MAXIMA Case Study: Reflection On Project Management

Question

Task:
1. Consider that the organisation in 2006 has a turnover of EUR 1.85 Billion (as per the case study) and their goal is to reach EUR 4 Billion in 2012.

2. Consider the following Mission/Vision/Values of the organisation:

• Maxima’s” mission We responsibly create value by ensuring the best price, assortment, and customer service.
• Vision Most valued retail company in Lithuania
• Values:    

We work for the customers
•We work in such a way that makes customers want to come back again.·
• We treat our customers fairly.·
•We offer what customers need.

Everyone is important·
• I treat someone the way I want to be treated.·
• I respectfully communicate with colleagues, partners, and clients.·
•I am a responsible member of the community.

A united team·
• We listen to each other.·
• We share knowledge and experience.·
• We respect the work and time of others.

I just do it·
• We are active.·
• We take responsibility.·
• We support initiatives.

(Source: Maxima Lt (n.d.) About us. Maxima Lt. Retrieved from https://www.maxima.lt/en/about-company/about-us)

3. Consider that, for the company to achieve the above, they have 3 different possibilities. So think about what could be 3 new projects that the organisation could do to achieve that. Please explain briefly in your assessment what are these ideas for new projects (assume you’ll have 3 business cases).

4. From the 3 business cases, consider and apply different selection methods that Maxima could used to select one of the 3 projects (follow the Assessment brief requirements for it)

From this process, choose one of these ideas/business cases to be initiated as a project and describe the Initial Process Group according to the PMBOK (follow the Assessment brief requirements of it)

Answer

Introduction
The present MAXIMA case study is focused on examining the new project of MAXIMA that have achieved a turnover of EUR 1.85 billion and are also expecting revenue growth of 20% in the next year. Being a retail operation trader, and presence in four different countries – Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia & Bulgaria, it has achieved competition dominance in Lithuania. However, the objective of this project to identify and examine a new project to ensure that the company reaches to the turnover of EUR 4 billion by the end of next six years (Project Management Institute, 2017)- 2012. The proposed new projects would consider the current strengths of MAXIMA, its objective and vision and its core competency.

Analysis and Discussion (Reflection)
In this module, I have learnt various aspects of project management. Following are the application of my project management skills and knowledge from the module applied in this MAXIMA case study–

• Expand the operations into countries and upgrade the vision of being the most valued retail company in just Lithuania to all the four countries. Expansion into other countries here means that the organisation should get involved in intense competition with other firms in the three different countries in which MAXIMA already has the presence.
• The organisation explored in the present MAXIMA case study has already made its strength and core competency clear in terms of providing customer services. The people of Lithuania have liked the way the organisation employees have performed. Given that the cultural similarity is very high among the four countries, it is hugely probable that the people of other countries will also enjoy the services provided by MAXIMA and would be lured to visit its outlets or stores (Badiru et al., 2019).

• Enter the online platform of services – The notion behind this technique is to acquire and engage as many customers possible. Given the current boom in the internet industry, the availability and access to online sites have increased exponentially. It will further continue to grow and bring in unexpected customers of all age groups who would initially not visit any physical stores or outlets to buy anything (Rose, Spinks & Canhoto, 2014). The comfort which the internet has provided to the large variety of customers within reach of their desktops or mobile phones is really on a high end.
• The online platform might at first look complete opposite to the organisation objective of service providing and it may seem that this platform would kill the very essence of experience the joy of a physical store or outlet. The idea is not to remove the physical stores as they will never go. As per the readings used to prepare this MAXIMA case study, the project is about increasing the customer base, reaching out to those customers who want to sit at home and enjoy the services at the command of their fingertips (Wallis, Wen & Walker, 2014). It is high time that the organisation takes advantage of this opportunity and acquires this new generation of customers.
• Diversification into other services: The organisation has already ventured into the additional services of providing air ticket vouchers. With the brand image that MAXIMA has established over the years in the people’s mind about its loyalty, correctness, dependability and integrity; the time has come to take advantages of these values underlying in the eyes of the customers about this organisation.
• Since there is no additional research & development arm for this organisation, and all the innovations are in-built in the operation phases (Project Management Institute, 2017). The employees itself are the innovation points for this organisation as they come across various ideas and thoughts from the customers as they meet new and old ones every day. The employees can serve as the control feedback as well as the repository of new ideas of services that the organisation can be ventured into. These employees serve as the first point of direct contact with the customers and can quickly help in getting the relevant feedbacks from them.

From the module provided in this MAXIMA case study, I can understand that word of mouth is a substantial factor in the publicity of any organisation and MAXIMA would have strong marketing in this field. The countries are neighbours, and this organisation already has a presence in all the four countries. The only thing needed is to replicate the same operations in the other three countries as it has been done in Lithuania. From the module provided in this MAXIMA case study, I have understood and realise my career path in a better manner (Juricek, 2014). It is noticed that changing the vision of an organisation sends a strong message to the employees and keeps them motivated. This gives a sense that the company is looking towards growth and expansion, which indirectly means the security of the job to the employees and a sense of satisfaction in the field work-challenge. I have gathered knowledge that employee communication is the first and foremost challenge. The connection must be made in such a way that the employees do not think the organisation has not taken the decision properly. They must understand the objective behind this approach is growth and not just competition (June 2017, 2017). I learnt that an unhealthy competition might bring up negatives in them and it must be clear that the organisation is looking towards an area of providing its valuable services to a larger group of people.

Competitors in other countries will try that MAXIMA is unable to penetrate deep into their territory. There might be price-cutting measures by the competitors to make it difficult for MAXIMA to run into profits initially during expansion. There is a broad base of customers who have not turned yet to the physical stores. This group of the population belongs to the children and old age groups who prefer to be at home while the young and matured ones the family go out and perform the daily routine work. When the facility of availing these services are provided to these probable customers, the responses might be very enthusiastic. The organisation might encounter a completely different set of customers coming up with a different set of expectations form the organisation.

I picked up information about how a productive venture is arranged in order to develop this MAXIMA case study. Arranging structures a fundamental piece of an undertaking as through successful arranging, a task can be done and finished inside the predetermined timeframe (Bernie Roseke, 2019). A venture chief needs to distinguish the workforce, spending plan and the assets that will be required to do and finish the undertaking. It is likewise necessary to recognize the exercises that will be attempted to complete the venture. I have picked up information about making the Work Breakdown Structure and a Gantt graph. The work breakdown structure will furnish me with a diagram of the exercises, the evaluated clock required for every action and the total timetable to complete the venture. Cooperation is fundamental in investment as it will help in the quicker culmination of the undertaking.

Bringing the online content and platform needs a new skill set of employees and would need to be hired from the market. It might create a fear among the existing employees that their experience might not be useful to the company anymore, and they might be removed (What is PMBOK in Project Management, 2019). However, it needs to be answered to them that technology is just a facilitator, and the current employees are the soul of this company. The idea of technology is to reach more customers, and the technology side also has a set of customer experience. New feedback to be set up and the existing employees would go through this feedback and come out with possible solutions to satisfy the customers as they do it today.

With fast growth comes to the risk of higher negative feedback. IT has to make sure that whatever content is provided online is strictly monitored.

This idea for the organisation has been taken from the fact that MAXIMA has already ventured into other services and is excelling at it (Framework for Project Management – Project Management, 2019). This is strength of the organisation that it can take up any new service and provide help to its customers with perfection. This potential of the organisation needs to be channelized to fuel its growth objective over the next six years.

It is also discussed in the present MAXIMA case study that in order to improve and upgrade the achievement pace of an undertaking, one must attempt to limit the dangers related to the venture. After I picked up information about the work breakdown structure, I have additionally found out about hazard the board and drafting a risk the executive's profile. Here every one of the dangers is recorded down, and its effect on the undertaking is investigated. Through this, the undertaking administrator and the manager will have the option to see the different dangers and find a way to relieve those dangers (Project Management Competencies How to Define Assess and Plan, 2019). We have additionally embraced demo venture the executive's sessions in our study hall, and this has likewise helped me in increasing gigantic information in regards to the administration of an extend and complete it in a fruitful way. Appropriate administration and authority are the initial phases in effectively completing a venture.

Conclusion
The above analysis of MAXIMA case study concludes that driving and managing the group in an appropriate way will propel them to work more enthusiastically to make this task a triumph. I have discovered that viable correspondence is vital as it helps in giving essential data to the colleagues. While doing demo venture the board sessions in the study hall, I had the option to improve my correspondence and relational abilities. This will help me in future vocation improvement as a venture administrator. The online community has been responsible for path-breaking growth in the life of various companies and brought down many who have not been able to keep up with the growth of technology trend. Nokia is the best example of this. Besides, the timing is perfect for MAXIMA when it is looking for growth, has stable financials and reputed brand image to venture into the online world of providing services to a broad base of potential customers.

References
2017 Project Management Institute, I. (2017). MAXIMA case study O que é Gerenciamento de Projetos? (axelos). (2017). Managing Successful Projects With Prince2 - 2017. Ecology.

Badiru, A., Badiru, A., Badiru, A., Badiru, A., Badiru, A., & Badiru, A. (2019). Principles of Project Management. In Industrial Project Management. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780849387722-2

Bernie Roseke, P. (2019). Project Risk Management According to PMBOK. Retrieved 1 December 2019, from https://www.projectengineer.net/project-risk-management-according-to-the-pmbok/

Framework for Project Management – Project Management. (2019). MAXIMA case study Retrieved 1 December 2019, from https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter-4-framework-for-project-management-project-management/

June 2017. (2017). The ASHA Leader. https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.ppl.22062017.20

Juricek, J. (2014). Agile Project Management Principles. Lecture Notes on Software Engineering. https://doi.org/10.7763/lnse.2014.v2.117

Project Management Competencies How to Define Assess and Plan. (2019). Retrieved 1 December 2019, from https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/project-management-competencies-define-assess-plan-5925

Project Management Institute. (2017). Success Rates Rise 2017 9th Global Project Management Survey. MAXIMA case study PMI’s Pulse of the Profession.

Rose, S., Spinks, N., & Canhoto, A. I. (2014). Management research: Applying the principles. Management Research: Applying the Principles.

Wallis, L. A., Wen, L. S., & Walker, S. N. (2014). Project management. MAXIMA case study In Emergency Department Leadership and Management: Best Principles and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139030557.014

What is PMBOK in Project Management?. (2019). Retrieved 1 December 2019, from https://www.visual-paradigm.com/guide/pmbok/what-is-pmbok/