Project Management: Data Gathering Techniques, Organizational Structures, Stakeholders, and Cloud-Based Solutions

Running head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project Management
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Author’s Note-

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Assessment 1:
1.1 Data Gathering Techniques
There are 9 data gathering techniques that can be used for understanding the requirements
that are needed for the payroll system. The 9 data gathering techniques are:
a) Benchmarking
b) Brainstorming
c) Check Sheets
d) Checklists
e) Focus groups
f) Interviews
g) Market Research
h) Surveys and questionnaires
i) Statistical sampling
Out of 9 data gathering techniques mentioned above, the data gathering that can be used
for collecting requirements for the new payroll system are:
a) Brainstorming: This is a technique that can be used for identifying all the list of ideas
that can be done by organizing a group discussion. This particular group mainly includes all the
team members as well as includes subject matter experts. This brainstorming technique helps to
generate wide range of ideas that includes idea generation as well as analysis.

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b) Checklists: Checklists works as a reminder. The checklists includes all the item lists,
the actions as well as the points that are to be done for completing the project. The checklists are
used for inspecting the quality control that includes different requirements needed to be checked.
c) Interviews: The interviews are mainly used by the stakeholders for eliciting the
information and this is possible by having direct talk with the stakeholders (Ogharaduku et al.,
2016). The interviewing helps to identify the requirements, the project constraints, the project
risks, the acceptance criteria, expectations, as well as includes quality needs in the project.
d) Survey and Questionnaires: This technique is a cost-effective way that helps to
gather the requirements for conducting the project. This technique helps to collect the
expectations and as well as need of the stakeholders.
1.2 Differences between functionally structured and flatter organizational structures
The functional structure of an organization mainly includes different small groups
including some particular tasks as well as roles that are included in the organization.
Functionally organized companies have an information technology working group and also have
marketing and finance working group in the organization. All the departments in functional
organizations has manager as well as directors who are capable of answering to the executive
level in the higher hierarchy. The advantage that the functional structure provides is that the
employees are mainly grouped by set of skills as well as set of functions that allows them in
focusing their energies for executing their respective role in those department. There is also
challenge that are included in this structure. This structure lacks communication that are inter-
departmental that includes most issues as well as discussions that occurs in the managerial level
in individual departments.

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The flatter organizational structure mainly allows decision making in all the levels that
are included in the structure of the organization. This structure helps to flatten the vertical
appearance in the organizational hierarchy (Ogharaduku et al., 2016). With this structure of
organization, all employees can operate on the existing structure and the employees in any level
of the hierarchy are encouraged to provide ideas and runs them accordingly that creates flat
teams. Advantage of this system includes innovation in the company and helps to eliminate the
red tape in the organization. This technique elevates the level of responsibility in employees and
helps to remove all the excess layers in the management as well as improves coordination as well
as increases the speed of communication in the employees. This technique also includes
disadvantages in the organization. With this technique, the employees are not able to report to a
specific boss which creates confusion in the system. This flat structure is not possible in large
organizations.
1.3 Chain of Command and Reporting Relationships
The designers of organization executes the Command Chain in the last step while
creating the organizational structure. The planners considered the goal of the company as its first
priority and helps to support all the strategy that are related to the organization (Chaudhuri,
Christofides & Rao, 2016). The designers in functional organization, the designers helps to
determine all the tasks that are needed for reaching the goal of the organization.
Departmentalization in chain of command helps the designers about the way to group all the
tasks. The grouping affects in the organization helps in resource sharing as well as helps in easy
communication with the people and have better co-ordination of work. In the chain of command,
the designer helps to assign the tasks authority as well as the tasks areas that are included in the
functional organizations.