Chapter 4, Project Integration Management
1. Read the report “2015 Pulse of the Profession. Capturing the Value of Project Management” by PMI mentioned in the What Went Right section, page 194 of the 8th Edition of the book. Summarize the key points on this study and your opinion of it. Describe some specific steps organization can take to provide a supportive culture for project management.
Hello! I read the report about “2015 Pulse of the Profession. Capturing the Value of Project Management” by PMI mentioned in the What Went Right section, page 164 of the 8th Edition of Information Technology Project Management.I make some insight or key points on this study and make someopinion for it. And describing some specific steps organization that can take to provide a supportive culture for project management.
For me the main points of the study are on how the organizations excel in project management. Organizations excel because they gave value to their project, they spend allotted time for it and make more extra effort. The team gave a lot of attention and have a strict and demanding to the project, program and portfolio management, through that they improve their ability to execute strategy and creates a competitive advantage. So the team must be cooperative to their team and have rigorous approach to the project.
In order to improve, organizations must make some major cultural changes. They need to make sure that everyone fully understands the value of the project management, require that executive sponsors are fully engaged on projects and programs, and align their projects to the organization’s strategy.
For me planning is one of the steps in organization to provide a supportive culture for project management. Planning can help to understand the importance of your project, through that the collaboration for the project are needed so the communication to your team will be improve. If you have a plan the team will work with that. Second is executing, if the team will execute with their task or do their task the project will smoothly flow.
1. Perform a financial analysis for a project using the format provided in the book(IT Project Management, Revised 6e). Assume that the projected costs and benefits for this project are spread over four years as follows: Estimated costs are $200,000 in Year 1 and $30,000 each year in Years 2, 3, and 4. Estimated benefits are $0 in Year 1 and $100,000 each year in Years 2, 3, and 4. Use a 9 percent discount rate, and round the discount factors to two decimal places. Create a spreadsheet or use the business case financials template on the companion Web site to calculate and clearly display the NPV, ROI, and year in which payback occurs. In addition, write a paragraph explaining whether you would recommend investing in this project, based on your financial analysis.Assume the project is completed in Year 1.
Created By: Raphael Pancho

Assumptions:
For me I wouldn’t recommend investing on this project because the ROI or Return on Investment was too low. It is said that the higher the ROI is, the better. An ROI of 112 percent is outstanding. So resulting negative are not better.
An organization should consider only projects with a positive NPV if financial value is a key criterion for project selection. A positive NPV means that the return from a project exceeds the cost of capital — the return available by investing the capital elsewhere. Projects with higher NPVs are preferred to projects with lower NPVs, if all other factors are equal.
1. Develop an outline (major heading and subheading only) for a project management plan to create a Web Site for your class, and then dill in the details for the introduction or overview section. Assume that this Web site would include home page with links to a syllabus for the class, lecture notes or other instructional information, links to the Web site for the books that we are using in the class, links to other Web sites and all links to personal pages for each member of your class and future classmates. Also, include a bulletin board and chat room feature where students and the instructor can exchange information. Assume your instructor is the project’s sponsor, you are the project manager, your classmates are your project team and you have three months to complete the project.
OUTLINE:
Website
I. Home Page
a. Links to a syllabus for the class
b. Links to lectures notes
c. Links to the activity
d. Links on Information Technology Project Management, 7e and Information Technology Project Management, 8e.
e. Links on Google and YouTube
f. Links to personal pages for each member of the class and future classmates.
II. Bulletin Board
a. Announcement
b. Notice
III. Chat Room
a. Student
b. Instructor
c. Both Student and Instructor
2. Write a short paper based on the chapter’s opening case. Answer the following questions (Information Technology Project Management, 7e, page 140, Opening Case):
Opening Case
Nick Carson recently became project manager of a critical biotech enterprise at his Silicon Valley company. This project involved creating the hardware and software for a DNA-sequencing instrument used in assembling and analyzing the human genome. The biotech project was the company’s largest endeavor, and it had tremendous potential for future growth and revenues. Unfortunately, there were problems managing this large project. It had been under way for three years and had already gone through three different project managers. Nick had been the lead software developer on the project before top management made him the project manager. The CEO told him to do whatever it took to deliver the first version of the DNA-sequencing software in four months and a production version in nine months. Negotiations for a potential corporate buyout with a larger company influenced top management’s sense of urgency to complete the project. Highly energetic and intelligent, Nick had the technical background to make the project a success. He delved into the technical problems and found some critical flaws that kept the DNA-sequencing instrument from working. Nevertheless, he was having difficulty in his new role as project manager. Although Nick and his team got the product out on time, top management was upset because Nick did not focus on managing all aspects of the project. He never provided them with accurate schedules or detailed plans of what was happening on the project. Instead of performing the work of project manager, Nick had taken on the role of software integrator and troubleshooter. Nick, however, did not understand top management’s complaints — he delivered the product, didn’t he? Didn’t they realize how valuable he was?
QUESTIONS and Answers:
a. What do you think the real problem was in this case?
For me, the real problem was Nick didn’t know on how to handle the task as project manager and how to manage the project.
b. Does the case present a realistic scenario? Why or why not?
Yes, this case was happening in a real world. As a first timer for his/her position many difficulties may occur when managing a project. When time goes by your skills will develop on how to handle a projectthrough your effort and determination, your difficulties to your project may have solution for it. Soon you will notice that you can handle or manage project in a right way.
c. Was Nick Carson a good project manager? Why or why not?
No, because he didn’t work as a project manager, he works as software integrator and troubleshooter. Nick did not focus on managing all aspects of the project. He never provided the team with accurate schedules or detailed plans of what was happening on the project.
d. What should top management have done to help Nick?
To help Nick, they should orient or discuss to Nick on how to manage a project, what are the good characteristic of a project manager, the role of a project manager to the project and how to collaborate to his team members. Nick should understand first the requirements on how to be a good project manager.
e. What could Nick have done to be a better project manager?
As a project manager Nick should know how to manage his team and know what are the task gave to them. Nick should provide the accurate schedules or detailed plans of what was happening on the project and have a knowledge on project integration management.
References:
Information Technology Project Management, 7e,
Information Technology Project Management, 8e,
2015 PMI’s Pulse of the Profession, Capturing the Value of Project Management