Critical Analysis of Traditional and Agile Project Management Essay Example for Free

Critical Analysis of Traditional and Agile Project Management Essay INTRODUCTION Project is an effort taken to build something unique within a specific period. (PMBOK, 2004: 20). This means that a project has a starting and an ending which has to be completed within the specified time. For a project to be completed within time limit and with little or no flaws, a plan has to be put in place so as to get a desired result. Project planning is the determination of the progress of a project to be carried out in a serial manner. (Successful Project Management, 2011: 57). Project planning is very essential in managing a project and will be discussed in detail specifically in traditional and agile project management which is the two major project management approaches. Critical analysis of these two approaches in respect to project planning will be given. That is treating the necessary processes in planning a project. Tools, techniques, and project lifecycle models used in project management will be explored. See more: how to write an analysis OVERVIEW Traditional project management TPM is a set of technique and tools that can be applied to an activity that seeks an end product, outcomes or service. This is a well taught out planning process which has a very strict control method that makes distinguishable stages in a project life cycle (hass, 2007). Requirement such as scope, cost and time are determined upfront, followed plans are also well laid out and once laid out, it cannot be modified. Due to this, life cycles are easily recognizable. Task are completed one after another once completed, it cannot be revisited. In TPM, a lot of importance is attached  to documentation of business needs thereby stakeholders needs are already known (Leybourne, 2009). TPM is based on the fact that situations surrounding project and activities are predictable and manageable (Hass 2007, Yusuf et al 1999). TPM views each project level as a separate process whose outcome or completion has an effect on how and when subsequent levels begin (caddle and Yeates 2008; Thonsett 2012). According to Larman (2004), a well thought out rule on project team members’ responsibilities are determined at the planning phase. This makes team members accountable for the project which ensures control (Saladis and Kezner, 2009). Examples of traditional models are: 1. PRINCE2 2. Waterfall 3. Event chain 4. CA-PPM. Agile project management APM is all about incremental iteration, adaptability, agility and collaboration (Scuh, 2005; Larman, 2004). It takes individual and iteration contribution over process and tools. It lays emphasis on short cycles of structure which happen at different levels and also emphasis on feedback (Hass, 2007). All plans are revisited to get certainty of delivery. APM sees the project as product increment. Due to its lack of structure, it requires a considerable amount of discipline and coordination. APM allows project scope to change rapidly and frequently which is done by constant communication with project stakeholders. APM teams consist of skilled members fully dedicated to the project and are co-located (Hass, 2007; Wysocki). The whole idea of what APM is all about is based on the agile manifesto. It was put forward by Martin Fowler and Jim Highsmith (wysocki,). Its content are given below: â€Å"We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items  on the left more.† Types of agile project management approaches are as follows: 1. Agile Unified Process (AUP) 2. Scrum 3. Lean Software Development 4. Extreme Programming (XP) 5. Dynamic Systems Development Method 6. Feature Driven Development Scope Planning Scope planning is a process that describes and documents the boundaries of a project and project expectation. TPM is a rigid approach that gives no room to change once the scope plan has been created. Plans are made to prevent change in project scope. It focuses on developing all parts of the scope first. Documentation is very detailed trying to encompass the whole requirement. The project scope statement consists of the objective and boundaries of the project and also product specification. Work breakdown structure is then created. In TPM, steps are taken that the team sticks to the scope of the project. Scope planning in APM is a high-level activity because little is known of the solution. Change is a key part of APM, making the scope very flexible. The scope is constantly redefined due to the series of iterations. Ideas could be added at stage of the project. Documentations is present but not as detailed as in TPM. APM focuses on developing the most important part of the scope first and then proceed to the next. Human Resource Planning In TPM, team is usually large in number and consists of various levels of skilled members. The teams are very organized. The teams don’t make decisions on their own without the approval of senior managers. APM team members are proficient and are highly skilled, they are collocated in order to handle changes in project scope and also performance, communication and more so, interrelation. APM consists of small team, members are mostly between five and nine, and they also are highly productive. Agile teams are self-organizing and disciplined (Hewson, 2006). Agile teams are basically  independent. Risk Planning TPM assumes that there will be risk in the project. This is put into consideration at the planning of the project and measures are put in place to handle it. Projects in APM are volatile and very unstable because the solutions are not known. Every iteration cycle comes with its own risks. These risks are expected and are handled sequentially when it arises during project (Owen et al, 2006). Proponents of agile approach argue that dealing with real risk is better than preparing for unknown risk (Schuh, 2005). Quality Quality in agile is often determined by the regular feedback and acknowledgement of the customer’s view of the quality of the product. Time planning: In traditional approach, time estimation is dependent on the amount of tasks to be executed. Time estimation is done right after the WBS is created. Effort is made in other to complete the project within the required time (Hass, 2007). In agile approach, time estimation is based on features. The numbers of features to be developed determine the amount of time that will be used. Scheduling and workflow are also closely aligned. Management style: In TPM, the project manager is responsible solely for the planning and allocation of responsibilities (Kerzner, 2003). Traditional project managers focus more on the schedule, scope and budget (Fernandez and Fernandez, 2009). In APM, the project manager works in collaboration with the team (Hass, 2007). Agile managers focus more on the business value and deliverables (Fernandez and Fernandez, 2009). Cost management: Agile projects should be based on either a cost-reimbursable system, or the client accepts scope is a variable based on achieving the maximum improvement possible for a pre-set budget. This is a totally different philosophy to traditional project governance. Tools, Technique, models, and Project Lifecycle Models There are numerous tool and technique that can be utilized in the course of planning a project which include: Gantt chart is a graphical representation for scheduling the execution of various project activities. It can be used to make an approximation of time required to complete the  project. Brainstorming involves the assembling of idea by a group of people in order to solve problem and to arrive at a conclusion. It is essential in development of new ideas. Work breakdown structure (WBS) is the breaking down of project into smaller more manageable pieces in a hierarchical order. Each level in WBS is a smaller piece of the level above. Fishbone diagram is also known as cause-and-effect diagram. It is used to check the cause of a specific event. They also help during the collating and analyzing factors phase of project planning. Critical Path Method involves dealing with activities that has to be completed in order for other activities to be completed. It helps in the sequencing and correlating of interdependent processes. PERT Chart is a representation that shows the task to be performed serially in a graphical form. It helps to focus more on the most critical part of the project in order to reduce constriction. Project Charter is a document that formally authorizes a project statement. It contains project justification, business needs and so on. . (PMBOK, 2004) Scope Statement ensures that only the required work is done. That is work is not done out of scope of the project. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) WBS is a deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be done by the project team, to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. WBS is a tool which focuses on how a project work should be done. It breaks down the work to be done into smaller sections that can be managed by the project team, each section give details of the project work as such giving team understanding of what do(Biafore, 2011). WBS can be depicted as an outline or a diagram (Biafore, 2011). The number of levels present in a WBS should be reasonable as this is determined by how voluminous and complex the project is. WBS helps in d identification of task, brings to light what d project entails and a lot of other tools depend on WBS. It also allows stakeholders have an understanding of the scope of the project (Biafore, 2011). PERT Chart (Project Evaluation and Review Technique) It is visual illustration of a project plan task. It document important or critical phases of a project. It helps to identify critical processes and  the time that the process will end. It can also help in the documentation of a project. It helps in the organizing and scheduling of interrelated tasks in a complex project (Chinneck, 2009). It does this by using a network description to show parallel relationships between tasks (Chinneck, 2009). It helps in the completion of each task in other of precedence. It is a very important tool for tracking project activities and milestones. PERT enables the project team to handle task in order of importance. It also deal with uncertainty in process completion dates and determines activities start and end dates. Finally, PERT chart can be adjusted at anytime in the duration of the project. Linear Project Management Lifecycle Model This is a simple TPM approach which does not allow for returning to a project which has previously been completed. (Effective : 329). This means that once a phase in a project is completed, there will be no room to do any kind of adjustment. Incremental Project Management Lifecycle Model It is a traditional TPM in which unlike linear. It releases a solution to each phase of the project and it also emphasis on customer value than the linear approach. (Fernandez, Fernandez). Iterative Project Management Lifecycle Model In the iterative PMLC, change is required as it is the important part of the model. It is a learn by doing strategy. (Fernandez, Fernandez). All iteration consists of feedback loop, and it involves more clients and customers than incremental. Adaptive Project Management Lifecycle Model This is a PMLC that almost nothing is known about the solution and almost all of it are designed for software development project. It deals with a high level of uncertainty because little is known of the end product. Extreme Project Management Lifecycle Model In this model, there is no broad knowledge and solution about the project. The level of uncertainty is high and also that of clients too. CONCLUSION After looking at the two approaches, it is seen that both approaches are good  and can work perfectly well depending on the project at hand. TPM due to its detailed planning is the preferred choice for structured project. It is used in large projects that have well understood features and requirements and which involves large teams. Also, TPM is suitable for project that requires little change. APM is the preferred choice for unstructured projects. These kinds of projects have a high level of uncertainty and unpredictability about them. APM unlike TPM involves smaller projects.

Welcome to the Underground :: Free Essay Writer

Welcome to the Underground While America sleeps safely at night, safe and secure in their world, there is another world taking place, a menacing and wild world. Right beneath their noses, taking place in their super markets, in empty warehouses, abandoned buildings, parks, and at roller skating rinks. Many will never know or hear about this world, for it may be safer not to know. For if one knows, he may be tempted to want to experience this world. Just indulging one night has been known to alter many lives. For once you go to the underground, there is no turning back. We walked towards the castle, drawn like magnets, already sensing the buzz of activity that lay inside. My friends were overly excited from the many energy drinks they had consumed earlier, so as to give them ultimate performance. My friend explained to me that a man named John Bishop built this castle single handedly, with little help from his family in 1963 and that every year he would add something new to it. It was nestled in the foothills of Pueblo, Colorado. As we walked closer the butterflies in my stomach flapped faster and more vigorously. The moon was shining brightly over our heads; the time about midnight, and still our journey had just begun. There were people frolicking everywhere; people of all ages, mostly teenagers though. They were dancing, hugging each other and running around zestfully. Most were dressed in Baggy jeans. One girl wearing a see-through plastic skirt with her pink daisy underwear displayed for all to view. Others had on doctor's masks, were carrying glow sticks, and some even had pacifiers in their. I looked at myself, jeans and a T-shirt. "I don't think I'm dressed right." I whispered to my friend, a so-called Rave expert. "Don't worry babe, nobody is going to care." He replied. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, except for myself. I knew no one. We were now nearing the entrance to the castle, each grasping our tickets as if they were the golden ticket in Willy Wonka. I handed my ticket to the doorman, which was exchanged for a half hearted pat down by the security guard. I stepped into the world of the rave.

Consider the Importance of Forecasting for the Global Supply Chain of a Retail Food Company

Forecasting is a management planning tool which is aimed at coping with future uncertainties, depending mostly on data of past and present as well as trend analysis (Chopra & Meindl 2010). The core characteristics of today’s forward looking supply chains is flexibility and agility which utilises forecast, as one of the most enhanced planning systems of supply chain strategies to provide the needed capability to quickly respond to changes in situations which positions the agile supply chain profitably (Acar & Gardner, 2012).Forecasting is a critical element in any organisations decision making processes since its accuracy helps organisations to opt for the appropriate actions pertinent to demand planning, promotion planning, new product launch and inventory management in order for the business to become efficient and lean. Hence organisations are now paying particular attention to how the quality of forecasting can be enhanced in order to increase the accuracy of its output (Ac ar & Gardner, 2012).In so doing organisations must consider collaboration building with the entire supply chain in order to generate a more accurate forecast which will maximise the performance of the supply chain (Shu et al. , 2011). In a retail food company, it is essential to apply the appropriate storage procedures and inventory technique to able to serve customers better, because of this, forecasting plays a critical role in the efficiency of the company.Hence, forecasting in the retail food industry has become more challenging as result of price wars among competitors, uncertainty occurring from natural disasters, climate changes and epidemics (Hayya et al. , 2006). As a retail food company based in UK, Tesco considers availability of product as naturally the main competitive drive to success in the retail food industry and with products of over 50, 000 on its shelves, 6 distinctive store formats and operating in 14 countries, establishing proper inventory could be very diffic ult.A sales projection based on past patterns, which is classified as ‘base-level’ forecast, is very complex. Tesco distribution network centres and advanced technology have been developed to uphold the modern and cost effective supply chain. The efficiency of the distribution system understands the product needs of every store. This is achieved in two methods, forecasting the preferences of the customers by employing refined, detailed models which considers variables for instance, seasonality, weather forecasts as well as responding to promotions.The second deals with the automated system ordering, which helps in updating in real time on what customers really want to buy, in order to quickly and accurately provide stores with the right products at the right time. An improvement in the accuracy of sales forecasting by Tesco has enhance the availability of products for customers and decrease the supply chain cost. Tesco forecast accuracy is achieved by sharing valuable d ata beneficial to its entire supply chain via its web-based system known as TescoConnect to achieve an effective inventory system and lean supply chain.By utilising the capabilities of IT in the forecasting and integration of its partners, it enables them to make each part of the supply chain process productive. However, one of the challenges associated to supply chain is poor forecasting resulting in supply chain inefficiencies and lack of responsiveness which can create stock-outs in the shelves of Tesco. References: Acar, Y. & Gardner, E. S. (2012) ‘Forecasting Method Selection in a Global Supply Chain’, International Journal of Forecasting, 28(4), pp. 842-848, [Online]. DOI: 10. 1016/j. ijforecast. 2011. 11. 003 (Accessed: 9 March 2013) Chopra, S. amp; Meindl, P. (2010) Supply chain management: strategy, planning, and operation. 4th Ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Hayya et al. (2006) ‘Estimation in Supply Chain In Inventory Management’, Interna tional Journal of Production Research, 44(7), pp. 1313-1330, [Online]. DOI: 10. 1080/00207540500338039 (Accessed: 9 March 2013) Shu et al. (2011) ‘Supply Chain Collaborative Forecasting Methods Based on Factors’, International Journal of Innovation & Technology Management, 8(1), pp. 135-157, [Online]. DOI: 10. 1142/S0219877011002180 (Accessed: 9 March 2013)

What is an Animal Extinction

The extinction of an animal species occurs when the last individual member of that species dies. Although a species may be extinct in the wild, the species is not considered extinct until every individual—regardless of location, captivity, or ability to breed—has perished. Natural vs. Human-Caused Extinction Most species became extinct as a result of natural causes. In some cases, predators became more powerful and plentiful than the animals on which they preyed; in other cases, severe climate change made previously hospitable territory uninhabitable. Some species, however, such as the passenger pigeon, became extinct due to man-made loss of habitat and over-hunting. Human-caused environmental issues are also creating severe challenges to a number of now-endangered or threatened species. Mass Extinctions in Ancient Times Endangered Species International estimates that 99.9% of the animals that ever existed on earth became extinct due to catastrophic events that occurred while the Earth was evolving. When such events cause animals to die, it’s called a mass extinction. Earth has experienced five mass extinctions due to natural cataclysmic events: The Ordovician Mass Extinction occurred about 440 million years ago during the Paleozoic Era and was likely the result of continental drift and a subsequent two-phase climate change. The first part of this climate change was an ice age that obliterated species unable to adapt to the frigid temperatures. The second cataclysmic event occurred when the ice melted, flooding the oceans with water that lacked sufficient quantities of oxygen to sustain life. Its estimated that 85% of all species perished.The Devonian Mass Extinction that occurred about 375 million years ago has been attributed to several potential factors: diminished oxygen levels in the oceans, the rapid cooling of air temperatures, and possibly volcanic eruptions and/or meteor strikes. Whatever the cause or causes, nearly 80% of all species—terrestrial and aquatic—were wiped out.The Permian Mass Extinction, also known as The Great Dying, occurred about 250 million years ago and resulted in the extinction of 96% of species on the planet. Possible causes have been attributed to climate change, asteroid strikes, volcanic eruptions, and the subsequent rapid development of microbial life that flourished in methane/basalt-rich environments brought about by the release of gases and other elements into the atmosphere as a result of those volcanic activities and/or asteroid impacts.The Triassic-Jurassic  Mass Extinction took place about 200 million years ago. Killing off about 50% of species, it was likely the culmination of a series of smaller extinction events that occurred over the course of the final 18 million years of the Triassic Period during the Mesozoic Era. Possible causes cited are volcanic activity along with its resulting basalt flooding, global climate change, and changing pH and sea levels in the oceans.The K-T Mass Extinction took place about 65 million years ago and resulted in the extinction of approximately 75% of all species. This extinction has been attributed to extreme meteor activity resulting in a phenomenon known as â€Å"impact winter† that drastically altered the climate of the Earth. The Man-made Mass Extinction Crisis â€Å"What is there to life if a man cannot hear the cry of a whippoorwill or the arguments of the frogs around a pond at night?† —Chief Seattle, 1854 While prior mass extinctions occurred long before recorded history, some scientists believe that a mass extinction is taking place right now. Biologists who believe Earth is undergoing a sixth mass extinction of both flora and fauna are raising the alarm. While there have been no natural mass extinctions in the past half-billion years, now that human activities are having a quantifiable impact on the  Earth, extinctions are occurring at an alarming rate. While some extinction occurs in nature, it is not in the large numbers being experienced today. The rate of extinction due to natural causes is on average one to five species annually. With human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of habitats, however, we are losing plant, animal, and insect species at an alarmingly rapid rate. Statistics from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) estimate between 150 and 200 plant, insect, bird, and mammal species go extinct every day. Alarmingly, this rate is almost 1,000 times greater than the â€Å"natural† or â€Å"background† rate, and according to biologists, more cataclysmic than anything Earth has witnessed since dinosaurs disappeared nearly 65 million years ago.