Charting Success: Unpacking the Value of Project Management

The value of project management

The value of project management relates to the availability of standard processes for handling all contingencies. Project management techniques and processes help in coordinating resources to achieve predictable outcomes (Thomas & Mullaly, 2007). Project management value, therefore, provides the processes, framework, techniques, and guidelines for managing the work and personnel or employees (Thomas & Mullaly, 2007). Additionally, the value of project management increases the chances of achieving success and provides credit to the project, the organization, and the project manager. The proposition for project management value begins with the acknowledgment that it takes considerable effort and time to manage a project proactively (Thomas & Mullaly, 2007).

One of the projects involving Bluetooth/Sensor Array

One of the projects I have participated in involved the use of a Bluetooth/Sensor Array to boost or support HVAC systems. The project’s goal was to deploy or send a different set of BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) beacons using a different deployment architecture with the aim of improving our Indoor Location System. Our team, therefore, opted to change the iBeacon array’s architecture. We acquired AXA iBeacon, which were cheaper than the original iBeacons used in our team’s first system implementation. The AXA iBeacon, unlike the first generation iBeacon, only has a Bluetooth module, and does not have a Wi-Fi module (Agrawal, 2012; Puri, 2015). We did not need Wi-Fi for our current door location, unlike the previous model, in which iBeacons used Wi-Fi for configuration and checking remote operation. However, we used the first generation iBeacons to act as ‘Sergeants’ to strengthen or boost some AXA iBeacons through BLE communication since AXA iBeacons have lower functionality than the first generation iBeacons (Agrawal, 2012; Puri, 2015).

The hierarchical architecture

The outcome of the project was that when the AXA iBeacons communicated with the first generation iBeacons (which are stronger and larger devices with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi), what resulted was a hierarchical architecture known as “Sergeants and Privates.” The Sergeants represent the original Wi-Fi-capable iBeacons, while the Privates represent the AXA iBeacons (Agrawal, 2012; Puri, 2015). Sergeants are responsible for a given portion of the Privates, which they connect to periodically to upload sensor information or data (such as humidity, temperature, and battery level) to our team’s database in a secure cloud (Agrawal, 2012; Puri, 2015). The project was designed to help construction or building engineers to have a better understanding of the building environment, as well as make use of available data in controlling the building environment.

Improving construction engineers’ ability

One of the things I would do differently on the project based on my new learning experience is to ensure that the wireless technologies (Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) used in the project improve construction Engineers’ ability to gather information from the surrounding, as well as control building operations at a significantly reduced cost. The elimination or reduction of the installation cost would, in turn, improve the system’s efficiency and effectiveness (Agrawal, 2012; Puri, 2015). The other thing I would do differently on the project is to come up with a testing procedure or mechanism for determining and correcting areas of weaknesses in the system, as well as various ways of maintaining the efficiency and effectiveness of the HVAC systems.

References

Agrawal, R. (2012). Bluetooth Navigation System Using WI-FI Access Points. International Journal of Distributed and Parallel Systems, 3(2), 185-192. doi: 10.5121/ijdps.2012.3216

Puri, S. (2015). Indoor Positioning System using Bluetooth. International Journal of Engineering Research, 4(5), 244-247. doi: 10.17950/ijer/v4s5/507

Thomas, J., & Mullaly, M. (2007). Understanding the value of project management: First steps on an international investigation in search of value. Project Management Journal, 38(3), 74-89. doi: 10.1002/pmj.20007