08 Aug Project management requires careful situational analysis and consideration of your customer requirements, the project that needs to be tackled, and the information that exists at t
Project management requires careful situational analysis and consideration of your customer requirements, the project that needs to be tackled, and the information that exists at the planning stage. It is argued that there are instances in which traditional methods will not cut it, in which case project managers may elect to take an adaptive management approach. This course will lay the foundation for you to think critically about real-world projects that may require special handling.
Your final project for this course will require you to apply your knowledge of both traditional and nontraditional (adaptive) project management methods and approaches. You will select a scenario from the three options provided that involves managing a business project and analyzing the customer requirements and the information known (as well as that which is unknown) to determine whether an adaptive project management (APM) or a traditional project management (TPM) approach would be the most appropriate. As this is an APM course, you will have to explain what shortcomings of TPM and what benefits of APM led you to an APM approach.
You will then design an adaptive project management framework, integrating various methods and techniques you feel would be beneficial for the situation from the scenario. Throughout, you will be expected to defend your claims and decisions and clearly determine what from the scenario caused you to make your selections.
You will have two options for submission: an APA formatted report, or a presentation with accompanying speaker notes to ensure that you address all of the pieces of the prompt below.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
- Differentiate between traditional project management and adaptive project management principles and practices by analyzing key components of each
- Determine the best project management methods for use in complex and evolving projects by analyzing project and customer requirements
- Select the best adaptive methods for use in project management based on situational analysis and iterative development considerations
- Design adaptive project management frameworks for real-world scenarios that successfully integrate adaptive, agile, and iterative management techniques
Your adaptive project management framework should answer the following prompt: For the situation/scenario selected, develop an adaptive framework for managing the project that is being tackled. Considering the variety of adaptive techniques and processes that have been utilized for other projects, and the various schools of thought in adaptive project management, what techniques would you integrate into a management framework for the scenario you have selected?
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
- Introduction:
- Scenario: Analyze the situation, givens, and customer requirements from the scenario you selected. Make sure you clearly identify the necessary information (both “knowns and unknowns”) and the project type.
- Project Management Approaches: Analyze the key principles and stakeholders behind traditional project management (TPM) and adaptive project management (APM), providing detailed explanation and examples for clarity.
- Traditional Project Management (TPM): Describe the key roles and responsibilities of the members of a TPM team and the key elements of traditional project planning, scheduling, and monitoring functions and how the triple constraint is handled in TPM.
- Approach Selection: Based on your situation/scenario analysis, and your analysis of the traditional and adaptive management elements, which approach would best serve the project? Be sure to provide a comprehensive defense of your selection that cites specifics from your analysis.
- Framework:
- Analyze three nontraditional project management frameworks and identify the capabilities and limitations of each.
- Determine the most appropriate type of nontraditional framework for your project, providing a thorough defense of your selection.
- What aspects from other adaptive management approaches would you find useful for this project? Explain why you either chose to stay within the bounds of the adaptive framework you identified above or chose to incorporate a variety of elements into your own framework.
- Framework Design: Synthesize knowledge of APM types to develop a framework to apply to your real-world project situation. You will need to identify any special methods you intend to integrate into the framework type that you selected and explain why you chose to integrate these methods.
- Design a logical adaptive project management framework that includes agile and iterative management techniques.
- Assess effectiveness of the chosen method of APM for refinement and reutilization. Be sure to defend your claims.
You will have two options for submission of your final project: You may create a presentation with detailed speaker notes and appropriately cited resources, or you may create a report in APA format. Regardless of your choice, your submission should be of professional quality and clear, without spelling, grammar, or citation errors.
2-3 Final Project Milestone One: Scenario Selection – Information Paper
Jacob Wright
Southern New Hampshire University
QSO 435: Adaptive Project Management
Professor DeStefano
8 July 2023
This information paper aims to provide an overview of the current situation, facts, assumptions, and project requirements of Valpak, a company that successfully transformed its business through the utilization of technology and the implementation of agile Scrum/Kanban processes. Additionally, it will analyze key principles of traditional project management (TPM) and adaptive project management (APM) with detailed examples and stakeholders. Furthermore, it will explain how the triple constraint is handled in traditional project management and review various types of project management approaches.
In the case of Valpak, the company successfully transformed its business by adopting agile Scrum/Kanban processes and leveraging technology. This transition allowed Valpak to quickly adapt to changing market conditions and drive business growth. Traditional project management (TPM) principles emphasize detailed planning and control, while adaptive project management (APM) focuses on flexibility and adaptability. In the Valpak case, TPM principles would involve creating a detailed project plan for the transition to agile methodologies, while APM principles would involve adapting the processes to meet changing customer needs.
Overview of Valpak's Transformation:
Valpak, a company operating in the digital savings marketplace, embarked on a business transformation journey to compete with the rapidly changing market. They recognized the importance of utilizing technology and adopted an agile Scrum/Kanban process with two-week sprint delivery cycles. This transition allowed Valpak to quickly adapt to customer demands and drive business growth.
Current Situation:
Valpak's IT group plays a crucial role in the company's business transformation and success. By embracing agile methodologies, Valpak has been able to leverage technology effectively to meet customer needs. The IT organization is now operating with an agile mindset, focusing on iterative development and continuous improvement.
Key Principles of Traditional Project Management (TPM):
1. Emphasis on Planning and Control: TPM emphasizes detailed planning upfront, with a focus on defining project scope, creating a comprehensive project plan, and setting specific milestones. It emphasizes control through strict adherence to the plan, managing risks, and tracking progress against predefined metrics.
Example: In the Valpak case, TPM principles would include creating a detailed project plan for the transition to agile Scrum/Kanban processes, including defining specific objectives, timelines, and resource allocation.
Stakeholders: Project manager, project team, senior management, customers.
2. Sequential and Linear Approach: TPM follows a linear project life cycle, where different project phases (e.g., initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure) occur sequentially. Each phase must be completed before moving onto the next.
Example: In the Valpak case, TPM would involve following a sequential approach to the transition, with each phase (e.g., planning, implementation, refinement) completed before moving on to the next.
Stakeholders: Project manager, project team, stakeholders involved in each project phase.
Key Principles of Adaptive Project Management (APM):
1. Flexibility and Adaptability: APM emphasizes flexibility and adapt ability to change project requirements and deliverables as needed. It focuses on iterative development, allowing for continuous feedback and improvement throughout the project lifecycle.
Example: In the Valpak case, APM principles would involve adapting the agile Scrum/Kanban processes to meet changing customer demands and market dynamics. The two-week sprint delivery cycles allow for frequent iterations and feedback from stakeholders.
Stakeholders: Project manager, project team, stakeholders involved in Agile ceremonies and sprint reviews.
2. Collaboration and Empowered Teams: APM promotes collaboration and cross-functional teamwork. It encourages self-organization and decision-making at the team level, empowering team members to take ownership and responsibility for their work.
Example: In the Valpak case, APM would involve collaborative decision-making within the agile Scrum/Kanban teams, with the team members empowered to make decisions about task prioritization, sprint planning, and process improvement.
Stakeholders: Project manager, agile Scrum/Kanban teams, product owners, stakeholders involved in sprint planning and backlog refinement.
Handling the Triple Constraint in Traditional Project Management:
In TPM, the triple constraint, which refers to the relationship between scope, schedule, and resources, is handled through careful planning and control. In Valpak's case, TPM principles were applied to clearly define the scope of transitioning to agile processes, create a detailed project schedule to ensure timely delivery, and allocate appropriate resources. By carefully managing these aspects, Valpak was able to maintain control and balance within the project.
Types of Project Management Approaches:
1. Waterfall Approach: The waterfall approach follows a sequential and linear project lifecycle, with each phase completed before moving on to the next. It is best suited for projects with well-defined requirements and minimal changes expected.
2. Agile Approach: The agile approach focuses on iterative development, continuous feedback, and adaptability. It is ideal for projects in a rapidly changing environment or where requirements are expected to evolve.
3. Hybrid Approach: The hybrid approach combines elements of both TPM and APM. It allows for flexibility and adaptability while also incorporating structured planning and control.
Valpak's successful transformation highlights the benefits of transitioning from traditional project management to adaptive project management. By embracing agile Scrum/Kanban processes, Valpak was able to leverage technology effectively and adapt to customer demands. Understanding the key principles of traditional project management and adaptive project management, as well as how to handle the triple constraint, can help the staff of the Program Management Office (PMO) support projects and initiatives in a ever-changing business landscape. It is recommended that the PMO explores the implementation of adaptive project management principles and methodologies to enable agility and drive successful outcomes for future projects.
References
Traditional Project Management – Tutorialspoint. Retrieved 08 July 2023, from
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/management_concepts/traditional_project_management.htm
Greycampus. Retrieved 08 July 2023, from
https://www.greycampus.com/opencampus/agilecertified-practitioner/apm-framework
Project Management Institute, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge
(PMBOK® Guide), Project Management Institute Inc.
Team, T., & Team, T. Top Project Management Methods, Approaches, Techniques | Nutcache.
Retrieved 08 July 2023, from
https://www.nutcache.com/blog/8-top-project-anagementapproaches-methods-techniques/
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4-2 Final Project Milestone Two: Approach Selection – Decision Paper
Jacob Wright
Southern New Hampshire University
QSO 435 Adaptive Project Management
Professor DeStefano
23 July 2023
APM for Valpak's Transformation
I examined an array of alternatives, which comprises traditional project management (TPM) and adaptive project management (APM) methods, before determining on the project management (PM) strategy that would prove to be the most efficient for Valpak's business transformation. As part of Valpak's move to agile Scrum/Kanban procedures, which TPM places a strong emphasis on (Sojan & Ajayakumar, 2019), a thorough project plan may need to be developed. The sequential and linear nature of TPM may not be the best fit for Valpak's dynamic requirements, however, given the quickly evolving digital savings industry. The business might be less able to quickly react to changing consumer needs and market conditions because of TPM's rigidity (Sanchez et al., 2019).
APM, on the other hand, places a strong emphasis on adaptability, collaboration, and flexibility, making it a good fit for Valpak's transformation process. Valpak can quickly respond to client expectations by utilizing agile Scrum/Kanban methods with two-week sprint delivery cycles to iterate on development. This strategy promotes cross-functional team empowerment, collaborative decision-making, and permits ongoing feedback and development. We advise an adaptive project management methodology for future projects in light of Valpak's successful adoption of agile methodologies and their capacity for swift adaptation. APM supports Valpak's flexible thinking and company expansion goals, allowing them to prosper in the rapidly evolving digital savings industry (Agbejule & Lehtineva, 2022).
Valpak might anticipate a number of extra advantages with the use of an adaptive project management strategy (APM). The use of APM fosters a culture of ongoing learning and improvement, enabling Valpak teams to spot potential problems early on and take appropriate action, improving project outcomes and elevating customer happiness. APM supports a more inclusive decision-making process by empowering cross-functional teams and encouraging cooperation. By utilizing the aggregate knowledge and creativity of team members, this approach can produce creative solutions to challenging problems. Additionally, Valpak is able to respond quickly to consumer input and shifting market demands thanks to the regular feedback loops and iterative development cycles inherent in APM. As a result, their business transformation initiatives continue to be in line with market trends and client expectations.
In the end, Adaptive Project Management (APM), specifically utilizing agile Scrum/Kanban processes, was chosen as the methodology. This choice is supported by Valpak's prior achievements in adopting technology and agile processes, which helped them quick reaction to shifting market conditions. APM's adaptability, flexibility, and focus on collaboration are in line with Valpak's aspirations for business transformation and will enable their IT group to keep achieving effective results in a changing business environment. The Program Management Office (PMO) of Valpak can assure agility and ongoing growth in upcoming projects and initiatives by implementing APM concepts and practices.
References
Agbejule, A., & Lehtineva, L. (2022). The relationship between traditional project management, agile project management and teamwork quality on project success. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 30(7), 124-136.
Sanchez, F., Micaelli, J. P., & Bonjour, E. (2019). A Step for Improving the Transition Between Traditional Project Management to Agile Project Management Using a Project Management Maturity Model. The Journal of Modern Project Management, 7(1). https://journalmodernpm.com/manuscript/index.php/jmpm/article/view/JMPM01906
Sojan, S. K., & Ajayakumar, A. (2019). Agile management in construction industry. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET), 6, 5128-5134.
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5-2 Final Project Milestone Three: Analysis and Project Framework – Position Paper
Jacob Wright
Southern New Hampshire University
QSO 435: Adaptive Project Management
Professor DeStefano
29 July 2023
Introduction
Nontraditional project management (PM) frameworks are now crucial for firms looking to remain competitive and fast adjust to changing market needs in today's quickly changing business environment. One such strategy is adaptive project management (APM), which places a focus on adaptability, teamwork, and ongoing improvement. The implementation of agile Scrum/Kanban procedures by Valpak led to a successful transformation that serves as an example of the advantages of APM. In this position paper, we will examine the aspects of Valpak that enable an APM strategy and evaluate three non-conventional TPM frameworks to determine their strengths and weaknesses (Sanchez et al., 2019).
Characteristics Supporting APM at Valpak
The IT department of Valpak is crucial to the company's transformation process. Valpak has proven its capacity to use technology efficiently and change to meet client needs by embracing agile approaches. Now that agile thinking is prevalent throughout the firm, iterative development and continuous improvement are prioritized. These qualities fit with the fundamental tenets of APM, making it an appropriate strategy for Valpak's changing business environment.
Analysis of Nontraditional TPM Frameworks
The waterfall approach, which follows a sequential and linear project lifecycle and is ideal for projects with well-defined requirements and few expected changes, is the first TPM framework in this situation. Its rigidity, however, might make it more difficult for Valpak to react quickly to shifting consumer and market demands. Second, firms that must adapt quickly to changing market conditions and customer demands should use the agile methodology, as demonstrated by Valpak's transition. Valpak is able to quickly iterate on development and stay in line with market trends and consumer expectations because it encourages cooperation, flexibility, and ongoing input. Thirdly, the hybrid approach includes components of both TPM and APM, providing firms looking for structured planning and control with flexibility with a balanced solution. Valpak's effective use of APM principles supports a more concentrated implementation of pure APM, but it may be an option for the company in the future (Thesing et a., 2021).
Selection and Defense of Project Management Approach
The best project management strategy is APM in light of Valpak's dynamic business environment and prior success with agile Scrum/Kanban methods. The goals of Valpak for company transformation and ongoing growth are aligned with the adaptability, flexibility, and collaboration stressed by APM (Cobb, 2023). In order to effectively support prospective projects and initiatives and ensure that they stay flexible and responsive to changing market conditions and customer expectations, Valpak's IT division will continue to incorporate APM principles.
Conclusion
In the end, Valpak's effective business transformation has been made possible by the adoption of nontraditional project management frameworks, particularly APM. APM fits particularly well with Valpak's dynamic workplace and aims for continual improvement because of its emphasis on adaptability and collaboration. By using APM as the project management methodology, Valpak's Program Management Office can ensure the accomplishment of future projects and foster the company's expansion in the cutthroat digital savings industry.
References
Cobb, C. G. (2023). The project manager's guide to mastering Agile: Principles and practices for an adaptive approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Sanchez, F., Micaelli, J. P., & Bonjour, E. (2019). A Step for Improving the Transition Between Traditional Project Management to Agile Project Management Using a Project Management Maturity Model. The Journal of Modern Project Management, 7(1). https://journalmodernpm.com/manuscript/index.php/jmpm/article/view/JMPM01906
Thesing, T., Feldmann, C., & Burchardt, M. (2021). Agile versus waterfall project management: decision model for selecting the appropriate approach to a project. Procedia Computer Science, 181, 746-756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2021.01.227
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Milestone Four: Small Group Discussion
To develop a framework for the real-world project situation at Valpak, we can synthesize knowledge of Agile Project Management (APM) types, such as Scrum and Kanban. The framework should be tailored to Valpak's specific needs and context. A suggested approach is below.
Assess Current Processes: Begin by analyzing Valpak's existing Agile Scrum/Kanban implementation to understand its strengths and weaknesses. Identify areas for improvement and determine how to leverage their existing success. Evaluating the existing Agile Scrum/Kanban implementation helps in understanding what has been successful so far and what areas need improvement. By learning from past experiences, the framework can build on what's working well and address any challenges or inefficiencies.
Hybrid Approach: Consider adopting a hybrid Agile approach by integrating the best elements of Scrum and Kanban that align with Valpak's business goals. Scrum's structured sprints and Kanban's continuous flow can complement each other. Adopting a hybrid Agile approach combines the benefits of Scrum and Kanban. Scrum provides a structured framework with defined roles, events, and artifacts, while Kanban offers flexibility and continuous flow. This combination allows Valpak to maintain a predictable development rhythm through sprints while being adaptable to sudden changes or urgent tasks.
Backlog Management: Create a prioritized backlog of tasks and features to be delivered in the two-week sprint cycles. This helps maintain focus on the most valuable items and ensures that the IT group is aligned with the business's transformation objectives.
Capacity Planning: Implement capacity planning to optimize resource allocation and avoid overloading the team. This will ensure a sustainable pace of development and a smoother workflow. This will lead to more consistent and efficient development.
Continuous Improvement: Encouraging a culture of continuous improvement through regular retrospectives empowers the team to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in their processes. By addressing these issues incrementally, the IT group can steadily enhance their productivity and delivery quality. This will foster a learning environment.
Collaboration and Communication: Emphasizing effective collaboration and communication between teams and stakeholders fosters a shared understanding of project goals. It reduces misunderstandings, keeps everyone on the same page, and encourages a sense of ownership and commitment to project success. This is essential to ensure everyone is aligned with the project's objectives and progress.
Automation and Tooling: Integrating automation and suitable tools streamlines various aspects of the development and delivery process. Automation reduces manual overhead, speeds up repetitive tasks, and minimizes errors, improving overall efficiency.
Adaptive Planning: Embracing adaptive planning acknowledges that business requirements and priorities can change rapidly. By remaining flexible and open to adjustments, Valpak can respond quickly to market demands and make necessary course corrections, ensuring their solutions stay relevant and competitive. This flexibility allows Valpak to stay responsive and relevant in the digital savings marketplace.
This framework synthesizes Agile principles from Scrum and Kanban, tailoring them to Valpak's needs. The combination of these methods provides a structured yet adaptable approach to project management. By focusing on collaboration, continuous improvement, and capacity planning, Valpak's IT group can deliver valuable results more effectively and contribute significantly to the company's business transformation and growth in the dynamic digital savings marketplace.
