My thoughts on organization strategy is that it is the planning that is necessary to mold and change your business so that it will meet their goals, tasks, functions, and finally the outcomes you want from it. It takes a steady hand to make the choices needed to guide the company into a good direction. With the organization strategy, growth is the one word that sticks out in my mind. Every company want to grow and expand its operations to make more revenue to keep going. To be number one is the easy part if you apply the right tactics but, staying number one is the hardest part of the achievement. Then there is the downside of strategy to keep everything going. You may hit a rough time within the company and may result in cutbacks and drastic changes to certain departments in the company. The biggest part of the organization strategy in my opinion is to make it known what your goals are for the company. This starts to lay the path for the organization design that is desired.

The biggest elements of the organization strategy that are easily influenced by the strategy could include:

Initiation ('kick-off' or start)- The company may want to have a slow start of and have careful planning when it comes to starting. Some go head in first with a project. Some start off slow. It is all dependent on the goals and strategy.

Planning and development- The main focus should be on ensuring that time, cost and resources are sensibly managed and available, and committed to the project. The company may take a different approach to the use of its resources. Some may be willing to sacrifice a lot to get a project rolling. Some may have resources that are scarce.

Production and implementation (sometimes known as execution)- It may be the goal to get the production started as quickly as possible to provide deliverables. Again, it could take a short or long amount of time.

Monitoring and controlling- To me this is the part that seems the most important. I feel that a company that effective monitors and controls the project effectively and efficiently can get the project completed in the goal time. Throughout the production and implementation stage the ongoing progress of the project must be monitored. Progress must be controlled and any issues which arise as a result of the day-to-day work must be dealt with.

Closing- Closing is the last phase of any project and is when the work done is formally accepted and the project is dissolved. Closure does not necessarily mean success, but simply the final point of the project - when failed projects are cancelled, for instance, they should also be closed. Either a success or failure, the strategy is very influential on this step. Either the company can keep working on a project to ensure success or the company can come to terms with a fail project and dissolve it to move to the next project.

Reference:

https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/basic-elements-project-management

Kerzner, H. (2001). Project Management?: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling: Vol. 7th ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [US].

Knutson, J., & Bitz, I. (1991). Project Management?: How to Plan and Manage Successful Projects. AMACOM.

Topic 1 DQ 2

I reviewed the Microsoft project 2010 and the PMI website. I am a fan of the Microsoft office products and have experience but not so much with project manager. I am not be as skilled as others may, from what I have used it for it allowed myself and the other people of projects to share our date with each other. The program itself has a lot of handy templates to use in order to get started if you are a weak person when it comes to creating something out of nothing. If you have the available resources to use, why not use them? Microsoft project 2010 for project managers makes project management easy and engaging for Project Managers by enabling them to analyze resources, budgets and timelines. Also, Project managers can easily measure progress and anticipate resource needs with detailed and easily customization out-of-the box reports.

The PMI website seems to be a very resourceful tool when it comes to project management. First, I like the fact that it has many resources including ones to help you get your certifications in whatever you need. I do not have a lot of experience when it comes to project management but, I do wonder if I would be able to get some sort of certification after this course. To get your CAPM you only need 23 hours of project management education. Along with that, there are tons of resources in order to get the best training available.

If I were to use the programs, I would continue my used with the Microsoft version of the product since I like to think that I can use it much easier. I like the use of the program to keep track of everything in an electronic form. I am one of the people who despise the use of paperwork. It is a waste of space. If it is electronic it is easily editable. I don’t foresee many challenges when using that program but, I do see problems with the PMI website. I have never heard of it before and not too sure what it means to be a means to be a member. After some research into the program it may become useful.

Scoro. (2019). Best Project Management Software. Retrieved June 9, 2020 from https://www.scoro.com/blog/best-project-management-software-list/