Week 8: Dialogue

Please respond the following assignment in the Dialogue area of Blackboard:

Post a message that explains and discusses how an organization can use successful project management strategies to ensure its project remains on schedule and under budget. What examples of project management (places where there was an intentional and identified plan, resources, and list of tasks to accomplish a specific task) can be found in the Bible?

In addition, explain and discuss the benefits and risks associated with outsourcing. Support your post with at least two peer-reviewed scholarly journal references.

Reply to two students in 300-400 words in APA format with proper citing and use your research to add to or challenge the findings of your peers. Support at least one of your responses with at least one peer-reviewed scholarly journal reference.

Above is our original post that we had to do. Below is a fellow students post that I have to respond to.

Project management strategies define the scope of work and track necessary tasks to fulfill the project goals while tracking it against budget and scheduling constraints. As organizations employ effective project management strategies, their likelihood for higher performance increases. As Sirisomboonsuk et al. (2017) observed in their research, “[A]ll three dimensions of project governance (i.e., portfolio direction, sponsorship along with effectiveness & efficiency, and disclosure & reporting) were positively associated with project performance” (p. 12). There are several examples of project management plans in the Bible including God’s plan for Noah to build the Ark (Genesis 5-10) and the specific directions to Moses regarding the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus 25-30). As God gave the directions, the “project managers” implemented the plan in conjunction with the executing team of workers. There were plans, designs, roles, and deadlines. Project management keeps the efforts moving in the direction needed to accomplish the goal.

Outsourcing carries with it benefits and risks. Different markets carry with them potentially different regulations and laws, which can be quite expensive to navigate and language barriers can be difficult to overcome without great expense and training. Distance from the targeted market may not only increase costs, but elevate the risk of delivery interruptions delayed service. However, there are benefits as well. As Amiti, et al. (2005) point out, “While it was possible for firms to relocate abroad in the past, they had to give up something – their closeness to important markets, for example. With the new technologies, they can retain these links while also obtaining access to cheap, but well-trained labour” (p. 311). Outsourcing can save companies money by employing lower paid workers or by purchasing goods in a less costly market. Additionally, outsourcing offers a company the position of a more global presence, which could bolster their market exposure and broaden their scope. As Baltzan (2017) points out, “Outsourcing MIS enables organizations to keep up with market and technology advances – with less strain on human and financial resources and more assurance that the IT infrastructure will keep pace with evolving business priorities” (p. 345). Whether it be MIS or retail products, the pros and cons of outsourcing should be weighed carefully against a company’s economics and strategy.

References

Amiti, M., Wei, S., Haskel, J., & Auriol, E. (2005). Fear of Service Outsourcing: Is It Justified? Economic Policy,20(42), 307-347.

Baltzan, P. (2017). Business Driven Technology (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Sirisomboonsuk, P., Gu, V. C., Cao, R. Q., & Burns, J. R. (2017). Relationships between project governance and information technology governance and their impact on project performance. International Journal of Project Management, 1-14. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.10.003