Construction projects are complex in nature irrespective of the size of the project. It requires proactive approach of the project manager. They have to gain deeper understanding and they have to give attention to all the details. Project management methodologies provide direction and help in designing the layout of the entire process (Mara and Jorgenson, 2015). It includes scheduling, procurement, construction and post construction activities. Methodologies increase the probability of the success of the project and it considers the timescale and budget constraint associated with it. There are numerous methodologies which can be adopted by the manager such as Agile, scrum, PMBOK, waterfall, PRINCE 2 etc.
The objective of the paper is to understand the importance of methodologies in construction project. In the given case study Waterfall methodology has been applied for the construction of Quota Shared Pathway in Mackay, Queensland, Australia. Apart from this, implementation plan, description of Waterfall methodology and justification of the method has been included in the paper.
Waterfall methodology of project management is also known as traditional project management. It uses a systematic approach to clearly define milestones for all the activities involved in the project. It contains schedules, timescales, due dates, expectations of clients and deliverables (Kerzner, 2013). Waterfall method promotes sequential process which highlights all the subsequent tasks associated with the project. It is very useful for the project manager because it makes it easier for him to understand the workflow. It uses a downhill approach which gradually moves towards completion. The main advantage of waterfall methodology is that it ensures high quality deliverables and development in each stage (Martinelli and Milosevic, 2016). The next stage is introduced only if the prior stage is completed. The team members can focus on each aspect which reduces the issues arising at the time of integration or systems or activities. The Quota Park Pathway in Mackay has different activities which have to be integrated together for the successful completion of the project. Waterfall methodologies will allow them to reduce compatibility issues and better communication can be established between the team members (Shields and Rangarajan, 2013).
The construction of Quota Park Pathway in Mackay (Queensland) involves various activities which have to be completed in given time schedule. It involves footpath and bikeways construction. The main activities of the construction project are establishment of site, environmental management, drainage system, provision for traffic, protective treatment, earthworks, road furniture, landscape and revegetation works (Sears, Rounds and Segner, 2015). Apart from this, there are also some miscellaneous MRC works such as saw cutting, documentation and documentations which has to be considered by the project manager. The objective of the project is to construct a pathway which links all the facilities available in the park. The tender was approved from the Government. Apart from this, the pathway construction will enhance the experience of the visitors and there will be separate footpath and bike ways (Verzuh, 2015). The pathways will also connect all the facilities, offices and recreation centers with each other. The project managers have to ensure that all the work is completed in the stipulated time and budget. Furthermore, they have to ensure the quality of materials used and facilities designed in the park. The success of the project is highly dependent on it.
Waterfall methodology of project management is a widely used method in construction projects. The sequences and subsequent tasks are defined in the initial stages. It works as a linear process and it has been adopted by many industries such as media, construction, engineering etc (Glaiel, Moulton and Madnick, 2014). It can be customized by the project managers according to their needs and requirements. All the projects are unique in nature and they have different complexities involved. The Quota Park Pathway project requires different materials, facilities and planning. The project manager can easily create a variation of waterfall methodology which fits to the project. Team members can return to the previous stage if they find any flaws in the next stage of the process. It gives them an opportunity to remove defects before it affects the success of the project. (Shastri, Hoda and Amor, 2016) The employees are given enough time in each stage of waterfall method which gives them insights of the entire process and subsequent tasks. Furthermore, it reduces the chances of flaws and bugs. Waterfall method can reduce the cost of Quota Park Pathway construction because it will be easier to fix all the defects. Moreover, problem and issues arising in a particular task can be solved in less time. As a result, the time schedules and timescales are not affected or extended. Project managers have to complete the project in the given timescale and this method can be useful for them. Similarly, waterfall method ensures high quality in all the activities associated with the project (Rahmanian, 2014).
The different phases of waterfall method include identifying the requirements of the product, analysis, designing, implementation, verification, monitoring and maintenance. In the construction of pathway 20% of the time should be allocated or scheduled to the first two stages of the waterfall method (Mergel, 2016). It will reduce the chances of flaws and the quality of the construction project will be assured. Waterfall method also emphasize on documentation and sources code. Documentation of all the processes makes it easier for the manager as well as team members to quickly familiarize themselves with all the activities. They milestones of the project allow them to continue the work or make changes in it. The description of waterfall methodology for the construction of Quota Park Pathway is given below:
Requirements of the product: The first stage of the waterfall methodology is requirements analysis and investigation. The needs of the project such as materials, labor, equipments and timescale are decided at his stage (Cooper, 2016). The construction project of Quota Park Pathway has some requirements which have to be fulfilled in this stage. It consists of establishment of site, environmental management, drainage, provision for traffic, protective treatment, earthworks, road furniture, landscape and revegetation works. All these activities have to be considered and the opinion of stakeholders should be taken before moving on to the next stage. The plan created has to be approved by stakeholders, sponsors and project manager (Chari and Agrawal, 2017).
Analysis: In the analysis stage, the project manager and sponsor finds put all the alternatives for the completion of the project. They have to select the best option which ensures high quality as well as time and budget constraints. They can gather opinions and views from the team members for this purpose (Vijayasarathy and Butler, 2016). The Quota Park Pathway construction should include business rules, policies, model and schema. It will act as a guide for the project manager. The requirement and analysis stage of the pathway construction requires more time due to the complexities involves in the project.
Designing: The designing stage consists of documentation of the options selected in the first two stages of the process. The plans have to be developed and shared with stakeholders and experts. All the tools and activities are documented and presented which are required for the successful completion of the construction project. It includes technical specifications, technology, layout, processes and procedures to be adopted, testing methods and various methods to measure the success (Rover, Ullerich and Whipple, 2014). The project managers have to ensure that the Quota Park Pathway construction is according to the methodology of the waterfall model. Team members and senior management can use it to understand the progress of the project and provide suggestions to the employees.
Implementation: After the designing stage, the team members have to execute the plan according to it. They have to consider the time schedules and resources allocation for all the activities. They have to follow the processes, procedures, standards and specifications mentioned in the initial stages of the waterfall methodology (Mara and Jorgenson, 2015). Quota Park Pathway construction should be initiated considering all the factors and the subsequent tasks should be followed in the correct order. It will reduce ambiguity and the quality of the project will be assured. Furthermore, the project manager of pathway construction can use additional sequential process for complex sections of the project such as landscape and revegetation works (Shields and Rangarajan, 2013).
Verification: The verification stage involves testing and systematic detection of flaws or defects. All the activities are tested so as to ensure the quality of the work. Verification stage is essential in waterfall methodology because many construction and engineering projects fail due to lack of testing time for the employees (Glaiel, Moulton and Madnick, 2014). Project managers fail to provide sufficient time for verification which affects the performance of the entire project. Quota Park Pathway construction project has to be checked to ensure that all the requirements of the stakeholders has been fulfilled in the project. If there is any deficiency it has to be removed by the workers before it causes any problems.
Monitoring and maintenance: Waterfall model ensures proper monitoring and maintenance. It has been included in the model so that the project managers can improve and develop themselves. This stage includes installation, support, migration and maintenance of the entire project. All the stages of the model have to be implemented by the project manager in the construction of Quota Park Pathway. The team members have to become support system so as to avoid any issues (Verzuh, 2015). They have to provide assistance to different workers so that updation and upgrading of various tasks can be done. All these activities are covered in the maintenance and monitoring stage of the construction project.
Waterfall methodology is the most appropriate method which can be used in the construction of Quota Park Pathway in Queensland. The project manager can easily manage their work as well as team members with the help of waterfall method. It provides direction to the entire process (Chari and Agrawal, 2017). Furthermore, it ensured high quality which takes into consideration all the aspects of the project. The Quota Park Pathway has many deliverables at each phase and it requires proper planning to complete each task in the required time and budget. Resourcing and scheduling of activates can be much easier with documentation and sequential activities defined in the initial stages. Apart from this, the senior management can track the progress and they can get updates of the construction project. Waterfall method allows the managers to communicate all the details and tasks related to the project (Vijayasarathy and Butler, 2016). It provides direction to the team members and employees. They can understand their roles and responsibilities in the tasks. The biggest advantage of waterfall method is flexibility. Project managers can create their own variation and decide the number of activities if the project. They can even add additional steps in any complex process in the project. It is an effective method which focuses on documentation of each activity. It not only reduces ambiguity but it also allows new team members to continue from where other left. The project can be completed in the desired time and budget (Rover, Ullerich and Whipple, 2014). Construction and engineering projects face many difficulties due to overlap of phases. But waterfall method uses downward process in which the next stage is started only if the previous stage is completed. This eliminates the problem of overlapping.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that project management can become much easier with the help of methodologies such as waterfall. It provides direction to the entire project which provides sequence of action. The construction project of Quota Park Pathway in Queensland has many complexities and different activities which have to be completed in limited time and resources. The project manager can adopt Waterfall method which will aid in the decision making. The six stages of the method will help him to accomplish the objectives and deliverables of the Quota Park Pathway. It includes requirements of the product, analysis, designing, implementation, verification, monitoring and maintenance. Hence, Quota Park Pathway construction should use waterfall or traditional methodology of project management.
References
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