There are several ways we can justify the use of project management in the implementation of this multi-million dollar project. First and foremost we can start by pointing out to the company’s past projects and the challenges encountered. By digging into history, we can hit home on why it is important for the organization to take on project management. In the past, projects have experienced schedule delays as well as massive cost overruns. By taking up project management practices,we can ensure that the project is completed within the scheduled time and all the money injected into the project is also accounted for by us. Project management enables the entire staff to learn from past failures and successes.

Project management allows the organization to strategically align itself by ensuring that what is being delivered is appropriate and will offer the organization real value and business opportunity. Project management brings direction and leadership into projects. It gives the project purpose, control,and direction. Project management provides vision, motivation, and leadership. It removes roadblocks and inspires the project team to function optimally. The project manager ensures that every team member is accountable. They design the roles of each member, define their jobs and provide necessary training if necessary. The project manager takes the mantle because they will be blamed if the project fails. The stakeholders are assured that the project is in line with the company’s objectives and goals. Project management offers a suitable plan for accomplishing the organization’s strategic goals. It ensures that whateveris delivered is of high-quality and satisfies all the needs. Project risks are mitigated and controlled. As a result, it saves the organization money and time and ensures timely and quality delivery of the product or service.

According to the PMBOK, technology has a lot of risks because of its rapid changes(Kerzner 599). There is, therefore, the constant need to balance schedule, technical performance,andbalance cost.It is difficult for a project manager to plan a 3-4 years project without expecting engineeringchanges due to technological advancement. Generally, there are a lot of risks involved in software development projects because of the continuous advancement of technology.Project management helps the organization to anticipate, assess, mitigate and control all these risks. Some of the practices that should be included in the project are test-driven development where the software is first tested. Simple design should be implemented. The design should not be complicated,but it shouldbe easy to follow and understand. There should be continuous integrations with company departments and activities. We will work collaboratively as a team with clearly stipulated roles for each member and a superior to account to about the project progress. We will havea schedule, timeline, work break-down, andwork plan. The project manager helps define the project objectives and ensure that they are all adhered to during the entire process. The team members get to be part of the software development; they get to test it and give recommendations. They are part of the project because they are the end-users. They get to contribute to the company’s success.Management benefits from risk mitigation, completion of the project, and proper accountability of resources. The software also satisfyies all the company’s needs as well as accomplishing its strategic goals such as competitive advantage.

Question two

I would try to calm the senior stakeholder down. Express my gratitude for the previous and current input. I would briefly explain the project management structure and the Change Control Board (CCB).A CCB is necessary for any software development project. It comprises of technical experts and SME(subject matter experts). In our case, it is composed of the project manager, functional managers,and project sponsor. It is charged with the responsibility of evaluating proposed software development changes. They decline and approve changes depending on their alignment with software needs and plan. The project must stay in line with its goals.

If any person proposes a change, they must fill a change request which will be checked by the CCB. The CCB compare the proposed change against the project goals and objectives. They then decline or approve the proposal. Some of the key elements that the CCB looks at before approving the change request are whether the change is beneficial, risky, and necessary, whether the change will put time,scope and finance constraints, whether it will affect the quality, and whether it will hinder the completion of the project.By explaining the importance of the CCB and the role they play in safeguarding the project’s best interest to ensure its completion I can convince him to make the change request.

According to a Guide to the Project Management Book of Knowledge, a project management plan points out to the Change Control Board to review changes that exceed a specified cost(PMBOK guide 119). The CBC, therefore, accounts for the money injected to the project. They ensure that every penny is optimally used. Some changes mayinquire about heavy costs which are not necessary. The CBC helps in managing risks.

Question three

In my experience with adoption of new technology in a company, most employees resist change. It is not a surprise to me. They are usually accustomed to using the old software that they have a hard time letting it go. First and foremost there must be a motivation to adopting the new software. You must inquire from the staff about the challenges and problems they face when using the current software. By understanding those problems, you can solve them in the new software. Most employees find it time-consuming to embrace and get used to the new software. If you explain to them about its advantages over the old software and the problems it solves about the old software, then they will be enthusiastic about trying it out. Emphasizing about the benefits the staff and organization at large could reap from adopting the new software will increase the morale of the staff implementing it. The staff should be informed about the added value of the software, competitive advantage,and good ROI.Improvements must be madefrom the old software,and it must solve the problems in the old software.The user expectations are among the core requirements of the project.

You must start by explaining to the staff about the need for a change of the software. You must explain why you select that particular software.Upon selection of the software, several staff members should be selected to be in charge of its implementation. They do not need to be IT gurus but must be influencers. You will use them to get the other members on board. Once they are passionate and invested in the new software, other employees will also feel the same about the software. End-users should be involved early in the software implementation process. Thorough training should be given to ensure successful adoption. You should also encourage constant feedback. The software is only successful if the staff fully embraces it. You should also provideall types of resources that are useful for educating and training the employees about the software. The resources could be webinars,product manuals, white papers,andtutorials.

Works Cited

Kerzner, Harold. Project Management: A Systems Approach To Planning, Scheduling, And Controlling. 12th ed., John Wiley & Sons, 2017, pp. 599-605.

PMBOK guide. Guide To The Project Management Body Of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) / Project Management Institute.. 6th ed., Project Management Institute, 2017, p. 119.