Project Life Cycle Phases, Quality, and Cultural Awareness

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the project life cycle, detailing its four key phases: initiation, planning, execution, and closure. It emphasizes the importance of each phase in achieving project goals and minimizing errors, using the "Girl Project" by Maybelline as a case study. The report further explores quality management, including quality control and assurance, highlighting the need for maintaining standards and ensuring customer satisfaction. Additionally, it addresses the significance of cultural awareness, training, and legal considerations in global business environments, advocating for in-house training and understanding of international regulations. The report also covers work breakdown structure as a method for breaking down large tasks into smaller, manageable components. Overall, the report underscores the need for a structured approach to project management, emphasizing quality, cultural sensitivity, and legal compliance for successful project outcomes.

Describe and discuss
different phases of the
project life cycle

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Project management life cycle....................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
In today's corporate world number of companies are involving in launching new or
advanced project in order to generate maximum revenue by satisfying needs of customers
(Meredith and Mantel Jr, 2011). Thus, companies is following an appropriate cycle of project
management for attaining their specific target or goals. Maybelline is one of the leading
organization in cosmetic industry whose main motive is to facilitate society with outstanding
beauty products for enhancing their look such as; currently company is engaged in introducing
new project that is “Girl Project”. Therefore, assignment is going to highlight an appropriate
phases of managing specific project by attaining company goals or target in a minimum duration.
Quality management plan, need of update and training for employees is also outlining this
assignment.
Project management life cycle
Corporate world is adopting number of tools, techniques and follow suitable stages to
attain their set standards by gaining trust or loyalty of maximum customers. Therefore,
Maybelline is following appropriate phases while launching any new project at global
marketplace because it helps an enterprise in controlling the probability of mistakes (Verbraeck
and et. al., 2011). However, it is not easy to handle a single assignment without following a
necessary phases due to fluctuation in several other factors that are having a greater connection
with success of a project. Mainly, it consist of four significant phases which is described as
follows:-
Initiation :- Initially, company is going to identify the business issue or any opportunity
for bringing a new idea either for overcoming specific problem or to grab certain chance of
growth. Thus, suitable response required to documented in an organizational case with suggested
alternative of solutions. Furthermore, deep study is conducted in order to determine whether the
project is beneficial for enterprise or not. Along with this proper justification needs to be given.
After that, if suggested idea get approved by staff members then skilled or experienced manager
needs to appointed by board of directors. Hence, its time to move towards planning phase for
taking further actions in order to implement that idea (McKone and et. al., 2014). For example;
Maybelline was searching various issues faced by girls for their looks thus management team of
firm is now trying to focus on females.
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Planning:- After taking initiative now company is concentrating on their planning stages
by considering relevant facts or figures in order to minimize the possibilities of mistakes, errors
or financial loss. Basically, in this phase managers are trying to accomplish all the task or
activities in defined time frame. In fact, another name of this stage is that it also consider as a
“scope management”. Beside this, project manager is liable for designing a blueprint which
consist of required budget for specific project of Maybelline that is “Girl project”, strategy, time
duration, job role of staff members and so on. Mainly, budget was prepared for monitoring or
controlling prices and expenses that is going incurred during implementation process. It means,
company needs to fulfils three main fundamental process that is ; designing of schedule, estimate
the expenditure and determine the certain work. Lastly, an effective document needs to be
planned in detail form like ; quality planning, offering standard targets, assurance, measuring as
well as consent plan by expressing the criteria that must be met for acquiring customer
acceptance.
Execution:- In this third stage of management cycle managerial team needs to implement
projected plan in order to encourage employees to start working on specific project. However, it
is highly indispensable to maintain the environment by controlling things as well as establish an
effective communication which is requires during implementation process. However, success is
monitored on regular basis in order to do appropriate adjustments at the time of need. Basically,
while managing an assignment managers requires to pay full attention on this phase for
minimizing possibilities of mistakes (Kerzner and Kerzner, 2017). Thus, during execution phase
employees are involving in performing assigned task or activities through which information
must be gathered and reported by regular meetings. Hence, head department is following
acquired data about employees performance while comparing actual presentation with projected
plan in order to take necessary steps and immediate actions for controlling unusual wastage.
Closure :- Last but not least its time to transfer the product to the consumers by releasing
the specific project as well as needs to discuss with every members of an association like
employees, stakeholders, board members and so on while closure of project. It means in this
phase final analysis is conducting for attaining aims and objective of project. For example; “Girl
project” is a an outstanding assignment that is introduced by Maybelline whose main objective
is to promote country to focus on girl's education which the deserves. Thus, managers of this
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project is concentrating on power of transformation and motivating females to build their
confidence level by gaining knowledge.
Hence, above cycle of project management aids an enterprise in controlling probability of
mistakes or errors which act as a success barrier for company. In fact, it is highly indispensable
for Maybelline to follow this procedure in order to regulate changes by comparing project
performance with actual one (Karim, 2011). Along with this it is beneficial for an association in
various manner like by showing real facts or figures during decisional process.
Work breakdown structure:- As per this term managers of an enterprise is going to split
the larger work into small components for completing it in a minimum duration. It helps
managers while managing a specific project by considering relevant elements. Basically, it is a
hierarchical decomposition of entire motive of work for attaining organizational targets. In fact,
element which is falls under this structure are ; products, data, service and any other cluster.
Along with this, work breakdown structure needs to offer an effective framework for
accomplishing activities in suitable manner in order to reduce workload. Thus, an appropriate
work breakdown structure format which is followed by an enterprise is described as follows:-
(Source:- Work Breakdown Structure Diagram, 2018)
From the above graphical representation it has been analysed that specific project is
going to classified into various task for clearing every aspect in more detail format and further
segregated into sub parts for reducing chances of mistakes (Hoffer, 2012). In fact, it helps
Maybelline while moving their “Girl project” across the international marketplace.
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Illustration 1: Work breakdown structure

Instead of this an association need to design an effective network for specific project by
considering accurate data or information. Thus, proper activities are designed as follows for
overcoming issues or barriers are highlighted as follows:-
Name of the activity Number of days
Task 1 3
Task 2 4
Task 3 5
Task 4 2
Hence, above data shows that an organization needs to follow project management cycle
for reducing maximum chance of loss which influence the company success. In fact every
employees and customers are having distinct cultural background in order to minimize the
possibilities of conflicts which might occurred due to differences in opinions (Wagner, 2011).
Apart from this, managers of an association needs to focus on every aspect and factors which
helps them in maximizing their productivity which resulted in attainment of goals or targets. At
last, it has been analysed that company needs to focus on micro and macro elements because it
have a major impact on project success because rules or regulations are designed by considering
norms which is prepared by governing bodies. Along with this, all the resources are acquired
through environmental elements such as; labour, plant or machinery, money, equipments and so
on.
Quality management plan:-
It is indispensable to focus on maintaining the standard of an enterprise by introducing
qualitative products or services because consumers are prefer durable items instead of cheap.
Thus, it has been analysed that overall plan highlight the corrective path towards success with the
help of relevant facts or figures. Project quality management concern about attribute of
something, natural character of something, excellence, distinction of a product. These are the
factors how quality defines itself (Davis, 2014). As Maybelline New York defines itself.
Quality Management - It takes place from conceptualization to deliver the final project.
It considers planning, scope, implementation, and monitoring. Quality management involves
constriction and managing entire team of people to attain certain goal with quality, effective cost,
time limit. It prepares a prototype to assure quality of end product which is executed by all
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phases. Actually, quality management begins from planning which is initial of a project, then it
turn to scope the reach of project, how it will be implement and monitoring of all these stages is
crucial, all activities are performed under supervision that leads to final project launching.
Quality Control - Quality control defines a system which maintains a standard of
manufacturing products by testing.
Quality Assurance – As per this element, its going to defines engineering, design,
specifications, material specifications along with planning and schedule. It checks that there is
nothing to eliminate procedure.
As Maybelline New York is a project for Girls Power, it renders to girls education to
make them stand for own self (Boons, Spekkink and Mouzakitis, 2011). It is independently
offering a huge compliment to the girls. It is a global project that lies on communication a great
hurdle across boundaries, different culture values , international business environment, fast and
reliable information system, integration management, time zone, legal and political issues. These
all the key factors which are most important aspects to control managing global projects.
Adequate arguments for the need of cultural awareness, training, and legal issues.
In present time, global business is growing so high. Before exploring in international
market culture awareness is needed. Knowing country culture is become necessity to extend a
business. Even for a formal communication language is required, regional and population aspects
are also a part of consideration. Doing a business across boundaries requisite the exchange of
words that will help to expand a business. There are different factors in rural and urban areas
which impact on organizations business.
It would be a good opportunity to provide training to the project managers, who will
going to represent a firm or managing a project world wide. This can be done by in – house
language and culture training sessions to the entire staff. This will aid to establish relationship of
with the colleagues from different background. It will also reduce the cost of hire multi-lingual
people. It increase scope of global trades and investments for the next period of time. Many
organizations assist training of their employees according to them which will help them in
personality and skill development (Beringer, Jonas and Kock, 2013). Company also get a
goodwill as to groom in personality development.
There are some legal issues which varies country to country. Every country has its own
legislation which enable foreign trade. Some of them are are open to import and export from
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other countries whereas others are strict with their rules and regulations. Under the foreign trade
business tax, excise duties are involved with different rates as per the international business
agreement.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been summarised that project management process is not an
easy task which requires proper stages in order to minimize the probability of mistakes or errors.
However, project on which entire assignment was based is that “Girl project” launched by
Maybelline for encouraging girls towards acquiring education. Moreover, entire phases of cycle
aids an enterprise in overcoming distinct barriers while introducing new idea or creative ones for
gaining maximum benefit by satisfying needs or demands of distinct consumers. Hence, main
objective of this assignment is to highlight the significance of project management cycle at
workplace as well as need of awareness.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Beringer, C., Jonas, D. and Kock, A., 2013. Behavior of internal stakeholders in project portfolio
management and its impact on success. International Journal of Project Management. 31(6). pp.
830-846.
Boons, F., Spekkink, W. and Mouzakitis, Y., 2011. The dynamics of industrial symbiosis: a
proposal for a conceptual framework based upon a comprehensive literature review. Journal of
Cleaner Production. 19(9-10). pp. 905-911.
Davis, K., 2014. Different stakeholder groups and their perceptions of project
success. International journal of project management. 32(2). pp. 189-201.
Hoffer, J. A., 2012. Modern Systems Analysis and Design, 6/e. Pearson Education India.
Karim, A. J., 2011. Project management information systems (Pmis) factors: an empirical study
of their impact on project management decision making (Pmdm) performance. Research Journal
of Economics, Business and ICT. 2.
Kerzner, H. and Kerzner, H. R., 2017. Project management: a systems approach to planning,
scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
McKone, T. E., and et. al., 2014. Global guidance on environmental life cycle impact assessment
indicators: findings of the scoping phase. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.
19(4). pp. 962-967.
Meredith, J. R. and Mantel Jr, S. J., 2011. Project management: a managerial approach. John
Wiley & Sons.
Verbraeck, A., and et. al., 2011. Grasping project complexity in large engineering projects: The
TOE (Technical, Organizational and Environmental) framework. International Journal of
Project Management. 29(6). pp. 728-739.
Wagner, S. M., 2011. Supplier development and the relationship life-cycle. International Journal
of Production Economics. 129(2). pp. 277-283.
Online
Work Breakdown Structure Diagram, 2018. [Online]. Available through<https://www.free-
power-point-templates.com/simple-work-breakdown-structure-diagram-for-powerpoint/>.
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