Project Management Practice Report: Case Study Analysis and Findings

This report offers a deep dive into project management practices through the analysis of three distinct case studies: a lecture capture upgrade project, the Sydney Opera House, and the severe exploitation of foreign workers in Australia. The study focuses on key knowledge areas, including project schedule management, project quality management, and project risk management. The literature review provides a foundational understanding of these areas, discussing techniques like Gantt charts, CPM, and PERT for schedule management, and emphasizing the importance of stakeholder satisfaction and continuous improvement in quality management. The case study reviews examine problems, research methodologies, and findings for each project, highlighting the practical application of project management principles. The report concludes with a synthesis of results, findings, and recommendations, along with a discussion of limitations, aiming to provide insights for improving construction project management and ensuring project success. The report is a valuable resource for students seeking to understand the complexities of project management in real-world scenarios, offering insights into schedule management, quality control, and risk mitigation strategies.

Running head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE
Assessment 4: Project Management Practice
Student Name:
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................3
2. Literature Review...................................................................................................3
2.1 Project Schedule Management.......................................................................3
2.2 Project Quality Management...........................................................................6
2.3 Project Risk Management...............................................................................9
3. Case Study Review.............................................................................................12
3.1 Case Study 1.................................................................................................12
3.1.1 Introduction.............................................................................................12
3.1.2 Problem Description...............................................................................12
3.1.3 Research Methodology and Data Collection..........................................12
3.1.4 Analysis...................................................................................................13
3.1.5 Findings..................................................................................................13
3.1.6 Recommendations..................................................................................14
3.1.7 Conclusions............................................................................................14
3.2 Case Study 2.................................................................................................15
3.2.1 Introduction.............................................................................................15
3.2.2 Problem Description...............................................................................15
3.2.3 Research Methodology and Data Collection..........................................15
3.2.4 Analysis...................................................................................................16
3.2.5 Findings..................................................................................................16
3.2.6 Recommendations..................................................................................17
3.2.7 Conclusions............................................................................................17
3.3 Case Study 3.................................................................................................18
3.3.1 Introduction.............................................................................................18
3.3.2 Problem Description...............................................................................18
3.3.3 Research Methodology and Data Collection..........................................18

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3.3.4 Analysis...................................................................................................18
3.3.5 Findings..................................................................................................19
3.3.6 Recommendations..................................................................................20
3.3.7 Conclusions............................................................................................20
4. Results and Findings...........................................................................................20
5. Conclusions and Recommendations...................................................................32
5.1 Limitations.........................................................................................................33
References.................................................................................................................34

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1. Introduction
The project management report is reflected on analysing the knowledge areas
in three of the case studies. The case studies are focused on lecture capture
upgrade project, Sydney Opera House and Severe Exploitation of Foreign Workers
in Australia. In this specific study, the selected knowledge areas in project
management are project schedule, project quality and project risk management. Lu
et al., (2018) stated that the project schedule management is a process to develop,
maintain and communicate the project time as well as required project resources.
The project schedule is contained timetable for the project required to end the project
work. Lou, Xu and Wang (2017) mentioned that the project quality is such a
knowledge areas concerned with quality of project plan. The goal of this
management is assessing and controlling the quality by means of project
management processes. According to Kliem and Ludin (2019), the risk management
is formal project document describes how to identity and manage project risks. In
order to manage risks, risk management actions are taken to mitigate risks to project
activities.
In this paper, the process knowledge processes have purpose to create new
knowledge for the individuals those are involved in construction project planning. The
captured knowledge is used for improving performance of project so that there is
achievement of project success. The knowledge which is created through using
three knowledge areas is prepared accessible for the future project planning by the
project management team members. Literature review is conducted based on
selected knowledge areas for better understanding of its benefits and opportunities
in the construction projects. Three of the selected case studies are also analysed
based on research methods, research problems and findings are discussed at the
final stage. Finally, recommendations are also provided to make improvement in
construction project for successfully manage it so that no problems as well as risks
are raised in future project.

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2. Literature Review
2.1 Project Schedule Management
Scheduling is considered as integral part of the project management. In the
construction project planning, control of project scheduling is considered as vital part
of project process. According to Hu et al., (2016), delivering the project on time is
required in construction project so that there is avoiding of losses in the plan. The
project scheduling is a project milestone, activity and deliverable with a start and end
date. Kerzner (2017) illustrated that completion of project is focused on how the
project manager can schedule the project activities for timely completion. The project
manager is required to use project scheduling techniques in construction project to
align the project aspects such that work is finished on time. Apart from all this,
schedule management helps to allocate right person for project task and allocation of
available project resources. The project scheduling is including various methods and
techniques, and outline of each technique is listed below used by project manager
for better project planning.
Gantt chart: In order to create project schedule, Gantt chart is used to
present the project time in graphical format. Tommelein and Blampied (2018)
discussed that this chart is used to track project progress and provide project
reporting. It is used by project manager to determine average time required in project
completion. It is a bar chart represents the activities in sequence form.
Critical path method (CPM): Papke-Shields and Boyer-Wright (2017)
mentioned that CPM is used to monitor project scheduling. In relation to CPM, the
critical project tasks and its float time are shown, therefore there is easier to control
project scheduling. This method estimates maximum as well as minimum time
needed to finish the project plan. The project scope as well as list of project activities
are required for on time finishing of project.
Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT): Nicholas and Steyn
(2017) discussed that it is a method to schedule flow of project activities and
estimate time taken to finish the tasks. This scheduling technique will help to present
how one task is dependent on other task. In order to schedule construction project
by means of PERT, one can define the project activities, provide the predecessors

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and define project milestones. There is measurement of total project time based on
level of confidence.
Duration Compression: This technique helps to cut short of project
schedule. It can able to make changes in project schedule without changes in project
scope, and in this case the project will be running late. Two of the methods are used
to calculate duration compression- fast tracking as well as crashing. Sanghera
(2019) determined that fast tracking is a way to use CPM. This technique finds way
to speed the pace at which the project is implemented by execution of project tasks
and overlapping of the project tasks. It helps the project manager to speed up pace
of construction project. Meredith, Mantel Jr and Shafer (2017) discussed that
crashing is a way to involve the project resources to complete the project work on
time. Project crashing is not possible without adding additional project resources. It is
a technique used by addition of extra time, while it will stay with planned deadline,
while raises the project cost.
The project scheduling techniques help the project manager in construction
project to allocate resources and end work on planned time. It helps to study past
and current performance of project team, track current project progress and identify
obstacles faced by the project team members. In the construction project planning,
the project schedule contains activities like implementation in addition to execution of
the project in determined time (Heagney, 2016). It helps the project manager to
prioritize the project activities involved in successful project completion. The project
planning is considered as key significant contributor towards the success of project
plan. Harrison and Lock (2017) mentioned that there is failure in the project planning
due to poor project planning. Time spend in the project activities will lead to lessen
the project risks and also increase in success of the project planning. Fleming and
Koppelman (2016) discussed that there is four levels of project success like project
efficiency, impact on customers, success of business and preparing for the future of
project plan. Following are benefits of schedule management in constructing a
project:
i. Scheduling assists in project tracking, project reporting as well as
making progress in business communication.

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ii. It ensures that each of the project tasks are on track and
dependencies and deadlines are perfect.
iii. There is highlighting of project related issues as well as concerns like
project delays, lack of project resources, cost overrun and failure of
construction equipment (Kerzner, 2019).
iv. It helps in identification of task relationships.
v. Schedule tracks the project milestones and key project deliverables
required to finish work on planned timeframe.
vi. It can used in project monitoring as well as controlling of project
schedule and identifying challenges raised (Heldman, 2018).
For considering uncertainties in the project planning, Bi et al., (2017)
presented project management procedure to assign priority to ranking of the project
activities. There is also determination of highest completion delays at each project
stage and determine probability of completion on scheduled timeframe. Hu et al.,
(2016) mentioned that calculation of non-critical path as well as float of project
activities using PERT lead to project uncertainties and network implementation.
From this PM knowledge area, it is known that CPM, PERT, Gantt chart are the
project scheduling techniques, while those techniques are not able to limit project
uncertainties to estimate schedule. In order to meet with project management
practices, in-depth study is conducted to combine theories along with concepts.
2.2 Project Quality Management
According to Lou, Xu and Wang (2017), project quality management is a
process to make sure that the project activities required to design and implement the
project plan are of better quality. It is an independent project process occurred at end
of project activity to measure level of quality of project output. Pheng (2018)
mentioned that quality management is continuous procedure starts and finishes with
project planning. It is such a process started from project initiation stage and final
step in project closure stage. According to Javed and Liu (2017), Quality
management is focused to make improvement over satisfaction of the project
stakeholders throughout continuous improvement in project processes. It is being
achieved by continuous improvement over quality of materials as well as services
providing to beneficiaries. The main purpose of management of quality is done by

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ensuring that the project will meet with stakeholder’s needs and demands. The
project team should develop a strong relations with the key stakeholders for better
understanding of quality. Rumane (2017) argued that one of the cause of poor
quality is focused on written project requirements and ignored stakeholder’s
expectations for planning. Quality is being reviewed with project scope, timetable as
well as financial planning. When the project client is not satisfied with project
outcome, then the project team is required to make changes in scope, agenda
besides economical values.
Basu (2017) discussed that all product and services are having characteristics
which can facilitate identification of project quality. Characteristics of those materials
and services are part of how equipment and services should meet with client’s
expectations. According to Wright and Lawlor-Wright (2018), quality characteristics is
related to measures as well as procedures attached to product and services.
Functionality: It is a degree through which the equipment performs intended
functions, and it is mainly required for construction equipment to measure if
operation is behaved as it is expected or not.
Performance: Fuller et al., (2017) mentioned that it determines how well a
product and service can perform beneficiaries intended usage. The building system
is designed to support construction work and required maintenance for reducing cost
of community as well as increase in sustainability.
Timeliness: Lou, Xu and Wang (2017) mentioned that this characteristics
determines how the product and service can meet with actual requirements of
beneficiaries. It is applicable to intended usage of application and usage.
Reliability: It is ability of service besides product to achieve as intended
below control circumstances without undesirable failures. There is trust of
beneficiaries on quality of testing performed for construction equipment.
Consistency: There is delivering of services at same way for each of the
project beneficiaries (Fuller et al., 2017).
Relevance: It is the characteristics to determine how product and service can
meet with preferable needs of the beneficiaries. It is applicable to intended usage for
the construction project.

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Customer satisfaction is a measure over project quality. Radujković and
Sjekavica (2017) argued that it is required to focus that quality management is
concerned for product, services and management of development plan. It is
significant to ensure that project needs are meet along with management of
customer expectations require to manage project success. Ceptureanu et al., (2017)
discussed that continuous improvement is an idea occurs in quality management to
prevent as well as inspect project quality. From the perspective of project planning,
this specific concept is analyzed project issues identified during project lifecycle.
Quality management is consisted of three project processes should perform in
construction plan to determine development quality such as:
Plan quality: Lu et al., (2019) discussed that plan quality is involved to
identify quality needs for the project as well as product and document how the
project can meet with quality needs. The output of this particular process included
quality plan, quality metrics, and improvement plan in addition to quality checklists.
Quality assurance: It is used for verifying of the processes are adequate so
that it can adhere to project deliverables will be of better quality. Quality audit as well
as checklists are used for quality assurance.
Quality control: Androwis et al., (2018) discussed that quality control is used
for verifying product meets with quality needs. Peer review as well as testing are two
techniques used for performing quality control. The result will be helpful to determine
if the actions are required.
In the quality planning, the project manager is responsible to define project
standards required to meet with project goals and objectives. It should ensure that
quality standards are achieved to get project success. Rumane (2017) examined that
quality planning determines scope of the project measurement, quality metrics and
satisfaction of project stakeholders and clients. Following are benefits of quality
management to construction project:
a. Identification and analysis of project related issues faced by the
construction staffs (Pheng, 2018).
b. Improvement over quality of construction products and services
c. Improvement over quality of operators

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d. Development of the construction work determining quality standards
e. Findings accurate time to conduct project planning and development
(Wright & Lawlor-Wright, 2018)
Quality management techniques are used to help the project manager for
making improvement in issues related to project quality.
Cause and effect diagram: Rios et al., (2019) stated that this tool is used to
explore project causes might cause problem to quality. It is a perfect technique to
identify causes of problems before thinking of solutions. Brainstorming is used to
collect causes.
Control chart: This chart is used to calculate outcomes of processes over the
project time and view results in graphical form (Burr, 2018). It is mainly used to
measure project variances for determining of the process variances are in control or
not.
Pareto chart: According to Raut and Verma (2017), this chart is useful to
recognize as well as prioritize problems to be resolved. It is being displayed as
histogram that rank factors like delays, project cost as well as defects by frequency
over time.
Histogram: This tool is used for evaluating distribution of data and
determining distribution of errors in the quality of project.
2.3 Project Risk Management
Kliem and Ludin (2019) discussed that project risk is possibility of both loss as
well as injury. It is an uncertain project event as well as conditions that occurred
provide impact on project objectives as well as project success. Hopkinson (2017)
argued that risk management is focused to determine issues and assess risks for
managing it to overcome with challenges and prevent from project negative impacts.
The project risk is dealing with uncertainties of project events that could affect project
planning. Negative project events have higher project likelihood to occur on
construction projects (Hillson, 2017). In the construction project, safety risks are
common. There is also risk of changing in value of currency during project work after
purchasing power as well as budget on project. The construction project is focused
on good weather conditions, therefore poor weather condition can cause project

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delays due to wet and windy weather circumstances. According to Chapman (2019),
the project risk is a thing which would impact on timeline, performance and budget.
In context of project management, the project risks are required to address and
classify to get project success.
Based on the construction case studies of lecture capture project, Sydney
Opera House and Severe Exploitation of Foreign Workers in Australia projects,
following are common project risks occurred at each project stages:
i. Poor estimation of project timeline and schedule can lead to long
delivery time of the project work. The result is project delays issue.
ii. A natural disaster can affect ability of the project team to deliver the
work on scheduled timeframe (Burtonshaw-Gunn, 2017).
iii. Poor communication among project team members and project
manager can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts among
members.
iv. The project supplier is not able to deliver the construction products as
well as services on time.
v. There is an increase in price of the construction materials during
planning can lead to increase in entire project cost (Webb, 2017).
vi. The project resources are not secured due to lack of security and
privacy of information.
vii. There should not be satisfactory project documentation around legacy
system that permit to incorporate successfully with existing system.
viii. The team members are not having proper skills and knowledge to code
the system to meet with quality standards (Paquin, Gauthier, & Morin,
2016).
After identification of project risks, the risk manager is responsible to manage
identified risks to achieve project success and finish work on planned time. Risk
management tools and techniques are used to manage and assess risks before
impacting on project outcomes.
Fishbone diagram: Hillson and Murray-Webster (2017) mentioned that it is a
technique used to identify possible project impacts to identify key project causes. It
will help the project members to visualize impact of risk on project planning.

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Sensitivity analysis: This technique is used to create two models- one
project is without risk occurrence and other is with risk. It will help the members to
view and determine severity of risk situations to determine threat and opportunity of
risk arises.
Risk response technique: Based on threat as well as opportunity of
identified project risks, it is required to provide response for each risks. The project
manager can determine which response should be functional before it is required to
mitigate harm of threats and rewards of opportunities (Zhang, 2016). The possible
risk responses of threats are avoid, transfer, reduce and accept. Risk responses for
opportunities are exploit, accept, enhance and share.
Risk register: Kliem and Ludin (2019) argued that risk register is most useful
and helpful risk management technique to define priorities of identified risks and its
potential impacts. The risk owner can allocate person responsible to handle the risk
based on their skills. The risk register provides the project manager with assessment
of risk as importance to meet objectives. It leads to directly handle and manage
risks.
According to Webb (2017), risk analysis is a process helpful to determine
problems that could weaken key project initiatives. In order to perform risk analysis, it
is firstly needed to identify threats and estimate its likelihood that threats will be
materialized. The risk analysis is categorized in two types of addressing, assessing
and managing construction related risks:
Qualitative risk analysis: The initial phase of this risk analysis is risk
identification. Risk identification is performed through interviewing team members,
brainstorming meetings and personal experiences of risk analyst. Nicholas and
Steyn (2017) concluded that after identifying risk, those risks are categorized as high
and low probability of occurrence and positive and negative impact. According to
Kerzner (2017), the risk manager is required to prepare risk response to mitigate it.
Risk occurrence is focused on size in addition to complexity of construction project
planning. The benefits of qualitative risk analysis is easier presentation of the project
risks along with simple method to assess project risks. There is no need to
determine frequency and timing of project risks.