BMSW5104: Managing Projects In The Organisation: Onsite Catering Case Study

Introduction: BMSW5104 - Project Lifecycle, Methodologies, and Risk Analysis for Onsite Catering

Project management is a concept which particularly focuses on the effective planning and organizing of resources so that the objective of the project can be attained well. In case the project is not managed effectively then it will affect the overall efficiency of the business and the company will not become successful. The current study is based on a large manufacturing organization which is located in Southeast London. The company has almost 1000 employees on the site who are working in different roles. The current study will outline the overview of the case and also the different stages of the project lifecycle. Along with this, it will outline the evaluation of different project management methods and tools implemented to attain the objective of the project. Moreover, the evaluation of the stakeholders and the resources analysis will take place along with the risk assessment. In the end, the Gantt chart and the WBS will be prepared for the project.

MAIN BODY

Overview of the case

The present study is based on a company dealing in the manufacturing industry. The company is situated in Southeast London and employs graduate management trainees. The current company has approximately 1000 employees who are working on-site. Both the factory and office are working on extensive sites in different buildings. Currently, the company does not have any onsite catering and this creates issues and problems for the company. As a result of this, the employees move out of the premises during the lunch break and these results in the creation of congestion issue within the local area. In addition to this, when the employees go out for lunch then this results in taking more time and as a result of this the working capability of the employee reduces (Ika and et.al, 2020). Also, the working time is reduced as when the employee goes out then it takes time to come and settle for work again after the lunch break. Thus, this was the major issue which the company was facing. Along with this another issue for the company is to improve and develop a healthy lifestyle for the organization. This is because of the reason that there is a requirement to develop a healthy lifestyle and try to work on CSR practices as well. Also, the company need to take measures to reduce staff absenteeism so that the overall working of the company can be improved. Thus, the major objective of the current company is to provide onsite catering and another objective includes promoting a healthy lifestyle among the employees.

Stages of PLC

For the successful working and accomplishment of the objectives of the business, the appropriate stages of project management must be followed. These stages assist the company in developing a framework which helps in managing the work and attaining the overall objectives of the project (Magano and et.al, 2020). In the present case, the objective of the company is to provide onsite catering services so that the employees are provided with the opportunity to have lunch within the premises only. This will assist the company in saving the time of the employees as they will not be going out for lunch and as a result of this, the time will be saved. Moreover, when the catering services are provided to the employees then they can easily have their food on the site only and it will reduce the congestion as well.

Project initiation

This is the first stage of the project management life cycle and is the basis for the successful attainment of the objective of the project. This stage includes defining the goals of the project and creating the business case so that there is clarity of work and objectives can be attained well. In the present case, the objective of the project is to develop an on-site catering service for the employees. Along with this another objective of the current project is to promote a healthy lifestyle and to enhance the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for the company. For the implementation of the present objectives it is very crucial that effective working is managed so that the overall objectives can be easily met.

Project planning

The next stage for the successful completion of the project is the effective planning. It is very necessary for the company they effectively plan the working and the outline so that appropriate actions can be taken. In case the planning is effective then it will be improving the overall efficiency of the company and steps will be taken to meet the objectives decided in the initiation stage (Demystifying the 5 Phases of Project Management, 2024). In the present case, the resources are listed for the effective attainment of the objectives. Within this stage resources for the completion of the objectives are arranged like finance, manpower, budget, technology and many other different types of resources used for the attainment of the objectives of business. Also, it is planned to accomplish the objectives of the project within 3-4 months so that business performance can be improved.

Project execution

This is the stage within which the company implements all the planned stages and working. In this stage the actual working takes place and the company must execute the steps properly so that the overall working can be improved and objectives can be attained. For the execution, all the resources planned are allocated to every activity of the project so that objectives can be attained well (Copola Azenha, Aparecida Reis and Leme Fleury, 2021). Along with this, the estimated cost for the development of the on-site catering service is £3500 approximately. This is very essential for the project manager they effectively plan the cost so that appropriate work can be managed within the decided budget. Also, for the development of an on-site catering service, the company will be getting tenders from other companies and will be established within the company. This tender is taken from the other companies and then it is evaluated and the tender which is the cheapest will be hired. After that, the construction of a new place for the providing of catering service needs to be developed. Also, a wide seating arrangement needs to be constructed so that the employees can sit and eat together.

Project monitoring and closure

This is the last stage of the project management life cycle wherein the monitoring takes place whether the objective has been attained or not. For the success of the project, the objectives must be attained well. Thus, for the monitoring of the project, the use of benchmarking is used so that the overall development of the project can be monitored. This is necessary for the reason that with the help of benchmarking the company compares the actual performance with the benchmark being set (Pan and Zhang, 2021). Thus, it will assist the company in evaluating the fact that whether the planned objectives and standard set have been attained or not. In the end, when it is evaluated that the project objectives are attained well then automatically the project comes to an end. This simply implies that the objectives of the project have successfully been attained and the on-site catering service has been implemented within the company.

Analysis of Project Methodologies

The project management methodologies are the different tools or principles which are used by the company to attain the project objectives easily. For the success of the company, the appropriate methodology must be used as it guides the company in attaining the project objectives easily. The different types of project management methodologies which are useful for the company to implement in on-site catering services are as follows-

Agile

This is a type of methodology which is based on delivering the requirement of the project effectively so that the objectives can be attained well (Daemi, Chugh and Kanagarajoo, 2021). This approach is highly flexible and assists the company in meeting the changing requirements very easily.

Scrum

This project management methodology includes helping the team structure effectively so that the work can be managed efficiently. This methodology particularly emphasises setting up values, principles and other relating to the accomplishment of the objectives easily.

Waterfall

This is another major methodology which is assistive to the project manager in attaining the objectives of the company. This is a traditional methodology which emphasises breaking the whole project into different phases. It is divided into different phases because it makes it easier for the company to attain the overall objective for which the project is implemented.

To implement the work effectively and attain the objectives easily the company undertakes the use of waterfall methodology. This is implemented for the attainment of the objectives of the current project because it assists in dividing the whole process into smaller steps and as a result of this the overall attainment of objectives is much easier.

Stakeholder Analysis

For the success of the project, the stakeholders must be kept happy and satisfied. Keeping the stakeholders happy and satisfied is the top most priority of the company to be successful. The stakeholders are the people who are interested in the progress of the company (Shaqour, 2022). In case stakeholders will not be happy then they will not be working efficiently and as a result of this over or working of the company will be reduced. The major stakeholders of the present company include the following-

Resources Analysis

For the success of the project of opening the onsite catering service effective use of resources needs to be implemented. The resources available are very scarce and limited. Thus, it is the responsibility of the company to effectively use the resources. Hence, for this resource analysis need to be implemented which is a process of evaluating the resources and availing them for attaining the objectives of the project (Zasa, Patrucco and Pellizzoni, 2020). The major resources required for the onsite catering service for the company includes financial, human capital, technology, information, research and development and many other different kind of resources. All these resources are utilised in order to start the onsite catering service for the employees. Moreover the effective resource allocation needs to be implemented because when the limited resources will not be utilised effectively then it will affect the working efficiency of the project and the objectives will not be attained easily. Thus, it is the responsibility of the company that they must effectively comply with the limited resources so that the overall performance can be improved.

Risk Assessment

For the success of the project it is very necessary that the effective risk is evaluated. While working within the external environment there are many different risk attached with the working of the project (Shamim, 2022). Thus, it is the responsibility of the company that they effectively evaluate the different risk and then start working on the project. The different kind of risk being faced by the project of onsite catering as follows-

Project schedule/Gantt chart

WBS

Figure: WBS

Conclusion

In the end, it is concluded that project management is defined as the planning and organising of the resources which are essential for attaining the objectives of the project. In the present case the objective is to open an onsite catering service for the employees of the company. Currently company is facing the issue due to not having onsite catering service. Thus, the project is to open an onsite catering service for the employees and also to improve the health and well-being of the employees working within the company. The above study highlighted that the use of waterfall methodology is very necessary and helpful for the company to implement the project effectively. Further it was analysed that the different stakeholders of the project includes senior management, employees, local communities and many other. At last, the study outlined that the different risk faced by the project of onsite catering includes financial, technical, market changes and many other different kind of risk.

References

Books and Journals

• Ciric Lalic, D., Lalic, B., Delić, M., Gracanin, D. and Stefanovic, D., 2022. How project management approach impact project success? From traditional to agile. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 15(3), pp.494-521.
• Copola Azenha, F., Aparecida Reis, D. and Leme Fleury, A., 2021. The role and characteristics of hybrid approaches to project management in the development of technology-based products and services. Project Management Journal, 52(1), pp.90-110.
• Daemi, A., Chugh, R. and Kanagarajoo, M.V., 2021. Social media in project management: A systematic narrative literature review. International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management, 8(4), pp.5-21.
• Ika, L.A., Söderlund, J., Munro, L.T. and Landoni, P., 2020. Cross-learning between project management and international development: Analysis and research agenda. International Journal of Project Management, 38(8), pp.548-558.
• Magano, J., Silva, C., Figueiredo, C., Vitória, A., Nogueira, T. and Pimenta Dinis, M.A., 2020. Generation Z: Fitting project management soft skills competencies-A mixed-method approach. Education sciences, 10(7), p.187.
• Pan, Y. and Zhang, L., 2021. A BIM-data mining integrated digital twin framework for advanced project management. Automation in Construction, 124, p.103564.
• Shamim, M.I., 2022. Exploring the success factors of project management. American Journal of Economics and Business Management, 5(7), pp.64-72.
• Shaqour, E.N., 2022. The role of implementing BIM applications in enhancing project management knowledge areas in Egypt. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 13(1), p.101509.
• Toljaga-Nikolić, D., Todorović, M., Dobrota, M., Obradović, T. and Obradović, V., 2020. Project management and sustainability: Playing trick or treat with the planet. Sustainability, 12(20), p.8619.
• Zasa, F.P., Patrucco, A. and Pellizzoni, E., 2020. Managing the hybrid organization: How can agile and traditional project management coexist?. Research-Technology Management, 64(1), pp.54-63.

Online

• Demystifying the 5 Phases of Project Management. 2024. Online. Available through: <https://www.smartsheet.com/blog/demystifying-5-phases-project-management>