Industry Project Management: A Case Study of Apple Inc. and Al Hokair

This assignment provides a comparative analysis of project management methodologies employed by Apple Inc. and Al Hokair, focusing on product innovation using Agile and e-commerce website development using Waterfall, respectively. It critically evaluates the principles, differences, and applications of project management, covering aspects like communication theory and stakeholder theory. The assignment also delves into the project lifecycle, key activities, deliverables, and the tools and techniques utilized. Recommendations are provided to mitigate potential issues. Desklib offers this and other solved assignments for students.

Title: PROJECT MANAGEMENT: comparing different industry
context (Apple Inc. and Al Hokair case study)
Words (actual words): 4000
Reference Style: Harvard
Date: 12/10/2018
Name:
ID:
Professor:
Campus
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Table of content
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................3
The principles of project management:...........................................................................................3
Project management theory practices..............................................................................................6
Communicational theory:................................................................................................................6
Stakeholders’ theory:.......................................................................................................................8
Critical evaluation of the differences & applications of the project management...........................9
The differences between the project management:.........................................................................9
The application of the project management:.................................................................................10
The life cycle of a project:.............................................................................................................11
Key activities of the project:..........................................................................................................13
Project deliverables:.......................................................................................................................14
Project tools and techniques:.........................................................................................................15
Conclusion:....................................................................................................................................17
Recommendations:........................................................................................................................17
References:....................................................................................................................................19
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Introduction:
This particular assignment is based on the topic of two various types of project management.
Project management is considered as the organizing, planning as well as managing the effort for
accomplishing the successful project. Proper timeframe and the budget frame are needed for
doing any project. The proper timeframe can produce a significant outcome. For doing any
project management vast knowledge, proper skills, techniques, and tools are required for meeting
the requirements of the project. It has been identified that the knowledge of project management
has been drawn over ten areas which are such as integration, scope, cost, time, quality, human
resources, procurement, risk management, communication, and stakeholders’ management. In
this assignment, it has been identified that two several types of project management model have
been used which are such as agile project management and the waterfall project management.
The agile project management is followed by Apple Inc and the waterfall project management is
followed by Al Hokair Company.
Project management is a concept of developing several projects that are incurred started from
ancient past. The past activities helped in development of different projects as in making of great
pyramid of Giza till Hoover Dam project. The time line suggests the same,
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This assignment has been classified into several groups which are such as critical evaluation of
the principles of the project management, and the critical evaluation of the differences as well as
applications of the project management. In another section of the assignment, the life-cycle of
the project management, key activities of the project management, deliverables, techniques and
tools of the project managers have been defined. The recommendations have been also provided
by this assignment for mitigating the issues.
The principles of project management:
In this section of the assignment, the principles of the project managers have been explained.
The project of the company of Apple is the product innovation and the agile method has been
followed by Apple for doing this project management of product innovation (apple.com 2018).
On the other hand, the project of Al Hokair is the development of the e-commerce website and
the waterfall method has been used by the company, Al Hokair for doing this project
management (alhokair com).
The principles of the project management of Apple Company have been mentioned below.
 Attain the satisfaction of the customer: It has been identified that the software has been
built for doing the better performances and also for solving any problem. It has been
identified that the short distance among the customer feedback and the requirements
gathering can give the opportunities of steering the software in the satisfactory direction
of the customers. Be strong for making any changes: the changes are harnessed by the agile process for
getting the competitive advantages of the customers. It is very important to change the
short distance between the implementation and conceiving (Gren, Torkar& Feldt2015). If
the process of development is late then the shifting needs to be made strongly. Delivering the working software along with the preference of shorter timescale: It has
been identified that the shortening of the distances among the delivery and planning is
focused by the agile project. Management and developers must work together: It is very crucial as it is not natural for
most of the people. Co-location of the management and developers is one of the best
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ways for handling this (Gren, Torkar& Feldt2015). The company of Apple also can use
the tool of communication for motivating the workers. Build projects for motivating the individuals: It has been identified that the agile project
of the company of Apple does not contain any micromanaging. The team needs to be
self-reliant and also self-directed. The company needs to make the proper team so that the
company can trust completing the objectives of the project. Encouraging the face to face interaction for the proper communication: It has been
identified that the company needs to make the short time between the acquisition and the
answers. For this reason, the co-location and the remote work at the same time and this is
one of the important parts of the management of the agile project.
Figure 1: Model of Agile
(Source: Gren, Torkar& Feldt2015)
On the other hand, it has been seen that the company of Al Hokair has followed the waterfall
project for doing the project management of the development of e-commerce. Several principles
of the project management are followed by the company of Al Hokair and these principles are
such as low level of customer engagement, strong documentation of the project and the
sequential project structure. It has been identified that the company prefers to use the
documentation process more than discussing the issues of the project (Buchoriet al. 2017). It has
been identified that during the project management, basically only 2 meetings are conducted by
the company with the customers.
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Figure 2: Model of Waterfall
(Source: Buchoriet al. 2017)
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The undertaking of Al Hokair is the improvement of the internet business site and the
cascade strategy has been utilized by the organization, Al Hokair for doing this venture
administration. It has been seen that the organization of Al Hokair has pursued the cascade
venture for doing the task administration of the advancement of internet business. A few
standards of the venture administration are trailed by the organization of Al Hokair and
these standards are, for example, low level of client commitment, solid documentation of
the undertaking and the successive task structure. It has been distinguished that the
organization wants to utilize the documentation procedure more than examining the issues
of the task. It has been distinguished that amid the task administration, essentially just 2
gatherings are led by the organization with the clients.
Project management theory practices
Communicational theory:
It has been identified that organizational communication grows immensely in the last few years.
Now it has become norms for the theory of project management. For defining what, why and
how the organization remains its sustainability. It has been identified that a specific model is
required for depicting the thoughts, idea and the concept in the simpler way for making proper
communication in the organization (Stacks & Salwen2014). A specific technology is dealt with
this theory for transmitting information between the people and the machines. While the
application of the communicational theory different organization s follows different strategies
which are explained below.
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Figure 3: Communication theory
(Source: Stacks & Salwen2014)
By considering the communicational theory the company of Apple has incorporated some
strategies which need to be developed. It has been recognized that authoritative correspondence
develops enormously over the most recent couple of years. Presently, it has moved toward
becoming standards for the hypothesis of task administration. For characterizing what, why and
how the association remains its supportability. It has been distinguished that a particular model is
required for delineating the considerations, thought and the idea in the less difficult path for
making legitimate correspondence in the association. A particular innovation is managed this
hypothesis for transmitting data between the general population and the machines.
The strategies are as follows:
 Need for the advertising: Apple knows that the increment of the revenue scale is not
necessary always. It has been identified that Apple relies on 2 various strategies which
are such as the placement of the products and the buzz creation. Apple believes that if the
customers or user are satisfied with their services as well as their products then the
customers of Apple will share the promotion of the products to their followers.
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 Avoiding Price Wars by doing the emphasizes of the value proposition:Apple always
believes that the business of the company can be hurt by the price competition. The UVP
of Apple is reticently focused by the company of Apple. It has been seen that the UVP
works in a different way with very smaller packages (Cornelissenet al. 2015). The
products advertisement on social media is one of the competitive advantages for the
company of Apple. It has been identified that Apple is not competing about price
however, Apple, itself is the great competitors to the other popular brand in the market.
 Simple marketing of the products: Apple believes that the overwhelming of the
consumers regarding the technology can create the confusion in the marketing mix.
Apple keeps the technology very simple which is preferred by several customers. It has
been believed by the company of Apple that the best sophistication is the simplicity and
for this reason, more customers are impressed by the strategies of Apple.
 Communicate with the customers in the normal language: Apple has made great
customer loyalty in the market of the technology. The customers of Apple are very much
satisfied with their services and it has been also identified that Apple can understand its
customers' perception as well as their demands.
 Design best customer experience; The elements of every aspect are included in the
experience of Apple. As an example, it can be stated that the fans of Apple always
appreciate the computers of Apple and in this way, the company has made great
customers' experience. The purchasing process is inspired by the retail store of Apple.
Figure 4: Apple product development strategy
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Source:(interaction-design.org 2018)
 Aim at the emotions of the company’s prospects: Apple believes that the emotional
connection is the key to the successful strategies of marketing and for this reason, every
video of the Apple products get viral rapidly. It has been identified that most of the Apple
customers are very much happy by having their services.
On the other hand it has been seen that in the company of Al Hokair has incorporated several
strategies for considering the communicational theory which is such as the statement of the
purpose, the present situation of the company, organizational as well as communicational
objectives, stakeholders’ identification, evaluating success, work plan, and many others
(Cornelissenet al. 2015).
Stakeholders’ theory:
The stakeholders of the company are held by the stakeholders’ theory. The purpose of the
company's business has is stated by the theory of stakeholders for creating the value. It is very
important that the customers, employees, communities, suppliers, and stakeholders need to be
considered by the business (Antonelli, D'Alessio& Cuomo2017). The customers' interest needs
to be kept by the business of the company and it has been stated by the theory of stakeholders.
Figure 4: Stakeholders’ theory
(Source:Antonelli, D'Alessio& Cuomo2017)
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Apple has incorporated several strategies for considering the stakeholders’ theory and these
strategies need to be developed. It has been identified that the suppliers are engaged by the
company of Apple through the expectations of the company. It has been identified that the large
strides have been made by the company towards the practices of greener procurement (Antonelli,
D'Alessio& Cuomo2017). The systematic evaluating and examining the supply chain for
adapting the correc6tive as well as preventive measures and the environmental violations has
been begun by the company of Apple. A few years ago, it has been declared that Apple is one of
the greenest chains of supplying out of 167 brands in the whole world.
On the other hand, it has been identified that the company of Al Hokair has incorporated several
strategies for considering the stakeholders’ theory. The strategies are such as identification of the
diverse group of stakeholders, identification of the representatives of the stakeholders and
creation of the system for soliciting the feedback (Felin, Foss& Ployhart2015). The other
strategies which are followed by the company of Al Hokair are such as incorporating the
feedback into the process of strategic planning, and the report back about the stakeholder
analysis.
Critical evaluation of the differences & applications of the project management
The differences between the project management:
Two types of project management have been explained in this assignment one is product
innovation project management for the company of Apple and another is e-commerce
development project management for the company of Al Hokair. In these 2 various companies,
the project management processes are also different and their differences are mentioned below.
 In Apple, the process of software development is divided into various phases whereas, in
the company of Al Hokair, the lifecycle development of the project is segregated into
sprints.
 The waterfall is considered as the structured methodology of software development
whereas Agile is flexible methodology (Komai, Saidi& Nakanishi2016).
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 It has been also identified that the waterfall model is completed in one project. .on the
other hand, the agile methodology is considered as the collection of the several projects.
 The phases of development, testing, designing, etc. can be completed in the model of
waterfall once whereas the iterative approach of development is followed by the agile
process in the company of Apple.
 It has been identified in the company of Al Hokair that the methodology of the waterfall
is the internal process whereas only the customer satisfaction is focused by the agile
methods in the company of Apple.
The application of the project management:
It has been identified that both companies Apple and Al Hokair have applied two types of model
for doing their project management and the application of these 2 types of the model has been
explained in this section of the project management.
It has been seen that Apple has made the process of decision-making more proper by application
of the agile model. The strong customer base of Apple has been made due to the application of
the agile model in the project management. The basic version of the software has been made by
the company of Apple due to the application of the agile model. On the other hand, it has been
identified that the designing and the planning is made more straightforward in the company of Al
Hokair by the application of the Waterfall model. The design of the business is completed early
due to the application of the waterfall model in the project management.
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