What kind of PMO does Atek need and why? Be sure to identify the scope, structures and governance needed to be successful, as well as address any implementation concerns. The PC industry was undergoing a change with the proliferation of Mobile phones, PDAs and web based applications. The industry as a whole was undergoing a consolidation phase and was experiencing tremendous cost pressure. Decrease in profit margins forced the PC makers to implement cost reduction strategies. Founded in 1984, AtekPC experienced rapid growth in the 1990s and enjoyed good profit margins during this period. However there was no formal process in place to control the costs. With the PC industry undergoing a consolidation phase and increasing threat from Asian manufacturers has forced AtekPC to address this critical issue. By the fall of 2006 AtekPC established a Strategic Planning Office (SPO) whose responsibility was to propose business changes. SPO initiated the PMO effort with a focus on IT projects which would later be implemented across the enterprise. AtekPC had developed a vast array of IT applications primarily focused on for the use of business functions like accounting, manufacturing, sales and distribution. There was very little integration between these systems. Most projects were medium sized and were managed informally by the development team (Lead Analysts). Any new development or maintenance projects were undertaken using an informal approach and this led to quick response time and also fewer conflicts. Also the Lead Analysts had long tenures and developed a deep understanding of the business requirements. Changing business needs required complex projects that involved multiple functional and technological areas. The demands of t... ... middle of paper ... ...uality and schedule AtekPC might face many challenges and obstacles while implementing the PMO. AtekPC has an informal way of communication where requests for new projects are done between the lead analysts and the manager of the division. Changing this informal approach to a formal one might be difficult but can be done by explaining to employees the strengths and advantages of this process. The lack of skilled personnel in the PMO is an obstacle that can be overcome by training the current mangers and hiring new staff members. The success of PMO depends on the buy-in of the executive leadership, which if delayed can erode the value of PMO and have a negative impact on the project. There is a high risk that PMO might been seen as an authoritative figure and might face resistance, it is extremely important to clearly set the expectations to avoid misunderstandings.
The first part has a list of outdated software, legacy system. They are commonly referred to by their names such as MAS, SQL, Adhoc and other slight variations. What makes our project complex is that the systems are not operating on the same level. Some keep only our transactions and the other systems contain financial data that is booked for record. To transform all that into one system requires understanding the design of the legacy systems. Unfortunately, some of the design is not intuitive but after going through iterations of mathematical formula, you can validate some of the data. The second part called “proposed” has a list of the newer software that can be a one stop place for all data. When the project ends, the sections in the table above will be available in
The project will bring several changes to the company; it will first expand the current physical IT environment. It will provide the ability to increase the storage capacity of the current storage requirement and expected growth of data, while establishing a new data warehouse and business analytics applications and user interfaces. The project will also improve security by establishing security policies and it will leverage newer cloud based technology to provide a highly redundant, flexible and scalable IT environment while also allowing the ability to establish a low cost disaster recovery site.
As Dr. Matulovic background was from process development, he felt that the problem was more towards governance and process. He did a great job of getting the team under one umbrella, and also installing a system with process driven approach, responsibility for the weekly report and monthly budget checks. PMO did what was deemed necessary from and IT team, they started working towards on-schedule and on-budget projects and there were qualified project Managers who were responsible for the Management of IT projects.
The project management bodies of knowledge may look towards the implementation of the project based organization. (PBO) The versatile management of the Mzansi shuttle project would benefit from the use of PBO which is ultimately sui...
The overall attractiveness of the PC manufacturing business is affected by several factors. These include general macroeconomic conditions as well as industry specific factors such as the unique economic features of the industry, competitive forces, forces of change, the market position and expected behavior of the various competitors already in the industry, and the industry’s key success factors. This report examines each of these factors in turn to arrive at an overall assessment of the attractiveness of the industry, and the types of companies that would, or would not be, attracted to it. The analysis starts with an assessment of the macroeconomic conditions
... the world. Organizations use more and more computers. Almost every employee knows how to use a computer these days. The techniques discussed in DeMarco’s book the Structured Analysis and System Specification are still applicable and it can be used with the modern technology to achieve the effectiveness. This approach can always be altered to fit (combined with the modern technologies) to the human aspects of information systems changes.
...n outlined the chosen software, hardware and networks in regards to the responsibilities of each. The related resources necessary to properly support and maintain the system were also identified. This is perhaps the most important part of the project as it serves as an investment protection policy for the company. It ensures not only that the project implementation is done, but also demonstrates the lengths the company is willing to go to properly implement new projects.
The theory of economics does not furnish a body of settled conclusions immediately applicable to policy. It is a method rather than a doctrine, an apparatus of the mind, a technique for thinking, which helps the possessor to draw correct conclusions. The ideas of economists and politicians, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist." (John Maynard Keynes, the General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money p 383)
Often, the goals and visions of the projects are not clearly discussed. The project management team doesn’t understand the needs of the organization.
Strategic planning directs every movement in a business and is very essential to business performance (London 2002, pp.26-33). The strategic plan and operational plan are extracted from Best Buy Form 10K to better clarify the current situation and future direction of Best Buy.
The Indian retail industry has emerged as one of the most dynamic and fast-paced industries due to the entry of several new players. It accounts for over 10 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and around 8 per cent of the employment. India is the world’s fifth-largest global destination in the retail space.
An MBO process must start with the wholehearted support of top management. It must be reliable with the philosophy of management. Every level of management in the organisation must take part in the strategic planning
While the MBO model is a straightforward one with clear steps of implementation, it does require a systematic approach to implementation. For the model to work efficiently, the approach has to be followed rigorously, which can be time-consuming and difficult to maintain. In essence, the model requires careful monitoring and enforcing even after the initial stage, which adds pressure on the organisation in terms of resources. The model is rather rigid, resulting in a situation where the rules and processes must be followed. This requires knowledge, time and resources. The MBO model brings about plenty of paperwork in the form of training manuals, feedback forms, and performance data collection. The rigid system can add extra burden on staff and reduce
Apple, Inc is a well known name in the computer technology world; Apple, Inc leads the computer industry in innovation thanks to the award winning desktop and notebook computer known as OS X operating system (Yoffie & Slind, 2008). This paper will focus on Apple Inc., strategic management and why is it critical to the success of the organization in meeting its goals and mission. It is therefore important to define strategic management, according to Certo, Peter & Ottensmeyer, (2005), strategic management is a continuous process that directs an organization to be appropriately suited to its internal and external environment. Strategic management benefits organizations by providing personnel, capital, helps to set standards and most importantly activates people. For an organization to have a successful strategic management plan, the mangers must learn to think strategically and have the ability to evaluate their environment and develop new ideas. Steve Jobs one of the founding fathers of Apple Inc used strategic planning to his advantage by making Apple’s mission a simple one- bringing easy to use computers to the general market, revolutionizing the computer market.
They need experienced project managers to lead them through the process of implementing project management as they are just starting the journey towards project management maturity. It is necessary for them to outsource for a longer period of time and not just for training in order to follow the right direction on their PM implementation.