CASE 6

If I would be a Project manager if ever, well I would do all my responsibilities, all of my certain tasks. And I would also ask to some of my teams of what is the best, because a successful project manager has teachable spirit that are willing to be teach and to learn of what is right, and by that attitude it would be better and soon we would have a best and successful job.

If given the opportunity to be the Project Manager of the said programs, it would be a great responsibility to carry on. With the situation given and the opportunity, what would be my solutions to the problem? First, let me identify the problems. The first problem is the senior teachers’ lack of knowledge to manipulate a computer. Second problem is the slow connection and server traffic due to huge number of students and teachers that use the program at the same time. And lastly, the third problem which is the hacking of the databases that caused the mismatch on students’ grades and identification.

            As quoted in the famous Spiderman movie, with great power comes great responsibility. Given the chance to be the project manager bears the weight of carrying the task of managing most of the project. Not only will you have to manage the materials and human resources, you also share the tasks that make up the project. According to the Project Management body of knowledge guide a project manager is the individual responsible for managing projects. Project managers have a great deal of independence and authority and they are generally expected to be the project’s leader as well. Leadership within in the team, however, is not limited to the project manager alone. It may be demonstrated by many different individuals at many different times during the project. With this responsibility, a project manager’s position requires a set of skills that would suffice and justify the work needed to be executed. There are ten qualities that are the top ten qualities ranked in order, according to ISE International. A project manager inspires a shared vision. An effective project leader is often described as having a vision of where to go and the ability to articulate it. Visionaries thrive on change and being able to draw new boundaries. It was once said that a leader is someone who "lifts us up, gives us a reason for being and gives the vision and spirit to change." Visionary leaders enable people to feel they have a real stake in the project. They empower people to experience the vision on their own. According to Bennis "They offer people opportunities to create their own vision, to explore what the vision will mean to their jobs and lives, and to envision their future as part of the vision for the organization." (Bennis, 1997). A project manager should also be a good communicator. The ability to communicate with people at all levels is almost always named as the second most important skill by project managers and team members. Project leadership calls for clear communication about goals, responsibility, performance, expectations and feedbacks. There is a great deal of value placed on openness and directness. The project leader is also the team's link to the larger organization. The leader must have the ability to effectively negotiate and use persuasion when necessary to ensure the success of the team and project. Through effective communication, project leaders support individual and team achievements by creating explicit guidelines for accomplishing results and for the career advancement of team members. Communication within a team is always a vital factor to the success of the project and as for the operations and activities needed to complete the project, it plays a huge role in the delivery of instructions and commands necessary and needed. Communication is always the key. One quality a project manager is integrity. One of the most important things a project leader must remember is that his or her actions, and not words, set the modus operandi for the team. Good leadership demands commitment to, and demonstration of, ethical practices. It also depicts that a project manager should be the best example to stand above the rest of the project team. Creating standards for ethical behavior for oneself and living by these standards, as well as rewarding those who exemplify these practices, are responsibilities of project leaders. Leadership motivated by self-interest does not serve the well being of the team.

Leadership based on integrity represents nothing less than a set of values others share, behavior consistent with values and dedication to honesty with self and team members. In other words the leader "walks the talk" and in the process earns trust. With this quality, not only will the project leader earns the rest of the team’s trust but their commitment to do the work as efficient as he/she is. A project manager should be enthusiastic towards the project. Plain and simple, employees don't like leaders who are negative. They want leaders with enthusiasm, with a bounce in their step, with a can-do attitude. They want to believe that we are part of an invigorating journey - we want to feel alive. They tend to follow people with a can-do attitude, not those who give us 200 reasons why something can't be done. Enthusiastic leaders are committed to their goals and express this commitment through optimism. Leadership emerges as someone expresses such confident commitment to a project that others want to share his or her optimistic expectations. Enthusiasm is contagious and effective leaders know it. This quality affects the rest of the team resulting to a more positive energy flowing while on the course of the project. The quality of being empathetic is also a top quality of a good project manager. Empathy, presupposes the existence of the object as a separate individual, entitled to his or her own feelings, ideas and emotional history (Paul, 1970). As one student so eloquently put it, "It's nice when a project leader acknowledges that we all have a life outside of work." And of course one quality a good project manager possesses is the existence of competence. Simply put, to enlist in another's cause, we must believe that that person knows what he or she is doing. Leadership competence does not however necessarily refer to the project leader's technical abilities in the core technology of the business. As project management continues to be recognized as a field in and of itself, project leaders will be chosen based on their ability to successfully lead others rather than on technical expertise, as in the past. Having a winning track record is the surest way to be considered competent. Expertise in leadership skills is another dimension in competence. The ability to challenge, inspire, enable, model and encourage must be demonstrated if leaders are to be seen as capable and competent. It’s a very vital quality for it shows the rest of the team that a leader is capable of bringing things to higher level and has the capability to do so. In a way this skill has the effect of challenging and inspiring the rest of the team. Another quality is the ability to delegate tasks. Trust is an essential element in the relationship of a project leader and his or her team. You demonstrate your trust in others through your actions - how much you check and control their work, how much you delegate and how much you allow people to participate. Individuals who are unable to trust other people often fail as leaders and forever remain little more that micro-managers, or end up doing all of the work themselves. As one project management student put it, "A good leader is a little lazy." An interesting perspective. Since a project is mostly handled by a team, it’s a good thing that a project manager knows how to entrust individual tasks to the rest of the team to show them your trust in a way that could benefit to the completion and success of the project. More importantly, two heads are always better than one. Another good quality of a good project manager is the calmness under pressure. In a perfect world, projects would be delivered on time, under budget and with no major problems or obstacles to overcome. But we don't live in a perfect world - projects have problems. A leader with a hardy attitude will take these problems in stride. When leaders encounter a stressful event, they consider it interesting, they feel they can influence the outcome and they see it as an opportunity. "Out of the uncertainty and chaos of change, leaders rise up and articulate a new image of the future that pulls the project together." (Bennis 1997) And remember - never let them see you sweat. It’s a quality that mostly depends on the leader’s character and how he deals with conflicts and problems along the way. It’s always best to have a project manager that sees a problem as an opportunity rather than a hindrance to the success of the project. It involves optimism from the project manager’s end. A good project manager also has great team building skills. A team builder can best be defined as a strong person who provides the substance that holds the team together in common purpose toward the right objective. In order for a team to progress from a group of strangers to a single cohesive unit, the leader must understand the process and dynamics required for this transformation. He or she must also know the appropriate leadership style to use during each stage of team development. The leader must also have an understanding of the different team players styles and how to capitalize on each at the proper time, for the problem at hand. Lastly, a good project manager has good problem solving skills. Although an effective leader is said to share problem-solving responsibilities with the team, we expect our project leaders to have excellent problem-solving skills themselves. They have a "fresh, creative response to here-and-now opportunities," and not much concern with how others have performed them. (Kouzes 1987). As for this quality, problems occur. They are inevitable in all circumstances. For a project manager, it is best that he/she possesses the skill to solve problems even though it’s a team work. The following qualities are qualities of a good project manager. This is just a list that shows what a good project manager possesses and how these qualities play a vital role to a project’s success.

            Going back to the main question, what quick solutions can I introduce towards the stated problems? As for the first problem, which is the lack of knowledge of senior teachers to manipulate a computer, a quick solution would be to make the environment of the system as easy and fast to manipulate with just few clicks. It’s the quickest solution and best to give, since we developed the system, we can have changes injected to the system and make it more simple and basic. To support this solution, the team or we can give them instruction materials on how to use the system and eventually, they will grow accustomed to the basics. Even though they are seniors, humans have the ability to follow and understand basic commands. Computers in this era are user-friendly and so should the programs and systems that should be installed to it. Moving on to the second problem on slow connection and server traffic due to huge number of students and teachers that use the program at the same time, these are entirely two different things. With respect to the slow connection, it appears to be an issue that depends on the users end. How and in what way? In most circumstances, the team only provides the system and not the internet connection to make it operative. The speed and strength of connections also vary on many factors like the location and etc. However, as a project manager, I would suggest that they get a more reliable and faster connection in their location to fix the problem. Moving on to the other problem which is the server traffic due to huge number of users at the same time, there are quite a few factors to this problem. According to a trusted source, there are four causes of this. One is the Internet traffic load. Spikes in Internet utilization during peak usage times of day often cause lag. The nature of this varies by service provider and a person's geographic location. Unfortunately, other than moving locations or changing Internet service, an individual user cannot avoid this kind of problem. Second one is online application load. Multiplayer online games, Web sites, and other client-server network applications utilize shared Internet servers. If these servers become overloaded with activity, the clients experience server traffic/jam. Third is weather or any wireless interference. Satellite, fixed wireless broadband and other wireless Internet connections are particularly susceptible to signal interference from rain. Wireless interference causes network data to be corrupted in transit, causing lag from re-transmission delays. Lastly are the lag switches. Some people who play online games install a device called a lag switch on their local network. A lag switch is specially designed to intercept network signals and introduce significant delays into the flow of data back to other gamers connected to a live session. A person can do little to solve this kind of lag problem other than avoiding playing with those who use lag switches; fortunately, they are relatively uncommon. This traffic also occurs on home networks not only on internet connections. It might be because there is an overload on routers or modems. Any network router will eventually bog down if too many active clients are using it at the same time. Network contention among multiple client’s means that they are sometimes waiting for each other's requests to be processed, causing lag. A person can replace their router with a more powerful model, or add another router to the network, to help alleviate this problem. Similarly, network contention occurs on a residence's modem and connection to the Internet provider if saturated with traffic: Depending on the speed of their Internet link, homeowners should avoid too many simultaneous Internet downloads and online sessions to minimize this lag. Another would be an overloaded client device: PCs and other client devices also becomes a source of network lag if unable to process network data quickly enough. While modern computers are sufficient powerful in most situations, they can slow down significantly if too many applications are running simultaneously. Even running applications that do not generate network traffic can introduce lag; for example, a misbehaving program can consume 100% of the available CPU utilization on a device that delays the computer from processing network traffic for other applications. Malware is also a factor. A network worm hijacks a computer and its network interface, which can cause it to perform sluggishly, similar to being overloaded. Running antivirus software on network devices helps to detect these worms. Lastly, is the usage of wireless. Enthusiast online gamers often prefer to run their devices over wired Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi because home Ethernet supports lower latencies. While the savings is typically only a few milliseconds in practice, wired connections also avoid the risk of wireless interference that results in significant lag if it occurs.

According to the situation given, it is clearly stated that as the school opens for the registration or enrolment for the second semester, there are several problems that have been experience by the school and the students. These problems affect the enrolment of the students, the reason why they declared a non enrollment of the students because of the senior’s teacher. We can’t blame them, because they are too old to access or operates a computer, so in computing grades, they are too slow to upload those grades online. Another problem they encounter is too slow for updating courses and grades due also to slow connection and server traffic of the system cause by the number of teacher and students using the program all the time. Another reason why the system was damage is that, the system database was hacked which resulted to mismatch of student’s grade and student’s identification.

My answer for the question stated above is that, if I have the opportunity to be a project manager of the program, I will introduce my solution for those problems encounter during the enrolment for the second semester by having a best plan to fix that problem that is needed to solve in order for the students to enrolled for the semester. These are the following problems encounter during enrolment for the students:

Computer literacy of the senior teacher.

To fix this first problem is that, at first, as the system was develop for the university, we need to have a meeting or something that all teachers or staff may attend for it to explain the system develop for the enrolment. To apply a certain program, as a project manager, I need to introduce it to everybody who will use the program especially the teacher. In a school or university, most teachers in a public school are senior’s, so most of them are too strict in handling a class. But in their case, senior’s teachers affect the enrolment process, not too affected but because of their age or too old they are too slow to encode each grades of the students for the first semester. What happen is that those senior’s teacher upload the grades late that’s why the enrolment was not declare I think. For the solution of this problem, as a project manager, I will assign something to encode their grades in each course does the university have. That is my solution for it, in order for those seniors teacher would never been hassle anymore in uploading the grades. The advantage for my plan, to assign someone is that, those teachers belong in one college should only pass their grades to the assigned person who will work in encoding and uploading the grades. So in that case, they only pass the grades early and nothing to worry about the grades of the students.

Slow connection and server traffic.

To fix this another problem meets in the situation, we should upgrade the connection in order for those who will upload grades and those who will look their grades online can’t wait longer. In a program, slow connection and server traffic are usually reasons for a system to perform. Some schools in the Philippines are not totally fast in terms of connection because connection or internet connection matters in a place where they are located. Some schools are near to the mountain or in the province where connection are possible too slow because of the signal. Lucky to those schools located in city’s because internet is possible too fast unlike to those in province. The reason why the teachers uploaded the grades late because of the slow connection of the university not only those senior’s teacher have a problem on the online enrolment system but also in connection. As a project manager, my suggestion for this is to upgrade the connection and purchase some latest products which can solve the slow connection of the university. Another thing is that, the server traffic of the system, this problem happens when there are lots of teachers and students use the system. We can’t blame them, or we can’t tell them that only few students and teachers will use the system at a time because this system implement to use during enrolment and we know that there are lots of users will use the program. So as a project manager, to fix that problem, the developers need to improve the system in order for it to carry the number of users will use the system. This kind of problem are usually happens in a university or in a company, but commonly in university because, mostly in public school have lot of students enrolled so if they implement that kind of system, it ensure that server trafficking be happens.

Mismatch of grades

Mismatch of grades and identification of the student is the problem encountered by the XYZ University because the online enrolment system database was hacked. Now a days, there are lot of people knows how to hacked a system or an account. But in their case, I don’t know if there are someone hacked the system or it was already hacked because of the server traffic or anything may result to hack the system. Because the system was damage, the enrolment was affect to the situation. Only the database holds the system to save, search, view, add and delete the data. If the database was not functioning or performing, the system will also not performing the program. Mismatching of grades and identification is difficult to fix if a university have a lot of students enrolled. In that case, it is hassle to fix it because you need to identify if that certain student status about their grades and students identification was correctly encoded. So as a project manager, the system we develop should take in private so that no one can change the program without any permission to the high officers. If we take it in private, only those developers or members belong to those developer are intended only to use, fix, change, and improve the system whenever it may encounter some problem in order for the university to secure the system to have a better enrolment process. If we did securing the system, hacking of database would not be happen anymore or I don’t think so just to secure the system only. Finally, if we fulfill securing the system, mismatching of grades and student’s identification would not also be happen anymore depending on the teachers who will encode the grades.

 Another solution is also improving the security of the system database. In the situation, it was stated that the system’s database was hacked which resulted to mismatch of students’ grades and students’ identification. By just reading these statements you could clearly see that its security is easily breached and looks like the security of the database was not even strong enough just to repel an attack of a hacker. A system database is the heart and soul of the system itself and if it is easily breached, hacked or even destroyed then you are going to have a very hard time. I researched some steps in order for you to stop the hackers in their tracks from future attacks.

1. Follow Hacking Forums – it was stated that it is always good to follow hacking forums in order for you to know all the latest methods that are used to attack. Being able to know makes you even more prepared than anybody. It is like knowing beforehand the enemy and you will be able to stop them if they will decide to hack the system.

2. Change your passwords frequently – sometimes in a system, there always a default password, change it directly. It is extremely unwise and dangerous to leave it unchanged after installation. If you will not change it, it is clearly attack-prone and it will be easily breached.

3. Identifying entry points - in order to identify the entry points of the hackers you must first install a software that identifies the entry points to the network and in to the database. Finding and identifying these entry points is not an easy task. It was stated that it is recommended to take the help of ethical hackers who have taken special network security training to perform the task.

4. Perform attack and penetration test - by making attacks and penetration tests, you can also identify the vulnerable points in the network that is easily accessed from both external and internal users. After identifying points you could easily repel the attacks and correct the mistakes that could make it as an entry point for the hackers in to your network and database.

5. Make user-awareness campaigns - making the people and users aware that there have been a hack attack in your network and database could help minimize the risks. If all of them are already aware, protection can now be carried out to them.

6. Configure Firewalls - Firewall if not configured properly can act like an open door for any intruder. A firewall must have its own configurations depending upon the security aspect of the organization. From time to time proper analysis of the composition and nature of the traffic itself is also necessary to maintain security.

7. Implement and use password policies. Use strong password policies by having passwords of seven characters which are of secure length and relatively easy to remember.

8. Install anti-virus software. Both intrusion detection systems and anti-virus software must be updated regularly and if possible on a daily basis. The updated version of anti-virus software is necessary as it helps in detecting even the latest virus.

Lastly is to hire more manpower that could help in maintaining the integrity and security of the system database. Having them in a team is very helpful in terms of the knowledge they could give to you in order to stop those attacks. The experience they have over those types of attacks is also inevitable when it comes to neutralizing such feats. Even though it is costly but would you exchange quality because of such price? NO. Quality service should always be the main priority when it comes to things such as Online Enrolment Systems. Just like in XYZ University, if given the proper manpower and skill set those people have I’m sure that as a project manager I would be able to handle such problems in no time but also the pressure is always there to haunt any project managers that could land such projects and systems in the future.

Therefore I conclude, performing a system or program is not easy to handle because there are times that it may encounter some basic problems usually happen in a system. But if the developer know how fix the problem, there’s no need to worry about that, but just to secure that it was functioning. As I have the opportunity to be a project manager for this time only, not actually performing as a project manager but to think like I’m in that position. Thinking on how to handle and manage the system or the situation is not easy. Maybe it is too hard for me because I don’t have any experience but as the time I make my idea on how to fix the problems of XYZ University my head still processing on how to fix it but it already take pain and it makes me stressful. Those skillful people who take the position of a project manager should be responsible always as they perform the project. Only the project manager can guide the members on how to do the task of that activity. As I learn being a project manager, I was amaze to those professional project managers because working on that position is not easy but for them, they can carry it always.

CASE 5

1. What and who is the culprit of the G-World’s situation?

An enterprise or a firm is known as a business, it is an organization which involves in the trade of good, services, or both to consumers, clients or stakeholders. Business is prevalent in capitalist economies where most of them are privately owned and provide goods and services to customers, clients, and stakeholders for profit. Business may also be not to profit or state owned. It is also a business which is owned by multiple individuals which may also referred as a company. There are also forms of business ownership these are sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation and cooperative. Sole proprietorship is owned by one person and operated for profit. The owner may operate the business alone or employ other people. Next form of business is partnership, when we say partnership form the word itself it is a business which was owned by two or more people. In most forms of partnership, each partner has unlimited liability for debts incurred by the business. Next kind of business is the corporation which was the kind of business we will tackle about. The owners of a corporation have limited liability and the business has a separate legal personality from its owners. Corporations can be either government-owned or owned by individuals. They can organize either for profit or as not for profit organizations. Corporation is what the G-World Company and Universe Company choose to follow. And lastly is cooperative, or mostly called as “co-op” a cooperative is a limited liability business that can organize for-profit or not-for-profit. A cooperative differs from a corporation in that it has members, not shareholders, and they share decision making authority. It does not matter if you choose partnership, proprietorship, corporation or cooperative as a kind of business what matters is the way you plan and organize the business you made. In a business many things are should be considered one of this is the money which will be the way to make your business still on the top.

G-World Company is an IT solutions company that caters selling of IT products, rendering IT services and education.   Their main office is located at the heart of Cebu City, Philippines. They have branches in Mindanao where existence of Client X is located. The G World Company is offering two projects. Project one was the mother business of the company which sells IT products and services. Project two was the subsidiary business of G-World which accommodates educational centre facilities for IT of technical and vocational courses. Main objective of the project is to have a mass expansion of the business matter of G-World. In a business there should always be a competitor and this come the existence of Universe Corporation. Universe Corporation was the competing business center of G-World Company that accommodates services most likely to G-World. The scenario is this, Project one was the mother business or the main project which was offered by the G-World Company. For the past 20 years of existence, this project was the very most highlighted product of G-World Company. Project two was introduced to make sure their sales production will be continuous or the clients and stakeholders can choose between the two projects, and in some reason, they have a supplementary and subsidiary business. Subsidiary on the other hand is a company which is wholly controlled while supplementary is a project which is added or to serve as a supplement to the other. Supplement is something that completes or makes a useful addition. One example is this is a company which rose for more than 5 years. On those maximum succeeding years they are the only company which offers a customized bag which the clients will design for their desired bag. On the sixth years of existing their sales was down to their original sales. One day they just know that another store was opened and that they also offer the same and with a lower price their old costumers or clients just went to the other company. The other company added a supplementary plan to be able to get the lost clients back. When the supplementary plan was a success the clients just then went back to them and again gain more sales than before. Getting back to the G -World Company their employees were given the most compensation benefits because of the hard work they had given to G-World Company. When Universe Corporation rose, that was the time of the company’s chaos or a state of confusion instability of Project one, which is IT product selling. And because of the existence of the Universe Company the Client X would seldom go to G-World on buying some IT products. G-World cannot force client X’s decision on buying things even they offer big sales and discount services along the time. The client also has the right to choose between the two companies. Another problem was the scenario of expanding G-World’s business into educational center was of massive or unusually large or intense distraction. Sales been acquired by Project two been shared and supplied to Project one for about 5 years because they need to raise Project one again, G-World does not want their mother products be dead. Now employees of Project one was choke up by the benefits and the salary their accepting. A year later, cost cutting workers been applied, and up until now- G-World is selling Project Two to some company to have another investment project prospect.

G-World Company has two projects which is first the project which was considered as the mother business or the main project they offered. This project is the only project before which they focused and made the G-World Company famous which also took the trust of the Client X to invest into that kind of project. In a business venture or in planning or making a business the president or an owner of a business which will be establish should think a major project which is unique and will catch the attention of the clients or the consumer. For example, Alissa is a fresh graduate of a University which he graduated as a comlaude of a Bachelor in Science in Business Administration major in Marketing in that year which she graduated she tried to apply to any company which she thinks her title suites but out of all the company’s she applied none of them hired her and in some reason because of the degree or the title she achieve it is stated that she is over qualified to that works. On the next succeeding years of applying to any kind of job which she was always rejected she finally decided to at least just make her own business company which she will not just earn for a living but will also help some fellow graduates to finally be chosen on a job. She planned to have a restaurant which will offer an Asian cuisine the major plan for this project is that the costumers itself will be able to see or if they want will have the opportunity to cook the foods they want to eat with the help of the cook. The point here is that in doing a project one would be able to have a major project which will be the project to be given to the costumers and would always be open to any changes and problems. And then project two was introduced by the G-World Company to the clients and stakeholders to make sure that their sales production will be able to continue and would make the clients and stakeholders to choose between the two projects.

The culprit on the G-world’s Company is the Universe Company which just rise from nowhere and copied the project proposal the G-World company has done for the past 20 years. Their existence cause G-World Company’s sales to lessen and also made the Client X to change its mind on where it would like to make transactions for their company. In a business there would always a rivalry it is not new to this kind of community. Rivalry is an act of competing to other business in order to gain more clients. When major businesses vie against one another for an increased chunk of market share, consumers tend to benefit this means that the other company with a rivalry would be forced to lower the prices or give a big discount just to get the heart of the consumers to get back to them and buy their products. Competition between two rival companies can often drive innovation, motivating each firm to improve or expand its product range, build better relationships with its customers or reinvent its branding strategies to enhance public appeal. Moreover, these competitions can be quite entertaining. The origins of some of the most famous business rivalries may be surprising, as well as many of the lesser-known tactics that feuding companies have used to get ahead over the years. Just like the rivalry of Microsoft and apple. Some might argue that Microsoft and Apple are not competitors according to their core product lines, it is undeniable that they offer rival influences on the direction technology should take. Apple founder Steve Jobs created the first personal computer in 1977, refining the product until it gained widespread acceptance. Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates in 1975 and gained success by licensing its Windows operating system, which was incompatible with Apple hardware, to computer manufacturers such as IBM. By the mid-1980s, Microsoft products dominated the computer software industry, and Jobs was ousted from his position at Apple. Jobs eventually returned and led Apple’s revival, crafting a line of sleeker, more design-focused products. Since then, Apple has taken a major slice out of Microsoft’s market share, with sales for consumer products such as the iPod numbering in the hundreds of millions. In the business space, however, Apple still controls only 2 percent of the market, and Microsoft remains the dominant force while providing Apple with much needed software programs, such as the Microsoft Office suite. Tension derives from Apple’s focus on style-driven innovation versus Microsoft’s more work-oriented approach, a rivalry encapsulated in Apple’s now famous Mac vs. PC ad campaign. Just like G-World Company and Universe Company they offer the same project proposal but the other with a lower amount but of course the client or the stakeholder will choose the new trend which best suites the Universe Company. The culprit of G-World Company focuses on the existence of the new company which is the Universe Company. Because of this the client x choose the newer company and which led to the employees were given the most compensation benefits.

Investors, clients or stakeholders in a company are exposed not only to business risk, but also to financial risk, liquidity risk, systematic risk, exchange-rate risk and country-specific risk. This means that in any kind of business it must face a problem or will face a problem for them to be challenge on how will they handle this kind of situation. If not handled well as a result the possibility that a company will have lower than anticipated profits or that it will experience a loss rather than a profit. Business risk is influenced by numerous factors, including sales volume, per-unit price, input costs, competition, and overall economic climate and government regulations. A company with a higher business risk should choose a capital structure that has a lower debt ratio to ensure that it can meet its financial obligations at all times. This is just what the G-world Company is experiencing from the situation that the Universe Company started from business and because of that G-World Company had taken the risk of getting or making a new project proposal or an option which will in a way for them be able to give back what was lost to them. It is not bad to take a risk, but it is better if we think twice whether this risk would lead to success or if it would only lead to failure.

2. WHAT WAS CLIENT’S X PROBLEM OF NOT CHOOSING PROJECT ONE OF G-WORLD    COMPANY?

 In every business there will always be any transactions. In every transactions, it always involves both parties the clients and the business owners. In every business there will always be a competitor who will sometimes be a friend or an enemy. No one ever better or even best in describing or being the judge of your services or any materials offered than the buyer and your customer who is also your client. The success and the quality of the services you offered depends on the feedback that the client is going to give you after receiving your services. As to what is said that the client or the customer is always right whatever they say, so as the owner of the business we have to accept whatever the feedback is, be it a positive or negative one, be it advantageous or disadvantageous. There comments and feedbacks are very important because it is used as the basis of improvement in the kind of business that you offer. Well in the case of business, especially in the business that involves IT, it is not that easy because it does not only talk and base on the product and the services. If in line with the product, it include the quality and the cost of the product and to make sure that those things will be best attained, you as the owner and your staffs must know the different ways of managing the cost and the quality because it is very important in the talk of product. And to attain that so called quality or proper cost, it needs the knowledge that involves the project quality management and project cost management.

            Talking about the services offered to the clients, it is very important to possess the best of everything. When we say the best of everything, it includes the way how you handle the services offered, if how will the staffs act in front of the customer which is not talking about the attitude towards his work and responsibility. Another is about the knowledge and skills that are both very important in the case of offering the services known for the business. Both of this aspects or factors matters most in the services offered in terms of the business in the IT industry and also for other type of businesses because this is what we give and offer to the client. And the client always deserved the best in everything. According to the situation or as to what the scenarios shown above, the Project One of the G-World business which is the mother business of the G-World business is offering the one that is mentioned above which are the products (IT Products) in specific and the services that involves or inclusive for IT. It was stated that the Universe Corporation was the competing business center of G-World company that accommodates services most likely to G-World arises also and during that time the project one of the G-World business is most likely down and there are different and variety of suspicions about the reason for the said problem.

            In the case of the problem of the G-World, only the client knows the reason if why is it that he (client x) does not choose the project one of G-World. Whatever reason it is, he is the only person who knows about it and for that we can say or we can conclude of some things into our mind. There could be a possibility that if it is about the product of G-World then it must have missed something that does not suit the standards of the client x. It could possibly be because of inconsistency of the product. There are really lots of possible reasons for it. Basing on the sequence of happenings and events in the situation or scenario given, and comparing or relating it to the PMBOOK or the Project Management Book of Knowledge, I can say that what it missed the most in the talk or the area about the product and the services given is the Project Cost Management, Project Quality Management, Project Risk Management and the Project Procurement Management. In the case of the products offered or sold and services rendered, there can be a defect on the quality of the product and also for the cost of the product. When we say project quality management, we will be more familiar with the word quality, quality that will give us more understanding the deep meaning of quality in the case of business and projects. In the sense of Project quality management, it is about reaching the goals or the standards that should be rendered to the client and base on what is really planned on the project undertaken. It should reach the quality objectives and the responsibilities of the developer or of the business to satisfy the needs and the standards undertaken and is agreed with the clients. It could be that the client x observe some inconsistency from the services offered to them. The Project one of G-World must have forgotten and missed some key which is the longer their client is in them the more that they should take good care of it. But maybe what they have done is the opposite, they must have thought that since this client x is their long term client they forgot to give the best of their services and just merely give what is ask without ensuring the quality of the product.

            It could be also that in the latest transaction of the project one of G-World and client x, there are some mistakes or services that needs an improvement and they ask the project one to document those things or parts that needs an improvement but then it must have been disregarded by the members or the team of project one. Another possible reason for that is that this client x must have tried the product and services offered by the Universe Corporation and must have compared it to the project one of g-World since the kind of service they offered were most likely the same. If I were the client x and I have tried both the services they offered and if I have observed that the rendered service or the product of the Universe corporation is much likely good than the project one then I would really choose the one that helps me more and gives me more convenience and benefit. As the saying goes that prevention is better than cure in the case of health, the quality of the product and the services is better prevented from incoming destructions and mistakes that is supposed to happen than correcting the mistakes that has been already done. In this way it helps in the cost management of both parties which is the developer or the Project one or the Universe Corporation and the client. Ones it helps the client x the best quality in the less or lowest possible price or cost then it would meet the customers’ satisfaction. Everything that I have mentioned above must be missing in the case of G-World’s project one that is why the client x did not choose the project one of G-World’s company.

            If in the case of learning we said and comply the phrase that is commonly use such as never stop learning then it is also very important in here. In the case of both companies, they should have the difference of the services offered and rendered because of the time frame difference of their foundation. But as they go along, the G-World must have slowly stop learning, why do I say so? It is because when you learn about new things, you tried to improve those things that needs improvement and that must be one of the reason. It could be also that even if they offer less price and big discounts, still the competitor (Universe Corporation) offers the best quality. What will client x have if it cost less but the quality is also low. As what is observe in my answers, the ideas and thoughts are all about the quality of the product and services since the question is asking about the reason for not choosing of the client x to the project one of G-World. Even I myself as a buyer, what matters most to me is the product’s quality and cost. I should be considerate about the cost quality of the product that I will be receiving. So, as what  is understood by me as the reader or observer of the situation, the client x problem is how the project one will deal with the sudden change of quality in everything about them and on what is it about the Universe Corporation that made the project one of G-World fell down and has to be raised again.

            Therefore, what I can conclude in this long way discussion about the question of number two which is about the client’s (client x) problem is the management of everything and some personal reasons that relates or involves technically. As a businessman or businesswoman, no matter how big time or how big our name is in such industry, in the end or at the end of the day, the result of the judgment will still rely on the judgment of the customer or clients. We cannot force them to like or to receive our product and services if is not their will. Clients are always right as what I have mentioned above so whatever the decision of the client is, we or you as the business owner cannot force the client on how to behave on product or the services that is offered. In terms of IT products and services, the clients including client x are really very keen in observing the type or the kind of quality that they are and that they will be receiving. In connection to the question ones again, there are lots of possible reason in the side or part of the client x for not choosing the project one of G-World. Since it is not stated that client x transferred there transaction to Universe corporation, it could be that client x already stop buying products and services of IT products. It could also be that the other party or the competing business which is the Universe corporation, offered them (client x) a lesser cost or price for the kind of services that is offered by both company.

            There could be a possibility also that it is not a problem of the client (client x) for not choosing the project one, it could be because of the current situation of the project one of G-World which is diminishing or at its lowest during that particular period. The status of their business could be one of the reason and because of that, the client x might have lost some of their trust to the project one of G-World where they usually do. In connection to this reason, it could be also that they have found another company such as the Universe Corporation who can give them the better one than the project one of G-World. Talking and enumerating all about this things only gives us the idea about on how important is the services that is to be rendered to the client so that there will be consistency and they will remain to be your client no matter what will happen to your business, be it on top or at the bottom in such industry. In my case as a client and if I were to put myself in the situation of the client x and then if  I ask about my problem or the reason why I have not chosen the project one of G-World, my answer or response will just be the same with those things that I have mentioned above. As clients, be it on the same or different field or industry of business, the bottom line of all is the kind of services and product received from the paid services. We ought to receive what is right and worth for us.

3. HOW ARE THEY GOING TO MANAGE THE SUDDEN DROP OFF OF PROJECT 2?

            As what is expressed in the saying which is before you react, think first, it will also relate to the thought of the scenario in the situation given. It is really very important to think first before putting everything into action and it would be better to think things not only one or twice but a hundred times. This thing will not only apply to matter that relates to one taking action or to making decisions but also in the case of project. Project Management is very important and one to the aspects that should be considered in everything that relates to IT project management relations. Things are best when things are thought of a hundred times because it will make it to success. In the case of the IT industry, as we all know that the kind of services offered and rendered to the client are most likely the same. Such as the web development, installing or installation of IT related appliances, maintenance and many more. It also involves in the selling and buying of different IT or computer related resources such as the personal computer monitor, the printer, the speaker and many more. Aside from those things mentioned above, it is also important to know if what are those possible expansions that will help to improve the profit, the sales, the experience, the knowledge and most of all are the skills and the capability of the company to handle different kind of business that will help in the company.

            In connection and relation to the question that emphasizes about the scenarios in the situation given above which on how to manage the sudden drop off of project two(2), there are different and variety of ways to solve and manage it. But before I will give my idea, I will give and state first my own sentiments and comments about the situation between the two projects of G-World namely the Project one and the project two. Because of the current situation of project one where nobody really knows the real reason and cause for that, the implementation or let us say the project two is really affected. As to what is stated in the scenario or situation, the sales of project two have been shared and supplied to the project one for five years because they did not want that the project one as the major project and the mother business of the company will fall. Without thinking they had implemented and put up project two maybe without thinking if it will affect their mother business. Though the purpose of the project two is very different from the project one because it gives more emphasis in the educational system, it is still considered as a distraction because it is not that closely related to the kind of services they have offered in project one. Before everything else started, in the planning and everything else they must have forgotten the importance of project management.

            Connecting and relating this to the story or the scenario in given situation, I would decide to stop it first or sell it and then they have to focus first on the project one until they will be able to resolve the current situation of the project. Since the root of everything is the project one and its mismanagement, the project two is so much affected. For me the simpler way to solve the problem is by stopping the implementation of project two because as what is stated in the situation or scenario above that the project two is a big destruction. If they had not solve yet the current situation in project one, they there is a big possibility that what happened in project one will also happen in project two. And resolving things will really takes so much time and effort and since project two is just their subsidiary and supplementary business or project then they must have not put all their attention to it. I recommender the method of stopping the project because it is the most applicable way that will require less effort, time and money for the processes that will be involved. If in five years, the time frame is really that long enough for a small, subsidiary or complementary business to supply, share and to be used in the raising project for the project one. Ones the project will be solved and it is stable already that is the time that they can put up a new project that is considered as the project two and while implementing or putting it up, they have to consider all the factors that made the past project to what it is used to be. They will need the different project management processes and what is most likely available to be used in this kind of cases is the project risk management techniques. They should be able to apply what they have learned from the past project and try to analyze and think if what will be the things that should be avoided for polishing.

            Ones they will be able to discover already the right or the correct and better strategy then they can repeat or establish again the same project as before even if they have to start it slowly. And implementing or putting up a certain project is not just like something invisible that will show in a blast. It is something that should be planned. The G-World company is a company of two decades already and thinking and observing from it, they must have acquire already great knowledge,  learning’s and strategies from all the projects that pass through in there company. And through those experiences, there are lots of things that is very applicable that they can use in the case of project two. Though all the things that is put through in project two is very important such as the time, the effort, the manpower and most of all is the cost that is said for that project, they have also to think about on what will happen to it and to the project one if they are going to push it through. If they had managed the problem by continuing it despite the situation of project one then it can be okay if they are ready for the possible consequences and if they have the budget for that certain or sudden change that happened. But as the situation and the problem arises to the project one, it will not be easy to save the project two. If the project one is all about selling IT products and rendering different IT related or computer technology related services and then in the project two it is focus on the education, it is harder to meet up the two if both are in a difficult situation. If the focus of project two is all about education, then it will really need lots of money because it will involve different IT related resources that will be used in the project.

            Well, if we are going to think and to analyze the situations happening in both the projects, it all happened because of the members of the team. The works of the team will always reflect on the output of the product or the quality of services that they have offered. Their passion to their work always reflects to their team and individual output. Whatever it is that had happened to project is not an example of failure for me because it is the one that supports the bigger project that is about to fail but in order to save one of their projects they have to give up one. They have to consider it as one because of the reason that they focus on the project one which is the company’s mother business and its major project and G-World as a company; they did not want to lose their major project. So giving up the subsidiary and supplementary one is the only choice. Regarding with my answer to this question, what I mean with stopping is to slowly let go of the project two and they just have to focus on the project one first. As we all know that it is not easy to just stop on something, we need to slowly limit on what is given to that project until it will be dissolved. Focusing on to what is their major concern is, which is the project one will be a good way for a good start in the business. Once the situation of G-World Company’s project will be stable and be back to normal then it will be easier to put up back the project two even with an improvement. In short or to make it clearer, the future of project two will be based on the decisions that is going to be made as of the present regarding the standing and the status of the both projects. If the project one will be focused on and then it will be in the stable situation then that is the time that they can put up a new business or new project, be it a style or a new proposed one, what matters most is on how they handled the management of that incoming or current project that they have taken.

            As to what is experience by all kinds and types of business, business is business and it is a matter of strategy and proper management for it to stand still and grow along with the society where it is present. Business is like life wherein it also experiences failure, the only thing that makes it differ to life is that, it only stands up with the responsibility of its owner not like with humans in which we struggle to help ourselves stand up again. Business can also be a matter of give and take, it can be a matter of giving up something for a better purpose and for the best result ahead of it. In the case of project management that is going to be applied in businesses and projects, it is very significant and needed. It is one of the key to a successful project. And it will only happen if the nine project management processes will be followed. These are the Project Integration Management, Project Scope Management, Project Time Management, Project Cost Management, Project Quality Management, Project Human Resource Management, Project Communication Management, Project Risk Management and The Project Procurement Management. Mentioning all of this might be redundant but it is very important and is really needed in the process. I mentioned all of this because after making the project one into a stable situation, it is the most applicable and recommendable process in the making of project two and the business of G-World will be a big success if only they are going to follow these things.

The drop off to G-World’s project two will be the ladder and the stepping stone of the mother business to be back to its original place and it will be the way for the new project two to shine and show off in the future. Whatever the decision that they are going to follow and do, whether they are going to continue the drop off project or to revise it into a newer one, it will all depend on them but the bottom line of everything is on how they are going to handle any of those decided cases. Still after all the dealings and the thoughts, what comes up in the end is still money. Since it is all about business then, they should take care of everything from the simplest and the smallest form or aspect to the biggest and the largest one. As what is said time is money, and the longer they prolonged the situation of both project, the bigger their lost will be and will be a possible reason for them to make their company shutdown. But if all of the processes mentioned above will be followed then, no problem will be encountered and nothing will be affected.

4. Is selling Project two can satisfy what G-World is expecting?

In the current time, which is well thought-out as the “Computer Age” or the “Generation of Computers”, companies are most likely desire to engage in IT related business. It is based on fact that computers and high tech paraphernalia are the most important point of modernization nowadays which encompasses the objective of putting together more people get in touch with one another, anywhere you are and no matter what you do and making our lives simpler and more at ease to live in. In the generation where technology has its enormous innovation, putting up a business devoid of using computers is in the vein of trying to swim in a pool without water or trying to walk in a rough road without any footwear. Whether we like it or not, technology has a great role and huge impact in people’s lives. It has a big indispensable part on the way business is completed.

Without some clients or customers, obviously, you don't have a business. Other than shaping how to make your customers happy and create a smile on their faces or maybe work out their problems has turn out to be more intricate than ever. Without no trouble or difficulties, customers can easily jump or go to competitors or rivalry if they are not satisfied. To continue and stay in the best position or on top in a competitive market place, businesses must be on the cutting edge of consideration of the consumer’s experience. To a greater extent, they are acquainted by means of keeping on as close to customers and on condition that providing well-organized customer service that formulates good financial intelligence.

Expectations are normal. We expect something as a result of what we are doing. We are always expecting that things may fall in accordance of what we hope to be. Expectations provide you a framework on how you should do a certain work. Expectation is a tough conviction that something will going to happen in the future. Basically, expectations can somehow push you to do your very best and work beyond your comfort zone. Expectations are something that we look forward for. These might be a positive or a negative expectation, yet at a standstill, we are the ones who were given the freedom to choose so it is in our hands to whether we allow the negative results or not to happen.

Being focused in a project is very much essential in order for it to be successful. For me, I would probably agree with the decision of G-World Company to sell Project Two since they still want to bring back what was lost in Project One. It is said in the given scenario that the sales made by Project Two have been acquired (shared and supplied) to Project One for about 5 years because G-World Company still wants to raise Project One, once more. They do not want and allow that their mother product will just be vanished that easily and effortlessly. In addition, because of what happened to Project One, a number of employees or workers have also been affected. Employees were choking up with the compensations and the salary they were accepting. With that statement alone, it is very obvious and understandable that the Project Two is not that important as weigh against to Project One so why still hold on to a project which is not that beneficial or useful for G-World Company. G-World Company is expecting that if Project Two will be sold, Project One will get back to the track and will continue to go on to compete and contend in the business market. Yet, they are just expecting without some strategic plan prepared, which might be a hindrance or interruption once more in reaching their goals and target.

When putting up a business, you have to put up in mind that competitors will constantly be around, scrutinizing each small information you are doing in your business; for them to be proficient and skillful to come up with ideas that they expect will truly assert or emphasize with what you have in your business. Businesses do exist and continue living in an environment where competition or rivalry is taking place. In the case of G-World Company, its direct competitor is no other than the Universe Corporation. Direct Competitor is a business or firm which produces and sells a product and offers services that are identical or almost the same to another in the same market. But basically, in this type of competition in a business, one company will prevail or reign over the other in terms of customer service (offering the best personal attention to the wants of the clients and building connection to create a comfortable environment and great business relationship), and quality and customization of the product and services (offering additional attributes to the products and services in order to cope up with the needs of the clients). If G-World Company continues their desire to rise up again the Project One, they must be able to think new ideas and plans to catch the attention of more clients or customers. They must be able to think about engaging in innovative products. When we utter in relation to innovation, we are not just pertaining to a particular event or activity; we are defining a process. In connection to business, innovation is the fabrication of new ideas, the in progress development of products, services and procedures and their commercial application. In order to be more competitive and more people will continue to patronize the products and services you are offering, you need to be more creative and imaginative. Creativity is the most deep-seated key of being innovative as it brings about the process. It is about generating and making new ideas that can be made into reality, recognizing alternatives and possibilities in order to be useful in solving problems. Creativity became a waste of time unless it is integrated into a process to be able to come up into something that has market potential.

Innovation is also apprehensive with the commercial and practical relevance of ideas and inventions. In business, innovation is fundamentally the industrial utilization of feasible information. It includes the administration of idea production, technical improvement, manufacturing and marketing of a new product, process or service.

Based on my answer in the previous case, there are steps to be followed to be able the project will succeed; the project manager as well as the members in the project team must have enough knowledge about project management. Projects are divided into components and they, the project manager, should be acquainted about what is in the project management stuffs. The project team should be familiar and aware with the project management knowledge areas. So basically, there are nine knowledge areas in the project management and each one of these covers its own important component or factor of the project. Each area consists of phases and processes to develop a project more effective and efficient. So the following are the nine knowledge areas of a project management: (1)Project Integration Management- as we all know, this is the first or the initial phase of any project which engages the development or processes required to direct and manage the project elements as it should be. Having an effective and efficient project integration management consists of a project plan development, project plan execution and integrated change control. (2) Project Scope Management- in this area, it is a subset of project management as well that contains all the procedures required to find out that the project consists of all the works asked for within the project for the successful finishing point of the project. Mostly, this requires five paces which is the initiation, the scope planning, scope definition, scope verification and lastly the scope change control. (3) Project Time Management- this knowledge area is one of the most significant components of a project management that make sure the well-timed closing of the project in a thriving way by means of having good and effective time management. The project time management includes the process of activity definition, the activity sequencing, activity duration estimation, the schedule development and the schedule control. (4) Project Cost Management- in this area, each project has several financial statement boundaries or limitations. The project cost management is badly needed to make sure that the entire activities or performance of the project are done among the approximated funds and in due course, the finishing output of the project comes within the approved and agreed budget. So the project cost management process requires and involves resource planning, cost estimating, cost budgeting and cost control. (5) Project Quality Management- within this area, quality is the significant element of any various projects. Project quality management see to it that each and every of the processes are carried out and executed effectively in order to meet the quality constraint of the project for which it has been perform. An effectual quality management dwell with quality planning, quality assurance and quality control. (6) Project Human Resource Management- obviously if your company deals with various projects then in this area, a project needs a number of expert and skilled human resources for its thriving closing. Project human resource management areas make sure the useful and insufficient use of the manpower concerned in the whole project life cycle. A successful project management consists of organizational planning, staff acquisition and team development. (7) Project Communications Management- having an effectual and stable communication among the developers and stakeholders is very important for the accomplishment of any project and to keep away from any differences and dispute. A project communication management is made to make assurance that there is suitable and appropriate production, collection, distribution, storage, and final outlook of project information. Within this area, it engages communication planning, information distribution, performance reporting, and administrative closure. (8) Project Risk Management – with this area, finishing point of a project is a long and difficult occurrence or event and a number of risks are expected to take place throughout the project life cycle. The project risk management facilitate to reduce and lessen the risk issues by means of identifying, analyzing, and responding to project risks efficiently. In addition, it makes the chance of attaining the affirmative consequences of the risks and reduces the possibility and consequences of unpleasant actions to project objectives. So much more, the project risk management involves the risk management planning, the risk identification, qualitative risk analysis, quantitative risk analysis, risk response planning and risk monitoring and control. (9)Project Procurement Management- in this knowledge area, the complete project requires a massive asset and investments that can be operated with the help of useful and functional purchase system. In project procurement management, it consists of the processes that are needed for the attainment of goods and services to achieve the project scope from outside the performing association. This last area comprises of procurement planning, solicitation planning, solicitation, source selection and contract administration.

In creating and constructing a project as you can observe, there are a lot of knowledge areas that a project manager or a business leader must have to do. Despite of the fact that some areas are more essential than others, each of the area obliged to implement, apply and carry out with care and professionalism in order for the several project to be successful. When we say professionalism, it is the way on how the members of the team together with the project manager will act in any kind of situations. A further point that I want to give an emphasis is that in working a project, there should be the presence of expert and skilful people together with their proficient management so that success is on their hands. So the bottom line is that, to be able to have a successful completion of a project and executing the best output, we should understand and apply those knowledge areas of the project management.

 References:

http://www.roseindia.net/management/softwareprojectmanagement/project-management-knowledge-area.html http://smallbusiness.chron.com/risk-management-important-project-success-56920.htmlhttp://businesscasestudies.co.uk/business-theory/marketing/business competitors.html#axzz2r6CChZnvhttp://www.business.qld.gov.au/business/business-improvement/becoming-innovative-business/why-business-innovation-importanthttp://smallbusiness.chron.com/ten-steps-getting-project-back-track-35061.html

CASE 4

1. What phase of the project do you think causes it to fail?

Failing is always been part, in creating in any kind of project, whether it is a big project or a small project. Overcoming a failure or adjusting from a failure will be not that easy. The best thing to do is that to avoid such project in the next future project that a team will be making, and to properly plan from the start. A lot of things you should consider before starting a project, first is knowing the capability of a team to create a certain project, it is not just accepting a project given and believing that it will be done in the duration that have been given to you, second is the knowledge about the project, the scope of the project, the history and everything. The third one is the resources, resources will be the most important thing to have in a project, and it will influence the project outcome whether it will be a good project or a bad project. next is the cost, cost is also part of the important things that a project have, the cost will determine if the project will be a good project outcome or a bad project outcome, because it will be a good project if it will be budgeted good and proper.  Planning is the very most important thing to start a project, it is where you will create the schedule of the team, the project creation, this where you plan all your time schedule, discuss on how to avoid risk from creating a project, discuss on how to avoid miscommunication within the members and the clients. Discuss on how to have a quality of the project, and discuss on how to sort things out. Failing is already a part of creating a project as I mentioned above, expect it already if you did not consider things that need to be consider and follow the procedures that need to be followed. Considering things that need to be considered and following procedures that need to be followed is not a fact that the failure of the project will be one, but instead it will only lessen the percentage of the of failure, or small cases of problem will appear but it can be handled by some methods that will be created in the planning phase.

In the situation given, what phase of the project do you think causes it to fail? It is the phase where the procedures of the project management should be followed. Then phase where the project manager should plan very carefully from the start and providing methods to avoid risks that will appear in the near future. The lack of software developer in the team was not a disadvantage for they were able to hire a group of software developers, and was able to present a beta version to the Local Government Unit, which means that the project is running and the people who is liable to this are still on the process of working.  After the beta version was presented to the Local Government Office, installed and test it, they continue the project afterwards. But the project manager was not there for installation and testing of the project, and only the developers and the liaison personnel from EMCA‘s local outlet were present. And that is a big deal for the project manager was the main person of the project, because he or she was the one managing the project, what if the beta version did not work? You can’ blame the developers for their just following orders from their project manager even the liaison personnel. The project manager should be there for if possible some bugs were detected then he or she will know about this, and he or she will able to fix this by applying the methods that he or created in the first place. Then during the UTA, the project manager resigns and went abroad, which very disturbing, he or she is left the project while it is not yet done, and leaving the project team without a project manager. But the local outlet manager assumed to be the project manager until the project is finished so there is no other problem with that for it has an acting project manager and it has a person who will manage the project for a while. They were bugs found in the project but it was fixed attentive by the subcontracted group of developers. Then along the process the team members except with the system analyst was leaving the team one by one, even the project manager with no reason stated. They were never seen again and leaving the project started incomplete, and the system analyst without the knowledge of the field that has been vacant because of his or her team left, he or she was the only one who fixes the bugs that the project has. And that is very wrong, he or she was just a system analyst, he or she was not a project manager by him or herself, he is no good just him or herself, the project need to be accomplished by a team and not only a one person. And because of that happening, one year was not enough, and the project been delayed for how many months, and been considered by the upper people as a failure project.

This kind of failure is a failure that should be avoided from the first place, the EMCA team. The EMCA, after hiring the subcontracted group of developers and after they started the project, the EMCA should get some updates and progress from the subcontracted group, for updates and progress are very important, because it is where you will know the project status of where they were now? How much they already been progress?  Is there any progress in the project? this kind of question should asked to they subcontracted group, so that they will keep on working, and if anything changes the EMCA will know, and if the team members will leave then the EMCA will know and will able to cope up with that kind of problem.

      2. As a project manager how would you proceed with the recommendation of the LGU?

Every problem has its own solution, and every solution has its own problem. Failing is not good word to hear neither not a good practice to do. But failing helps you to improve something in the near future, helps you by learning from your mistakes and gain some lessons to it. There are two things failure will do to you, first gaining lesson and applying it to your next project, it is like tasting a certain food for the first time and if you do not like it then the next time you will see it you will not eat or try to taste it again. Second, is that failure reminds us that even how great, smart or good you are on the field that you chose is that failure will not be lost, it will always be there, even great people experience failure, let’s just face it accept it and respect it that it revolves everyday in our life. Project manager have a very big responsibility in the team project, for he or she is the one manages everything that evolves in the project making. Every decision, every act, every command is what a project should follow by their project manager. Project manager is the main thing in a project team, because without him or her everything will be useless and no direction. But the position as a project manager has also consequence, it may suffer or it may live happy. Suffer as I say because if the project manager was not able to plan everything from the start or manage everything then the team will suffer the consequence like, getting a lot of problems that will happen in the project like having a lot of bugs, or short of budget, and worst, a failed project. But in the other side, it will be different if the project manager carefully follows all the procedures needed to start a project, and then if it is done nevertheless it will be a success. If the project failed, the blame will always be thrown to the project manager, and if it will be a success then the compliment is not just for the project manager but also for the team, so in the entire project manager job is really hard to do.

As a question asked, as a project manager, how would you proceed with the recommendation of the Local Government Unit? As a project manager, I will do what the Local Government Unit recommends for as the same as me, the project really fail. I will accept the fact that the project we are working was a big failure; it is just a waste of time, money, effort. The project was already a failure from the start, and that is the reason why it failed until the end. I will not argue with the Local Government Unit about their decision, because besides that the project was already overdue for how many months, it was not user friendly, it is because it is just a beta version and an incomplete project, as I was saying only the beta version was presented, and a lot of bugs should be fixed. These things are the reason why I can’t argue to the Local Government Unit about their decision, even me, because even me I will declare it as failure. In the problem the action of the team that belongs to the subcontracted group was not able to finish the project at the right time but instead they leave the subcontracted group one by one and never been seen again. The root of the failure starts with the EMCA corporation, for they get the project with consciously knowing that they are not capable of doing or developing the software, they should just stick with what they are capable of, which is the hardware and installation. Hiring a subcontracted group is a good way to solve the problem they are facing after accepting the project, but subcontracted group does not mean that you will accomplish and be a success for the end. It will depend on how the members among the subcontracted group act. Now after this happens, the subcontracted group started the planning and developing, but the fact that the EMCA Corporation was not able to hear the subcontracted group about the progress of the project for five months, it is a bad step to do, because getting updates from the team is very important, even if you will refer to the PMBok. And that was also the wrong of the EMCA corporation, because if they do updates to the project, then maybe the beta version was been done more earlier than the problem was stated, and the project was able to continue to work on the project earlier.  But no, the EMCA Corporation did not do this things, instead they let the subcontracted group do they want to do.

                There is a lot of lacks on both sides, on the side of EMCA Corporation, and on the side of the subcontracted group. The EMCA Corporation who accepts the project without knowing their limitations, they just accept and do what need to do. The subcontracted group, who was hired by the EMCA Corporation to do the failed software project, has a lot of lacks too. The incomplete attendance of the team on the installation and presenting the beta version to the Local Government Unit, the sudden resignation of the project manager who went abroad, and never accomplish the task as a project manager, then the members of the subcontracted group who walk away one by one without finishing their own task and not finishing the project. The system analyst, who was left behind the team, fixes the bugs alone but never made it in to the finish line or the deadline or never completes the project. The Local Government Unit, who declares the project as a failure, was a wise and good decision, because if I will be a project manager, me, too will declare it as failure. Based on the happenings, failed will definitely fit the remarks of the project.

 3. If you're a project manager, will you declare it as a failure? Why?

 Project manager have a very big responsibility in the team project, for he or she is the one manages everything that evolves in the project making. Every decision, every act, every command is what a project should follow by their project manager. Project manager is the main thing in a project team, because without him or her everything will be useless and no direction. But the position as a project manager has also consequence, it may suffer or it may live happy. Suffer as I say because if the project manager was not able to plan everything from the start or manage everything then the team will suffer the consequence like, getting a lot of problems that will happen in the project like having a lot of bugs, or short of budget, and worst, a failed project. But in the other side, it will be different if the project manager carefully follows all the procedures needed to start a project, and then if it is done nevertheless it will be a success. If the project failed, the blame will always be thrown to the project manager, and if it will be a success then the compliment is not just for the project manager but also for the team, so in the entire project manager job is really hard to do.

As asked, if I am the project manager would I declare it as failure? Why? If I will stand as a project manager, yes will be my answer, I will declare it as a failure because from the start the project already failed. The project before it was given to the EMCA Corp. team, the EMCA Corporation already conscious that they do not have any experts to do the software or to develop the software but instead without hesitation the EMCA Corporation accepted to develop the hardware and software of the project. This act that the team of EMCA Corporation done is wrong, although they were conscious of this, they were also able to hire a team that will develop the software, it is a good thing and a good step. But what is wrong as my observation, is getting the update from the team from time to time. Getting updates and progress is very important for creating a project, and this step was not able to apply by the EMCA Corporation to the subcontracted team that they hired. Another reason why I as a project manager declared this project a failure because of it is already overdue, because the time given to the project was only a year but then the project was already almost two years. The fact that the team members are slowly out after the project manager resigned and gone abroad, the system analyst, who is the only person in the team left at the end who fixes the bugs alone did not able to finish it, because the project is a big project and can’t be done individually. Another reason is the project manager who was very wrong, because first, he or she was not able to be there at the installation and the testing of the beta project to the Local Government Unit. Secondly, is the resignation of him or her and went gone abroad, because of this no one will able to manage the project, no one will create strategy. Although the EMCA outlet manager assume to be the project manager, but I guess having an assumed project manager did not help the project success. And then after the resignation and abroad thing, the other members of the team, well except for the system analyst was one by one left, which makes the situation more in trouble. Because of this happening the project making got even worst, no one will help the system analyst to finish the project, no one will finish the project, no one will manages the project, and are you still not to declare it as failure? As I see it declaring it as failure is not wrong and it is not a mistake to declare that. All that happen, all the wrong that happen was started from the start, for not following any procedure the project management has.  This happenings make the project failed and be declared as failed project, because the team has a lot of lacks especially to the project manager itself.

Failing is always a part, but failure on a big or major project like this is very another talk, for it is good for a year and a lot of time and effort are being given here, even the budget. All of this matters and gone wasted because of some irregular actions done by the project manager and other members of the team, even the corporation done a very wrong step for not monitoring the subcontracted team that they hired and they do not know what had been happening in the project, what had been the progress, and what had been their plans. Failure as I speak, sometimes you need to face the consequences you will get after any actions, whether it is a bad consequence or a good consequence, for it is your act and choice so be it. And as the EMCA corporation choose to do both, which is the hardware and software part of the project with them consciously knowing that they are lack of  team members that will able to develop the software part, but they accept the deal with no hesitation. Considering the resources that you have must be the thing the EMCA Corporation done, for accepting that your team is limited only to hardware is not a bad thing for the corporation but instead it is a courage thing to do, accepting the limits and accepting the limited resources you have. Failure might be a very disappointed word but when you going to create another project in the future, you will go to be aware on what the proper way to do things is and how to avoid threats and ifs. As a project manager I declared it as failure.

4. What steps would you do to make it succeed?

Succession of the project is a very overwhelming feeling for the team or any individual, for you will see the achievement that you get after the time and effort that you spend on creating a certain project. But as what is normally happens, after success of course problems along the way will appear, and if you are ready for this or you are already expecting for this from the start then you already prepared some methods on how to handle the problems that will appear. The methods you will be using here are of course already planned in the first place and in that phase is the planning. Before starting the project, planning is the very important part of the project, it is the first step to achieve a successful project, and if the procedure of planning was not followed then a big probability of failure in the project will happen. There are ways on achieving success in every project you will create, and if your are determine to achieve a success then you will follow the ways on how to get it, because sometimes there are people who want success but does not act, it means that they want to be successful in the project that their creating but they do not follow any procedures, they are not following the ways, or schedule, they are not taking orders form a higher person or let’s just say a project manager.

Success will always be in the tip of your hands as long as you are determined or your team is determining to accomplish it with flying colours. If I was given that project and create it in about a year, then steps will be created or scheduled everything first on the planning stage. Planning will be the first step that I will do in creating such project, creating my team and analyzing what team I should build in order to develop the project. scheduling will also be part of it, the knowledge of the project will be done here, the resources that needed to influence the outcome, the cost that will be needed to finish the project, the methods that should be needed in case of threats done by risks, cost, and communication, the time that will be needed in each task, process of documenting and the sequencing the things that needed to do in the project. Next will be developing, develop what was plan is the next step that I will do, creating my team, creating my schedules, creating the methods, getting all the resources I need to create the project, creating a time schedule for you or the team able to know their schedules. The next will be managing. Managing all of them will be the next step I will do, managing my team, discussing to them their tasks, and discussing to them about the scope of the project, on what project will be working. Managing the time, is also part of the managing step, it is where you properly sequence everything you or your team will do along the project making, it is where you will create an activity list. Managing the methods is also part of the managing step, managing the methods by knowing when to use it and how to use it. Then managing the resources, not all the resources will be used already at the start of the project, of course there are a resource that will be needed soon in the future, that is why managing the resources is needed to avoid unnecessary problems regarding to resources. And also the managing for the cost, money is the main foundations of the project without the proper manage of it, and then the project will be a disaster. Now the next step is the executing stage, it is where you will execute everything that you planned, developed, and managed, from creating everything then executing it. If those things I mentioned above will be executed by my team or me, the project will be a success. Proper execution of everything will give an assurance of a successful project. The time is the most fragile thing in creating a project for it is limited and if it is not properly used, everything will be wasted. But if managing time will be executed, especially creating a schedule of things to do, then it will be a success. The next step and the last step that I will follow will be the controlling the project schedule, when you say controlling the project schedule, it is where you ask for updates and progress for the project. Updating the progress of the project for me is the most needed to do thing in executing and before finishing a project, because in this stage you will know that the process has been followed and the desired output has been followed. The updating was the lack of the project manager stated in the problem, because they did not hear anything from the team while creating the project, and that updating I will follow for I will not do the same mistake as the team in the problem done.

As following those steps above, I assure that everything will work fine and everything will be a success in the end. The planning that I will do from the start, the developing that i will do after the planning, then the managing, then the executing and the controlling of the project schedule which is the needed part. Applying those step will be a big help in creating a project, if I was the one given that project, those step that I mentioned above, is the step that I will follow, for I believe that those step will lessen the percentage of failure in the project. It may not be the perfect steps to follow but I’ll assure that this step will get a higher percentage of achieving the project goal, and so that the time and effort that you gave to the project, not just you even your team members will not be wasted.