Using Earned Value to Determine Status
Jennifer turned in her status report for the newly approved mailing activities. She feels that her pieces are on track with nothing for you to worry about. She reports the following information for the critical path tasks:
You review her status report and determine that Jennifer does not have a solid grasp of her status. Ben was unable to provide you with anything more than, “Things are moving along just fine.”
Using earned value measurements along with the other information and metrics available, determine the true status of Jennifer’s portion of the project.
* Prepare an updated status report (1 page) for Jennifer and share the measurements and your rationale in your determination of the status for the project.
* Create a 2-3 slide presentation explaining the benefits of using EVM.
* Be sure to document some instructions (1-page document) for Jennifer and Ben for determining the project status for their next project update to you.
Also, provide materials that would be used to train Jennifer and Ben on the benefits and application of earned value.
The materials should include some guidelines for Jennifer and Ben to help them create and then interpret the metrics.
The successful research of Project Cost and Time Management can be a hectic experience but found it important to document your findings. The lengthy process was an eye-opener for me, and I see it was the same for others. The skills simulate real-life occurrences that the students will face once they hold leadership positions where they will be tasked with making critical decisions (Mutch, 2013).
At one point or another, we find ourselves in difficult situations where we do not have the luxury of time. Time management skills come in handy whenever we are faced with such problems within the business operations. Split-second decisions are the difference between successful and unsuccessful managers. Time management is one vital lesson that I learned during my research.
Proper time management entails early class attendance as well as prompt delivery of assignments and other projects. This is an attribute I have possessed since my early days. However, the importance of this trait has been realized when conducting my research work (Mutch, 2013). This will be reciprocated in higher levels of management when I will be faced with organizational decisions. Time management will be of the essence of putting my priorities upright.
Success from all aspects can only be accomplished when the goals and objectives are in writing. When there is poor planning you can believe the project will not be a success.Effective planning enables one to prioritize important tasks over the lesser ones. High priority tasks may require expertise and hence should be completed first. All lessons learned during the project will enable me to make informed decisions in higher positions of management.
Reference:
Mutch, Carol. Doing educational research. Nzcer Press, 2013.
