Portfolio Manager: Relevance of Systems Thinking, Tools and Techniques, Systems Engineering, and PM Application Systems

This article discusses the relevance of systems thinking, tools and techniques, systems engineering, and PM application systems for portfolio managers. It explains the importance of appropriate selection of PM application systems in meeting internal and external objectives of a project. The article also itemizes the learning outcomes and provides evidence to support each outcome.

Running head: PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Portfolio Manager
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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1. Introduction and Summary of Outcomes
In the recent times, the managers of the project are much more focused on developing the
best level of practices within certain industries. Many kinds of different techniques and tools
help in aiding the project manager in order to solve the problems based on the project. The
assessment of system engineering within the cases of project, concepts of system thinking and
methodologies that would help for the project, program and portfolio managers (PPPM) in order
to organize the project (Joslin and Muller 2016). The application system of project management
helps in leading the effective management of the PM knowledge and making of the appropriate
decisions. The project management application system would also be extremely important for
both the internal and the external objectives that lay within the project.
2. Itemise each learning outcome:-
a. LO1 - Explain the relevance of systems thinking to the project, program and portfolio
manager.
i. Summary
System thinking could be defined as a basic framework that is basically used for viewing
the interconnection between the granules of the project rather than focusing on the individual
granularity of the project (Kerzner and Kerzner 2017). The terminology has their major
significance in gaining the various patterns rather than possessing the static screenshot. The
method of system thinking could be also considered as one of the analytic based elaboration of
the basic principle that spans and which are physically diversified.
Many of the complex projects that would need the combination of the technical and the
managerial leaders who have the capability of understanding the need and the basic requirement

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of the various other circumstances (Svejvig and Andersen 2015). This would also ensure about
the fact that the entire data of the difficult project, program, portfolio is majorly interconnected
and the basic optimization of the management of risks is permissible. The return of the
investment has been majorly increased to the ratio of 7:1. The comprehensive planning of the
risks can help in gaining major amount of confidence to the implement the final costing of the
project and the making of the schedule of the project (Kolisch, 2013).
ii. Evidence
Better planning in the process of portfolio management and the greater involvement of
stakeholder would be one of the greater evidence of the system impact on the system thinking
within the project, program and portfolio manager.
b. LO2 - Identify different systems thinking tools and techniques to aid project managers
solve project problems
i. Summary
The different kind of system based tools based on thinking would be helpful in aiding the
manager of the project in order to solve the project related problems in the following ways –
 18 Words – This is a kind of Word Systems tool that would be helpful for the team in
defining the objective and the content within the system. The tools makes sure of the fact
that the individual can gain the same form of advantage from the 18 Word System.
 Affinity Diagram – This tool ensures about the fact that the solution would be gained
with the help of proper description of the related problem and thus solve the same
problem with the help of the method of affinity diagram (Cheng 2014).

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 Conceptual diagram – This is a representation of the various kinds of problem that mainly
deals with the detailing factor, which would lead to the problems within the organization
(Schiller and Kenworthy 2017).
ii. Evidence
The primary evidence is that the better planning within the course of portfolio
management and the greater engagement of stakeholder would be one of the major evidence
based on the impact within the system thinking within the project, program and portfolio
manager. The better planning could be achieved with the help of the tools that are already
discussed.
c. LO3 - Assess the relevance of systems engineering to project cases
i. Summary
The system engineering could be defined as the procedure of the disciplined based
approach for the purpose of the making of design of the model, which would be used for the
purpose of the processing of the system. The major purpose of the system based engineering is to
set the origin of the project that would be performed within the organization. The project
initiation would be mostly benefitted due to the appropriate project planning. This would lead to
the fact that the process of system engineering would ensure the starting of the project that would
increase with the increase in time. This would ensure the fact of the modeling of the data. Hence,
this would ensure that the case of the project would be beneficial with the help of the System
based engineering.
ii. Evidence

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The case of the project would primarily deal with the basic fact that the data that would
be required for the initiation of the project. When the proper system engineering methodology
would be used, the reasons behind the usurping of the resources would be fully and clearly
defined.
d. LO4 - Describe how systems engineering concepts and methodologies can help a project,
program and portfolio managers organize a project.
The System Engineering could be defined as the process for the displined approach for
the making of the designs, which would be used for the processing of the system. The primary
use of the system engineering would be to set the origin of the project that would be performed
by the organization (Wasson 2015). This would make sure of the fact that the methodological
reaction would comprise of the basic terminologies that would be required by the system. The
managers of the various portfolio would make sure to gather funds for the organization. it would
also ensure that the investment for the organization would be made in an appropriate way
(Kasser 2013).
ii. Evidence
The primary evidence of the usage of the impact within the processes of System
Engineering could be defined as the basic structure of referencing for the managers of the
portfolio. The full program and project would be developed in order to plan the project in a
structured form. This would help in the processing in a certain manner.
e. LO5 - Explain the importance of appropriate selection of project management (PM)
application systems in regards to meeting the internal and external objectives of a project
i. Summary

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The primary importance of the selection of the project management would be to meet the
external and the internal objectives of the project so as to meet the methodologies of the project
(Marcelino-Sadaba et al. 2014). The selection of the methodology would consider the facts that
the entire process should be initially planned before the starting of the project. The initial
planning of the project would be make sure of the fact that the employees within any kind of
organization would be able to make sense about the functioning of the entire processes within the
organization (Birkel, Soulsby and Tetzlaff 2014).
ii. Evidence
The management of the application should be able to satisfy the internal and the external
functions of the project after the proper introduction of the project.
3. Discussion and Conclusion
Based on the above discussion, it could be concluded that the best practices that would be
in relation to the processes of system thinking, requirements and the scope of the project, work
based authorization, planned continents, assurance of the quality of the wok and the tracking of
the performance of the work. The project manager along with the project supervisor have a major
role in order to provide the primary role for providing better quality of the projects. The
communication has a major role to play for the stakeholders and thus gain better level of success.
The problems related to the project and the issues should be analysed in order to gain better
outcomes of the project based on the proper requirements of the project. The tasks of the project
should be properly allocated based on the skills of the team members.

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4. References
Birkel, C., Soulsby, C. and Tetzlaff, D., 2014. Developing a consistent process‐based
conceptualization of catchment functioning using measurements of internal state
variables. Water Resources Research, 50(4), pp.3481-3501.
Cheng, Y.M., 2014. An exploration into cost-influencing factors on construction
projects. International Journal of Project Management, 32(5), pp.850-860.
Joslin, R. and Müller, R., 2016. The impact of project methodologies on project success in
different project environments. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 9(2),
pp.364-388.
Kasser, J., 2013. A framework for understanding systems engineering. CreateSpace Independent
Publishing Platform.
Kerzner, H. and Kerzner, H.R., 2017. Project management: a systems approach to planning,
scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Kolisch, R., 2013. Project scheduling under resource constraints: efficient heuristics for several
problem classes. Springer Science & Business Media.
Marcelino-Sádaba, S., Pérez-Ezcurdia, A., Lazcano, A.M.E. and Villanueva, P., 2014. Project
risk management methodology for small firms. International journal of project
management, 32(2), pp.327-340.
Schiller, P.L. and Kenworthy, J.R., 2017. An introduction to sustainable transportation: Policy,
planning and implementation. Routledge.

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Svejvig, P. and Andersen, P., 2015. Rethinking project management: A structured literature
review with a critical look at the brave new world. International Journal of Project
Management, 33(2), pp.278-290.
Wasson, C.S., 2015. System engineering analysis, design, and development: Concepts,
principles, and practices. John Wiley & Sons.

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