Effective PM Knowledge Management and Decision Making

This assignment requires students to analyze the role of application systems in project management, understand how they facilitate knowledge management and decision making, and reflect on the relevance of systems thinking to project, program, and portfolio managers. Students will also examine case studies and readings to identify best practices for effective PM knowledge management and decision making.

(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012 Unit Portfolio for Week 6
Week 6: Describe how the use of PM application systems can lead to effective PM knowledge management
and decision making.
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
Mandatory Readings
 SEBoK
 Part 3: Systems
Engineering and
Management:
Knowledge Area:
Systems
Realization;
 Part 3: Systems
Engineering and
Management:
Knowledge Area:
Systems
Deployment and
Use;
 Part 3: Systems
Engineering and
Management:
Knowledge Area:
Systems
Engineering
Management;
 Part 3: Systems
Engineering and
Management:
Knowledge Area:
Product and
Service Life
1. Explain the
relevance of
systems thinking to
the project,
program and
portfolio manager.
The objective of this week’s topic is to describe how the use of applications
systems impact and realise effective decision making through knowledge
management. I have deliberately underlined certain section in the previous
sentence. You might like to compare this week’s topic with last week’s topic.
They are similar, but for the emphasis on describing the use of applications
systems and knowledge management. Last week we investigated some
application systems, notably those from SAP, Oracle, IBM and Microsoft. This
week you are trying to describe how they influence knowledge management
and particularly decision making. The importance of decision making is of
preeminent significance. If we are not going to decide, then what are we doing?
The whole point of project management is to plan what we want to do. Then
monitor and control that we’re doing what we want. If anything deviates from
our goal, then we apply our knowledge to make decisions and get things back on
track! So, ask yourself and reflect on:
 What are application systems? To answer this question, you might like to go
to your reflections last week?
Application systems are the information collection and analysing system
that aids the decision-makers to make informed decisions based on the
analysis provided by the system. These systems are most helpful to the
project, program and the portfolio managers to make decisions related to
operational strategy and then aid the operation department to concentrate
on the strategy to maximize productivity. The systems thus help to collect
and filter information. Information collection can be general or targeted
depending on the parameters set by the managers. These systems are
therefore used to minimize and even eradicate information overload.
 What is the problem or inhibitors to project realisation?
Snyder, C. S. (2014). A
guide to the project
management body of
knowledge: PMBOK (®)
guide. Project
Management Institute:
Newtown Square, PA,
USA.
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012 Unit Portfolio for Week 6
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
Management;
 Part 3: Systems
Engineering and
Management:
Knowledge Area:
Systems
Engineering
Standards;
 Kerzner (2013)
Chapters 23;
 AS/NZS
15288:2015
Annex E
Optional Readings
 AS ISO
21504:2016
Web Sites
 YouTube: What is
Portfolio
Management vs.
Project
Management?
There are various problems that can create hindrance towards the
completion of the projects. Lack of information that is relevant to the
project. This creates a huge communication gap between the management
and the project team. The program and the portfolio managers base their
decision-making based on the information received from the team.
Therefore, if the information received is incorrect or not relevant to the
project then it created strategy making problems.
 What do the application systems need to do?
The application systems must facilitate the collection of information. It must
aid the different managers by accepting different parameters for
information collection. This information must then be filtered based on the
current requirements and then analysed. The analysis is fed back to the
system so that they can use this to make decisions and strategies.
 How does knowledge management help in this process?
Knowledge management can be used to impart the necessary knowledge in
the area of need. There will be times where a particular member of team or
the project manger might not have the sufficient knowledge to handle a
situation. This can be solved by using a knowledge management system.
Knowledge of existing or past projects can be used to guide the new ones.
The collection of strategies and tactics can also be used to handle any
situation. Lack of knowledge can create problems for the project as well as
the team. It can raise the probability of the project failure. Therefore, the
planning and execution phase project can be enhanced by sharing the right
knowledge among the participants.
 What do we need to be in place to make effective decisions?
We need an effective management and a capable information system to
make effective decisions. An appropriate information system is needed to
create the database of relevant information that the management can use
to make the appropriate decisions based on the information and the
current state of the project. However, the information system cannot take
decisions. An able management body is needed to translate the information
into the decisions that must be taken to properly manage the situation of
Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H.
R. (2017). Project
management: a systems
approach to planning,
scheduling, and
controlling. John Wiley &
Sons.
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012 Unit Portfolio for Week 6
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
the project.
In this week’s readings and material, you’ll find answers to these questions.
In this portfolio please reflect on the readings (1st column) and the learning
outcome (2nd column). Ask yourself in what way does the readings provide
insights into the learning outcome? Maybe they don’t! What are your
thoughts?
Are there other insights that you can make from other units that you have
studied? Or your work and life experience?
References
Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Snyder, C. S. (2014). A guide to the project management body of knowledge: PMBOK (®) guide. Project Management Institute: Newtown Square, PA, USA.
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