Iron Triangle for Resources Management in Microsoft Project Management

This article discusses the iron triangle model for resources management in Microsoft Project Management. It explains the constraints of the iron triangle and its features. Additionally, it covers the stages of project management and ways to mitigate project delays. The article also includes a case study on project implementation with a delay.

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1. Development of an Iron Triangle for Resources Management
The iron triangle models constrictions of project management together with its
limitations are regarded as “iron” since it is not possible for one the alter any of the
constraints without affecting the rest of the constraints. According to the pioneer iron triangle
recommended by Dr. Martin Barnes in 1969, it takes the waterfall line of attack in the
development of the project products, which means that the variables such as the scope, time
and resources are fixed (Gemünden, 2015, p. 5). In that case, it means that the software
project development team has to start the project by describing the product requirements by
determining the project’s scope. The project’s scope is a list of the items required for the
project. Therefore, the schedule as well as the resources are only but variables, thus they are
only approximated with regard to the fixed scope.
Constraints of the Iron Triangle
Despite the iron triangle being faced by three major constraints scope, resources and
time its core aim is to act as the compass direction for project management team under the
leadership of the project manager. As a result the project manager has to make sure that the
project team has been provided with the necessary information as far as the project
development is concerned (Bronte-Stewart, 2015, p. 26). It should be noted that for the
project to achieve its target the project manager has to provide the project tem with all these
requirements as well as necessary information to make trade-offs that are capable of
supporting the business. For instance, in case the project team is faced with a fixed scope
when they are halfway the project and find out that they have not or will not be in the
position to hit the projected deadline; the only variables that they can play is time and
resources (Badewi, 2016, p. 763). The team can accept a new release date or they can decide

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to increase of the workforce supply to the project and this will automatically raise the costs of
the project.
Features of the Iron Triangle Project Management
The iron triangle is typically constrained by three primary components that can be
expressed in a number of ways. The three key constraint, which is also referred to as the iron
triangle when it comes to project management describes how the project should be
developed.
Time: A project activity can take a short period or a long period to be attained. In order to
realize the project product is delivered with a specified period of time, a number of aspects
have to be factored in such as the size of workforce working on the project, their experience
as well as skills. Indeed, time is vital necessity that is not controllable, but failure to realize
the project’s set dates it can result in adverse impacts. Subsequently, the key reason for the
project not to be able to accomplish delivering of the product in time is due to lack of
resources.
Budget: The budget is imperious both on the side of the project manager and the business to
have a charge estimate when performing a project task. The most important aspect in project
development is resources since it ensures that the project under development attains the
originally desired cost. Nonetheless, in some instances, project may be unable to meet the
anticipated project due to inadequate resources. The reason for such inconveniences is as a
result of introducing of changes in between the project course by the project supervisors and
the customer. Therefore, this makes it hard for the project manager to deliver the initially
agreed upon product with the earlier stated resources. Consequently, the project managers
gets forced to allocate additional resources in order to be able to attain delivering the project

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product. However, this process is accompanied with some consequences for the
inopportuneness of the extra charges.
Scope: The scope is primarily about the final product results of the project undertaking. The
scope consists of a list of deliverables that must be factored in by the project leader and their
teams.
Quality: In spite quality not being among the iron triangle project management components,
it is the ultimate objective of every deliverable. As a result, this is the main case for the
project management iron triangle representation strive for quality product delivery.
Stages of Project Management
For the successful delivery of a project product the project undergoes a number of
phases. By sub diving a project in small phases is to make it possible to lead it in the required
direction. The project is organized into phases as a way to make it easier to monitor the
project development progress as described below.
Initiation Phase: It is the initial stage of the project, during this stage, the idea of the
project is explored and elaborated. The objectivity of this goal is to examine the project
feasibility. Additionally, it is at this point that decisions are made regarding the person that
should lead the project, the parties that will be included and to find out if the project has a
strong base among those involved. The project managers writes the project prospective
proposal which comprise a description of all the above listed issues like costs, scope of the
project and time.
Definition Phase: Once the project plan that was developed during the initiation stage is
approved, the project moves to the next phase, the definition phase. In the definition stage,
the requirements connected with the project outcome are specified in the clearest way. It
entails the identification of all parties involved with respect to the project outcome. The

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identification of project requirements acts a directive and saves the project leaders as it acts
as a memory aid for the project preconditions, functional requirements, operational
requirements as well as the design constraints.
Design/Planning Phase: The list of requirements accepted in the definition stage can be
utilized to making the design options. During the design phase several designs are developed,
through which the project outcome can deceptively be realized. According to the project, the
design phase products consists of flow charts, prototypes, sketches, dioramas, site trees, UML
schemas, HTLM screen designs and photo impressions. The Project manager makes use of
these designs to decide on the descriptive design which has to be employed to deliver the
project product.
Development phase: during the development stage all the requirements for
implementation of the project are organized. Probable constrictors as well as subcontractors
are brought on board, ordering of materials and tools, project scheduling and giving of
instruction to the project personnel (Ponsteen, and Kusters, 2015, p. 167). The development
level is accomplished once the implementation is ready to commence.
Implementation phase: It is at this phase that the project takes shape. It entails the
construction of the real-time results. During this phase the different project divisions involve
in different activities. For instance, programmers will be preoccupied encoding, contractors
with building and the physical organization of what should take place, and designers with
developing graphic material. The project becomes visible at this stage.
Follow up phase: It is at this phase where all the project activities are arranged so as
to make sure that the project becomes a success. Some of the practices at this stage comprise
giving instructions for use, setting up help desk, evaluation of the project, writing handbooks,
and maintaining project results.

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Project crashing to meet a Project Deadline
Delay in projects is a feature that faces almost all projects. Project delay occur due to
poor planning, insufficient communication and changes in the scope of the project as well as
exhaustion of resources. Additionally, a project delay can be as a result of a project team lack
of morale. Therefore, to avoid issues of project delay, the project manager has to put into
practise the concept of project crashing to make it possible the delivery of the final project
product under the agreed time, scope and resources (Abuwarda, and Hegazy, 2016). Project
crashing work to see to it that project is completed within the set out time, budget and meets
the anticipated user requirements.
Steps Involved in Project Crashing
Project crashing demands that the project manager knows the critical path of the
project by calculating the expected period required to realize the project as anticipated.
Therefore, to achieve project crashing it takes the following steps:
Identifying the critical activities that takes the least cost by calculating the crash expense for
all the practices with the help of the following formula.
Crash Cost per unit = (Crash Cost) – (Normal Cost) / (Normal Time – Crash Time)
After calculating the project crash, the project leader picks in the events on the critical path
with the least cost slope among all the activities until the desired crime crash is realized.
To arrive at the least project crash there has to be reduction of the activity time till the crash
time is attained.
Ways to mitigate the problem of Project Delay

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It is important that the project manager (PM) work hard to overcome the all
challenges that are linked to project delay. In order to reduce the delay the PM can take the
following steps.
 Conducting meetings with the project teams. Regular carrying out of meetings with
project members aids the PM to receive responses of the delay (Salama, and Haniff,
2016). Therefore keeping close contact with the team enhances a constructive relation
in the affected parts of the project.
 Reassessing the current condition of the project by evaluating other likely delays.
Delays act as indicators for future problems, thus it is significant for the PM to
reassess the current position of the project to avoid further delays.
 Reviewing the entry of data in risk assessment. In some cases the delay cane be due to
the project management delay team’s delay and the supervisor to realize impractical
set out project completion dates (Agyei, 2015, p. 222). Thus, undertaking additional
risk evaluation management aids to define the reason why and how the problem can
happen.
 Diverting resources to no-delayed practices and tasks. At this point the delay
concentrates on specific practices (Bhatia, A., Haciane, Cheng, Sathappan, and
Deshpande, 2017). Therefore the PM should make a decision of shifting certain
teams by assigning them to non-affected activities.
 Carrying out quality inspection for the incomplete and complete job progress. The PM
should perform constant regular checks and reviews to determine if there are any
errors.
3. Reasons for Reconfiguring John’s Work Plan

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As a PM I could have reconfigured John’s work plan since it is likely to result on a
project delivery delay. By John working for only four hours a day, it means that there some
part of the project which are likely to be forgone because he spends less time as initially
projected by the PM (Abuwarda, and Hegazy, 2016). That is to mean that the project is likely
to be delayed. Therefore to avoid incidents of project delay I will have to reconfigure his
work plan and work according to the PM initial work plan of eight hours a day to see to it that
it is completed in the specified time, under budget and meet the user requirements. On the
same note, time management is a crucial necessity, thus, without a well-planned time
management will lead to project delays which places the project at a mess (Tiwari, and
Johari, 2015). Therefore, it is important to manage well time for the project to be
accomplished in time, within budget and meet the under needs and wants.
Reconfiguration of John’s Project Management Work Plan
Task Duration (Days)
Task A (Initiation Phase) 2
Task B (Defining Phase) 1
Task C (Project Planning/Designing) 3
Task D (Development Phase) 8
Task E (Implementation Phase) 5
Task F (Monitoring) 5
Task G (Fellow up Phase) 1

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4. Project Implementation with a Delay
Task Duration (Days)
Project Initiation
 Business case documentation
 Feasibility study
10
7
3
Project definition 5
Project Design/Planning 5
Project Development 20
Project Implementation 20 + (10 delay)
Project Control and Monitoring
Control
Monitoring
8
8
5
Fellow up Phase and Closure 2

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Delay on Project Implementation
Instead of the project taking ten week as it was initially planned which equivalent is
70 days the delay in the project extends by ten more days as indicated in the table such that
instead of the project coming to completion 6th August 2018. The ten days delay makes it end

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on 20th August, 2018 due to the additional ten days of delay in the implementation phase of
the project.

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Delay on Project Implementation
The same project delay applies on the above project development course such that the
delay impact the implementation phase taking eleven days as initially planned the delay
extends the project implementation by ten extra days which involves the system technician
and casual workers. That means that the project manager has to incur extra costs of increasing
the number of the work forces which forces he/she to have two teams of system technician
and casual workers working at the implementation phase.

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Bibliography
Abuwarda, Z. and Hegazy, T., 2016. Work-Package Planning and Schedule Optimization for
Projects with Evolving Constraints. Journal of Computing in Civil
Engineering, 30(6), p.04016022.
Agyei, W., 2015. Project planning and scheduling using PERT and CPM techniques with
linear programming: case study. International Journal of Scientific & Technology
Research, 4(8), pp.222-227.
Badewi, A., 2016. The impact of project management (PM) and benefits management (BM)
practices on project success: Towards developing a project benefits governance
framework. International Journal of Project Management, 34(4), pp.761-778.
Bhatia, A., Haciane, G., Cheng, J., Sathappan, S. and Deshpande, T., 2017. Optimization
Model For Multiple Project Management.
Bronte-Stewart, M., 2015. Beyond the iron triangle: Evaluating aspects of success and failure
using a project status model. Computing & Information Systems, 19(2), pp.21-37.
Gemünden, H.G., 2015. Success factors of global new product development programs, the
definition of project success, knowledge sharing, and special issues of project
management journal®. Project Management Journal, 46(1), pp.2-11.
Ponsteen, A. and Kusters, R.J., 2015. Classification of human-and automated resource
allocation approaches in multi-project management. Procedia-Social and Behavioral
Sciences, 194, pp.165-173.
Salama, M. and Haniff, A., 2016. 9 Project Scheduling. Project Management.

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Tiwari, S. and Johari, S., 2015. Project scheduling by integration of time cost trade-off and
constrained resource scheduling. Journal of The Institution of Engineers (India):
Series A, 96(1), pp.37-46.