Stagesin Project Life Cycle Based On A Noted IT Organization Structure
Stagesin Project Life Cycle Based On A Noted IT Organization Structure
Aproject life cycle is a sequence of events, which include the flow ofactivities in project flow, decision-making options, as well as, thecontrol mechanisms that are appropriate for a particular project. Thefour major stages of any project include the initiation, stage, theplanning stage, execution stage, the closure stage as well as theasset maintenance stage (Mir & Pinnington, 2014). The projectsteering committee has to review the project charter, generate plansfor the project, and monitor the project status. Furthermore, theremust be control mechanisms to ensure that objectives and strategiesof the projects are strictly followed. Project Management Lifecyclemodels can vary from one industry to another but most of the corestages and processes are similar. It is important to follow throughall the stages of a project life cycle for successful projectcompletion. In this regards, lifecycle models have similar sequentialstages, although they sometimes differ in structure and theirobjectives. Thus, it is important to provide a scenario on anobserved management lifecycle model, to highlight the stages in alifecycle model based on an IT organization structure.
Arguments
Lackof project lifecycle process has always been the reason why mostorganizations end up having problems with delivering projects (Mir &Pinnington, 2014). For instance, a simple project like a householdmove requires adequate planning and controlled execution for it to besuccessful. It is worth noting that failure to structure a lifecycleprocess per the progressive aspect identified will not generatepositive results and will instead regress a firm’s structures andobjectives. As such, a firm must cultivate thorough planning andensure that the all stages of a lifecycle model are included in anydeliverable project. Carr, (2009) observes that organizations thatkeep on delivering projects on a consistent basis are known to bedisciplined when it comes to observing project life cycle processes.The application of the project management in all the states ofprojects is what gives the entire project management process a lot ofvalue. The other reason why the application of a project life cyclein a project is important is the fact that it helps an organizationto achieve predictable results through proper coordination ofresources using the standard processes and techniques presented in astandard lifecycle model (Mir & Pinnington, 2014). Moreover, thestartup time of a project is significantly reduced when the projectlifecycle stages are followed because the majority of the work isalready defined in the standard lifecycle model. Many incidences ofmisdirected work or reworks occur when the execution of a project isdone without proper planning.
Applyinga standard project lifecycle also helps a great deal when it comes tofinishing projects within the set budget and period because itnarrows the project’s focus (Carr, 2009). Furthermore, a projectmanagement life cycle comes in handy in requirements management,change management, as well as, risk analysis as it ensures that theproject is executed according to plan. In order to execute asuccessful household move, one requires a lot of time and effortbecause it is a big and disruptive change. Such a project requiresthe application of a lifecycle model to avoid a lot of stress andensure that the project runs smoothly. Core project information andassets have to be successfully managed at a central place and thiscan only happen when there is a standard Project Management Lifecyclemodel. It is significant for a firm to structure project deliverablesand other aspects in a centralized manner to ensure that processingand planning run smoothly. Moreover, centralizing the aspects allowsthe management of the project to run as desired without disruptionsor detrimental results. Other reasons why organizations should adoptProject Management Lifecycle models include a guaranteed positivereturn on investment, enhanced handling of expenses and time, as wellas, better management of enterprise resources. Project ManagementLifecycle models have the advantage of being time and cost-effectivethus, they have a positive return on investment and create astructured and effective management of all enterprises.
Counterarguments
Itis important to understand that many factors guarantee the success ofa project hence, having a good lifestyle model alone is not aguarantee that a particular project will be successful (Carr, 2009).Some uncontrollable uncertainties and complexities can affect thesuccessful completion of a project. In order to understand and applya project lifecycle, a lot of time and effort is normally requiredand there are many instances where this cost may not be not berecovered. Moreover, many instances exist where the projectmanagement lifecycle can turn out to be another unnecessary overheadespecially if there is no return on the investment. As much as themodel provide results and return on investment, the desired resultsmay not always suffice especially given the tight structure.
Rebuttals
Numerousuncertainties and complexities exist, which may prevent thesuccessful completion but it is important to point out that the oddsof a project being successful are increased in great way when a goodlifecycle model is applied (Barron & Barron, 2011). For instance,a household move requires careful planning that puts intoconsideration the remaining time before moving, the distance, budgetassessment, the quantity of belongings and the amount of overlap. Itis therefore difficult to execute such a project without a goodlifecycle model despite the likely complexities and uncertainties.According to Barron and Barron (2011), good lifecycle model providesvalue to the project, the project team and the entire organization.Moreover, the time and effort that goes into understanding andutilizing a project lifecycle model is recovered in different wayssuch as timely completion of projects, faster startup time, lessreworks or misdirected work apart from making everyone within theorganization to be comfortable with the general project flow andmajor deliverables.
Conclusion
Itis important for organizations to apply a project lifecycle model intheir project because its benefits exceed the costs. The entireproject management process gets some additional value when a lifecycle model is applied because it ensures some discipline when itcomes to following the initial project schedule and cost estimates.Furthermore, applying lifecycle models in project management comeswith other benefits such as proper utilization of project resources,faster start-up time, defined decision-making guidelines as well asthe availability of mechanisms to measure project deliverables. Asimilar lifecycle model can be applied on different projects indifferent industries because the principles are applicable across avariety of industries. It is worth noting that the lifecycle model iscost and time-effective hence, it has the capacity of ensuringpositive and comprehensive results. In this case, firms need toutilize the model if they desire to get additional value andstructure decision-making comprehensively.
References
Barron,M., & Barron, A. (2011, May 19). Theproject life cycle agile development.The Project Management Hut.
Carr,J. (2009, February 14). Theproject life cycle. The Project Management Hut.Retrieved from 27 May 2016 fromhttp://www.pmhut.com/the-project-life-cycle-2.
Mir,F. A., & Pinnington, A. H. (2014). Exploring the value of projectmanagement: linking project management performance and projectsuccess. InternationalJournal of Project Management, 32(2),202-217.