INFT6500 - ICT Project Management: Analysis of Maria's Aquariums

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of ICT project management, focusing on the application of project management principles to Maria's Aquariums, a business facing challenges with its existing systems. The report defines project management, outlines the scope of an ICT project for Maria's Aquariums, and discusses the characteristics of the project life cycle, including phases from initiation to closure. It also explores various project management tools, such as Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Gantt charts, and PERT/CPM, emphasizing their importance in planning, scheduling, and monitoring project progress. The report concludes by highlighting the significance of technology in supporting business operations and ensuring project success through effective management of cost, time, and performance.

Running head: ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
ICT Project Management
Name of student
Name of University
Author’s Note

1ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Executive Summary
The report contain details of ICT projects with information of Project Management. The scope
and plan of the project had been defined and provide information on the project and identify the
characteristics of the project. It contain information and knowledge of the project management
shared by different writers. It had taken one of the project life cycle phase and tools used in the
project management for making the ICT project successful.

2ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Overview about Maria’s Aquariums...............................................................................................3
Project Management definition........................................................................................................4
Scope of the project.........................................................................................................................5
Characteristics of the project life cycle...........................................................................................5
Project Life Cycle............................................................................................................................5
Project Management Tools..............................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................8

3ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Introduction
Project Management is considered in every environment of the organization. In the
literature project is defined for a specific purpose or objective for the ICT. Project management
generally involve unique, expensive, large or high risk that has to be undertaken and completed
within certain date at certain amount of money were the performance level is as expected (Shin,
& Musunuri, 2016). The ICT project need to have a well-defined objectives and it carry out
resources that are sufficient for the required tasks for the Maria’s Aquariums. The project of ICT
in the Maria’s Aquariums has some problem were the concern is growing in the Stock Cards as
the balance is shown in it is inaccurate. Even the existing business need support of the ICT for
planning the future for the business (Girard & Girard, 2015). In the Maria’s Aquariums the ICT
project still survives and increase the efficiency and accessibility of the existing system and
financial gain has been advocated and deal with the literature were the problem is faced while
implementing the ICT in Maria’s Aquariums. The article has certain life cycle phase of the
project management that need to be address for the ICT project.
Overview about Maria’s Aquariums
Maria Piscatore was interested in fish and decided to set up a Maria’s Aquariums with a
breeding facilities. It was her hobby more than a business and Maria able to produce varieties of
aquarium fish and even people took an interest to purchase it. In NSW of Central Coast, the fish
is sold from the hatchery. With the growing of the business it has become the 3 retail outlet for
selling the fish bred in hatchery. The location of the retail outlets are Chatswood, Gosford and
Wollongong. The head office has a hatchery site with a large warehouse that get supplied by the
retail aquarium. After Maria has retired, her eldest son Raymond has taken the business under his

4ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
hand to improve the current operation with efficiency so he decided to expand the business. For
this, Raymond had expanded the business in the NSW for longer term. However, before making
work the expansion plans Raymond has to improve the present business functions. For him, this
is the right time to support the IT in the existing business for the future business plans. Raymond
now spend time in visiting the firms were the product is sold and the rest at the head office.
Project Management definition
According to Blaskovics, (2016) project management is the study to gain knowledge,
skills, tools and techniques that is preferable for the activities to be performed for the Maria’s
Aquariums project. It will help to meet the need and expectations of the stakeholder. It is helpful
in directing and coordinating the material and the human resources throughout the project life
cycle and achieve the constraints specified for the project objectives. From the starting phase of
the project till the completion and delivery, it is preferable to run the organizational structure
smoothly with cooperation and interaction were the client could undertake the obligations that
could be met. The management tools and methodologies are advanced that could control the time
and cost constraints to meet the growing efficiency of the requirement that are challenging
(Silvius & Schipper, 2014). In the case study of Maria’s Aquariums it can be seen that payroll
system they use are manual. The range of activities for the business environment increases to
manage the project and their techniques by the Store Manager. The open systems of the projects
exist in an open environment were the situation changes dynamically to make it more adaptive
than ever. In ICT project managers faces difficulty in fostering the task were changes are
adaptable, flexible and acceptable for permanent state. It provide support for the team members
and enable them to live with the process with stressful and disorienting experience (Shaikh et al.,
2016).

5ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Scope of the project
The project scope define the implementation of project management and identify the
tools that is needed to successfully achieve the goal of the project for the Maria’s Aquariums.
Characteristics of the project life cycle
The project may face risk and uncertainty at the beginning stages and it get reduces with
the continuation of the project. The Store Manager has the ability to combine the stock taken
form the head office.
Project Life Cycle
The Maria’s Aquariums need to follow certain steps for the initiation till the closing of the
project. The Maria’s Aquariums have to follow the PRINCE2 project life cycle were the project
passes through a sequence of phases. The different industries practices sequences that include
feasibility, pre-feasibility, contract, implementation, commissioning, operation and handover
(Saleem et al., 2016).
The life cycle of the project generally defines the accomplishment of the tasks for each phase
or sub-phase. The defined phases that the team are responsible for as advocated by the Author
Coppola, D'Ambrogio & Gianni (2016) the four project phases are:
 Concept (identification, initiation, selection)
 Definition (demonstration, feasibility, quantification, development, design prototype)
 Execution (design/ commission/ construct, implementation, realization, installation, test,
production and deployment)
 Closeout (post-completion evaluation, termination)

6ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The project life cycle has number of phases that depends on variety of factors having the type
of output, industry nature, project size and more. The author Roy et al., (2014) has develop a
sequence of phases that could be theoretically identified with the project as stated below:
 Conceptual
 Planning
 Testing
 Implementation or Execution
 Closure
The projects planning is analyze with successive increments and has activity with distinct
phases. The small increment could be relatively judged. The ICT project will follow the project
life cycle that has certain development phases (El Kadiri et al., 2016).
Project Management Tools
The factors of project management are cost, time and performance. With timely
completion, within the budget and as per the performance requirements the projects achieve
success (Dwivedi et al., 2015). The project have large toolkit that follow techniques,
methodologies and tools. The tools for managing different component in the project are:
planning and scheduling, product developing, financial and capital resource management and
monitoring progress (Lin & Myers, 2015). The Maria’s Aquariums can follow in creating an
activity and provide a
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):

7ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
This is the tool for planning and scheduling of the project. It decompose the task of the
project functionally. The project total work is broken down into subtasks. The end objectives of
the project is required and it successively subdivided into manageable component based on terms
of project size and its complexity, program, system, components, subsystems, tasks, subtasks and
elements of the work.
Gantt Charts:
This tools was developed by Harry Gantt, which gives timeline for every activity. It is
useful for planning scheduling and recording the schedules that has to be progress.
PERT/CPM (Critical Path Method):
The PERT and the CPM uses the project graphic representation known as the CPM
diagram or the Project Network. The elements of the project graphically portray which shows the
order of activities to be performed. The schedule task would be examine to improve the stock
ordering and transfer it to another store. The variation is determine by the Critical Path Method
(CPM). It analyzes each task completed within the required time.
Conclusion
The above discussion conclude that the project management has provided information for
the phases and life cycle to be followed along with the tools for managing the project. This
shows that the nature of the project is unique. It depends on the size, industry, nature, location,
business environment, complexity and many more for them to operate. Further, there is a need of
technology to support them.

8ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
References
Blaskovics, B. (2016). The impact of project manager on project success—The case of ICT
sector. Society and Economy in Central and Eastern Europe, 38(2), 261-281.
Coppola, D., D'Ambrogio, A., & Gianni, D. (2016). Bringing Model-based Systems Engineering
Capabilities to Project Management: an Application to PRINCE2. In CIISE (pp. 6-15).
Dwivedi, Y. K., Wastell, D., Laumer, S., Henriksen, H. Z., Myers, M. D., Bunker, D., ... &
Srivastava, S. C. (2015). Research on information systems failures and successes: Status
update and future directions. Information Systems Frontiers, 17(1), 143-157.
El Kadiri, S., Grabot, B., Thoben, K. D., Hribernik, K., Emmanouilidis, C., Von Cieminski, G.,
& Kiritsis, D. (2016). Current trends on ICT technologies for enterprise information
systems. Computers in Industry, 79, 14-33.
Girard, J., & Girard, J. (2015). Defining knowledge management: Toward an applied
compendium. Online Journal of Applied Knowledge Management, 3(1), 1-20.
Lin, C. I., & Myers, M. D. (2015). Extending ICT4D Studies: The Value of Critical
Research. Mis Quarterly, 39(3).
Roy, A., Kihoza, P., Suhonen, J., Vesisenaho, M., & Tukiainen, M. (2014). Promoting proper
education for sustainability: An exploratory study of ICT enhanced Problem Based
Learning in a developing country. International Journal of Education and Development
using ICT, 10(1).
Saleem, F., Salim, N., Altalhi, A. H., Abdullah, A. L., Ullah, Z., Baothman, F. A., & Junejo, M.
H. (2016). Comparative study from several business cases and methodologies for ICT

9ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
project evaluation. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science &
Applications, 1(7), 420-427.
Shaikh, P. H., Nor, N. B. M., Nallagownden, P., Elamvazuthi, I., & Ibrahim, T. (2014). A review
on optimized control systems for building energy and comfort management of smart
sustainable buildings. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 34, 409-429.
Shin, K., & Musunuri, Y. R. (2016, January). Design of aquarium robot world using detecting
fish robot position method. In 2016 International Conference on Electronics,
Information, and Communications (ICEIC) (pp. 1-4). IEEE.
Silvius, A. J., & Schipper, R. P. (2014). Sustainability in project management: A literature
review and impact analysis. Social Business, 4(1), 63-96.