PART 1
Q1: Explain project management as a discipline
Project management can be described as a discipline of planning, organization and management of resources within an organization with an intention of bringing about the accomplishment of desired goals and objectives.
Project can be viewed as a finite endeavor (having specific duration of accomplishment) basically undertaken to bring the desired value within a business organization. The finite characteristic of the projects means that it will call for an action which can be either permanent or semi permanent. Therefore, the successful running of the project will require unique technical skills and the embracement of the separate management.
One of the key challenges of the project management is to accomplish all the goals and objectives which have been strategized while honoring the projects constraints. Such constraints include time and budget.
Q2: Describe the industries in which project managers are in high demand. Provide evidence to support your response.
There are various industries through which project managers are in high demand. According to the studies, there is global new project management role across seven intensive industries. Due to the enormous growth, it is expected that the salaries of such managers will tremendously increase. Specific industries with such rising demand of project management include the following: Construction and Building Industries, Telecommunication, Global Business and many more others.
It is projected that the professionals are expected to hit climax between 2010 and 2020, this will result in 6.22 million jobs by the year 2020. The growth in such demand will entirely be matched by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of project-intensive industries.
Q3: Describe the general role of a project manager, and explain the primary ways in which it differs across different industries.
Project Managers plays a crucial role in business organization basically aimed at planning, design, execution, monitoring and closure of project. Project management job title is entitled to information technology, architecture, petrochemical, constructions among many more others different industries that produce products and services. The roles and responsibilities of a project manager include the following:
• Planning and defining scope
• Sequencing and Activity planning
• controlling quality
• Time Estimation
• Documentation
• Developing Schedules
• Risk Analysis
• Business Partnering
• Managing Risks and Issues
• Strategic Influencing
• Work with Vendors
• Interoperability, Scalability and Portability Analysis.
Q4: Compare the rate of success of projects in IT and other industries. Explain the discrepancy or lack thereof.
It's difficult to get a good estimate of project success rates because there isn't a standard definition of success (nor will there ever be). So, if I define success specifically, for example as "reasonably on time, on budget, to specification" that definition will be applicable for some projects but not others. So, I could presumably get an accurate estimate of how well we're doing against that criteria but it wouldn't be the actual industry success rate. Information Technology is the fastest growing industry in the world. The rate of the success growth of the IT industry is relatively high as compared to other writers.
PART 2
Q1: Explain waterfall methodologies and identify their relationship to the PMBOK® process groups
The waterfall model can be described as sequential design processes which are basically used in software development process whereby the progress of such design flows steadily downwards like waterfall in series of phases of conception, maintenance, testing, construction, analyses and initiation. The waterfall development originates from construction and manufacturing industries: physical and highly structured environment whereby the after the fact changes occur at a low cost. Each of the processes contains the accomplishment within the discipline so as to achieve effective project management process.
Q2: Explain agile methodologies and identify their relationship to the PMBOK®process groups.
`Agile methodologies are one of the alternatives to the traditional project management, basically used in software development. Agile methodology basically helps teams to unpredictability through increase of work. It helps to boost the companies' project management process.
Q3: Analyze the need for waterfall and agile methodologies
Waterfall and agile methodologies plays an important role in project management. They can be seen as essential tools for managing the project effectively. As a result, the project managers can boost the production through the effective applications of such tools.
The two approaches reduce both time and cost development to the market. While the teams work cycle is limited, the two gives the strategies stakeholders' unlimited opportunities to caliber release for the success in the real world situation.
Q4: Explain the advantages of extreme programming (XP) and analyze the advantages of its application in high-budget short-time projects.
The major aim of extreme programming is to mark the departure from the convectional programming approach. The major advantage of Extreme Programming is as follows; better overall satisfaction, lesser risks, cost savings, resilience and eventually robustness.
Q5: Explain the factors to consider when selecting a project management methodology
• Plan the project: One factor that should be considered plan the best software to ensure that they have the overall agreement on the objectives, approach, time frame scope and deliverables. This should include the background on what type of tool you will be considering, why it is needed, where it will fit in your technology architecture, etc.
• Rank and Gather business requirements: The following questions should be the guideline when gathering and ranking business: What will the people use the package for? What specific problem will the package solve? What are the essential features which are required?
• Evaluate package short list. One should map the necessary functions against the requirements against the functions so as to determine the essential weighting factors.
• Make final selection and negotiate the contract