Dear Experts Please help me answer following 5 questions bas

Dear Experts,

Please help me answer following 5 questions based on this article.

Thank you soo much

Fargo Foods Fargo Foods is a $2 billion a year international food manufacturer with canning facilities in twenty-two countries Fargo products include meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, vitamins, and cat and dog foods. Fargo Foods has enjoyed a 12.5 percent growth rate each of the past eight years primarily due to the low overhead rates in the foreign companies During the past five years, Fargo had spent a large portion of retained eanings on capital equipment projects in order to increase productivity without increasing labor. An average of three new production plants have been constructed in each of the last five years. In addition, almost every plant has undergone major modifications each year in order to increase productivity In 2000, the president of Fargo Foods implemented formal project management for all construction projects using a matrix. By 2004, it became obvious that the matrix was not operating effectively or efficiently. In December 2004, the author consulted for Fargo Foods by interviewing several of the key managers and a multitude of functional personnel. What follows are the several key questions and responses addressed to Fargo Foods Q. Give me an example of one of your projects. A. \"The project begins with an idea. The idea can originate anywhere in the company. The planning group picks up the idea and determines the feasibility. The planning group then works \'informally\' with the various line ations to detemine rough estimates for time and cost. The results are then fed back to the planning group and to the top management planning and steering committees. If top management decides to undertake the project, then top management selects the project manager and we\'re off and running.\" Q. Do you have any problems with this arrangement? A. \"You bet!l Our executives have the tendency of equating rough estimates as detailed budgets and rough schedules as detailed schedules. Then, they want to know why the line managers won\'t commit their best resources. We almost always end up with cost overruns and schedule slippages. To make matters even worse, the project managers do not appear to be dedicated to the projects. I really can\'t blame them. After all, they\'re not involved in planning the project, laying out the schedule, and establishing the budget. I don\'t see how an dedicated to a plan in which the project manager has no input and may not even know the ass considerations that were included. this and are virtually refusing to accept a project assignment unless they can do their own detailed planning at the beginning of the project in order to verify the constraints established by the planning group. If the project come un with different costs and schedules (and vou know that thev wil. the olannine eroup feels that thev ha y project manager can become umptions or Recently, some of our more experienced project managers have taken a stand on managers HELPI

Solution

Hi,

Thanks for the question.

Answer 1)

Yes, planning group can plan the projects but they should have the actual project managers or the line managers while doing so. Because they are the people who are well versed with the technology and the processes. They know the best ways to get the job done and how to cut corners to save the money. So they should also be included in the meeting.

Answer 2)

Since there were no line managers and project managers were involved in the planning stage, there was no one to validate that estimate. That is why the top management considers that rough budget as the final one.

Answer 3)

Yes, they should. Because if the project is not delivered within timelines and cost budgets, the line managers and project managers will be held responsible for that. Now, if the managers are not getting what they want to execute the project, it will be unfair to them to expect the smooth execution of project.

Answer 4)

Since the technical people know all the insights of the projects and the processes, they tend to do the work themselves rather than managing the line managers. They have too little confidence on those people for that matter. So they rather become the doers rather than managers which was not the company intention while they do that.

Answer 5)

No, first guess estimates should be only for the internal purposes. It should not be given to the customers. The reason is if project runs over budget (which it does more often than not), the customer will bill you as non competent and inefficient team.