Walmart Expansion Project Management - Assignment Example

Walmart Expansion Project Management Walmart Expansion Project Management Expansion and remodeling of WalMart’s existing store located on the northeast corner of airport Park Boulevard and commerce drive in airport industrial park has been a successful project. The success of this project can entirely be attributed to efficiency in project management through the use of ideal project management systems. The project was aimed at the expansion of the outdoor garden center and addition of a proximately 47,621 square feet to the existing Walmart store building. Question 1 Various project management systems were employed in ensuring project success. Firstly, the project employs a feasibility study which enables it to determine a quantitative and rather rational reason as to why the project should proceed in terms of capitalizing on the market gaps and ceasing the opportunities in the market. Feasibility study seeks to convince the management as to why an opportunity should be exploited and the possible advantages the business is likely to experience from this exploitation. The other vital aspect in ensuring project success is analyzing the scope of the project. Project scope, ensures that the project has been well drafted without loophole for its smoothly implemented without facing vital drawbacks. Project scope is important since it clarifies the role of all the involved parties in successful implementation of a project. Project structure has to be properly lied down so as to ensure clarity in implementation of the project. The implementation of each phase is clarified to the management and all the required expertise and resources included. In addition, the project has to be properly described under the Statement of Work (SOW). It is basically a narrative description of the project. It is however detailed to ensure that all the weaknesses in the project implementation are unveiled and ideal recommendations provided. SOW also seeks to address the risks involved in project implementation thus the management is provided with the information that guides its decision making process in relation to project implementation. Work Breakdown Structure is a project management system that seeks to break down complex project phases to manageable units. WBS is essential in project management since it enable achievement of project objectives by making project phases comprehensive to the management. Furthermore, a product breakdown structure also plays a significant role in achievement of project success since it links the final project objectives and the procedural achievement of these project objectives. Before the management decides to channel funds into a project, the weaknesses, strengths, opportunities and threats have to be determined so as to ensure that the project is viable and productive (Fine, 2009). The figure below gives an outline of the entire project: Question 2 Coherent implementation of a project depends on how the project is controlled. Project control is the process of determination of possible alternative course and determination of corrective strategies to these alternative courses, during the course of project implementation. The basic model of project control involves the following aspects, input, output and feedback. Feedback control system is meant to define the most important characteristics so as to facilitate easy understanding by the managerial board. The system tends to bring a visual process in implementation of the project (Larson, 2011). However, project control process involves a number of sub processes that facilitate management of a project. A project control system commences with setting of a baseline plan. The baseline plan defines work using the WBS. The following information is included in the WBS for a complete a baseline plan: scope, work packages, deliverables, organization units, resources and budget for each work package. Baseline formulation is followed by development of cost system that stipulates the financial resourced needed for successful completion of the project. Efficient project management can be accomplished by identification of conflicting resources and their general effect on project cost and schedule objectives. Furthermore, the most ideal project structure is project control process. The technique involves setting a baseline plan. The coherence of events is as follows: After preparation of a baseline plan that contains the following details: scope, work package, deliverance, organizational units, resources and the budget for each work package; Walmart would need to measure efficiency of the project, free from drawbacks and all the weaknesses have been accounted for. The plan is then compared with the actual stage of project implementation. This step ensures that project implementation is in line with how it was planned. This therefore minimizes the risks involved in project implementation. For instance, Walmart intends to expand the general merchandise sale area by 10,846 sq. ft. therefore strict observation of measurements ensures that the plan is in line with expectation and objectives of the project. The final step in project implementation is taking action. This is the actual implementation of the project using clearly drafted data or rather project description. Question 3 Project success is influenced by both organizational culture and national culture. Organizational procedures for ensuring the success of a project involve the formulation of a functional organization that manages the project implementation using the existing functional hierarchy. Communication is a vital factor in ensuring the project is implemented properly. Communication in a project can be between an artisan in the construction site and a project manager. This communication mode is able to keep the project manager updated with the actual situation in the field. In addition, project success is determined by how the project is managed. For efficient project implementation, a project is broken down into segments that are to be managed by a specific unit of its implementation. Therefore, project success depends on proper routine allocation to various units. Every unit involved in the implementation of a project needs to understand its routine in implementation of that project (Kennaugh, 2008). Furthermore, project success depend on the organizational value in the sense that an organization that has a high net worth is likely to involve highly paid personnel thus it is supplied with the necessary expertise that it needs for efficiency in project implementation. Good salaries for teams involved in project implementation create a dedicated team for the project implementation since they are motivated by the high salaries. In addition, national culture also plays a significant role in ensuring project success. Successful implementation of a project can be affected by the nation’s policies on development and the business line that Walmart is operating in. For instance; the municipal authorities can grand business expansion that does not exceed a certain square feet floor area. A project usually involves a large ring of stakeholders; therefore efficient coordination of the stakeholders is a key step towards successful implementation of Walmart’s expansion project. The project can also be affected by factors like the country’s political situation since most of the stakeholder involved in project implementation would be bruised by the political situation thus undermining his or her contribution in project implementation. Such situations result in failure of certain segments of the project’s implementation. QUESTION 4 An effective project should formulate strategies for managing its resources. Resources involved in the management of a project include time, cost, personnel and quality of work. The project should be cost efficient and its implementation should be within an ideal time span. This can be achieved through the involvement of a dedicated team for quality project implementation. Proper management of the resources involved in project management would ensure the project is successful implemented using the least cost possible. For any project to be successful the project managerial boards should critically analyze the weaknesses and strength of the project and efficient strategies that ensure economical use of resources determined to reduce expenses. This 7’S structure addresses key issues in project management. The 7’S structure spell out the exact procedure by which the project would be implemented successfully, this issue is addressed under the strategy. Under the staff, selection and recruitment of personnel for project implementation is addressed. Structure as addressed by the 7’S structure consists of the organizational arrangement that would be employed in implementation of the project. Skill as addressed by the above structure encapsulates the technical and expertise required in implementation of the project. Project culture breaks down the work relationships in ensuring the project is implemented successfully. Stakeholders are groups of individuals that are either affected or rather involved in the implementation of the project or the outcome (Miller, 2008). However, resource conflict emanate when conformance is compared to the projects performance. Every project is aimed at ensuring the business experience an increase in revenue. Business venture would obviously opt for projects that would guarantee them an increase in production hence an increase in an income earned. Therefore, Walmart needs to compare the conformance and the performance of its expansion project. This would ensure that the expansion works for the advantage of Walmart since much money is at stake. The iron triangle is an essential project managerial tool since it ensures that the project is completed within the speculated time and the cost does not exceed the approximated project cost. Question 5 A well drafted project incorporates both external and internal factors. An external factor such as cultural believes, religion, government policy, political stability and security affect the implementation of the project. Walmart’s expansion project might not involve many countries other than the United States of America. However, this project cuts across various cultures. Projects that cut across various cultures are susceptible to the following drawbacks: Firstly, it entirely relies on local intermediaries. These intermediaries include the services of translators and social connection. In addition, cultural advisors, guides and expeditors are also involved for easy access to various tribal lines. The involvement of these individual factors enables the project management to exceed tribal barriers such as language barrier. Secondly, this project is vulnerable to natural psychological disorientation of the project team due to the fact that it is working across various cultural lines. Cultural shock in project management can be combated in the following manner: Create “stability zones” that closely create a home away from home. Modification of behavior and expectations is also necessary Redefining priorities and develop a realistic expectation. Cross-cultural communication can be managed or rather enhanced in the following manner: Development of cultural sensitivity by anticipating the meaning that a statement would mean to the receiver. Carefully encoding the intended meaning in the statement relayed by the statement made in a language that is new to the staff member. Project staff should seek to understand the cultures involved and create relationships that are productive towards the achievement of the project objectives. Therefore, Walmart project personnel should understand the culture involved in the implementation of the project. The interests of these cultures should be incorporated in the strategies employed in project implementation. Cultural diversity in project implementation might be brought about by the stakeholders. This diversity might emanate from the managerial board or the customers who are the beneficiaries of the outcome. Question 6 Walmart expansion project is susceptible to certain risks associated with project formulation and implementation. Such risk involved in project formulation and implementation includes: Firstly, inadequate planning is a major problem that results in project failure. Inadequate planning can be in the sense that the project managerial board underestimated resources needed for the successful implementation of the project. The expansion measurement covered in Walmart’s case study may be inaccurate and thus the speculated cost may be wrong thus resulting in need for channeling additional funds into the project and these results in unplanned expenses that can result in Walmart’s management incurring extra costs. Secondly, poor project management is also a common cause of project failure. If the appointed personnel have inadequate skill to handle a project of Walmart’s expansion project’s magnitude, the project is likely to fail since it would be implemented improperly. The project team for Walmart’s expansion may set unrealistic deadlines so as to win the tender. However, this exaggerated deadline may pose a problem during project implementation thus resulting in a situation whereby a business is dragging behind its schedule. In addition, lack of sufficient monitoring of the project can result in project failure. Project implementation should not be left entirely to the project team. Walmart’s management needs to keep track of the project performance. Failure to carry out follow up activities would result in malpractices such as embezzlement of fund by the project team. However, techniques such as risk response development can be employed in combating the risks involved in Walmart’s expansion. This process can be achieved in the following in the step: Firstly, risk mitigation is employed before commencing the implementation of the project. Risk mitigation is a precautionary measure that aims at reducing the likelihood of occurrence of the speculated risk. Secondly, the project team can also combat risks associated with project implementation by avoiding the risk in the first place. For instance a risk that emanated from poor planning can be eradicated by ensuring the project is well planned and drafted before its implementation. Thirdly, project implementation is achieved through division of the entire process into segments that are allocated to various units of the project team. Therefore, a technical risk that exceeds the expertise of a certain unit of the project team can be passed to the other unit so that it is controlled and eradicated. Lastly, the project team can choose to accept the risk that cannot be eradicated. The project team strives to develop mechanism that can reduce the intensity of the risk since it cannot be eradicated. Moreover, speculated risks are reported to Walmart’s management so that consideration is taken. Necessary measures are therefore taken by the business toward combating the risk. For instance, resource inadequacy can be solved by channeling additional funds into the project implementation. Question 7 Project tools employed in Walmart expansion project include risk management systems. These systems are aimed at deducing the risks that the project is likely to encounter, and then possible remedies are suggested for the management to adopt. This system is essential in project formulation and implementation since it ensures that project implementation is free from loopholes hence the output is of high quality. In addition, change management is an essential project implementation aspect. Determination of relative risks associated with a certain project requires flexibility in project implementation so as the possibility of occurrence of the speculated risk is eradicated. Therefore, the project team and Walmart’s management ought to be ready to alter one or two aspects of the project for its successful implementation. Furthermore, various approaches have been employed in estimating time and cost for project success. There are two ways about determination of these two resources, one of them is bottom up approaches and the other is top-down approach. These approaches ensure that the exact time required for successful completion of the project and the cost involved is accurately determined. Accurate determination of the cost involved enables combating the risk involved in costing (Wysocki, 2010). Finally various project control systems are employed in project formulation and implementation. Project control is achieved through managing project stakeholders and organization of the project teams toward the achievement of set objectives. This aspect of project control is important since the project’s implementation is segmented into various segments. Each segment is allocated to a specific unit thus enhancing specialization and sharing of labor thus granting project success. References List FINE, L.G. (2009). The SWOT Analysis: Using Your Strength to Overcome Weaknesses, Using Opportunities to Overcome Threats. CreateSpace. Print LARSON, E. W., & GRAY, C. F. (2011). Project Management: The Managerial Process. McGraw-Hill School Education Group. Print MILLER, D. P. (2008). Building a Project Work Breakdown Structure: Visualizing Objectives, Deliverables, Activities and Schedules. CRC Press. Print KENNAUGH, R. (2008). Project Management: 101Tips and Tools for Success. Rob Kennaugh. Print WYSOCKI, R. K. (2010). Effective Project Management: Traditional, Adaptive, Extreme. John Wiley & Sons. Print. Read More