Introduction to Project Management
Project Management: Green Computing
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Introduction to Project Management
In recent ties, many people and firms have had a different view of project management compared to traditional views. In the old days, project management concentrated on delivering schedule and resource data in construction industries, military, and computer. Today project administration is in all firms and involves much more. Current government nonprofit organizations and industries have realized that for them to be outstanding, there is a need to use modern-day project administration approaches, especially in technology projects (Anayat, 2020). Project management skills are necessary for firms to become good project managers and project team members. Project administration encompasses applying skills, techniques, and tools to attain project requirements.
Project management skills and approaches enable project administrators and their team to deliver out tasks. To illustrate, project administration tools and risk management techniques involve plans to manage the risk, risk registers, impacts matrices, and risk rankings. Cost management skills required include project budget, payback analysis, cost estimates, and plans to manage the cost. Furthermore, in quality management, tools and techniques necessary are quality metrics, quality control, checklist, maturity models, and statistical methods test plans (Shchwabe, 2012). For successful project management, managers should have good people skills, listening skills, conflict resolution, leadership, and team
Project Management in a Technology Context
Unlike developments in many other businesses, information technology (IT) projects vary. Some require few people to install software, whereas others require several workers to analyze various organizations’ processes and to develop the necessary software collaboration with the users to meet firms’ needs. Diversified hardware is used in IT project management, such as personal computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, whether a project is small or diversified (Anayat, 2020). The hardware used can be connected using cables, wireless, or require satellite connection. IT projects to support all business functions and managing them require more skills and techniques. For example, managing an IT project for an animation company requires different skills than a project to enhance government revenue collection or instate a communication system.
Due to IT projects’ nature, the workforce involved in project management are from different backgrounds and possess unique skills. The varied workforce provides a significant advantage since projects are analyzed in a more robust systems view. Managing IT projects does not require a specialist in IT but also experts from other professions. Furthermore, IT project management has diverse technologies. The various technologies include database analyst, security analyst, and risk analyst (Dalkir, 2017). The language used by these specialists is different, and one may not understand the other easily. The technologies change rapidly hence affecting project management. For example, when project managers are almost finishing a project, they discover new and better technology and enhance their long viability. Also, the new technologies have shortened the period when a business produces and distributes new products into the market. The fast-paced environment requires equally a fast-paced management of IT projects.
Project Management Process
Project management involves judgment and actions considered in one knowledge area of project administration that affects the other knowledge areas. Managing project management interactions involves making tradeoffs among the project scope and knowledge areas. Project management process progress for planning a project, starting a project, monitoring, controlling, and closing activities (Kivilä, Martinsuo, & Vuorinen, 2017). The initiation process consists of explaining and approving a project. The procedure takes place in every stage of development management. For example, project managers reexamine if a business is worthy of continuing operating or to end it in every phase of the project cycle. Also, initiating help in ensuring the project team completes the assigned task, documents lessons, assign assets, and that the client accepts the project.
The planning procedure encompasses developing and keeping up a workable plan to ensure the projects address business needs (Radujković & Sjekavica, 2017). Various plans are included in a project, for example a scope administration plan, scheme administration plan, value management plan, and procurement administration plan. The project plan outlines management knowledge areas related to the project at a specific time. To illustrate, project managers ought to develop a plan that defines the work required for the project, scheme activities linked to the work, and decide the resources needed to be acquired to complete the work. Project managers revise plans frequently to accommodate changes in the project and organization in every stage of the project cycle. The project administration plan encompasses and accommodates all other processes of project management.
The execution process involves coordinating the workforce and other assets to carry out the outlined plans and manufacture products or services or complete a project stage. For example, to acquire and develop the necessary workforce, conducting quality assurance, conducting procurements, and administrating shareholder’s expectations. After execution, monitoring and controlling process follow. Involves continued varying and monitoring improvement to ensure that the workforce meets project target. Project managers carry out this function, and the team weighs progress against the plans and take improvement measure where applicable (Kivilä, Martinsuo, & Vuorinen, 2017). The usual monitoring and controlling procedures are through reporting production, where workforce identify required changes required to keep the project ongoing.
The closing procedure includes regularizing acceptance of the development or a project stage and finishing it efficiently. In this process, administrative undertakings are regularly involved, such as storing project files, ending out contracts, recording new lessons gained, and formalizing the project’s delivery. The project management process is not mutually exclusive. For example, monitoring and controlling are conducted throughout the project as each phase is completed.
Characteristics of the Project Management Process
The project administration processes are characterized by the finalizing of specific tasks. In the initiating process, the firm recognizes a new development and completes the project agreement as part of the recognition. Outcomes of the planning procedures include completing the development scope statement, the breakdown format, and the project Scheme. The planning process is fundamental in information technology projects. This due to the fact that once a system is already implemented to change, it is usually not easy. Furthermore, the execution process takes actions necessary to finalize the assignment outlined in the planning process. The main results of this procedure are delivering the real project. For example, a project to deliver hardware, system and educating the execution would be leading the project team to procure hardware, developing the software, and participating in the training. The execution process overlaps other processes, and more resources are allocated.
Tracking and controlling process measure the advancement towards the project goals, monitor changes from the plan, and take appropriate actions to match the progress with the plan. The process is characterized by performance reports. The project administrator monitors advancement closely to ensure tasks are being completed and objectives are met. The project administrator usually works closely with the workforce and shareholders and takes appropriate measures to ensure the project runs smoothly. The ideal outcome is usually to deliver the agreed-upon project within the scope of time cost and quality constraints. Additionally, the closing process is characterized by accepting the project and closing documents.
Green Computing
The environment exists in nature, such as soil, living organisms on earth, water, and air. The protection of the environment has emerged widely due to the concern about pollution to the environment and the risk the planet is exposed to. These fears are one of the biggest challenges facing the world since the climate has been changing hence affecting the organisms living on the planet (Kurp, 2008). Climate changes have contributed to the emergence of ways to protect the environment from pollution, such as green computing. Green computing explores the practice of developing system which brings zero effect to the environment. It focuses on manufacturing and disposing of computer components such as monitors, servers, storage devices, and communication systems effectively with minimal environmental impacts (Saha, 2018). Green computing aims to minimize using paper to reduce tree cutting since papers come from tree and printers, which uses a lot of power.
Project Integration Management
Project integration management is the key to the overall success of a project. A project manager in charge of a green computing project. Should take responsibility for coordinating all the workers, plan, and work required to complete the project. The project manager should focus on the big picture of the project and steer the project team towards completion. Also, in case of any dispute arising, the manager makes the final decision, and he is responsible for communicating information to the top management. Strategic planning is core to determine which projects the most value (Papke-Shields & Boyer-Wright, 2017). The green computing project aims to minimize pollution to the environment; hence project managers must select the project with the least impact on the environment. Strategic planning involves determining the long-term objectives of a project through analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the project. The project manager predicts future trends and project needs for new services. The project which is friendly to the environment should be able to use the initial materials for a long period. For example, the storage hardware for information should be large enough to for it not to be filled with data before the project lapses. SWOT analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is used to aid strategic planning. When SWOT analyses are conducted on a green computing project, if more threats such as excess power usage, the project should be rejected, projects that limit paper usage and controllable lights positively impact the environment and should be considered.
Management Plan Development
After a project is considered environmentally friendly, the management plan is developed. It guides project execution ad control; ways to execute the project should not pollute the environment. All resources considered in the plan they should not affect nature. The project management plan comprises an introduction of the project, which contains the name, brief introduction, and the need it addresses. Also, the plan describes how the project is organized; it contains organizational charts and project responsibilities. The management and technical approaches are articulated in the plan, for instance, project controls, risk management, and the management objectives. As a project manager, technical and management approaches should be environmentally friendly. Power backup to be adopted to manage risk should be solar energy instead of oil. The budget also is outlined in the management plan describing both the summary and detailed budget. Similarly, the plan should describe the work needed to perform and reference the scope management plan.
Execution
Directing and managing project work follows the management plan. The majority of the time of the project is spent here. With the aim of the green computing project protecting the environment from being polluted by electronics during the project’s implementation, resources used should be energy efficient and reusable. During execution, planned strategies are followed by the team working on the project. When executing the project, as a project manager, one should have strong leadership and supportive culture. The project manager should lead the team in delivering the project in environmentally friendly practices. Project managers lead by example and demonstrate to the project team the importance of developing an environmentally friendly project. When project managers follow the execution, the rest are more likely to do the same. For the quality execution of a project, supportive culture is necessary. For example, in an organization that supports environmentally friendly development, it will be easier for the project manager and team to follow the culture since it already exists and does not have to adapt to the new practice. Even when a supportive culture does not exist, the project manager should use different skills to break the rules and develop a new culture. For example, when an organization was not doing an environment clean project, initially, policies to implement a non-pollutant project should be outlined to deliver the project to the quality demanded.
Project managers should have wide knowledge areas for them to execute projects successfully. For example, environmental knowledge is necessary for a project manager to implement green computing projects effectively. Also, they should have technical skills or experience in working in a technology environment. The project manager helps in defining user requirements to a joint application design team for them to understand the language of the business. Most computing projects are small; hence managers help in performing some technical job or mentoring workforce to complete the work. For instance, a three-month project to design a web-based application with only two workers is more beneficial if the team manager participates in doing some technical assignments. But on a huge project, the team manager is to lead and communicate with stakeholders on the project’s progress.
Tools and Techniques Necessary in Project Execution
Directing and executing a development requires special techniques and tools where some are solitary to project management. Experts’ judgment is necessary for making a decision. For instance, an environment expert is required to determine the impact a project has on the environment to decide whether to execute a project or plan. Also, information programming codes to use and a coaching approach to follow when developing a computing project. Equally, meetings are crucial when executing projects. The meeting allows team members to develop a relationship, develop a communication tone, and develop ways to solve problems. In green computing projects, various elements of the environment are considered the impact the project will have on them; hence meetings help in discussing the impact of a project on all-natural elements.
Project Management Information Systems
Project management information systems are important in executing the project management process. There various project management systems in the market used by both small and big corporations in executing the process of project management. The systems help in reducing staffing and increasing accuracy and efficiency. The system used in the execution project will develop minimal pollution to the environment compared to the workforce’s usage. For instance, communicating with system mails are sent to team members, but without a communication system, the message will be printed to every team member ate the project. The system allows the meeting to be conducted online, and others are commanded to check daily performance and hence to make tracking execution of a project be managed more effectively. Teams use word processing software to create a document, customize software or spreadsheets to track information, and give presentations with presentation software ware.
Production of electric parts, computers, and related software with the least impact on the environment follows the following procedure. Announcing the idea to the team, planning of the green intention by a committee. Centralization of all computers, efficient IT applications, formulating tactics for power management, and enhancement of enterprise performance. With green computing, energy used is reduced hence less carbon emission. Money and power are saved and helps in the utilization of resources. Despite the innovation of green computing enhancing project management, implementing it is very expensive. Also, green computing is not yet fully developed, and it is considered underpowered.
Conclusion
Project management skills and approaches enable project administrators and their team to deliver out tasks. The fast-paced environment requires equally a fast-paced management of IT projects. The protection of the environment has emerged widely due to the concern about pollution to the environment and the risk the planet is exposed to. Green computing aims to minimize using paper to reduce tree cutting since papers come from tree and printers, which uses a lot of power. This will be a revolutionary movement in the field of project management.
References
Anayat, S. (2020). A Study of Power Management Techniques in Green Computing. International Journal of Education and Management Engineering, 10(3), 42.
Dalkir, K. (2017). Knowledge management in theory and practice. MIT press.
Kivilä, J., Martinsuo, M., & Vuorinen, L. (2017). Sustainable project management through project control in infrastructure projects. International Journal of Project Management, 35(6), 1167-1183.
Kurp, P. (2008). Green computing. Communications of the ACM, 51(10), 11-13.
Papke-Shields, K. E., & Boyer-Wright, K. M. (2017). Strategic planning characteristics applied to project management. International Journal of Project Management, 35(2), 169-179.
Radujković, M., & Sjekavica, M. (2017). Project management success factors. Procedia engineering, 196, 607-615.Saha, B. (2018). Green computing: Current research trends. International Journal of Computer Sciences and Engineering, 6(3), 467-469.
Schwalbe, K. (2012). Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.
