MPM7001 Project Management Theory and Practice
MPM7001 Project Management Theory and Practice
Introduction
“Project Management” is defined as different factors like working process, abilities and skills to execute a project efficiently while achieving the required goal. It enhances the quality of the project by maintaining the timeframe budget and allocations and mitigating the drawbacks to improve the project’s longevity. Through appropriate communication with employees and other parties as well, project management maintains the continuity of ongoing projects. During a project, it is obvious that many obstacles and risks are generated at any point in time and through structured project management the risk management process becomes easier. Here in this assessment, a project has been chosen to understand the appropriate project management, the name of the project is “Crossrail project of London”. A complete discussion on successful and failure factors of this project and recommendations considering the flaws is being discussed here. Different aspects of project management are being learned from this discussion on the “Crossrail Project” which is elaborately mentioned in this study.
Background
The “Crossrail project” is one of the biggest and largest construction projects in London. It is a railway construction project run by Canary Wharf contractors (CWC) and it is expanded from the West mainline to the east mainline of London. This is a connecting line from Reading and Heathrow to Shenfield and Abbey Wood which is an almost 73-mile-long railway (London.gov.uk, 2020). The new “Crossrail project” is currently Named “Elizabeth Line”, in remembrance of Queen Elizabeth, and consists of 41 stations out of which 10 stations are new in Central London. One of the most attractive factors for this project is that almost 26 miles of railway are constructed by drilling the streets of London (London.gov.uk, 2020). To drill the lanes 8 huge tunnelling equipment has been in action for digging the rail tunnels of diameter of almost 6.2m. The total value of this project is near about 18.9 billion pounds for finishing the project within the exact time (London.gov.uk, 2020). To operate this project and to monitor it, huge offices, retails and spaces for workers were built with all facilities in around 12 sites of the project.
As per the current data, this project created 14,000 jobs in the construction field and about 75 thousand people were directly associated with this project (London.gov.uk, 2020). 1000 people were employed to monitor the construction, business operations and maintenance of the project throughout the time. For this railway line, the traveling time is reduced to a great extent. Now only 45 minutes are required to reach Central London from east and west London by Crossrail. The most beneficial factor of the rail track is to reach Liverpool to Paddington within 10 minutes of the train journey (Theguardian, 2022). The completion time of this project was announced by the higher authority was June 2022 but the project stopped midway because of the COVID-19 pandemic (Reuters, 2022). Therefore, for further expansion of the project, it was decided to be finished by the Autumn of 2022 and lastly, phase 3 was completed in May 2023. The rail track of this project started on 24th May 2022 and routes of Paddington and Abbey Wood were accessible for passengers. As per the report, more than a million people availed of “Elizabeth Line” in the first five days after the inauguration (Theguardian, 2022). The authority assured that almost 200 million will avail of this crossline track over the years.
The project authority claimed that this crossline track enhances the economy by 42 billion pounds and the business operations of the UK will be boosted because of this project from many aspects. “Crossrail project of London” got many investments and contracts and among them, 96% of the contracts were dealt with by companies in the UK (Networkrail.co.uk, 2022). On the other side, 62% of the suppliers and vendors were not from London, mainly from outside of London. “Transport for London” (TFL), “Greater London Authority” and “London Business” invested funds in this project for successful execution. This successful project was delivered by TFL and NETWORK RAIL of London (Networkrail.co.uk, 2022).
Positive Aspects
“Crossrail Project of London” Is one of the most famous and largest projects in the United Kingdom. The project has used new technologies and upgraded project management theories to successfully run the project. The mission of this project was to smoothen the journey from one corner to another corner of London (London.gov.uk, 2020). It maximises the passenger capacity while minimising the time of traveling. Many important and highly impactful companies from the UK and outside of the country invested in this project to improve transport between the cities. Well-known “BIM Model” and “3D computer-aided design” (CAD) were used in this project for an upgraded construction model and long-lasting use of this railway track (London.gov.uk, 2020). Well-structured project management has been used for timely finishing, budget controlling, the authenticity of quality and lastly risk management by involving the stakeholders.
The “Agile Model of Project Management” was the ultimate model in action for enhancing the quality of service for this project. This model of project management focuses on identifying the project by designing appropriate risk management tools for further move of the project (Marnada et al. 2022). After analysing and scrutinising all the details of the project then the operation was executed in real-time. The same thing applied to the “Crossrail Project of London”. The governing body of the project hired an expert team to execute the “Agile Model of Project Management” for a successful operation of the project and a trained team was in action all the time to observe the project thoroughly (Marnada et al. 2022). The project adapted new tricks and techniques in the middle way of occurrence for a better outcome as per the requirement. During the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the project stopped for a while for obvious reasons. In the next phase of the construction, the authority adopted a new working methodology to deal with any sort of monetary loss.
“Crossrail project of London” has many positive aspects considering the quality as well as the profitability of this project. It improves the whole scenario of the transportation of London City. By reducing the time of traveling from one city to another the project improves the experience of public transport for the civilians of London. It enhances the interconnection between two cities and is easily accessible for each passenger with a minimum token amount of transportation (Sweet, 2019). Every Year approximately 200 million people will get the advantage of this project and it increases the capacity of railway journeys by about 10% in London. This project enhances the economy of the UK by generating jobs for many people from the city and from outside (Muruganandan et al. 2022). Many other business organisations were also involved with this project from the beginning.
The tier 1 suppliers of the project were 62% of small and medium enterprises and in tier 2, 72% were small and medium enterprises involved with this business. “Crossrail project” affects the business and investment scenario of the UK during inflation by engaging SMEs. Another important aspect is that the higher authority handed over the contracts of different sectors to maximum companies from the UK (Whyte et al. 2022). That elevates the business flow and uplifts the economy to a certain level. The project enhances the development of surrounding areas of the railway track since the transportation is convenient, and the value of buildings and properties increased (Williams, 2022). Investors are trying to grow their businesses in nearby areas of the “Elizabeth line” to get the benefits.
A well-planned railway track improves the quality of public transport and smooth transportation embraces the connectivity of the city from every aspect. Since the travel time is reduced, people try to travel by train rather than car for city visit. That factor affects the road traffic during the busy time of day (Reuters, 2022). The project is completely sustainable considering the climate change and environmental issues. In this project, maximum raw materials were used in such a way that these could be reused and recycled in the future (Networkrail.co.uk, 2022). 83% of the construction materials are not hampering the air quality and limiting environmental pollution. To reduce the energy consumption of the project, the usage of LED lights was prioritised by minimising the usage of electricity. The “Crossrail Project of London” imposed “Civil Engineering Environmental Quality” (CEEQUAL) and “Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology” (BREEAM) to observe the sustainability factor of the project and modify the project management as per the requirements. Implementation of new technologies in this project improves the quality of the railway track by mitigating the risks and flaws.
The project is quite profitable and also it contributes to further revenue generation from the successful execution of this particular operation. Strategic planning played a crucial role in the “Crossrail project” while managing the finances effectively. Collaboration with stakeholders and utilisation of the appropriate strategic planning make the project successful on such a large scale. Maintenance of safety regulations and taking care of the workers were considered to be the most significant positive aspects of the “Crossrail Project of London”.
Negative aspects
Crossrail is still generally considered to be a successful construction project. It has advanced quickly with few delays, partly because of the limited scope of adjustment. It has greatly aided that sponsor and CRL, the distribution authorities, are independent and autonomous. An upsurge in the costs of the project became a consequence of what a particular official referred to as “cost pressures.” Shortly after, rumours began to circulate that Crossrail encountered difficulties integrating the intricate signalling systems which are necessary for its execution, as well as construction delays (Winch and Cha, 2020). Although Crossrail possessed a theoretical framework architecture necessary to complete the project, little was known about the amount of work needed to connect the system as entirety, making an accurate estimate of the project’s duration and cost impossible to come by. The grab poles’ black and silver colour scheme ensures highly challenging situations for individuals with vision problems to recognise, which is another drawback (Landis, 2022). Despite frequent requests for TfA members to employ more vibrant colours via TfL lawmakers, this decision has been adopted. This represents a significant regression due to which there is a greater chance of stakeholder miscommunication. Inefficiency in decision-making by denying the viewpoint of all the associates of project reflects one-way thinking of core project committee that is quite disruptive.
Two things that contributed to the project’s failure included the lack of a practical plan for completing the railway track on time and an inadequate understanding of the extent of work yet to be accomplished. The Crossrail construction phase would cause disruptions to real properties and companies in Central London (Whyte, 2019). Crossrail announced that it has been unable to open its central section by the planned summer 2021 date, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the reasons behind the most recent delays (Seidu et al. 2023). Hedley Ayres, manager of major projects and programmes at the National Audit Office, examines what went inappropriate in light of the refreshed strategy put that was established for executing Crossrail. By mitigating all the challenges mentioned, it becomes helpful for Crossrail to evoke as the best construction project of UK.
Lesson learned
Self-reflection is a key process by which the learning gained by a researcher can be identified on completion of the task. Here by using this process I will identify and analyze the knowledge level gained by me while performing in the CrossRail Project of the UK. During this procedure utilization of Gibbs reflective model will be beneficial for me to analyze my personal experience while doing this project and to assess my learning level from it. As per this model it is dependent on 6 key stages that rotate cyclically. These 6 stages are description, feeling, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan. At first within the description stage I will describe the project and my personal experience gained from it. As per my experience the UK cross rail project was a successful one despite facing various issues. The most prominent issues faced by it were associated with budget constraints, lack of time and natural disasters. During the project process, an outbreak of global pandemic resulted in a sluggish movement within this project. This intern lowered the acceleration of this which demanded a more financial inclusion and time requirement to accomplish its desired result. However, this in turn created a great project risk for this one. However, with a good risk management plan the authority struggled hard to mitigate these issues as a result of this, the project was completed with inclusion of a bit of extra time and financial inclusion. Thus, from this I learnt the importance of using proper risk identification and management planning creation followed by implementation for making a project a successful one. Therefore, from this I can state that a lack of appropriate risk management was found during the project process. Additionally, I learnt that the project was utilizing BIM model and 3D Computer aided design (CAD). The Agile model was also being interpreted within it. No such practical experience regarding these three components was there which I gained throughout these projects. Hence the participation in this project helped me to align my experience and the theoretical learning gained from my Course work. Therefore, I must state that I felt really honoured while doing research on this project. It was my first research and I was not able to understand all the components associated with the project at first. However, with time being things got clear to me and I felt that the project helped me to gain a lot of practical experience which will be beneficial for me in future to improve my professional performance. By evaluating the learning gained from this I can state that it helped me to have a better knowledge over risk management procedure and various project management mechanism implications. Analysis of my skills gained through this project I can conclude that the practical learning gained from it will be beneficial for implying BIM model CAD and Agile Model in future perspectives also. However, in this connection I must create an Action Plan depending on which I can improve all of these skills that will be beneficial for me to manage and implement better risk management planning in future project works. Additionally, this research work also helped me to gain more comprehensive knowledge regarding the research for seniors and the appropriate mechanism of selection based on which the highest quality of outcome can be generated. Thus, from this evaluation, I can see that participation in this research work helped me to improve my knowledge level towards the project management process and various etiological implications of it. Moreover, it also provided me with appropriate knowledge to do better research in future.
Conclusion and recommendations
It can be interpreted from the entire analysis that the Crossrail project of London is one of the most successful construction projects all across the globe. Instead of some of the major flaws in terms of cost and time for completion of the activities on time, there are no such problems observed in the case of the mentioned project. During COVID-19 pandemic, several difficulties have been faced by project manager and the core team members due to uncertainty to accomplish the project according to forecasted time. However, the team has efficiently managed to do their jobs remotely through designing the layout with full potency. This is the reason to ensure operational feasibility in the service proposition and meeting of all the requirements. As this is an ongoing project, there needs to be improvement in some aspects by following which risk management attributes of the construction of the poject can be developed in future and mitigating sudden uncertainties with reliable potential can be possible.
Going through negative aspect of the project, it is identified that Crossrail project has experienced several difficulties in terms of construction delay for poor time management, issue regrading excessive carbon emission and inadequacy in signalling. All these drawbacks need to be amended as soon as possible to enhance viability of the project more. Some of the recommendations for future improvement of the project and mitigation of any kind of challenges are given below:
- It can be recommended for the Crossrail project financial team to set up a budget for the project from now in a manner through which at least 10% cost will be retained as extra for each of the activities. This particular development in terms of budgetary allocation is required to ensure reliability in business operations when any kind of difficulties occur either through mismanagement of the project team and natural disaster (Maylor, 2021). To retain an extra expense for each of the activities, it becomes possible to tackle problematic situations and no such effect on project completion can be acquired.
- It can be suggested that the Crossrail project committee ensure more concern on team development and team management. An expert and trained team can handle any sort of difficulties be it financial or structural issues.
- A well organised communicable and interactive authority would help to give updates to the governing body, partners and stakeholders as well. It improves the speed of the project by governing every small detail of the ongoing project.
- Reduction of carbon emissions during construction and adapting new age technology to minimise air and sound pollution is always favourable for the quality improvement of the Crossrail project.
- Employing advanced technology, Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning by the Crossrail project could bring a revolution in the construction industry of the UK.
- It is suggested to the higher authority of this particular project to maintain the quality by regular inspection of raw materials and point out the needs and demands for the project as soon as possible by not hampering the project status.
- One of the basic factors that should be followed by the project committee of Crossrail is to maintain the allotted timeline to finish a project while maintaining the quality of service. Not meeting the deadline for a project leads to a bad reputation for the project committee and creates a disturbance in raising the investment.
References
Landis, J.D., 2022. Unfinished business-London Crossrail. Megaprojects for Megacities: A Comparative Casebook, p.133.
London.gov.uk, 2020. Crossrail: The project at a glance, Available at: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/crossrail_-_project_at_a_glance.pdf. [Accessed on: 01.10.23]
Marnada, P., Raharjo, T., Hardian, B. and Prasetyo, A., 2022. Agile project management challenge in handling scope and change: A systematic literature review. Procedia Computer Science, 197, pp.290-300.
Maylor, H., 2021. Project management. Pearson Higher Ed.
Muruganandan, K., Davies, A., Denicol, J. and Whyte, J., 2022. The dynamics of systems integration: Balancing stability and change on London’s Crossrail project. International Journal of Project Management, 40(6), pp.608-623.
Networkrail.co.uk, 2022. The Elizabeth line opened on 24 May 2022, Available at: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/railway-upgrade-plan/key-projects/crossrail/. [Accessed on: 01.10.23]
Reuters, 2022. London’s $24 billion Crossrail finally opens, Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/londons-24-billion-crossrail-finally-opens-2022-05-23/. [Accessed on: 01.10.23]
Seidu, R.D., Robinson, H., Young, B.E., Ryan, M. and Fong, D., 2023. Infrastructure Development in the UK: Key Drivers and Implementation Challenges. Journal of Infrastructure Policy and Management, 6(1), pp.33-51.
Sweet, R., 2019. Damned if they did: A defence of Crossrail. Construction Research and Innovation, 10(2), pp.32-38.
Theguardian, 2022. A megalopolis of engineering: the verdict on London’s £18bn new Elizabeth line, Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/mar/13/elizabeth-line-crossrail-opening-london [Accessed on: 01.10.23]
Whyte, J., 2019. How digital information transforms project delivery models. Project management journal, 50(2), pp.177-194.
Whyte, J., Davies, A. and Sexton, C., 2022. Systems integration in infrastructure projects: seven lessons from Crossrail. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Management, Procurement and Law, 175(3), pp.103-109.
Williams, T.M., 2022. Project success. In The Front-end of Large Public Projects (pp. 10-42). Routledge.
Winch, G.M. and Cha, J., 2020. Owner challenges on major projects: The case of UK government. International journal of project management, 38(3), pp.177-187.
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