Balfour Beatty: Business Project Planning and Organisation Report

This report focuses on project planning and organization within the context of Balfour Beatty, a multinational infrastructure company. It explores the use of information to define project aims and objectives, specifically concerning the launch of portable buildings. The report critically evaluates how this project aligns with the company's goals, emphasizing cost efficiency and market expansion. It details individual roles within a project team, including the project manager, team members, sponsor, and analyst, highlighting their contributions to project plan development. Furthermore, the report critically assesses the project plan's development, discussing information management, cost analysis, and risk assessment. Finally, it includes a personal development plan reflecting on individual contributions and areas for improvement during the project, concluding with a summary of key findings and recommendations for effective project management.

Planning and organising
the business project

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Use of information to identify project aims and objective..............................................................3
Critical evaluation of project that fits with organisation's goals......................................................5
Individual roles within a team in developing project plan...............................................................5
Critical evaluation of project plan development..............................................................................7
Personal development plan..............................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Project management is related with planning, initiating, controlling and executing a
specific work with the help of team members so that the goals of project can be achieved within
specified time duration. For a project to be successful it is important to plan the project and
coordinate all the activities related to it so that desired outcomes from project can be achieved.
From analysing the viability of project to accumulating resources required for successful
completion of the project it is important that the activities of the project are well organised and
the team members work is integrated and coordinated so that goals and objectives of the
organisation are achieved (Boshyk, 2016). This project is based on the company named Balfour
Beatty which is a leading multinational infrastructure company which has its headquarters in
London, UK. The company provides construction services, support services and infrastructure
investments so that innovative and creative design buildings can be constructed. The company
provides strong and safe building structures for people so as to support their daily life and also
help in economic growth of the country. The company aims to launch new product i.e. portable
buildings so that a competitive edge can be gained in the market and due to lack of spaces to
construct new building structures new opportunities that can be gained by these buildings.
Portable buildings are temporary building structures and can be transported to meet client's
requirements after which these can be removed or demolished. These buildings can be
constructed speedily and are eco-friendly structures which can be built following highest quality
standards and safety measures. Through these structures new markets can be reached which can
help in generating high revenue for the company along with reduction of costs. Balfour Beatty
can thus increase its revenue by introducing this project in the market and also the market share
can be increased. This project report will discuss about how project plan is developed so that the
desired goals can be achieved. In this report all the information which are required in achieving a
project will be discussed along with formation of team so that they can contribute towards
achieving these goals within stipulated time. Further a reflection is also produced so that the
personal contribution and development through the project can be evaluated which can help in
knowing about the weak areas which can help in making timely improvements. It is important
that a project planning process is determined so that the project can be completed effectively. In
this report the identification of aims and objectives of project is done then tasks are assigned to
team members so that the project can be completed on time.

Use of information to identify project aims and objective
Information management is related with collection and management of information so
that it can be used in making efficient decisions that can help in creating value for individuals,
organisations, communities etc. The aims and objectives of the project can be successfully
achieved if all the stakeholders related to the project are well informed so that they can
efficiently perform their roles and responsibilities. The information that is required during all the
stages of project are : cost of the project, quality measures that are to be taken, scope of the
project, risks involved and their management, resources that are required, communication
channel to be followed and time that will be taken to complete the project (Goodstadt and
Buchan, 2017). These information can help in appropriately informing and supporting the
identification of project aims and objectives so that the stakeholders involved can be motivated
and encouraged to participate in the completion of the project.
The aim and objective of launching the project i.e. portable building structures so that
the problem of lower availability of land to construct permanent buildings can be solved and also
to reduce the construction costs of the company so that profits can be increased and the demand
of customers related to more affordable and temporary building structures can be efficiently
fulfilled. For achieving the goals and objectives of the project following information is
important:
Cost Cost is the most important information which will help in estimating the
requirements of funds so that expenses related to project can be done.
Quality Quality of the project will help in estimating the requirement of funds related
to improving the quality of the products so produced. Through this the quality
of products and services can be improved so that the customers can be highly
satisfied and a competitive advantage in the market can be gained (Gratadour
and et. al., 2016).
Scope It is the part of project planning that will help in documentation of the project
goals, deliverables, features, functions, tasks, deadlines and ultimately the
cost of the project.
Risk This factor will determine the possibility of the events not occurring as
planned and also the possibility of unplanned events can happen and have

negative impacts on the project.
Resources Resources required to complete the project needs to be evaluated so that all
the activities can be efficiently performed and project goals can be achieved.
Communication This will help to delegate the tasks appropriately and all the activities can be
coordinated and integrated so that goals can be achieved (Grissom, Loeb and
Mitani, 2015).
Time This will determine the total time that will be required to finish the project so
that desired results can be achieved.
The above information can help in achieving the objectives of company as the required
resources in completion of the project can be accumulated and time within which it needs to be
completed can be determined so that highly effective project can be completed. These
information can be used by Balfour Beatty so that project can continue to progress in a particular
direction which can help in its efficient completion.
Critical evaluation of project that fits with organisation's goals
Goals of the company Balfour Beatty: The company's goal is to achieve the needs of
local communities by providing them with new infrastructures and creating value for money.
New project of the company : Balfour Beatty aims at providing new kind of buildings in
the market so that the changing customer needs can be satisfied. For this the company is
launching portable buildings so that the customers can be provided with cost efficient and
qualitative buildings which are temporary structures and can be moved to different locations.
This will help in reducing the cost to construct a new building structure every time customers
want. This will also help in achieving the goals of the company to create value for their
customers and provide them with new designed infrastructures (Harrison and Lock, 2017).
This new project fits with the company goals and also helps the company in enhancing its
performance as the new project can help the company in increasing its efficiency to deal with the
customer problems like non-availability of free space to construct a new building, high cost of
constructing a permanent infrastructure and also the availability of labour is short which also
increases the duration in which the building gets constructed. Portable buildings on the other
hand can be built by using advanced technology so that highly safe and secure building
structures can be established and designed as per the customer specification. These buildings are

also affordable and can be transported from one site to another. These buildings can be build
speedily and can be made available to the customers where ever needed and within the time-
frame given by the customers. Therefore the company’s strategic goals and performance and also
the goals of the project can help in leveraging the profits of the company and expanding its
market share. Profitability of the company by this project can also increase as the cost of
construction of buildings is low whereas their efficiency is the same as that of the permanent
structures. The project of the company is highly viable and profitable and can also provide the
company with competitive advantage in the marketplace. The company can gain customer's trust
by providing them with building structures that are safe and installed with security systems
which will help in ensuring their safety and security at all the locations they are placed.
Individual roles within a team in developing project plan
A project team includes all the members who are directly or indirectly linked with the
project such as the project manager, project management staff and other team members who
work together to achieve project goals and objectives (Kerzner, 2019). The team members have
similar set of skills and knowledge so that the projects can be completed in the desired manner
and within the time and budget. Individual roles within a team in developing a project plan are
discussed below :
 Project manager : The manager of project plays an important role in achieving the goals
of the project by managing the quality of all the team members work and ensuring that
the project proceeds and gets completed within specified time-frame and budget and
ensures that the resources required are sufficiently managed. Building relations with all
the stakeholders is also an important role of the project manager.

Illustration 1: What is a Project Team and who all are
Involved? .2019
Source : What is a Project Team and who all are Involved? .2019
 Project team members : All the members of the project team who work during various
stages of the project. They coordinate and integrate their work so that the goals of the
project can be achieved. They use their skills and knowledge so that the project proceeds
in the right direction.
 Project sponsor : They are the members of senior management and have their vested
interests in the outcomes of the project. They make key business decisions related to the
project, approve the budget of project, ensure availability of the resources and also
communicate the project goals throughout the organisation so that all the company
employees can be engaged in making the project a success (Lejeune, Beausaert and
Raemdonck, 2018).
 Business analyst : They hep in analysing the issues and risks related to continuing the
project and suggests solutions so that any negative impact of the external and internal
factors can be reduced. They also document technical and business requirements so that
the project deliverables are efficiently met.

 Project clients : Clients are the people for whom the project is undertaken so that their
changing needs and demands can be efficiently met. This will help the company in
making huge profits and gaining competitive advantage in the market through delivering
cost efficient goods and services to the clients.
 Project management office (PMO) : It is the group of people who ensures that the
practices followed by the internal team members are in accordance with the set standards
so that the quality of the key deliverables can be maintained. They also facilitate in
sharing resources, methodologies, tools and techniques so that effective project
management can be ensured (Stewart, 2016).
While forming a team in Balfour Beatty the project manager analysed the tasks that were
required to be completed along with the time which was required to complete those tasks so that
the distribution of work among team members can be done in an efficient manner. The abilities
and skills of each of the team member was analysed based on their previous performances so that
the allocation of tasks can be efficiently done. Based on my performance i was assigned the role
of a team leader so that i can manage the work of team in an efficient manner and direct all the
team members to work in a strategic manner o that the tasks can be completed on time. As a
team leader i assigned specific tasks to each of the team member based on their skills and
abilities so that they can complete their work on time. I also allocated resources that are required
for completion of a task among members so that their work can be carried out in a strategic
manner. I used best of my knowledge and skills so that the information and resources can be
used effectively which can help in the completion of project on time. With the help of my
decision making skills and problem analytical skills i was effectively able to solve the problems
related to team so that the work can continue to progress in an efficient manner.
The team members also completed their work efficiently by using their skills and talents so
that the work can be completed in a coordinated manner and effective results can be achieved.
All the team members are using their skills and time effectively so that the project can be
completed and the desired objectives can be achieved. Belbin team role theory was applied by
me in assigning the roles among team members like resource investigator, team worker, co-
ordinator, plant, monitor-evaluator, specialist, shaper, implementer and completer finisher. This
can help in development of team in an efficient manner so that all the team members can perform
their roles in an effective manner and help in achieving team goals on time. While applying the

theory practically certain problems were faced while coordinating their work but with the
gradual progress of project the project got completed on time.
Critical evaluation of project plan development
The project development plan can help in the academic development of a person as they
can learn how to apply the knowledge acquired through course studies in a practical manner in
an actual project. This can help in making the skills of a student efficient so that they can take up
projects in future and help in the completion of various projects on time leading to their personal
and professional growth. Project plan development is the most crucial activity in the project
management life cycle where the project manager creates a plan which is viable and feasible to
develop in the market so that products and services developed through the project can help in
achieving goals and objectives of the company. They also develops a project document which
will help to measure the performance of the project (Tasker, 2015). From the plan that is
developed above it can be seen that the cost of the project can help in determining the
appropriate amount of funds that will be required to complete the project efficiently so that
resources can be acquired in desired quantity and quality so that the project results can benefit all
the stakeholders. Quality of the project will help in controlling all the stages of project
development plan so that the desired quality can be maintained through all the stages and the
outcome of the project can help in achieving complete customer satisfaction. Risk factors need to
be appropriately analysed so that the negative impacts of events that are unplanned can be well
managed and the project can progress towards the path of succeeding. Resources should also be
determined which will help in evaluating the requirements of completing the project as planned.
They must be acquired as per the determined budget and must be sustainably used so that
efficient use of resources can help in gaining desired results. The company must use a functional
structure of communication so that the team members can perform their roles and tasks in an
appropriate manner. They can communicate about the progress and issues faced during the
project exclusively with the team members and the departmental heads.
Time required to complete the project should be appropriately chosen so that the project
gets completed as soon as possible with optimum use of all the resources so that desired quality
of results can be generated. This will also help in reducing the extra cost of bearing the raw
materials so that their inventory cost can be reduced. All the above factors need to be evaluated
by the project manager in an appropriate manner so that the project gets completed on time and

within the desired level of standards so that the results generated by the project are of desired
quality.
The team members worked together in a coordinated manner so that the project plan can
be efficiently developed and the outline of the project can be known. The members gave their
contribution in determining the essential components which are required in a project so that they
can be identified and accurate measures can be taken in acquiring all the resources which can be
applied in project so that effective results can be achieved. The improvements that can be made
in developing future projects by the team are conflict resolution and better management of time
so that the results can be made better and projects can get completed in an effective manner. By
improving management of conflicts and time, team members can make their contribution more
effective and also the project can be completed within stipulated time.
Personal development plan
The project helped me in enhancing my knowledge and skills related to developing a new
project which will help in increasing the profitability and efficiency of the company. I was able
to perform my role and responsibilities in an appropriate manner so that I could contribute
efficiently in the project. This project helped me in using my team management skills efficiently
so that I was able to delegate the tasks and roles to all the team members so that they could play
their parts in an effectively which will help in achieving the desired goals of the project (Walker
and Lloyd-Walker, 2016).
As per Kolb reflection demonstrates a part of learning cycle through which individuals
learn about their experiences and also the things they did well and the areas where improvements
need to be made so that an overall effective learning can take place and also improvement in
those areas can also be done. The reflective practice thus is a part of learning theory which help
the person in learning from their experiences so that they can perform better next time and also
their skills can improve. This help in making learning effective or them and they are able to
practically apply the learning while carrying out various activities.

Source: Reflective learning theories .2020
Personal development planning is related to creating an action plan or setting a goal by
assessing the current qualities, skills and knowledge of a person so that improvements can be
made in order to develop and grow personally and professionally. Personal development is a
continuous process of nurturing, shaping and improving personal skills and knowledge of the
person in order to maximize their effectiveness and employability. From the above project I
found that as the team leader I lacked some important skills which I need to focus on so that they
can be developed which will help me in my future career prospects. The skills that I think I need
to develop are communication skills, leadership skills and confidence. For this I have developed
a personal development plan which will help me in my overall development :
Clear aims and objectives Areas of
development
Resources and activities Time scale
It is related with effectively
communicating clear goals and
objectives to the team
members so that they can
coordinate together and
Communication
skills
I need to attend some seminars
and take lessons from my
mentors so that my
communication skills can be
developed which will help me
1 month

integrate their work to achieve
desired goals.
in my future projects.
The objective of this skill is to
lead the team members
efficiently so that their skills
and talents can be optimally
used and desired results are
achieved.
Leadership skills For this I need to regularly
practice my leadership skills on
employees and observe their
reaction on the techniques
followed by me to lead them.
This will help me in making
my leadership skills good.
2 months
This skill is important so that
the decision-making can be
made efficient and also I can
deal with all the problems and
issues faced by my team
members in an efficient
manner.
Confidence For this I need to enhance my
analytical skills so that the
problems and the impacts of
my decisions can be efficiently
analysed by me which can help
me in building confidence in
myself.
1-2 months
CONCLUSION
From the above report is can be concluded that for an effective project development it is
important to manage all the key deliverables of the project sop that the desired results are
achieved. The project manager and all the team members need to perform their roles and
responsibilities in an efficacious manners so that their works can be coordinated and integrated to
achieve desired results. The projects must be developed in such a manner that they fit overall
company goals and objectives and help in leveraging the profits and efficiency of the company.
The customers must be provided with goods and services that creates value for their money. This
will help the company in sustaining in the market over a longer period of time and developing
healthy and long-term relations with their customers.