightforward for the operations of the organization. The project manager also ensures the coordination of communication processes and ensures that all persons are aware of the needs and demands of the project (Martinez, Kingston & Evans, 2010). Providing a standardized manufacturing process not only shortens the time for production but also ensures that the qualities of the products do not deviate.
Another role of the project manager is to ensure that products and processes of production consistently improve. The project manager must focus on enhancing given production to ensure that the goods get a better time. The manager will look at the cost; time and scope entailed in every manufacturing processes then pay more attention to the need to improve the overall quality of the product. Customer satisfaction can only be attained when the focus on the quality of the organization is a pertinent subject. The ability to streamline organizational processes is dependent on consistency, ability to prioritize, document, and review the production process throughout the manufacturing process.
Project Manager Challenges in Handling Manufacturing processes
Working in the manufacturing industry implies that organizations have to face several unique challenges, some with a lot of stakes. Project managers are often prompted to deliver high-quality work standards throughout the process. Besides, they are expected to navigate end-to-end supply chains as well as manage strict market deadlines. How project managers navigate the challenges that they face is dependent on their capacities to manage realistic stakeholder expectations from the conception of the project. Typical problems that project managers face in manufacturing include:
Work Estimation and Share Schedule
The project manager ensures that the stakeholders are involved from the beginning of the production process. The process of creating a work process is always a daunting task that should include thoughtful estimates of everyone’s work. There are instances when the management may change the given timelines required for the delivery of a product, thus prompting the project manager to change the project schedule. Therefore, the project manager must have a reliable mechanism to ensure that estimates are realistic. There should also be an appropriate method to make estimated schedules of the course of a project (Martinez, Kingston & Evans, 2010). The plan should be easily accessible and visible throughout the project. Lack of appropriate project management tools may diminish the accuracy of the manufacturing process and hence its success. Stakeholders can also keep up with everything throughout the life cycle of the project.
Another major challenge that project managers face during manufacturing processes is that the process may be highly inflexible regarding cost, quality, and time. Having rigid processes imply that the manufacturing process will experience significant challenges that may have a detrimental impact on the quality and final output of the product. Notably, a significant problem of such controlled environments is that project teams may have to commit to particular solutions upfront and left with a small scope of the project that they can alter to suit their adjustments. Arguably, transforming the opinions of all persons will be a significant challenge that the project manager may have to deal with.
Change management processes also pose significant challenges for project managers during manufacturing. Companies often assess their technology investments and seek to identify whether they provide the relevant services appropriate for the process. There are instances when the project manager will be forced to change normal operations. Employees may be reluctant to accept change for fear of the unknown. Some may feel that the new technology will deny them a chance to continue working in their respective organizations. Subsequently, other employees usually are just unwilling to adhere to the set principles and policies concerning any changes made in the organization. The project manager may face resistance from some of the employees who would be unwilling to embrace the change. The outcomes of such resistance may be devastating to the production process, as it would imply a negligible change in the quality of products.
Challenges in the execution of projects may also pose dominant problems in the operations of the organization. There are instances when the available resources are exact and must be used according to given measures. Whenever there are wastages in the time, resources and opportunities, organizations cannot realize their projected profits as initially speculated. As a result, project managers are often forced to handle issues that may not necessarily fall within their dockets. For instance, allocation of funds for resources, time and opportunities are tasks for the budgeting department. However, project managers are forced to do with the little available resources to oversee the completion of a project. The manufacturing process may demand that adequate resources concerning human resources and raw materials be available for the commencement of tasks. Poor planning makes it impossible for project managers to realize the objectives of their production process.
Conclusion
Project managers are must ensure that tasks are planned and executed using the available resources. The roles of the project manager help define the appropriate schedules and cost estimates that would ensure that it is one to completion. The manufacturing sector endures significant challenges with regards to product and project management. The project managers must understand the impacts of their production process to the business. Poor assessments and failure to execute the projects as is required may lead to sub-optimal performances and lower business returns. Thus, project managers tasked with responsibilities in the manufacturing sector must understand the value of aligning their projects and their business objectives. The process would ensure that they develop a relevant framework to respond to the demands of their jobs. It will reduce incidences of resource conflict, challenges on adapting to change, dependency conflicts and overlapping of redundant projects. Thus, the competency of the project manager will ensure that there are sufficient resources to complete the manufacturing process, address the risks that face the process and develop adequate methods of responding to all production challenges that may hinder the successful completion of the manufacturing process.

References
Chiocchio, F., & Essiembre, H. (2009). Cohesion and performance: A meta-analytic review of disparities between project teams, production teams, and service teams. Small group research, 40(4), 382-420.Hamzah, N., Idrus, A., & Gomez, C., P. (2013). EBTM3103 Project Management. Open University Malaysia
Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.Martinez, V., Bastl, M., Kingston, J., & Evans, S. (2010). Challenges in transforming manufacturing organisations into product-service providers. Journal of manufacturing technology management, 21(4), 449-469.