Project management

Introduction Project management is the activity that involves planning, organization, securing, and management of resources towards those activities with the objective of achieving specific goals (Kerzner, 2001).
This project aims at developing software that will provide the management of Maverick Property with the required information for smooth running of the enterprise. The project is also intended at helping in cost reduction at the company with specific emphasis on data collection, analysis and transmission. The system will centralize the relevant information for ease of access and therefore all managerial decisions will henceforth be backed by statistical data generated from this system. The information will also include structural data like floor plans, amenities, lease deadlines and renewal arrangements, lease and vendor contracts, correspondences for lease arrangements and tenant payment history together with their contacts. The system will therefore automatically detect upcoming vacancies in the apartment block well in advance to facilitate timely reservations and ensure seamless flow of revenue.
Resources
For a successful implementation of this project, there must be in place human, physical and financial resources. With regards to the required human resource, software developers will be hired on a contractual basis. This is because the core business is property management and therefore software developers’ services will only be necessary until the fully implemented after which a technician’s services will be sought for system maintenance purposes. Room must be availed for the installation of the necessary hardware such as server, computers and other relevant accessories. All these will require financial resources for both the development of software, purchase of hardware and training of staff on the new system.
Project deliverables
Milestones will be measured through a proper reporting channel to the project manager from all the involved teams. The project will be divided into individual activities with each activity headed by a team leader. All the component activities will follow a strict time and progress reporting guideline. Software development should take a month during which the installation of the required hardware shall be complete. Since these two activities are independent, they can be undertaken simultaneously. Upon completion of these two significant activities, a test run of the system shall be done to verify the compatibility of the soft and hardware. Success of this activity will provide the green light for training of staff on how to use the new system which should last 14 days. During the training period, the new system will run alongside the existing one before a full crossover to the new system.
A monitoring and evaluation system will be in place to keep track of the progress of each activity. Software development will be evaluated by the generation of test reports while physical and hardware related activities will be verified by the project management team through observation.
Conclusion
The success of a project depends on how well the component activities are managed. Proper management of these activities requires prompt reporting channel to help in the detection of any shortcomings well in advance should they arise (Kerzner, 2001). Project manager therefore, can only succeed by having a proper communication channel with the activity team leaders.
Reference
Kerzner, H. (2001). Project management a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling (7th ed.). New York: John Wiley.