Introduction
Project management involves the responsibilities of planning, implementation and the closing of
projects. The projects are mostly in various life cycles and as each cycle progresses the more
challenges are encountered. Project managers must have the ability to adapt to the demands of
various phases of the project. Most of the demands are associated with management theories and
practices and are also based on individual opinions, experiences and on the contexts that the
projects are prevailing. Project management is basically a team sport and it depends heavily on
the team players especially the principal players who must shoulder the responsibility and also be
accountable to the tasks that they have been charged with.
In the transport company that i work for, project management is utilized during the evaluation,
ordering and acquisition processes. The following are the processes that are involved in the
project management phases. The selection process takes place after project definition has been
accomplished. The various needs of the company are prioritized when selecting the right truck
for the company’s transport system. The fuel consumption per kilometer, the repairs and
maintenance expenses involved together with the costs of acquisition, capacity of the trucks and
the payment terms ( Cleland & Gareis, 2006). The cost of the project is evaluated against the
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benefits anticipated using various capital budgeting appraisal techniques like the NPV (Net
Present Value) and IRR (Internal Rate of Return). The performance aspect of the chosen model
has to be considered and weighed in comparison to other viable alternatives. The role of project
management is to control the implementation process to ensure that it does not interfere with
planned delivery plans that may have been planned for later dates.
The closure of the project management in my workplace involves the management of all the
workflows and the project baseline, metrics and all the parameters of orders, payments and
deliveries. These requirements are needed to control the project and also ensure that all the
timeframes are not affected (Ireland, 2006).Sourcing in the transport industry where I worked
involve the implementation and control of the acquisition processes that also involve payment
and delivery of trucks and generally to ensure that are all the aspects of project implementation
are all progressing as scheduled.
In my work only the aspect of acquisition and comparison in pricing of the spare parts of various
trucks that are operating within the department that I can control and manage effectively. The
use of the feedback system to control and monitor the effectiveness of the control system is very
helpful (Lock, 2007).
In my daily work in the office project management would be characterized by a good system of
receiving the delivery of the trucks as ordered and an organized dispatch system of various
consignments to different locations as planned and the reviewing of the feedback system in
accordance with the performance of the trucks. The other aspect of project management that I
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would implement in my daily tasks would be the introduction of an effective feedback system
where the task or activities handled would be evaluated in future to weigh their performance.
To conclude, most activities at my former work place are handled based on past experience and
personal opinions and input from my colleagues from other departments. Their theories on
different models of trucks especially on their effectiveness and fuel efficiency are all true.
Project management only plays the crucial role of coordinating all the activities in the project.
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References
Cleland , D.I. & Gareis, R. (2006). Global Project Management Handbook. McGraw-Hill
Professional.
Ireland, L.R. (2006) Project Management. McGraw-Hill Professional.
Lock, D. (2007) Project Management (9th ed.) Gower Publishing, Ltd.
