Strategic Operations Management and Operational Research

Strategic Operations
Management and
Operational Research

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART A..............................................................................................................................1
Project management skill...............................................................................................1
Measuring efforts...........................................................................................................6
PART B..............................................................................................................................7
Introduction.....................................................................................................................7
Outlining operational challenges that successful operations manager would face.......7
Enumerating ways to address the main issues...........................................................10
Conclusion...................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES................................................................................................................15
APPENDIX.......................................................................................................................18

PART A
Project management is considered as practice to initiate, execute, plan, control and
closing the team’s work to attain specific objective and successful criteria at specified
duration. The first challenge is to attain all objectives of project within the stated
constraints. The main responsibility of a project manager is to parent firm, client and
team members. The characteristics of project manager are related to personality which
has ability for leading and motivating. It must have willingness for delegation, sceptical
and perceptive. It must understand methods of project management and ways to
applies the same in real scenario. The project is replicated as one-time task which
generates specific outcome or output. Generally, this comprises developing project plan
which has goals and objectives to attain, determining tasks and quantifying the
requirements of the resources and identifying timeliness and budget for completion.
Apart from this, it consists of managing the project implementation plan while operating
regular controls for ensuring objective and accurate information related to performance
plan, and mechanisms for purpose of implementing action of recovery where it is
necessary.
Project management skill
In my opinion, project management is very important as it helps in managing
large team by dividing task as per precision of each team member. Further, it assists in
defining clear goals and objectives for the team through which they work in desired
manner to attain the same. It enables to deliver project in successful manner with
systematic expectations set around that what could be delivered at what time and its
methodology (Heldman, 2018). However, I have other thought that project is doomed if
there is presence of vague budget estimate along with unrealistic deadlines and
expectations regarding delivery. The most important thing I have articulated that this
skill leads to maximize utilization of resources like implication of right project
management methodology. Furthermore, it is enormous pressure on various project
members to adhere the guidelines of the project, budgets and quality control, deadline
and compliance standards. It is very important to determine, manage and controlling
quality which has been delivered.
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I have elaborated the benefits of project management skills such as
understanding different objectives and deliverables. This satisfies the requirements of
stakeholders of project and effective application of project resources. Thus, greater
likelihood helps to attain the desired outcomes. The projects which are completed in the
business are integrated on general basis with broader processes of business and
systems. The integration forms the project aspects along with their management. I have
found that, use of project management methods helps to business for gaining control for
running projects and ensuring to keep on track within budget. The deliverables of
project are required to be managed on effective basis so that track has been not lost.
The appropriate project management ensures about task delivery on time and
performed as per specifications of the clients. This is all related to offering value which
helps clients for accomplishing the objectives. In the present scenario, it is very
significant to understand that each client sets strategic objectives with project. Project
management ensures about clear objectives which are enough for completing the
project, monitoring plans, setting processes for dealing with risk, creating budget and
leading the successful team (Carvalho and Rabechini Junior, 2015). This skill of project
management motivates team and keeping systematic check, raises productivity and
happy clients.
According to my learning, project management skill is very important as it is
combination very significant tasks such as negotiation, leadership and many more are
elaborated in detailed aspect. There is formation of team of skilled professionals and
are leaded with best possible aspect with presence of impeccable qualities of
leadership. The project leadership is not considered as single dimensional but initiate
with range of various styles. The vision, mission and goals of organization are highly
essential but very important for communicating it to team members into concise and
clear manner (Pollack and Adler, 2016). With reference to sound communication and
interpersonal skills articulates requirements, thoughts, deliverables and expectations to
vendors, team members and stakeholders.
I have improved my skills of project management with context to negotiation as
this is process which engages activities required for resolving various types of disputed
through conducting the consultation among involved parties to reach specific
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consensus. It might happen at any time with life cycle of project management as it could
be either non formal or formal. The formal negotiation comprises different issues related
to agreeing with contracts as whereas information negotiation considers discussions for
purpose of resolving conflict among team members (Ramazani and Jergeas, 2015). I
think that every project manager must have excellent skills related to negotiation as
some of sub categorized skills are implied in areas like contract management,
stakeholder management, conflict management and requirement management.
Through this, project manager can able to manage its work in required manner and able
to reduce the chances of conflict among different parties.
I have classified the procedure of negotiation within three phases such as
discussing, reviewing, proposing and planning. Planning is replicated as preparation of
different relevant information required for discussion. The other phase is referred as
setting scene for perspective of discussion and I have explored different key issues.
Further proposing stage is referred as to develop proposal as mode to solve the issue at
hand. This might include bargaining related to trade-offs prior to agreement attained and
entire information is disseminated all throughout the company.
In my opinion, problem solving skill is very important in project management.as in
every project there is problem where some could be avoidable and some could not be
uncontrollable and unavoidable like scope-creep, unforeseen risks because of
negligence in execution or planning. The effective project management should have
systematic approach for solving problems at specified duration. I have correlated
decision making with respect to critical thinking which gives positive outcomes. In
simpler terms, it is a thought process which leads to accurate and deep understanding
(de Carvalho, Patah and de Souza Bido, 2015). It implies logical reasoning that
engages numerous distinctive skills enables for distinct fact through opinion and
evaluating accuracy and relevance of data presented. The implication of critical thinking
for undertaking decision related to effectual aspect. The project management engages
high complexity, risks and unknown for actual activity but presence of similar thought
process.
The agile critical thinking has been performed with framework to apply critical
thinking for making decision within organizational setting. I have laid structure and
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series of tools and steps developed for promoting effective critical thinking of teams with
factors instead of logic play as huge role in decisions which are made. The agility of
critical thinking framework has been implied through assessing the situation which
incorporated tool that helps for accurate and deep understanding related to
stakeholders, corporate culture along with other relevant fields of project (Hermano and
Martín-Cruz, 2019). Furthermore, I have considered the evidence which had gathered
tool that help to recognize the assumptions, numerous perspectives, evaluating and
collecting information, accounting bias, risk and persuasion and tracing the logic,
drawing the conclusion, and evaluating alternatives which makes sense and observes
for different unintended consequences. In this aspect, I acted which gathers tools that
had ensure me about feedback loops work, considering the metrics and corrections
which might be fully warranted and to make them. Thus, agility is built within every
prompted stage such as through new information originated coming to light or alteration
within the situation.
I think that scheduling of the project is replicated as core task in project
management skill as this helps for delivering the things in successful manner. Apart
from this, management of budget is most relevant aspect as this activity oversees and
manages the expense of the project along with preparing related to financial risks. It is
responsibility of project manager as it involves various aspects such as managing
budget but preparing and planning for potential of risks. Risks could set project back
and even in need of different unexpected expenses. I have laid special emphasis on
cost control because it is highly familiar with revenue or profit margin. The ability for
purpose of maintaining the organized approach to tasks and staying aware about every
cost is not easy (Cebeci, 2019). For purpose of establishing the suitable amount of
controlling over the budget, it must exercise strict supervision of cost. In simpler words, I
am highly conscious about allocation of funds at every time and requirement to alter to
attain the set budget. I think that project manager must not be caught to going over
budget unexpectedly.
As per my understanding, systematic planning for whole project is very essential
as this ensures that team has appropriate expectations related to requirements which
should be attained and how work is done. This also helps for visualizing the time frame
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