- Network diagram with CPA
A critical path is the series of programmed activities that assist in determining the time span of a project. It is usually the longest series of tasks in a project plan that must be fulfilled on time to enable the project to attain its deadline. A delay in the critical path typically contributes to the delay of the whole project. The critical path that the property developer should follow to renovate the house is therefore illustrated through the CPA shown below.
- Benefits of using CPA to plan for house renovation
A critical path is essential in the project since it provides a visual presentation of all the activities of the project. It also presents the duration required to complete tasks and trails the activities to enable the project manager not to fall behind. The property manager will, therefore, enjoy various benefits while using the critical path analysis to plan for the house renovation. The benefits include the reduction of risks and costs of the project, provision of an overview of the project, and the capability to locate the most important tasks. CPA analysis will enable the property manager to identify the most vital task that he/she will closely manage to promote the success of the project. For instance, the manager will have to closely manage plumbing to ensure that plumbing is properly done to avoid future complaints on plumbing. Additionally, the critical path will enable the property manager to mitigate risks and reduce the costs associated with the renovation of the house. It will be the manager to cut all the excess costs associated with the project to ensure that the renovation is done within the proposed budget. Projects typically tend to promote wastage, and this is usually common with large projects. By associating cost and material allocation with each subtask, the critical path technique swiftly informs the project manager on what is making the project to go past the budget or fall behind the schedule. By doing so, it will enable the property manager to manage the wastage of resources, and this will consequently assist in controlling the costs associated with undertaking the project.
Likewise, the CPA will provide the manager with a useful overview of the complex activities of the project. The critical path technique provides the manager with the opportunity of managing large and complex undertakings. It enables the project manager to divide large projects into a sequence of discrete tasks while also capacitating him/her to measure the advancement and locate whether delays are distinguished, or materials are being wasted. Additionally, a critical path directs the property managers to where they might be able to identify additional resources, if necessary, to enable them to get back to the schedule to complete the project within the proposed duration and budget. Hence the property manager will significantly benefit from the critical path technique since it will enable him to oversee how the resources for renovating the house are being used, and this will consequently assist in eliminating wasting of resources.
Besides, the property manager will benefit from the CPA in terms of scheduling the task. The critical path technique habitually makes it unchallenging to plan tasks that are not in a critical way and position resources more efficiently. Moreover, it would inform the property manager on areas that require the deployment of the most effective resources to promote the success of the project. The areas which need effective resources may also include where the manager will spend their time in the course of the project to ensure the smooth progress of the project. CPA will, therefore, enable the property manager to locate the most demanding and effective activity on which he will spend resources and personal time. Consequently, this will promote the smooth progress of the project to make sure that the six weeks deadline is attained within the proposed budget.
Furthermore, the property manager will benefit from the CPA in terms of the efficient distribution of resources. Inefficient allocation is usually one of the challenges faced by the project managers while they are undertaking a project. Nonetheless, CPA typically tends to foster the efficient distribution of resources, which in turn reduces the delays in doing a project. CPA will promote the efficient allocation of all the resources required for the house renovation, and this would considerably enable the manager to complete the improvement of the house within the timeframe of six weeks.
- The reality of using two workers to complete the project given the deadline is six weeks
The idea of using only two workers to complete the project given the timeline of six weeks is not entirely realistic. The project will require a vast workforce to complete it. By only assigning two workers to complete the project would mean that the team would stretch their effort to complete the task. Also, being that the team only works for five days, that is from Monday to Friday, it will not be realistic to complete the project within the stipulated deadline. The team will have to work tirelessly to try to accomplish the task within the six weeks’ timeframe. However, it is not very realistic, and it will require the property manager to provide a backup by adding some members to the team to promote the smooth progress of the project so that it can be completed with the proposed timeframe and budget.
Part 2
- Risks relevant to the house renovation project
Risk management on a project is the mechanism of locating, evaluating, and reacting to any danger that emerges over the project life cycle to enable it to remain on course and attain its goals. The risk management process should be part of the planning process to allow the project manager to determine earlier the possible risks that might hinder the success of the project. The relevant risks to the house renovation process include schedule risks, performance uncertainty, cost risks, legal risks along with operational risks. Cost risk is the danger that the project costs more than budgeted. It may result in performance uncertainty, mainly when the cost overrun contributes to the decline in the range or quality to strive to stay within the baseline budget. The property manager can control cost risk by using proper scheduling tools and charts. Efficient scheduling is compulsory in the complex project, thus using proper scheduling tools and charts like a simple Gantt chart will consequently assist in controlling the cost risks to foster the success of the house renovation.
Similarly, schedule risk is the danger that the project takes longer than scheduled. The risks may also contribute to costs uncertainty as longer projects always cost more. Schedule risks may prolong the completion dates of the project, and this might even make the project to cost more than initially budgeted. Scheduling risks can be controlled using the PERT chart that offers a graphical representation of the timeline of a project. It assists in scheduling, organizing, and coordinating tasks within a project. Performance risk, on the other hand, is the uncertainty that the project will fail to produce results that are consistent with the specifications of the project. Performance risks can be controlled by executing control strategies, which include the methods of directing the daily tasks of the team along with measures for taking action to control issues that could affect the overall performance within a project. Likewise, performance risks can be controlled by using both Gantt and PERT charts. The operation risks are the uncertainty that includes defective implementation and process problems like distribution, production, and procurement. Besides, legal risks typically arise from legal and regulatory duties encompassing contract risks together with the lawsuit brought against the organization or project manager. The legal risks can be managed by negotiating the terms of a contract before it is signed than afterward. The operational risks can be controlled by working with peers and looking for a gap in the procedures of undertaking a task.
How to identify the risk score for the relevant risks to the house renovation project
The risk score is a calculated number that reflects the seriousness of risks due to some factors. It is usually determined by multiplying probability and the effect of risk through factors. In the qualitative risk evaluation, risk scores are typically calculated by using factors based on the scales in probability and impact. Risk probability scales characterize the possibility that a specific event may even occur during a project. Project risk scores habitually assist in locating the projects which could have the greatest impact on the capability of the project manager to successfully execute the project within the stipulated timeline. Moreover, it is based on qualitative or quantitative project risk evaluation.
The risk score for cost risks would be derived from the probability and impact values assigned to the cost risk. The cost impact threshold would be evaluated to assist in deriving the risk score. Based on the probability impact, the risk score for the cost risk would be categorized into various levels, which include but are not limited to very high, high, medium, low along with very low. The evidence that could be accessed to support the calculation of impact and probability when identifying cost risk score entails the inflation in the prices of materials and goods, fluctuations and cash flow stability, drawings, and specifications along with the completeness of project scope definition. Accessing the evidence would significantly assist in calculating the impact and probability of risks, and this will, in turn, assist in identifying the risk score of cost risk associated with the renovation of the house.
Additionally, resource distribution would be accessed as evidence to calculate the impact and probability of performance risk to determine its risk score. Proper resource distribution is habitually effective in fostering the performance of the project since it ensures that every task is done without any delays, and this would consequently assist in fostering the success of the project. Nonetheless, improper resource distribution typically causes delays in the project and this, under most circumstance, contribute to performance risks. Thus, accessing the evidence on resource distribution will greatly assist in calculating the impact and probability of performance risk to determine its risk score. The evidence will significantly assist in categorizing the risk as high, medium, or low-performance risk.
Likewise, the evidence that would be accessed for calculating the impact and probability of the operation risk to identify its risk score encompass production, procurement, and distribution of resources. Accessing the procurement process of resources required to renovate the house will consequently assist in calculating the impact and probability of operational risk. Hence the evidence would greatly assist in identifying the risk score of operation risk to categorize it as very high, high, medium, or low risk. Also, project float would be accessed as evidence for calculating the impact and probability of scheduling risks to identify its risk score. Project float is typically the amount of time by which a given activity within a project can be hampered before it impacts the deadline for a project. Evidence on project float would, therefore, significantly assist in calculating the risk score of scheduling uncertainty, and this will impulsively assist in categorizing the risk as to the risk as very high, high, medium, or low scheduling risks. Besides, project contracts and other statutory compliances would be accessed to assist in calculating the impact and probability of legal risks to identify its risk score.
The opportunities available and how the strategies would be categorized
The available opportunities for mitigating the risks associated with the renovation of the house include getting the right team, spreading the risk assessing feasibility along with testing everything. Spreading the risk across all the projects will assist it in lowering the risk, and this will, in turn, assist in mitigating the very high risks which are associated with the project. Similarly, getting the right team to undertake the project will consequently assist in lowering performance and operation risks, and this would significantly assist in fostering the success of the project within the timeframe of six weeks. Furthermore, clarifying the requirements of house renovation will assist in mitigating the risks associated with the project to foster its success within the stipulated timeframe.
The available strategies for mitigating the risks would be categorized into various classes, which include avoidance, control, acceptance, and transference. Avoidance typically involves avoiding the occurrence of risk to foster the success of the project. Acceptance, on the other hand, involve accepting the risk and designing appropriate measure for reducing its consequences. Similarly, reduction encompasses lowering the probability of the occurrence or the severity of the various risks associated with the project. Reduction of risks involves spreading the risks across all the tasks involved in undertaking a project. Besides, transference involves shifting the burden of the consequences of project uncertainty to another party.
Part 3
Why Kevin might lack motivation
Kelvin might lack motivation because of various reasons, which include but are not limited to unpleasant coworkers, poor communication, boredom, lack of progress, unrealistic workload, as well as conflict. Unpleasant coworkers might have made Kelvin to be demoralized since he might have developed the feeling that it was difficult to work with his coworkers to undertake the project of building the house. Unpleasant coworkers habitually derail the level of a relationship amidst the workers, and this, under most circumstances, contributes to employee demoralization. Thus, Kelvin might have had a poor relationship with his coworkers, and this is what could have demoralized him while working with the team to accomplish the project. Additionally, Kelvin might have been demoralized because of the poor communication between him and his coworkers. Lack of proper communication habitually affects the relationship between the workers, and it affects their capacity to fully exploit their ability to assist in accomplishing their assigned task. Poor communication between Kelvin and his coworkers might have hindered them from exchanging information and ideas regarding the project, and this might have made him get demotivated.
Also, Kelvin might have been demotivated because of the unrealistic workload. It is usually important for the property managers to keep checks on the expectations and the demands that are being placed upon the workers. Keeping checks on the workload of every employee would assist in preventing the employees from being demotivated, especially those who feel a large impossible workload has overburdened them. It is most likely that Kelvin got demotivated because of the huge unrealistic workload assigned to him by the property manager, and this might have made him develop the feeling of being overburdened by the impossible workload. To boot, Kelvin might have been demotivated because of conflict between him and the coworkers. Conflict in the workplace is hugely destructive since it hinders the capacity of the employees to offer their best to the company. Conflict might have hindered the capacity of Kelvin to fully offer his services to promote the success of the project, and this might have consequently contributed to his demotivation.
Motivational theories
The motivational theories that explain Kelvin’s demotivation include but are not limited to expectancy theory, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and the Two-Factor theory. The Two-Factor motivation theory acknowledges that two factors influence motivation and contentment of the employees, and the factors include the motivator factors and hygiene factors. Motivation factors are typically the factors that lead to contentment and motivate the employees to work harder. The factors may include enjoying work, feeling recognized as well as career progression. In Kelvin’s case, it is most likely that he lacked motivator factors responsible for motivating him to work harder towards the accomplishment of the project, and this might have made him demotivated. Lack of hygiene factors like poor communication and conflict also demotivate workers. For example, a lack of hygiene factors like the poor relationship between the coworkers and salary might have made Kelvin to be demotivated.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs also explains Kelvin’s demotivation. The theory stipulates that most basic needs of individuals must be attained before they become motivated, and the needs entail physiological, self-actualization, safety, esteem, and belonging. It is most likely that Kelvin’s basic need for belonging and esteem was not meet, thus making him be demotivated while undertaking the project. The theory also requires the managers to support their teams in other aspects of their lives outside work to motivate them so that they could offer their best to promote the success of the project. Nonetheless, there is a possibility that the property manager did support Kelvin in other aspects of his life, and this consequently demotivated him from participating in the project. Besides, the expectancy theory of motivation states that persons will choose how to conduct themselves based on the outcomes they anticipate as a result of their conduct. For instance, the workers might opt to work overtime to obtain a pay rise. The expectancy theory is base on three components that encompass expectancy, instrumentality along with valence. The theory explains Kelvin’s demotivation since it suggested that the worker became demotivated because his expectations were not met. For example, he might have set his expectation to receive the reward due to his services, and failure to meet his expectation might have demoralized him.
Conclusion on how Kelvin can be motivated
Kelvin can be motivated through various ways which among them include offering flexible scheduling, offering employee rewards, recognizing his achievement along with sharing positive feedback. Recognizing his achievement will make him feel his effort is appreciated, and this will consequently motivate him. Likewise, offering flexible scheduling will assist in relieving him from a heavy workload, and this will consequently motivate him. Besides, rewarding him for his services will motivate him.