Communication Impact on Project Success

This assignment delves into the significance of effective communication in achieving project success. It requires a comprehensive analysis of academic literature and real-world case studies to demonstrate how various communication strategies, challenges, and stakeholder perspectives influence project outcomes. Students will evaluate the impact of different communication channels and tools on project performance, considering factors like trust, collaboration, and risk management.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A project is a temporary endeavor that is aimed towards the accomplishment of a unique or
product or change in an organization, that is, it must result in formation of an object or a
completely new experience for the company. For successful completion of a project, all the
important stakeholders must be actively involved as each of them has a contribution to make
(Aragonés-Beltrán et al, 2017). The various stakeholders in a project include the suppliers, the
customers, the project sponsors, the shareholders, the community, the project manager and the
project team. The pre-mentioned project also involves an outsourcer who is responsible for
software development for the parcel post company and therefore is one of the critical project
stakeholders since it is geared towards technology development. Since a project is a temporary
undertaking, its boundaries cover its product and process requirements for the period specified
for the specific tasks. It comes to an end when its objectives have been accomplished or when it
has been made clear that they cannot be met. In the above project, several methodologies can be
applied to deliver the intended results, some of which include, PMBOK, PRINCE2 and the XP
project management methodologies. PMBOK is best suited for this purpose as it is a set of
standards and guidelines for the project and outlays the processes for project development which
include initiation, planning, implementation, controlling and conclusion. Communication is a
very crucial factor in efficacious accomplishment of the project as it aids in the identification of
each stakeholder’s function in the project development (Lam, 2016).
Table of Contents
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INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................................4
CRITICAL STAKEHOLDERS.....................................................................................................................5
Stakeholder Classification Model- Influence/Impact Matrix....................................................................5
Outsourcer/Supplier:..................................................................................................................................5
Project Manager.........................................................................................................................................6
Role Variation............................................................................................................................................7
PROJECT SCOPE.........................................................................................................................................7
Current Situation........................................................................................................................................7
Product Requirements................................................................................................................................7
Process Requirements................................................................................................................................8
Planning...............................................................................................................................................8
Inputs and Techniques.........................................................................................................................8
Tools....................................................................................................................................................8
PROJECT METHODOLOGY.......................................................................................................................8
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)...............................................................................9
Advantages of PMBOK.............................................................................................................................9
Ease of Understanding.........................................................................................................................9
Universal to the organization...............................................................................................................9
Standardization....................................................................................................................................9
Scope:................................................................................................................................................10
Recognition.......................................................................................................................................10
Other Methodologies...............................................................................................................................10
Projects in a Controlled Environment version 2 (PRINCE2):............................................................10
Extreme Programming Methodology (XP):.......................................................................................10
CHALLENGE TO PROJECT’S SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION.............................................................11
Poor Communication...............................................................................................................................11
Overcoming Poor Communication..........................................................................................................12
Specification......................................................................................................................................12
Time:.................................................................................................................................................12
The audience:....................................................................................................................................12
CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................13
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INTRODUCTION
A project is a temporary endeavor with a definite beginning and end organized into various
activities with an aim of delivering a specified product or achieving a change never experienced
before in an organization. Project management is a discipline that applies knowledge, skills, tools
and other techniques in the instigation, planning, implementation, controlling and closing of a
project, according to Eric Verzuh (2008). The project manager is the individual in charge of the
overall project and therefore must possess several skills such as business management, project
management and technical competency in their line of work. This is in order to effectively carry
out his responsibilities such as creating a suitable project and a capable project team, developing
and managing the project’s schedule and budget, identifying and mitigating risks, managing
changes and closing the project. My project of choice for this report is coming up with an
effective technology to aid in tracking packages for a parcel post company and its clients.
Currently, the organization’s barcodes notify the project manager when the parcel is picked up
by the courier van, dropped in a depot and when it is picked up at the depot by the courier van
and released at its destination. The organization therefore does not have the ability to track the
parcels while in transportation or identify which parcels are loaded into which truck. As per the
current system, the packages are automatically sorted out at the depot and packed into containers
which are then loaded into the courier trucks. The company requires a software developed that
can specify the parcels in the containers and the vessels in the various trucks (Clausen et al,
2017).
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Keep Satisfied
customers
Keep Informed
Example,
Customers
CRITICAL STAKEHOLDERS
Stakeholder Classification Model- Influence/Impact Matrix
Project stakeholders are persons who have interest on the specified project or who are positively
or negatively affected by its execution (Davis, 2014). This stakeholder classification model is a
tool that enables the project manager to identify the crucial stakeholders who have a great effect
on the success of the project. In order to successfully analyze stakeholders by use of this method,
the project manager should document the interests and motivations of the various stakeholders
concerning this project, identify conflicting contributions, find out their consistency in the
project and come up with an operative means of communicating with each stakeholder. In this
project the most crucial stakeholders are the suppliers and the project manager. The
Influence/Impact matrix is divided into 4 quadrants as shown below:
Manage Closely
Example, outsourcer
Level
Of
Influence
Level of Influence
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Monitor
Example supplier

Outsourcer/Supplier:
The firm pre-mentioned do not have the resources to develop software for tracking the parcels
and therefore has to outsource these services. This makes the outsourcer and supplier one of the
most crucial stakeholders in the project. In order to effectually keep track of the transportation
process, the containers loaded with the parcels are to be attached with Radio-Frequency
Identification (RFID) tags that aid in the identification and tracking of each container. The
organization has identified a suitable supplier for the RFID tags at an affordable price. Also,
there is a need to develop sensors and fit them to the trucks to identify which containers are
loaded onto which courier van. The IT vendor is responsible for development of appropriate
software that will combine these tasks into one, that is, it will help in the specification of the
parcels in each container and the vessels in each truck. For successful completion of this project,
therefore, the presence of a skilled IT vendor is critically important (Atkinson et al, 2015). The
company should ensure that the outsourcer is trustworthy and that he or she has a good
reputation of quality production. These are the most crucial factors that the company is
considering for the success of this project as it has been planning on carrying it out for a while
now and therefore has put away sufficient resources for the project’s implementation. In
addition, the project committee is coming with ways of creating more resources in case of
changes during the project execution.
Project Manager:
The organization’s project manager is the master mind behind the initiation of this project. The
responsibility of bearing the results of the project mostly rests on his or her shoulder. The project
manager also has the roles of communicating the current progress and future possibilities of the
project to all stakeholders, managing the schedule and budget of the project and bringing
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together a skilled project team. In this case this includes a capable software developer
(outsourcer) and a suitable RFID tags supplier. The project manager also has to keep close
contacts with these two participants who are critical to the project, even if they are external
stakeholders (Whitaker, 2016).
Role Variation
In a different kind of a project, the outsourcer and the supplier would not be among the crucial
stakeholders since their skills would be replaced where there is a concrete and highly trained IT
team in the organization. The project manager on the other hand is usually an important
participant of most projects since he or she is in charge of all the activities carried out.
PROJECT SCOPE
Project scope is the part of project planning that entails defining and documenting the project’s
specific goals and objectives, tasks, expenses, deliverables and the deadline. The main objective
of this project is to increase the discernibility of the parcels while in transit for both the client and
the parcel post company (Ahn, and Park, 2017). This will decrease the chances of losing
customer packages as well as increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the services provided.
Current Situation
Currently, the software available for the company’s use include barcodes which indicates to the
asset manager when the trucks have been loaded at the station or at the depot and when the
offloading takes place at the packages’ destinations. There is also an online portal used by the
clients to track their parcels, as well as GPS tracking devices for the courier vans.
Product Requirements
Active RFID tags should be used since they can operate hundreds of meters away from the RFID
reader and uses a local power supply such as a battery, unlike passive tags which collect
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information from the reader’s radio waves thus has to be nearby. Before outsourcing the software
development services, it is important to find out about the credibility of the outsourcer and
ensure that the contract is in written form and signed. The company should involve its lawyer in
all these activities to make the agreement binding and the action lawful (Mosca and Bordelon,
2017). The integrity of the RFID supplier should also be thoroughly assessed for quality stock. In
addition, the truck drivers should be informed about the RFID tags and strictly warned against
tampering with them during transportation.
Process Requirements
These new developments will bring about the need for customer training on how to use the
software which will be incorporated in the current online tracking portal, to find out the location
of their packages.
Planning: This involves the process of gathering information to set the boundaries, objectives
and goals of a project. It largely depends on the different stakeholders’ views and the ease of
their communication. According to this project, this phase has already been depleted.
Inputs and Techniques: the project manager should include his or her experience from like
projects in this task to avoid repetition of past mistakes and increase the chances of success.
Before the execution phase, the manager should ensure that all the items required for the
initiation of the implementation are available to avoid chaos and confusion.
Tools: Statement of Scope (SOS) and the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) are the two most
important needs for completion of scope management. The SOS is likened to an executive
summary of the entire project since it describes the catalysts of the project and provides a
summary of the expected outcome. WBS on the other hand, is the project deliverable that
classifies the team’s work into different manageable segments. It defines exactly what is to be
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done and by whom throughout the projects process that is initiation, planning, implementation,
controlling and the closing phase.
PROJECT METHODOLOGY
It is a system of practices, procedures, rules and techniques that dictate the project’s processes
for maximum output. Project methodologies are basically ways to deliver projects.
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)
Being a technological development scheme, which requires outsourcing, this project would best
be delivered by the use of PMBOK, a set of standards presented as a guide by the Project
Management Institute (PMI) to offer solutions to project management. This is because this
methodology sets out the best practices, standards, conventions, processes, terminologies and
procedures which would effectively guide the relationship between the outsourcer and the project
team and among the team members. Division on labor among the team members is eased which
is an advantageous step for maintenance of the software after the project’s completion that is
after the latter has been installed into the company’s system.
Advantages of PMBOK
Ease of Understanding:
All members of the project management team can easily comprehend the steps provided for by
the guide as it documents processes and methods each step of the way. It also overlaps with the
general roles of management such as planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling
thus gives the project manager a wider look on how to work with his or her team.
Universal to the organization:
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The guide different departments of the organization thus changes can be made collectively. The
steps involved can also be applied to other company’s size they are standardized and provide
room for customization.
Standardization:
PMBOK offers a guide to successful completion of all projects being undertaken by the
organization. Since it provides the same procedure to different organizational units, the final
result will be more uniform and effective than if the organization allowed use of another project
management approach that does not have these advantages.
Scope:
PMBOK clearly defines what methods will bring success and which ones will lead to failure.
This can equip the participants involved with knowledge on handling risk management.
Recognition:
PMBOK is the standard by which Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate, which is
based upon a survey of many companies’ best practices is obtained.
Other Methodologies
Projects in a Controlled Environment version 2 (PRINCE2): this methodology is extensively
used in the UK and was developed to offer guidance to the projects in the UK government. It
would be an excellent alternative to PMBOK in this project’s execution because it is built from
generic best practices and it is therefore non-proprietary. It offers the solutions required by the
project managers at the moment. It therefore offers a great benefit in avoidance of repetition of
past mistakes and like PMBOK, it aids in relationship guidance.
Extreme Programming Methodology (XP): this project is geared towards software advancement
and quality is the main focus. XP is a software development project administration methodology
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that specifies principles, practices and procedures to improve software quality and ensure
responsiveness to changing customer requirements and preferences. Due to this fact, it is an
excellent methodology for use by the outsourcer in the development as well as by the project
team in the implementation of the new software. It is of use even after the outsourcing process
since it provides rules on continuous integration of the software.
CHALLENGE TO PROJECT’S SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION
Poor Communication
Effective communication during a project is one of the essential aspects for successful
completion (Henderson et al, 2016). If the project manager, the team members, the outsourcer
and the supplier are not able to communicate well the project is most likely to fail since none of
the participants carries out their functions and roles competently. Lack of good communication
among all the parties involved in the project leads to confusion, mix-up and inefficiency. The
project manager has the responsibility to communicate to all the stakeholders about the progress
of the report and what is expected of them. If he or she has poor communication skills, then this
directly translates into poor management and consequently failure of the specified project. in
fact, communication is the primary contributor to project failure a third of the time according to a
study recently conducted by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
Communication in a project does not just take place. Effective communication has to be well
thought out by the project manager as a strategy and tools designed to store and regulate
information flow and communications concerning the project throughout the organization.
Formal communication plans are therefore a necessity for the success of the project.
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Poor communication also leads to failed relationships between the organization and the
suppliers, outsourcer, and customers. This project is being carried mostly for the benefit of the
company’s customers who need training on the use of the developed software. The trainer is
supposed to be sufficiently skilled in terms of the operations of the software and have very good
communication skills. If this is not the case, the organization faces the dangers of client base
reduction and failed associations especially if the customers are misguided or given the wrong
information. They assume, without any further analysis, that the organization is untrustworthy
and does not serve their best interests.
Overcoming Poor Communication
Specification:
the project manager should be timely, thorough, precise and straight to the point whether he or
she is communication a change or reprimanding a delay. The manager should clearly state the
original plan, the variations to be made and their effect on the company’s resources. He or she
should then go ahead and thank his audience for their continued support thus far.
Time:
the recipients of the information being passed on should be given enough time to think over the
facts delivered before they can respond. In addition, many employees often ignore information
that is communicated too frequently or when there is too much content. For example, if the
project manager decides to use e-mails to communicate with his or her team, he or she must be
cognizant of how many e-mails are sent and how frequently this is done, the complexity of their
contents and the relationship he or she shares with the team members. The project manager can
also use virtual teams to enhance memory (Verburg et al, 2013).
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The audience:
The type of information given depends on the listeners it is being passed to. Executives, for
instance do not need to know about the specific tasks of the assignment but are only interested
with the objectives of the project and its impact on the organization. Additionally, the project
manager should ensure that he or she is involving the right people for right activities for effective
communication.
CONCLUSION
Projects are important undertakings for organization since they bring change which often directly
converts to developments. Project management is, however, a process and requires critical
thinking especially in the instigation stage. This phase entails coming up with a suitable scheme
that will bring the most required changes in the organization. After establishing an appropriate
undertaking, plans are made on its cost and budget and the project manager comes up with a
project charter. The end of this phase gives room for the onset of the execution phase, where the
new idea is implemented into the business operations (Turner, 2016). The project is then closed
with the acceptance of the customers to use the new product or incorporate the change effected.
In this project the main objective is to increase the visibility of packages during transportation
for both the customers and the company. It entails developing a new software to this effect,
which will need outsourcing to the third party. The software is responsible for discerning the
parcels in each container and the containers loaded to each truck. It is obvious that improved
technology in the parcel post company would increase the rate at which work is done thus the
customer base. Ensuring the credibility of the outsourcer and the RFID supplier is critical for
success in this project development. In order to complete the project successfully, the project
manager must incorporate effective communication in his or her management techniques
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(Stanciu et al, 2016). The manager has the responsibility of communicating the project’s goals
and objectives to all the stakeholders and ensuring their acceptance on this issue. This aids in
labor division whereby each team member identifies exactly what is expected of them and their
contributions to successful completion of the project.
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