Question Two

Question Two: Think of a project that you are familiar with and describe how you would assess it based on the Project Management Maturity Model. What needs to be done to push the project to the next level of the model?

A project Management Maturity Model is formal tool that is meant to measure the maturity of an organizations project management (Crawford, 2014). Once the initial level of maturity has been identified as well as the areas of improvement have been identified, this model provides a roadmap which outlines the steps that need to be taken to help towards project management maturity performance improvement and advancement. It comprises of five levels. The first is the common language. This is the part where the organization makes a recognition of the fundamental principles of project management. This is the first step of project management which all projects need to go through. The second step is the common process. This is the stage where the organization is able to use project management as well as develop the processes and the methodologies to support its effective use (Crawford, 2014). The behavioral expectations of the organizational personnel are at this point necessary for the methodology to be executed repetitively. Singular methodology is the third step. It is at this level that the maturity of the organization is able to recognize that process control and synergism can be achieved best through the development of a singular methodology rather than by the use of multiple methodologies. Most companies that are at this stage are committed totally to the project management project.

The fourth level is benchmarking. This is the level where the organization uses benchmarking to compare other professional projects with theirs so as to know where to make improvements. Continous improvement is the last stage where the organization looks at the information it collected during benchmarking and implements the changes that are necessary to make improvements (Crawford, 2014).

In this paper, I provide a case study of a motor vehicle manufacturing company and subject it through an assessment basing on the Project Management Maturity Model. A motor vehicle manufacturing company notices that it will not be in a position to satisfy its customer’s demands. The major issue is that they have realized an increased demand of 15% year in year out for their brand of vehicles over the last four years and it is clear that the situation will remain the same in coming years. The executive director asked the internal team to carry out a review of the present processes of manufacturing and come up with changes to the same coupled with proposed upgrades on various equipment in order to meet future demands. The team recommended that an upgrade be done on manufacturing equipment including the redesigning of the line of production with no definite figures regarding the number of projected increases. Another critical aspect that was missing was a critical analysis of what would befall the departments of procurement, delivery and warehousing. The question was whether the changes that are to be made to the process of manufacturing would be comfortably managed by the three departments. The team directed by the director had obviously come up with a plan that had short falls. The director had previously gone through a similar experience in another company and not wanting to go through a similar experience he decided to engage a project planning and management company, XYZ Projects to come up with a project plan for the initiative. XYZ Projects were specialists in process improvement initiatives. The director was well aware that the efforts will bear fruits if well implemented and managed.

XYZ Projects came up with a plan outline with timelines and costs to boot. The plan covered identification of needs as a result of an increase in production in addition to mapping out affected departments and processes in case the increase in production is to be carried out.

XYZ Projects basing on their expertise knew that some other areas apart from the manufacturing line would obviously be affected. The procurement department for example had a budget already set for purchases. Cleary then the expenditure required for raw materials that were not to be utilized in manufacturing would interfere with the flow of cash and therefore a consideration of how materials would be stored until time for manufacture. Additionally, more vendors would be needed to meet increased demand for raw materials. Similarly, more suppliers would be required. It was clear that there was a need for the integration of the manufacturing process and the procurement department for a smooth flow of raw materials to production.

A detailed plan was identified with the aim of identifying stakeholders and gathering of data accurately for manufacturing process using similar questionnaires to gather data for detailed documentation. A plan for risks and their management was formulated just in case they occurred. They were aware that changing a process for example could lead to a domino effect in the company for example if the procurement department is unable to get materials from a particular vendor there could be a shortage which could result to delays hence need for a backup.

A change management team was also put in place because there was need to communicate changes in the whole company and bring people who mattered on board and prepare them for the new process. People in the production line were also needed to test the new equipment to meet client demand. Support from all these people was needed. All employees were notified of the on- goings. Their input would aid the success of the project. Regular meetings were done to check status and ensure all employees were participating.

The results to this was that the manufacturing process gradually improved and satisfied client demands and the company was even ready to in another site of manufacturing. Some challenges were noted during the project for example procurement capacity was limited because of finances, budget and storage issues. Production of more vehicles meant a demand for bigger warehouse and more deliveries.

To conclude, this management approach made the company realize their production requirements with compromising current client demands. Continuous communication served to ensure that everybody was roped in hence increasing employee participation to meet the needs of clients. The adherence strictly to the standard project management procedures enabled the manufacturing company implement the project effectively, within the budget hence meeting future strategic goals thus pushing the company to the next level.

Reference

Crawford, J. K. (2014). Project management maturity model. CRC Press.