Current Abilities & Performance with Project Management Tools & Techniques in the Simulation Environment

This document discusses the current abilities and performance of project management tools and techniques in a simulation environment. It covers topics such as project team management, leadership styles, project planning, and engineering project management tools/techniques. The document provides insights and observations from the author's experiences and offers suggestions for future improvements.

MSC ENGINEERING PROJECT MANAGEMENT
COVENTRY UNIVERSITY
Current Abilities & Performance with
Project Management Tools & Techniques in
the Simulation Environment
7057MAA Advanced Experiential Engineering Project
Management
Lecturer: Dr. Menoka Bal, Dr. David Fuschi
MUHAMMAD HAMZA
Student ID: 10478491

Table of Contents
Experience Summary ...................................................................................................................1
Introduction .................................................................................................................................1
Objectives ................................................................................................................................1
Approaches in Cesim Simulation ...............................................................................................1
Project Team Management .........................................................................................................1
Leadership Style ......................................................................................................................2
Project Planning ............................................................................................................................3
Engineering Project Management Tools/Techniques .............................................................4
Work Breakdown Structure ........................................................................................................4
Program Evaluation Review Technique ................................................................................4
Cost Estimator & Budget Planner .....................................................................................5
Graphical Representation of Project Performance ..............................................5
Learning from Simulation Activity ............................................................................................6
My Experiences ...........................................................................................................................6
My Observations .....................................................................................................................6
Future Improvements .........................................................................................................6
Conclusion .....................................................................................................................................7

Experience Summary:
Introduction
Cesim Simulation is an online, team based and interactional project
management simulation. It allows the participants to experience the dynamics of
managing a project in a competitive environment. It focuses on enhancing the
following skills;
• Project Management
• Team work
• Leadership
• Effective Collaboration
• Communication
Objectives
It integrates a wide range of concepts from management related
disciplines i.e. planning, organizing, measurement, controlling and execution. It
increases the students’ awareness of complexity to complete a project from a
strategic and general management perspective. It enhances the analytical
decision making based on facts. It allows the students to learn the problem
solving and planning techniques in delivering a successful project.
Approaches in Cesim Simulation:
The whole project is divided into sub-projects (digitizing, payment,
internal, customer). In simulation, each of the four students assigned 40 tasks to
be completed within given time (4 months), budget (£100,000), employees
(project Manager, two full-time employees & one experienced employee) and
appropriate quality. This simulation is based on teamwork, so each student has
to adopt a way to complete his sub-project with communication to other team
members. Some dependency tasks are provided to each team member, to
understand the importance of communication in project management.
Project Team Management
In this simulation, we (individually) work as a Project Manager by
assigning the tasks to each of his worker by keeping an eye on employee skills
and time to complete the task. If we have a person that best skills matching with
the other sub-projects, then we can transfer an employee to other. Different
scenarios are provided to each project manager in each month. So, risk
management plan and alternatives should already be kept in mind. The role
allocation during this simulation helps us in staffing phase.

Figure 1: Project Management Life Cycle
During, task management the Project Management Life cycle must be
kept in mind. It involves plan, test, track and report. We have to work with the
process interaction approach in task management. In this interaction approach,
we emphasized on the progress of a task in a sub-project through its arrival
events till its departure events. We must follow the route to complete our sub-
project by taking into account of the dependency tasks. Without the competition
of this dependency, our other team members cannot work further on their sub-
projects. With a proper communication channel, we can communicate with
other team members. Effective communication is a major factor in project
simulation.
We have to make a schedule of our tasks completion in every month. This
schedule must meet our deadlines. Event scheduling approach helps in resource
management. This approach has more important role in measurement,
controlling & flexibility during a project. It involves the planning in such a way
that right resources are assigned to a right task.
Leadership Style
As far as my opinion is concerned, Democratic Leadership style would
work best in this simulation project. In this way, every group member will take
a more participation and involvement in decision making process. This
leadership style keeps the lines of communication open. The democratic process
Concrete
Experience
Desision
Making
Results &
Teamwork
Generalising from
Experience: Discussion
Analysing
&
Plaaning

focuses on group equality along with the free-flow of new ideas; the leader of
the group is always available there for the guidance and control.
Project Planning:
We are provided with 40 tasks and are required to complete in 4 months
i.e. 4 rounds. We have to assign these tasks to our employees in such a way that
following three strategies keeping in mind;
1. Complete the task within provided budget & time.
2. The Quality Tasks must also be considered in order to deliver a very
successful project.
3. The proper communication with other team members about their
dependency tasks.
We have to follow the Decision making strategy in Cesim Simulation
Project. The Strategy for this project is discussed below;
1. Identifying the project problems: Read the market outlook. It will provide
different scenarios during the start of each round. This must be
thoroughly read and understood before starting a project or any round in a
sub-project.
2. Specify the requirements: Project map must be clearly viewed. The routes
for completion of the project are considered. Make a list of all the tasks
i.e. quality tasks; outsource able tasks and dependency tasks (on other
projects).
3. Analyze the project: Our complete sub-project must be divided into
smaller parts. This step uses the Top-Down Technique to deliver our
project. Like we have to consider labor cost, workdays available to our
employees, outsourcing plans.
4. Identifying the alternatives: In joint collaboration with the team members,
we have to make some alternatives plan for our project completion. Like,
we have to consider the total requirements of our project. Alternatives in
our sub-project must be noticed by the dependency tasks of other sub-
projects, skills needed; change management, product knowledge, system
architecture, etc.
5. Take actions: In accordance with decision making strategy, assigned the
tasks to our employees.
6. Review your consequences & decisions: In delivering a very successful
project, quality & time must be our first priorities. So, we have to make a
schedule about tasks completed in a month. The budget is the most
important factor in Cesim Simulation project.

Engineering Project Management Tools/Techniques:
The project management techniques make our projects easier and more
effective. These techniques can be applicable for any project, irrespective of the
field or industry. The techniques used in Cesim Simulation project are discusses
below;
1. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
This technique is used to organize our project into smaller parts in a
manageable way. In Cesim Simulation, we sub divided our 40 tasks into smaller
components depending upon time, cost, quality, dependency & skills. I made
flowcharts for the tasks priorities. The structure of the whole project is
presented in an organized manner. Flow lines helps in providing the directions
for our completion.
Figure 2: Work Breakdown Structure in Cesim Digitizing Project
2. Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT Analysis)
This technique helps me in my time estimating for a project. Like, I will
make a schedule for tasks completion in a round. During assigning the task to
an employee, the actual workdays for a task must be compared with the
workdays taken by an employee. Make a comparison chart of time estimation
before assigning the task to an employee. But, I must keep in mind the
availability of working days of an employee in a month. The two factors must
be calculated in PERT comparison chart for a project.

• Optimistic time estimate; the fastest time to complete a task by an
employee. It must be less than or equal to the actual workdays of the task.
• Critical Path Method: Sometimes the PERT analysis and CPA are used
interchangeably. Determine the sequences of the project as defined in the
figure 2. But in this case, we do not require a CPA method for route of
the project. Anyhow the WBS structure helps a lot for completing this
project.
3. Cost Estimator & Budget Planner
The total budget of this project was €100,000. At assigning the task to an
employee, I used to make a Budget Plan on MS Excel. In this way, I estimated
the project budget & applied controlling techniques onto it. The labor cost in
normal workdays & overtime workdays was given in Project Management
Profile. The time required by an employee for a task was multiplied with its cost
per workday. This technique helps a lot in balance sheet for a project.
4. Graphical Representation of Project Performance
The Cesim Simulation provided the overall performance of our project in
each month. This performance was represented by line graphs in project
tracking. The budget used in each round. We have to be focused more on
performance by viewing the budget used in previous month/round. Similarly,
the time in each month was also represented by line graphs. There is also a bar
chart available for Monitoring the Quality of overall project. The quality is also
examined in each month. The program progress is also available by using a line
graph. This is one of the ancient methods used in project’s performance.
Importance of PM Techniques/Tools
• These techniques help the project managers in organizing projects & tasks in
a very manageable way.
• These help in execution and controlling all the aspects in a project
management process.
• These help us in setting the goals & ways to achieve these goals. It provides
the better understanding of project management concepts.
• We can easily be managed our resources by these techniques.
• Step-wise and continuous monitoring of a project will be done. The
performance of project is monitored step by step.
• These techniques make all our team members easily connected &
collaborated in a project.
• These tools improved the students’ knowledge, decision making, and
maintenance & teamwork skills.

Learning from Simulation Activity:
My Experiences
The ultimate goal of this simulation is to complete the whole project
within given time. The successful teams have demonstrated the strong
communication skills in achieving the individual & team goals. This project is a
best practice for the engineer managers about the different situations; they
would have to face in their practical life. While working in a company or an
organization, we have to work with different people having different mindset &
experiences. So, this is a key learning to work in team for better understanding
to achieve the objectives or goals for an organization. This project is much
related to the finance discipline, as we have to learn the budget controlling
techniques. It is a best method to test the hand on skills & strategic thinking of
students. As in each round, we have to face different scenarios. So it is a best
practice for making alternatives in a project; that is almost in every successful
project.
My Observations
In the start of Cesim Simulation project, everything went well &
according to the plans. But I have to face the following problems during it.
• Sometimes I have to change the route of project delivery because of some
dependency tasks not done by other team members. Change management
is an essential skill & helpful in this case.
• To follow the event scheduling approach, I have to cover more tasks in
initial rounds/months. After that, due to the lack of communication skills,
I have to take one more month to complete my sub-project.
• At certain situations, the task was completed with more than its actual
working days. The tasks were assigned not only by the time factor, but I
also have to consider the skills & availability of that employee.
• In fact, it is a group project. So, if anyone in you group didn’t complete
the project in time. Ultimately, the whole project would not be successful.
You have to face plenty in terms of time, cost & quality.
Future Improvements
Overall, the strong team collaboration & communication is necessary in
this project. In future, we have to arrange a meeting with other team members at
the initiation stage of this project. We have to set our deadlines for each round.
Before & after each round, we have to compare our results, discussed the
remaining tasks & route for deliver this project. Quality is most important

feature in any project. So, almost every month must cover one or two quality
tasks by each team member.
Conclusion:
Simulation is an effective learning tool for all disciplines. It develops the
ability for identifying & analyzing the key factors, which effect the completion
of a successful program & interlinked projects. This practice encourages
formulation, implementation & adaptation strategies, with focusing on avoiding
the hurdles & bottlenecks in a project. It also enhances our analytical decision
making capabilities. It is a risk free experimentation method. Moreover, it also
provides the students to practice the competitive spirits in teamwork.
As far as my career plan is concerned, I can use the key variables learned
from this simulation activity in delivering a very successful project. The
communication with other team members during this activity builds up my
confidence level. The participation of every team member or an employee is of
equal importance in your project. It provides me the ability of monitoring &
controlling to evaluate the performance of a product or a project. The techniques
& tools of engineering project management are used in every business
organizations. The change & alternatives management are of great importance.
These will help me a lot in making & finalizing the decisions in my future.