JJ Motorcycles Project Management

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Table of Contents

Abstract
Introduction
Ideal Project Organisation Style
Balancing Short and Long Term Needs
Resources Needed By Project Manager
Democratic Project Leadership Style
Risk Mitigation Strategies
Conclusion
References

Abstract

New projects are rolled out everyday in various organisations. However, only a few projects are completed successfully. This is due to the fact that most companies fail to plan ahead and are hence unable to cope with the unforeseen challenges.

This paper will focus on the crucial elements that JJ motorcycles should address as the company moves to the production of touring class motorcycles. Among the issues that are likely to fail, this project include leadership style, risk control and lack of resources.

Introduction

Every organisation comes up with new projects due to its strong desire to accomplish its goals. JJ motorcycles has been very successful in the production of low fuel consumption motors. The company has actually identified an untapped opportunity in the market, and that is why the new project has been proposed.

Projects are meant to make a positive contribution towards the achievement of company’s goals. This implies that there would be no need of introducing a new range of motorcycles if there is no benefit to be experienced at the completion of the project.

Planning is very important in project management. JJ motorcycles, in particular, has carried out thorough research to identify the target market for its new range of motorcycles. Since the project at hand entails the addition of a new inventory product in the company’s stock, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive research to understand the needs of the market.

Ideal Project Organisation Style

The most ideal type of project organisation for JJ’s project is strategic planning. This approach suits the plan because it will be completed within the next 5 years and hence it is not a short term goal. In this style of project management, the manager delegated by JJ motorcycles should assess the company’s abilities and weaknesses. It is the best way of successfully planning ahead.

The production of touring class calls for the improvement of the company’s output. This means that more manpower has to be brought on board because the current number of employees cannot cope with the sudden increase of the workload. Moreover, it is recommended for the project to be executed gradually. This approach will give JJ motorcycles ample time to measure the results obtained after the introduction of motorcycles.

Though it is stipulated that engines within the range of 500 cubic centimetres will generate approximately between $50,000 and $100,000, there is a need to validate this speculation. Besides that, it is necessary to empower the current employees on a continuous basis.

New processes might be introduced and may only be assigned to employees who have the relevant skills and experiences (Dennis 2007). It is therefore recommended that the project be implemented as a pilot one. This means that the existing line of production will be maintained.

Balancing Short and Long Term Needs

In every project, there are short and long term needs. Nonetheless, JJ motorcycles must come up with a strategy of creating a balance between these needs. Short term needs may sound irrelevant, but they are very crucial. Though they may be overlooked, they are important because they keep the company afloat.

If short-term goals are not achieved within the specified time, they are very likely to impact negatively on the achievement of long term goals. Moreover, these two needs are dependent on each other. The best approach would be to prioritise these needs. Short-term needs should come first because they probably do not require a lot of input in terms of resources.

Alternatively, the company can assign priorities to these needs based on the availability of relevant resources. This implies that the company should evaluate its strengths in terms of skills and time in determining what should come the first and what should be the last.

At the moment, it is maintaining the current production of motorcycles which engine capacity does not exceed 1100 cubic centimetres. It is important to produce this line of production because it is the one that helped in building the company’s name as a reputable brand.

It will make it easier to introduce the new product into the market, due to the fact that the company already has a market share that needs to be maintained lest it is taken over by JJ’s competitors. On the other hand, long term needs should also be met partially because they hold the key to JJ’s future.

Resources Needed By Project Manager

A manager cannot oversee the execution of a project without resources. The resources vary depending on the project probably based on the tasks that need to be carried out. A budget is therefore very crucial to a project manager.

Budgeting is salient because the project manager must set some money aside to be used in purchasing the needed materials (Harold 2013). In this case, JJ motorcycles must double its current budget because the engines that have more than 1100 cubic centimetres will cost more in terms of the materials that will be used.

Though the budget allocation for this particular project has been computed based on the current cost of resources including labour and materials, it should be exceeded to a certain amount to remain relevant despite any changes in the market.

Commodity prices are subject to change, and there is therefore a risk in having a fixed budget. This outcome may bring the project to a halt because the company’s executives would have to go back to the drawing board for the sake of adjusting the project’s budget.

Even though JJ has already had equipment that is used in the manufacture of its low capacity engines, there is need to acquire additional equipment. From the look of things, the company is interested in increasing its output. For output to go up, the inputs have to be increased.

Besides that, a project cannot be executed without a workforce (Timothy 2011). These are the people who implement the tasks that are contained in the project. In other words, a project entails a series of tasks that the project manager cannot accomplish on his/her own and hence must delegate to other people. Different tasks require different skills, and the company must therefore ensure that there is sufficient labour at its disposal.

It is very important to consider the availability of effective communication channels. This argument is far fetched because the project will be executed by various teams whose activities need to be coordinated. Though the different teams have different mandates, they have a common goal towards the completion of the project.

A lapse in any team may be experienced in the entire project, and that is why, there should be reliable communication channels so that each team can express its concerns. Moreover, the new range of motorcycles will go through the testing phase.

JJ should avail a communication terminal that customers can use to express their experiences with the new model of motorcycles. This information should be used by JJ Company to identify what they can do to improve the performance of these new motorcycles.

Democratic Project Leadership Style

Leadership plays a major role in project management. Since JJ’s project is long term, the best leadership style would be democratic style. In this style of leadership, the project manager cannot make decisions without taking into account views of everyone involved in the project. Decisions made by the project manager will affect all the employees in their various workstations, and that is why they should be consulted.

This implies that everyone is allowed to give their opinion before key decisions are made. The approach is highly recommended for long term projects. This is due to the fact that there is bound to be major flaws when decisions are made without consulting the teams that will be executing the said decisions.

The benefit of this style is that it makes employees in their various teams feel appreciated and hence assume ownership of the project. Such employees do not need to be followed around because they know what is expected from them. Additionally, during brainstorming sessions, the company will get a wide array of ideas due to distinct abilities and experiences that are possessed by the company’s employees.

Risk Mitigation Strategies

Risks are everywhere, and so projects are not an exemption. However, there are three strategies that JJ motorcycles can employ to minimise the occurrence of risks in its activities. The first approach entails carrying demonstrations of finished motorcycles to potential clients. Clients drawn from the company’s clients’ base can be requested to take test rides before the motorcycles are brought into the show room.

That way, the risk of dysfunctional engines will be avoided. At the end of evaluation phase, customers will report any mechanical and technical faults early enough. When risks are not mitigated, a project becomes useless due to wastage of company resources and time.

The first alternative entails teams that are involved in the project to carry out joint inspections of their tasks. Though each team has different roles, it is recommended that they evaluate all their tasks together. The reason behind this argument is that one team may overlook some faults due to the fact that the area affected was handled by another team.

For instance, the team that handled body work must carry joint inspections with the teams that worked on wheels, engine and lights to ensure that all the components function as per the specifications and design of the motorcycles. Besides that, this approach helps in enhancing the team’s harmony because they have to converge at some point.

The last alternative revolves around the testing of deliverables as they are finished. In this approach, a dedicated quality assurance team should be mandated to test each motorcycle that is ready for use. This will help in avoiding the distribution of faulty motorbikes into the market.

Conclusion

Effectiveness in managing a project depends on how well the various activities are coordinated. While the project manager may have all the necessary skills and experience, JJ motorcycles must accord him/her the necessary support in terms of budget, manpower, equipment and time.

In addition to that, needs must be classified into short- and long-term. It is important to create a balance between the two categories. Since projects are prone to risks, mitigation plans must be laid out before the commencement of the project to ensure that their occurrence has been minimised.

References

Dennis, L. (2007).Project Management. Burlington, VT: Gower Publishing Ltd.

Harold, R. K. (2013).Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Timothy, K. (2011).Contemporary Project Management. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

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