PROJECT PLANNING AND EXECUTION

project planning
Project planning is a discipline for stating how to complete a project within a certain
timeframe, usually with defined stages, and with designated resources. One view of
project planning divides the activity into:

 Setting objectives (these should be measurable)

 Identifying deliverables
 Planning the schedule
 Making supporting plans
Supporting plans may include those related to: human resources, communication
methods, and risk management.
Computer hardware and software project planning within an enterprise is often done
using a project planning guide that describes the process that the enterprise feels has
been successful in the past.
Tools popularly used for the scheduling part of a plan include the Gantt chart and
the PERT chart.

What is the difference between line function and staff function?

The departments or employees of a firm that perform the core activities and contribute
to its business directly are called line function example manufacturing and marketing.
on the other hand the departments or employees that perform the support function and
contribute indirectly to the business of a firm are termed as staff function example
Human Resource Management and Finance.
Line and Staff Organization

Line and staff organization is a modification of line organization and it is more

complex than line organization. According to this administrative organization,
specialized and supportive activities are attached to the line of command by
appointing staff supervisors and staff specialists who are attached to the line authority.
The power of command always remains with the line executives and staff supervisors
guide, advice and council the line executives. Personal Secretary to the Managing
Director is a staff official.
                                               MANAGING
DIRECTOR                                                                   

↓ ↓ ↓

Production Manager Marketing Manager Finance Manager

↓ ↓ ↓

Plant Supervisor Market Supervisor Chief Assisstant

↓ ↓ ↓

Foreman Salesman Accountant

Features of Line and Staff Organization

1. There are two types of staff :
a. Staff Assistants- P.A. to Managing Director, Secretary to Marketing Manager.
b. Staff Supervisor- Operation Control Manager, Quality Controller, PRO
2. Line and Staff Organization is a compromise of line organization. It is more complex than line concern.
 3. Division of work and specialization takes place in line and staff organization.
4. The whole organization is divided into different functional areas to which staff specialists are attached.
5. Efficiency can be achieved through the features of specialization.
6. There are two lines of authority which flow at one time in a concern :
a. Line Authority
b. Staff Authority
7. Power of command remains with the line executive and staff serves only as counselors.

Merits of Line and Staff Organization

1. Relief to line of executives- In a line and staff organization, the advice and counseling which is
provided to the line executives divides the work between the two.The line executive can
concentrate on the execution of plans and they get relieved of dividing their attention to many
areas.
2. Expert advice- The line and staff organization facilitates expert advice to the line executive at the
time of need. The planning and investigation which is related to different matters can be done by
the staff specialist and line officers can concentrate on execution of plans.
3. Benefit of Specialization- Line and staff through division of whole concern into two types of
authority divides the enterprise into parts and functional areas. This way every officer or official
can concentrate in its own area.
4. Better co-ordination- Line and staff organization through specialization is able to provide better
decision making and concentration remains in few hands. This feature helps in bringing co-
ordination in work as every official is concentrating in their own area.
5. Benefits of Research and Development- Through the advice of specialized staff, the line
executives, the line executives get time to execute plans by taking productive decisions which are
helpful for a concern. This gives a wide scope to the line executive to bring innovations and go for
research work in those areas. This is possible due to the presence of staff specialists.
6. Training- Due to the presence of staff specialists and their expert advice serves as ground for
training to line officials. Line executives can give due concentration to their decision making. This
in itself is a training ground for them.
7. Balanced decisions- The factor of specialization which is achieved by line staff helps in bringing
co- ordination. This relationship automatically ends up the line official to take better and balanced
decision.
8. Unity of action- Unity of action is a result of unified control. Control and its effectivity take place
when co- ordination is present in the concern. In the line and staff authority all the officials have
got independence to make decisions. This serves as effective control in the whole enterprise.

Demerits of Line and Staff Organization

1. Lack of understanding- In a line and staff organization, there are two authority flowing at one
time. This results in the confusion between the two. As a result, the workers are not able to
understand as to who is their commanding authority. Hence the problem of understanding can be
a hurdle in effective running.
2. Lack of sound advice- The line official get used to the expertise advice of the staff. At times the
staff specialist also provide wrong decisions which the line executive have to consider. This can
affect the efficient running of the enterprise.
3. Line and staff conflicts- Line and staff are two authorities which are flowing at the same time.
The factors of designations, status influence sentiments which are related to their relation, can
pose a distress on the minds of the employees. This leads to minimizing of co- ordination which
hampers a concern’s working.
4. Costly- In line and staff concern, the concerns have to maintain the high remuneration of staff
specialist. This proves to be costly for a concern with limited finance.
5. Assumption of authority- The power of concern is with the line official but the staff dislikes it as
they are the one more in mental work.
 6. Staff steals the show- In a line and staff concern, the higher returns are considered to be a
product of staff advice and counseling. The line officials feel dissatisfied and a feeling of distress
enters a concern. The satisfaction of line officials is very important for effective results.

Describe briefly about value engineering.

Value engineering (VE) is a systematic method to improve the "value" of goods or

products and services by using an examination of function. Value, as defined, is the
ratio of function to cost. Value can therefore be increased by either improving the
function or reducing the cost. It is a primary tenet of value engineering that basic
functions be preserved and not be reduced as a consequence of pursuing value
improvements.[1]

Value engineering is sometimes taught within the project management or industrial

engineering body of knowledge as a technique in which the value of a system’s
outputs is optimized by crafting a mix of performance (function) and costs. In most
cases this practice identifies and removes unnecessary expenditures, thereby
increasing the value for the manufacturer and/or their customers.

VE follows a structured thought process that is based exclusively on "function", i.e.

what something "does" not what it is. For example a screw driver that is being used to
stir a can of paint has a "function" of mixing the contents of a paint can and not the
original connotation of securing a screw into a screw-hole. In value engineering
"functions" are always described in a two word abridgment consisting of an active
verb and measurable noun (what is being done - the verb - and what it is being done to
- the noun) and to do so in the most non-prescriptive way possible. In the screw driver
and can of paint example, the most basic function would be "blend liquid" which is
less prescriptive than "stir paint" which can be seen to limit the action (by stirring) and
to limit the application (only considers paint.) This is the basis of what value
engineering refers to as "function analysis".[3]

Value engineering uses rational logic (a unique "how" - "why" questioning technique)
and the analysis of function to identify relationships that increase value. It is
considered a quantitative method similar to the scientific method, which focuses on
hypothesis-conclusion approaches to test relationships, and operations research, which
uses model building to identify predictive relationships.

Value engineering is also referred to as "value management" or "value methodology"

(VM), and "value analysis" (VA).[4] VE is above all a structured problem solving
process based on function analysis—understanding something with such clarity that it
can be described in two words, the active verb and measurable noun abridgement. For
example, the function of a pencil is to "make marks". This then facilitates considering
what else can make marks. From a spray can, lipstick, a diamond on glass to a stick in
the sand, one can then clearly decide upon which alternative solution is most appropriate.

Value Analysis/Value Engineering

 
Creative tools > Value Analysis/Value Engineering
When to use it | How to use it | Example | How it works | See also
 

When to use it
Use Value Analysis to analyze and understand the detail of specific situations.
Use it to find a focus on key areas for innovation.
Use it in reverse (called Value Engineering) to identify specific solutions to detail problems.
It is particularly suited to physical and mechanical problems, but can also be used in other
areas.
 
      X    Long
Quick
 
 Psychologica
X        
Logical l

 
X          Group
Individual
 

How to use it
Identify and prioritize functions
Identify the item to be analysed and the customers for whom it is produced.
List the basic functions (the things for which the customer is paying). Note that there are
usually very few basic functions.
Identify the secondary functions by asking ‘How is this achieved?’ or ‘What other functions
support the basic functions?’.
Determine the relative importance of each function, preferably by asking a representative
sample of customers (who will always surprise you with what they prefer).
Analyze contributing functions
Find the components of the item being analyzed that are used to provide the key functions.
Again, the question ‘How’ can come in very useful here.
Measure the cost of each component as accurately as possible, including all material and
production costs.
Seek improvements
Eliminate or reduce the cost of components that add little value, especially high-cost
components.
Enhance the value added by components that contribute significantly to functions that are
particularly important to customers.
Example
In analyzing a pen, the following table is used to connect components with the functions to
which they contribute and hence identify areas of focus.
 

How it works
Value Analysis (and its design partner, Value Engineering) is used to increase the value of
products or services to all concerned by considering the function of individual items and the
benefit of this function and balancing this against the costs incurred in delivering it. The
task then becomes to increase the value or decrease the cost.
 
"Importance of Project Planning and Scheduling" 
Project planning is an essential part of project management.
Successful completion of a project is heavily dependent on effective planning. A project plan allows you to complete a project within
a specified timeline and a specified budget.

The project schedule provides an outline structure to the project. In short, a project scheduletells us how much time a project or any
part of it will take.

Features of a Project Schedule

* A list of people who are accountable for the various activities.

* A project breakdown into many manageable packages. This should be based on the deliverables / outputs.
* A baseline against which progress can be measured. Concepts such as "early" or "late" have no meaning in planning.
* The project interdependencies shown in a clear way.
* It should have a pictorial representation of project progress.
* The time constraints, key dates and milestones should be clearly visible.

Listed below are the things a project schedule should tell you.

* The approach which is being taken.
* The time when the review is to be done and the key decisions taken.
* What are the things that the project is expected to deliver
* The person who is accountable for every aspect of the project

Both project planning and project schedule are useful for effective project management. This, in turn, enables the company to
achieve its strategic goals. And that is not the end. Effective project management helps companies to thrive and remain competitive.

A project plan accurately measures the project status and warns you of any problem areas, beforehand. Risk management can then
take over in order to mitigate the risk. Also, without proper planning, projects are likely to overrun. They can also incur additional
costs. In the process, the profits are in jeopardy.
A program which involves related projects requires even greater levels of planning to give a fair idea of the interdependencies. You
can also exercise control over the projects that way.

A portfolio of projects is a mixture of independent and / interdependent projects. They require planning to manage the overall
resources and to ensure effective cash flow.

Thus, we see how proper project planning and project scheduling are responsible for successful execution of a project.
Mind Maps in Planning