Project Management Methods and Techniques
A project is a series of activities connected by a common aim and having a set beginning and end dates. Learning project management (PM) techniques are a crucial part of the operations manager’s proficiency (Bamford & Forrester 2010). The basic stages in PM are organizing, scheduling, and governing a project. The most popular leadership tools in PM are empowerment, self-management and positive self-talk, visualization, emotional intelligence, clear goals, self-coaching, feedback, resilience, and the ABCDE method (Berg & Karlsen 2013). Some of the most effective methodologies proposed for successful PM are agile software development, crystal methods, lean, PRINCE, and PRINCE2 (Bamford & Forrester 2010; Wells 2012). Project learning methods are divided into documentation-based and process-based (Schindler & Eppler 2003). The former ones act as proper representation patterns or schemes for project vision. Process-based methods aim to concentrate on a procedural way of taking the core information from a project.
Project Management Strategies and Challenges in a Supply Chain Organization
One of the basic PM strategies involved in a supply chain company is choosing the suppliers at the initial project stages. Also, the resolutions made in sourcing procedures and the kinds and functions of supporting data are important (Azambuja, Ponticelli & O’Brien 2014). To address the procurement concerns at the initial project phases, companies may employ the methods of early planning, diagnosing the risky pieces of equipment, evaluating the danger of early responsibility, and establishing modularization (Azambuja, Ponticelli & O’Brien 2014).
Since the two basic components of supply chain organizations are supply chain operations and products, it is vital to provide their integration (Sharifi, Ismail & Reid 2006). By arranging a unified approach, a manager is able to achieve agility in the supply chain (Sharifi, Ismail & Reid 2006). Another beneficial idea for attaining agility is portfolio management (Stettina & Hörz 2015). Four core areas take part in formulating portfolio management strategies: designing a roadmap, directing and identifying, calculating and reviewing, and delegating and assigning (Stettina & Hörz 2015).
Challenges in supply management are connected with adjustment to current processes, commitment, and division of resources (Stettina & Hörz 2015). Adjustment to existing projects is considered complicated as the team needs to combine several large tasks. Problems with commitment occur when there is insufficient dedication to employee engagement. Difficulties with resources involve budget and worker allocation. It is a challenging task to divide the money for the projects proportionally and assign the people who need to work on them. Sometimes, employees are engaged in several teams, which presents complications for their performance.
The Role of Competence in Providing for Sustainable Growth
To ensure the company’s sustainable growth, a manager needs to be competent and capable of dealing with risks. Competence is an essential factor as it enables us to take into account the previous drawbacks and mistakes and develop the next projects in accordance with this experience. Sustainable growth is also impacted by risks, which demands a thorough approach to risk management (Porananond & Thawesaengskulthai 2014). The following ways of risk reaction and regulation are suggested by Porananond and Thawesaengskulthai (2014): refraining from the risk, taking the risk with the aim of seeking an opportunity, expelling the source of the risk, altering the probability, altering the outcomes, splitting the risk among several parties, and holding the risk by a knowledgeable resolution. These anti-risk strategies for supply chain sustainable growth are possible on the condition of a manager’s competence and experience.
Reference List
Azambuja, M M, Ponticelli, S & O’Brien, W J 2014, ‘Strategic procurement practices for the industrial supply chain’, Journal of Construction Engineering & Management, vol. 140, no. 7, pp. 1-4.
Bamford, D & Forrester, P 2010, Essential guide to operations management: concepts and case notes, Wiley, London.
Berg, M E & Karlsen, J T 2013, ‘Managing stress in projects using coaching leadership tools’, Engineering Management Journal, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 52-61.
Porananond, D & Thawesaengskulthai, N 2014, ‘Risk management for new product development projects in food industry’, Journal of Engineering, Project & Production Management, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 99-113.
Schindler, M & Eppler, M J 2003, ‘Harvesting project knowledge: a review of project learning methods and success factors’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 219-228.
Sharifi, H, Ismail, H S & Reid, I 2006, ‘Achieving agility in supply chain through simultaneous “design of” and “design for” supply chain’, Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 17, no. 8, pp. 1078-1098.
Stettina, C J & Hörz, J 2015, ‘Agile portfolio management: an empirical perspective on the practice in use’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 140-152.
Wells, H 2012, ‘How effective are project management methodologies? An explorative evaluation of their benefits in practice’, Project Management Journal, vol. 43, no. 6, pp. 43-58.