Leadway Assurance Project Management: Problem Analysis & Solutions

This report addresses project management challenges at Leadway Assurance, focusing on communication inefficiencies within the commercial team. It employs the fishbone analysis tool to identify root causes such as lack of proper equipment, inadequate manpower training, and ineffective communication methodologies. The report further explores brainstorming techniques to generate potential solutions, including upgrading the communication system, enhancing training levels, and improving team management. A cost-benefit analysis suggests prioritizing team member training to enhance competencies and objective delivery. The document concludes by ranking proposed solutions based on their potential impact, providing a comprehensive overview of strategies to improve project management effectiveness at Leadway Assurance; this assignment is available on Desklib, a platform offering a variety of study tools and solved assignments for students.

Name of student
Institutional Affiliation:
name of course:
Course code:
Name of professor:

Question 1
1.1
Considering that Leadway Assurance is one of the largest insurance organizations in Nigeria, a
simple glitch in the project management methodology can lead to humongous losses. However,
the main concern is the lack of effective communication and feedback within the commercial
team. Communication is the channel that is used to deliver the message among the members of
the commercial team and as per the recent past, it has been inefficient and ineffective.
Communication may be diagonal as well as horizontal. Vertical communication is between the
sales members and the superiors while horizontal communication is between the team members
(Project Management Institute, 2013).Both are considered in this case. The main problems that
have affected communication include the closed loop and the lack of collaborative effort. The
inability to share ideas between the different members can mainly be traced to ineffective
communication which means a redundancy in the work done. On the other hand, collaborative
effort lacks because the roles, milestones deadlines that are to be attained by team members have
not been properly defined.
1.2
The fishbone diagram can also be identified by cause and effect. The main purpose of the
diagram is to identify the likely outcomes of a problem so that the causes can be identified
(Rudy, 2016). It is used to provide detail about the cause of a problem in an organization so as
the solution chosen can be as effective as possible. The method is used to identify the many
causes of a problem with the fishbone diagram serving as the tool for use.
Equipment Method
Obsolete Communication channel
Communication specifications
Training Education
Manpower
Communication
problem

1.3
The root causes of a problem stem from the organization and are used to scratch beyond the
surface (Rudy, 2016). Scratching the surface means that the original cause of the problem is
identified. It is more than looking at the short term solution to the problem and focuses on the
long term solution. There are three problems that are associated with the lack of proper
communication and feedback within the commercial team. There is the lack of proper
equipment, the manpower and the methodology applied.
To begin with, the main reason why there is no proper equipment may be caused by the lack of
audit measures which are meant to identify the best equipment that may be used in the
communication process. Lack of equipment means that there is an inefficiency in the
communication. Furthermore, this will increase the time required to effectively transfer data
between different members. The level and skills of the manpower play a fundamental role in
effective communication. Therefore, lack of training as well as supervision are the root causes of
the inefficiency in communication. The method used in communication may also lead to
inefficiency in communication. The use of face to face, telephones etc. are some of the
communication techniques used and may cause of inefficiency. These are some of the root
causes of the inefficiency in communication.
Question 2
2.1
Brainstorming is the collective idea generation process that is aimed at finding the best solution
to a particular problem (Rudy, 2016). It has been defined as a way in which ideas can be
generated in a group setting. However, considering that there are numerous uncertainties that
surround a project, the activity is usually done at the project initiation stages.
There are usually no inhibitors in the brainstorming activity with the main aim to ensure that
there is free expression. Ideas generated are not judged and all ideas generated are usually valid.
Nevertheless, the session can either be structured or unstructured. Structured sessions have a
moderator while unstructured sessions have no moderators.

The brainstorming may be a five process method. To begin with, the first step is identification of
the problem. This should occur before the actual brainstorming session and is aimed at
identifying the problem that is to be solved. The second stage, as per the problem identified, is to
identify the tools that may be useful during the session. The tools serve as the channels through
which ideas are transferred from the brain to the page or screen. Some of the tools that may be
used include pen and paper, online etc. The third step is to concentrate on the ideas with the main
focus on the most realistic as well as strongest idea that has been generated. The fourth step is to
narrow on the list of ideas with the main aim to find the most suitable. Finally, there is a
presentation of the best ideas to the supervisor, the team and even to other third parties. The
ideas are reinforced by the questions that have been generated in the previous step.
2.2
As per the root causes identified, some of the options that may need to be considered would
include:
1. Upgrade of the current communication system.
2. Increase in the training levels of the team members.
3. Change of the communication channel
4. Setting up of milestones and deliverables within each team.
5. Proper team management.
2.3
The cost benefit analysis is used to determine the best project options per the requirements and
the returns. An increase in the returns means that the project is likely to increase the profits of the
organization. It is therefore based on mathematical modelling and analysis. Based on this,
training may be the best option. Ensuring that the team members are well aware of the specific
project needs and more to this, have the necessary communication knowledge and training, will
increase the competencies as well as delivery of objectives.
On the other hand, the ranking table is used to identify the best ideas as per the whole project
team. The ideas are arranged in a flip chart and it is from here where each group member
determines the suitability of the ideas (arranges them).After this, the scores are calculated from
where the rankings can be done. It is from here where the order of ideas is identified (ascending).

Idea Score(1-10)
Increase in the training levels of the team
members
8
Change of the communication channels 7
Setting up of milestones and deliverables
within each team
7
Proper team management. 9
Upgrade of the current communication
system.
6

References
Project Management Institute. (2013). A guide to the project management body of knowledge(PMBOK
giuide).
Rudy, J. L. (2016, sep 7). 19 Top Brainstorming techniques to generate ideas for every sitiuation.
Retrieved from business.tutplus.com/articles/top-brainstorming-techniques-cms-27181