Operations and Project Management: A Case Study Report - Unit 16

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of operations and project management principles, focusing on a case study of a leisure centre expansion project in Croydon. The report begins by outlining the project life cycle, including initiation, planning, execution, and closure phases, with detailed explanations of each stage and relevant documentation such as a business case and project plan. It then examines the rationale for using Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), Gantt charts, critical path analysis, and leadership in project management, highlighting their effectiveness in organizing tasks, managing timelines, and allocating resources. The report further evaluates the effectiveness of these tools in the context of the leisure centre project, providing insights into their practical application. A comparative analysis of large and small-scale projects is also included, contrasting the use of project management tools in different contexts. The report concludes with a discussion of real-life project failures, such as the Carillion collapse, and the impact of poor project management on outcomes. The report also explores the role of leadership in successful project completion and emphasizes the importance of effective planning, risk management, and stakeholder engagement.

Operations and Project
management

TABLE OF CONTENT
Activity 3.........................................................................................................................................3
3.1 Project Life cycle...................................................................................................................3
3.2 Rationale for the use of WBS, Gantt Chart, Critical Path and leadership.............................8
3.2................................................................................................................................................9
3.3 Effectiveness in application of PLC, WBS, Gant Chart and critical path...........................10
3.4 Critical analysis and comparison in large and small scale projects.....................................11
3.5..............................................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

Activity 3
3.1 Project Life cycle
Stage 1: Project initiation
1. Sponsor:

Background, Experience & Status: Paul and Penny arethe key Sponsor of the project and they
also have a good experience to run a business in effective manner. Such that they already have
strong prior work experience and qualifications that drive allied to a business sense. They
already run a business in Clapham and by analyzing the market situation, they wants to expand
the business as well/
2. General background
Paul and Penny wants to expand the business in Croydan which is one of the fastest
growing economy in UK. Such that it annual growth is 9% and also have benefits regarding
transport connection with other centers. Thus, it can be stated that it is a good location to expand
the business.
3. Resource Availability:
 Senior management
 Professionals for construction site
 Team
 Project manager
4. Financing:
Minimum Required £2m Hotel
Contingency reserve 1
Total needed £3m
Sponsor also raise money from existing banks in the form of loans and use crowdfunding as a
source of fund in order to expand the business accordingly.
5. Risk:
 Financial risk
 Fluctuation in the market
 Changes in legal laws and regulation

Stage 2: Project Planning
PROJECT PLAN
CATEGORY KEY DETAILS
Overview of the
project:
Paul and Penny have Leisure centre in Clapham and wants to expand
the business with renovation site suitable in Croydon.
Project Name: Leisure Centre in Croydon
Aim/Purpose of the
project:
The aim of the project is to increase public awareness on Health
benefits of exercise.
Sponsor’s name[s]: Paul and Penny
Name of project
manager
[& contact details]
and key team
members:
Project Manager- Mr.Shaif
Key Team Members- Nicholas, John, Siri, Paula, Christon
Architect: Haumus
Civil Engineer: Clerry
Site Supervisor: Herry
Organisational
Chart:
Sponsors
Project Architect Civil Engineer Accountant
Manager
Site safety Site Manager
Officer
Skilled Tradesmen

Unskilled Tradesmen
Software to be
used:
For the project, Project manager uses MS Excel, MS Project and MS
word
Project Control: Project manager ensure that they review each phase monthly, Weekly
and also check the performance of each team members daily. Further,
Risk Review should be done in order to ensure the project is on right
track
Overall Budget
estimation:
BUDGETED HOTEL Cost- £ 2
Reserve Fund for Cost Overrruns £ 3
TOTAL Required £ 5
Planned Project
start Date:
Planned Project
endDate:
24/04/2021
26/08/2021
Stage 3: Project execution
Task Mode Task Name Duratio
n Start Finish Predecessors
1 Leisure Centre & Site Design 10 days Thu 4/29/21 Wed 5/12/21
2 Planning Application 15 days Thu 5/13/21 Wed 6/2/21 1
3 Site Purchase 15 days Thu 5/13/21 Wed 6/2/21 1
4 Dig foundation, build walls 15 days Thu 6/3/21 Wed 6/23/21 2,3
5 Erect Roof 10 days Thu 6/24/21 Wed 7/7/21 4
6 Plumbing & pumping 10 days Thu 7/8/21 Wed 7/21/21 5
7 Electricals 15 days Thu 7/8/21 Wed 7/28/21 5
8 Painting 10 days Thu 7/29/21 Wed 8/11/21 6,7
9 Internal fittings & finishing 10 days Thu 8/12/21 Wed 8/25/21 8
10 Installation of Security system 10 days Thu 8/12/21 Wed 8/25/21 8
11 Installation of IT system 10 days Thu 8/12/21 Wed 8/25/21 8
12 Final Preparations for opening 5 days Thu 8/26/21 Wed 9/1/21 9,10,11

WBS

Stage 4: Project closure
It is the last phase of PLC in which completion decision is agreed by key stakeholders
and they all review the project as well. In this, all the members are terminated due to completion
of a project. Lastly, the project final report is presented which ensure the effectiveness of a
project by reviewing the risk as well as lesson learned (Abdulla and Al-Hashimi, 2019).
3.2 Rationale for the use of WBS, Gantt Chart, Critical Path and leadership
Methodology
For expansion of Leisure Centre project, WBS help to define and organize the work
required and also facilitate quick development of a schedule by delegating the efforts to each
team members. Or else, it also provide a visual of entire scope and identify the actual completion
dates of a project (Turner and Ledwith, 2018). Further, a well managed WBS helps in
scheduling, estimating cost and determining the risk which in turn eliminate the unnecessary
work that cause negative impact upon the results of a project. Similarly, for the present case,
project manager uses MS Project in order to drawn the WBS that helps to determine the
competition dates and required activity as well.
Tools:
InitiationPlanningApplicationPlanningSitePurchaseErectRoofExecutionElectricalsPaintingMonitorClosure

There are different tools required in order to complete the project which includes Gannt
chart, network diagram and critical path. Through such tools, scholar is able to determine what is
going on the project. Such that with the help of Gantt chart, Project manager avoid the resources
overload and also measure the progress of a project (Yap and Lock, 2017). Along with this, they
also creates awareness about new changes to team members pertaining to project. Further, with
the help of Network diagram, project manager ensures or display the workflow of a project
activities. Also describe the possibilities for schedule compression. However, it is also critically
analyzed that without the network diagram, sponsor do not explain the project time estimation
that causes adverse impact upon the business performance.
On the other side, critical path is another tool which is also required by the project
manager in order to expand the business in Crydon. Thus, it assist project manager to determine
the most important task which need to manage that helps to save the time and reduce timelines
(Raith, Richter and Lindermeier, 2017). Such that as per the gantt chart there are three main
critical path identified and among all, project manager complete the working within 100 days in
order to meet the defined work. So, it can be stated that with such tool, project manager is able to
make dependencies visible and clear that helps to minimize the issues and also compare the
planned as well as actual progress within a project. Thus, with the help of effective tools, Paul
and Penny are able to meet the defined aim and expand the business in different location as well.
3.2
Leadership plays strong role as it is widely essential for bringing long term goals focused
on and forming big picture objectives in shape, while inspiring people to reach those goals in
project management. Leaders have role for providing new vision oriented goals as per specific
range of innovation, higher strategic connectivity among stakeholders and also to form
informative expansion among resources structured aspects. The project management success is
widely correlated to practical implementation of long term strategic goals, bringing specific
competent efficacy among project timely completion and for gaining larger outputs. Project
managers and leaders often also have to evolve on best competencies, in resources planning and
use best strategic models and theories for larger vivid implementation. It can be also analysed
that leadership plays distinct role from management qualities, as they hold specific competent

role for bringing overall technical diversification in innovation usage. Project management
successful timely completion plays strong vivid role for bringing new range of diversity, wider
scale synergies evolved as per varied scale targets and also to bring on operative expansion
(Harold, 2021). Leader has also role to use best training for employees, invest in best inputs and
also gain outputs targeted in best quality formats which further leverages strategic diversity.
Successful implementation also brings on wide scope towards enlarged successful completion,
bringing best project management techniques implemented within longer run competently.
3.3 Effectiveness in application of PLC, WBS, Gant Chart and critical path
Paul and Penny have established succsessful businesss which is lesiure centre adn further
expanding with renovcation on site brings suceess, based on projects related as per peroject
management tools and usage of best practical techniques.
 Project life cycle refers to four step process which further enables to get project managers
when resources implementation in stages completion. This is standard project life cycle
where it further enables framework for bringing on effective range of connectivity for
gaining specific scale growth rise.
 WBS, work breakdown structure can be analysed as tool used for projects, programs and
even working initiatives for bringing successful procedures to be delivered for organising
resources in planned format. It is complicated procedure and is time taking thus
potentially used only for big resource scale projects for managing successful further
expansion.
 Gnat chart shows resources used in project task for further competent management and
innovation, based on varied scale functional planning, determining competent aspects
further involved. A critical path analysis shows sequence of scheduled tasks that
determines duration factors within project, for bringing on long term scaled planned
synergies. Critical path also establishes key tasks framework for completing orders in
compilations to meet as per project deadlines functionally, as per large scale long term
goals (Filippetto, Lima and Barbosa, 2021).

3.4 Critical analysis and comparison in large and small scale projects
The critical detailed analysis done on specific project management tools enables us to
analyse PLC, WBS and Gant Chart are some of the most prominent aspects which enhances
functional scale varied efficacy. Large projects successfully uses PLC, WBS and Gant chart
which signifies new range of corporate structural planning in project for gaining high quality
outputs and also gain expertise for larger varied results. It is feasible for larger projects to use
resources and tools in informative format, for gaining wider range of corporate avenues
enlargements based on competent surging pace standards. Small scale projects on other hand do
not informative need for further usage of all project management tools, use of massive resources
in structured format where complications are less. Analysis and forecastings are done by heading
on strategic focus towards best planned resources operatives, technical planning for cost
effective structured efficacy among new busines plans. Small and larg scale projects also differ
in their outputs potentialities, where investments done by owners, leaders are also worked on by
heading towards varied scale targets for effective timely completiion (Barbosa and et.al, 2021).
3.5
Real life projects such as construction work on two major hospital projects were stopped
due to lack of funds, improper planning and bankruptcy of major contractor projects. Lives of
countless people has been affected due to collapse of construction giant Carillion has put
thousands of various working jobs at risk across UK. The project employed a lot of people,
where collapse of Carillion came to risk factor where it also had major construction projects in
UK, and further its finances looked healthy until recently which predicted ineffective planning of
project (Xue, Baron and Esteban, 2021). The company collapsed under $1.50 billion at debt ,
where project resources also brought downfall in project where the resource and planning
implementation have not been done in planned format. Carillion share prices also has collapsed
since july 2017 where stakeholders engagement and shareholders connectivity has been severely
impacted within successful timely completion.
Project management technique used has been failing to bring on effective timely usage of
resources, where for restarting and completing project, there has to be proper management done
for reducing shortfall of funds. This further brings on competent focus towards new range of

skills, competencies with dynamic innovation in management and leadership for project. Further,
timely completion has been also delayed because the firm bosses were earning lot of profits,
where it has gradually analysed to be widely crucial for bringing motivation under project.
Hospital premises lied empty but hasn’t been protected from elements, where it had spent past
few months right as part of 13 million as early works contracts (Ika and et.al, 2020).
Carillions demise left many firms in supply chain out of effective new investments,
where the strategic vision was not built and also owners were unwilling to talk in public.
Investments output was improper, has been facing financial hit also where the new range of
competent scale programming has been not successfully done. Unforeseen events have not been
measured, and the strategic division has not been done with accuracy within investment and
resources where it further led to Carillions hospital project failure. Also management has not
done resources and stakeholders analysis, which lowered functional overall long term
productivity.