Two Discussion Questions

Discussion Question Student: Professor: Course title: University: Date: Discussion Question The text describes the “tangible benefits” of using project management in Chapter Six, including the following areas: Lower Cost  Shortened schedules  No sacrifice of scope or quality  Higher customer satisfaction  Choose one of these four benefits and describe why it is mandatory to have strong project management techniques in the organization to reach the benefit. Use examples from a project where you were a project manager or team member that gives specific examples of the business benefit. The chosen benefit is shortened schedules. According to Kerzner (2005), project management needs to be supported at all levels of the organization including the higher or senior levels. It is mandatory to have strong project management techniques in the organization to reach the benefit of shortened schedules, even if it means making changes to the organization’s culture. The first reason why it is mandatory is that high-value capital projects require effective scheduling and planning, and without strong project management techniques, there could be ineffective use of resources and extended schedules. Additionally, shortened schedules will not only lead to lower costs of the project, but also higher customer satisfaction, since customers have the right to expect the project contractor to manage the work requirements on time and within budget (Wysocki, Beck & Crane Jr, 2000). An example is a software development project in which I was a team member. The project involved designing and developing a software system for a school to replace its aging system. The schedule was six months and we completed it within four and a half months l...