Business and Marketing - Project4Technology - Assignment Example

Task There are many sites that specifically deal with issues related to project management consultancies. In order to undertake the initiative to revolutionise Projects4Technology to become a virtual company, there may be need to consult other companies that specialise in this particular area. For instance Project Management Consultancy (PMC) available at: , accessed November 18, 2012 is a good company that can be consulted given that it specialises in offering consultancy work in a variety of projects. The company has a strong record of delivering project solutions to different clients across the globe and it can work alongside the customers to identify the key challenges, then develop and implement effective project management plans that are designed to meet customer expectations. The other important site in dealing with project management is operated by Ants project Management Consultants available at accessed November 18, 2012. According to information obtained from the above mentioned website, the benefits of using this service include the following: “improved efficiency and increased profitability through better utilization of limited resources - enhanced planning, scheduling and cost control - leading to more consistent achievement of milestones, goals and objectives - better horizontal communications.” Ideally, this is what Projects4Technology is looking for. Task 2 Project plan for this assignment This work is anticipated to be completed within ten days and it is scheduled as follows. Task Duration Information gathering O8 November- 11 November 2012 Carrying out consultancy work 12 November-14 November 2012 Compilation of the draft document 15 November – 17 November 2012 Submission of the final draft 18 November This plan is very important since it provides the framework upon which all work will be carried. This kind of work has to go stage by stage so as to ensure that all the necessary information has been incorporated in the project document. Task 3 Potential benefits and challenges for Projects4Technology in adopting a virtual structure Basically, a virtual organisation is a network of independent organisations linked together by information technology (IT) and it does not operate from a fixed place since all work is done through the internet (Haag, Cummings & Dawkins, 2000). Benefits of a virtual organization The organisation will be able to respond to customer needs quickly through the use of the internet. Office rentals will be removed if the company adopts a virtual structure. Currently it has been spending $450 000 for office rentals. Transport costs will also be minimised since people would now be working from their homes. At the moment, transport costs are pegged at $200 000. The company can interact with many customers using the computer interface supported by the internet. The internet is cheaper compared to other forms of communication. Challenges of adopting a virtual organization Some small companies are not yet fully computerised and this can impact on the organization’s business. Some clients rely on face to face communication when carrying out their business and this may mean that they may not be able to conduct their business. This may be expensive since it entails that the workers in the virtual organization will need sophisticated technology to diligently execute their work from their homes. It may be difficult to monitor and control the activities of the workers from different places. The company operates in a centralised market and it may lose customers if it decides to adopt a virtual organisation structure. Besides the challenges that are likely to be encountered if the company adopts a virtual structure, it can be noted that the advantages of this structure outweigh the disadvantages. For instance, the company will save $450 000 each month for office rentals. The company will also save $200 000 of transport costs every month. This improves its viability since it will be in a position to lower its operational costs. The other advantage is that the internet is ubiquitous and it can be accessed from any place which enhances business. Task 4 Proposed structure for Projects4Technology If the company adopts a virtual structure, the above chart shows the ideal organisational structure for Project4Technology. Instead of focusing on three business aspects, the organization should reorganize its operations and focus on the public sector as well as the small to medium enterprises (SMES), since these have potential for growth. It is also envisaged that only five people will work from a centralised administration office with the management consultants and the marketing executives can carry out their work from their homes or at clients’ places. This is meant to minimize the number of people who will need office space. In this case, the Managing director and two managers below him will occupy office space in a central place. The admin staff as well as graduates trainees will also be expected to operate from the office since these give support to the administrators and it can be seen that graduates trainees need to be constantly managed. Task 6 the essence of quality In order to develop a successful and long standing business relationship with clients, it can be seen that the element of quality is very important since it helps the organization to differentiate itself from other competitors. In any business, the aspect of quality should be given priority. Basically, quality of a product or service is based on the judgement by the individual or organisation of a particular product with regards to benefits, value or satisfaction that can be derived from using it (Kotler & Armstrong, 2004). There are certain features of a product that make it different from others. These features need to be attractive so that they appeal to the interests of many people. Thus, in order to obtain a competitive advantage so as to be in a position to outperform other organisations that supply similar products and services in the market, it is important for a company to create a culture that reinforces effectiveness and efficiency in its operations since these concepts are designed to meet quality demands of the customers. An effective company is in a better position to satisfy the needs of the customers in a profitable way. In most cases, people are after values as well as benefits they can get from purchasing a particular product. Whilst there are many companies that can operate in a particular industry, it can be seen that the only difference that can arise among them is related to the aspect of quality. Organizations that maintain quality in the goods and services they offer to their clients are likely to attract a lot of customers compared to those organisations which offer poor quality products. The strategy of quality also helps the organization to create loyalty among the customers since they will be aware of the fact that they can get valuable products from a certain company. Essentially, the aim of each business is to attract as many customers as possible and this can only happen if the element of quality is prioritised by different organizations. Failure to do so may negatively impact on the operations of the company. The aspect of quality can also help to differentiate a company from the other. References Ants project Management Consultants available at accessed November 18, 2012. Haag S., Cummings M & Dawkins, J. (2000). Management information systems for the information age. 2nd Edition. Boston. Irwin McGraw-Hill. Kotler, P. & Armstrong, G. (2004). Principles of Marketing. NJ: Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River. Project Management Consultancy (PMC) Aailable at: . Web. Accessed November 18, 2012. Read More