Put yourself in the role of a project manager collaborating with MTD, an events company.
Considering the difficulties and problems that MTD encounters in their projects, what insights have you gained this week that could offer assistance?
If an iterative approach were employed in organizing an event as a project, what would be the consequences? Similarly, what are the implications of adopting an agile approach? If the company sought your advice, what would you recommend?
Contribute your thoughts and ideas to the discussion.
MTD is a multinational company, organizing events and providing water for major events around the globe, interfacing with people from all works of life, cultures and geographic locations, so in providing the needed services for their stakeholders the diversity of their customer base is to be taken very crucial in their planning.
A hybrid method of linear and iteration is to be used, getting feedback from customers and stakeholders will help to improve their services and make everyone satisfied with it, it also will help in communicating better with various people involved and cause innovation where needed.
For example most people would accept to use recycled water while some may not.
One of the issues posed by this combination of iterative and linear methods will be time factor, been that the time before and after receiving feedback and then enforcing the needed changes.
The benefits would be having control of the project after accessing the VUCA with feedback gotten.
I have come to understand that as a project manager, that we should not prefer one approach to the other because at some point one approach will not work for us and we need to apply combine approaches to get everything done. I like the fact that iterative has feedbacks and can easily be changed and it takes a short period of time to complete. adopting an agile project approach for event planning requires team collaboration ,transparency, continuous improvement, adaptive mindset. I really like this approach because it will give one experience and feedback either to continue or not.
As a project manager, my advice to MTD would be to adopt agile approach under iterative principle. However, a mix or blend of both linear and iterative will be superb combination.
When iterative principle is adopted , one common benefit the project would have is a wholistic control over the entire project phase as a result of pragmatic communication feedbacks gotten from project stakeholder- enduser and suppliers etc.
It is also of great interest to note that agile approach will definately result into
the project life cycle to be short being that frequent project reviews and strong communication link which are embedded in the entire cycle.
Therefore, when combined, both linear and iterative principles culminate into a powerful tool that will ensure strong collaborative efforts by the team, disruptive planning flexibility consistent feedbacks from end users, project team communication ,and relationship building.
My Advice for MTD
Embrace Agile Principles: Adopt agile methodologies to foster collaboration, flexibility, and rapid response to change.
Prioritize Effective Communication: Establish clear communication channels and regular updates to keep all stakeholders informed.
Leverage Technology: Utilize project management tools and event planning software to streamline processes and improve efficiency.
Foster a Culture of Innovation: Encourage creativity and experimentation to find innovative solutions to challenges.
Build Strong Relationships with Vendors: Develop long-term partnerships with reliable vendors to ensure smooth operations.
Continuously Learn and Adapt: Stay updated on industry trends and best practices to improve future events.
By combining the strengths of iterative and agile approaches, MTD can enhance their project management capabilities, deliver exceptional events, and build lasting client relationships.
As a project manager employing an iterative approach in organizing an event can have both positive and negative consequences, the positive consequences includes; flexibility, improved accuracy and enhanced stakeholder engagement.
Negative consequences includes; increased complexity, time consuming and resource-intensive
If a company were to adopt an agile project approach for event planning the implications would be;
*Adopting agile requires a cultural shift towards a more collaborative flexible and adaptive mindset
*Increased transparency
*Improved team collaboration
*Continuous improvement
I will recommend them to;
*Start small asin begin with small, low-risk event to pilot the agile approach and build experience
*Provide training and coaching
*Establish clear goals and objectives
*Foster a collaborative culture
*Monitor progress and adapt
It is said that a project manager cannot prefer one method to the others as they are all valid. But in this case, the iterative methodology with less cost, flexibility to adjust, short period of time to complete and feedback incorporated at the end of each cycle is suitable for the event.
Although it wouldn’t be any less important for MTD to separate into constituent parts the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of the environment in which the event will be performed in other to achieving a good result.
Looking at the 2 approaches I believe and understand from the lesson that any of the approaches is directly proportional to the environmental impact…
An iterative approach will be a perfect approach for an event but analyzing the VUCA will give a broad understanding of the best approach at staging such event.
My advise for MTD will be to analyze the volatility, uncertainty, Complexity and ambiguity of staging the event which will in turn lead to using and hybrid approach for such event..
Organizing an event project using the interative approach is very important because some project needs to interative in nature so as to readjust the project if there is anything challenge during the project implementation.
Every project method of implementation has to do with the project environment. No specific project methods is the ultimate it all depends on the project environment. Agile methodology implications on MTD project will not be bad at all. it will even allow for improvement of the project and help the project manager to develop and advance the project.
I love things been done in other which make me prefer the linear approach. But I have learnt that as a project manager you shouldn’t have a favorite approach as you may need to change or combine the both. Linear takes longer time and might be costly to change Incase of a mistake but I like the fact that iterative has feedbacks, can easily be changed and it takes a short period of time to complete. Depends on the issues MTD is facing, if the event is in a complex environment they might have to use the iterative method.
Organizing an event as a project using an iterative approach or an agile approach can have different consequences based on the nature of the event and the project’s goals.
The consequences of using the iterative method could include:
Progressive Refinement: Each iteration allows for gradual improvements, reducing the risk of major errors or missteps closer to the event date.
Flexibility to Adjust: Feedback can be incorporated at the end of each cycle, making it possible to enhance the event incrementally.
Higher Resource Costs: Multiple iterations might require more time and resources upfront, potentially increasing costs.
Potential Scope Drift: Repeated refinements can lead to scope creep if changes are not managed effectively.
The implications of using agile method could include:
Faster Response to Change: Agile allows for rapid adjustments based on stakeholder feedback or unforeseen changes, such as shifts in event goals or external constraints.
Improved Stakeholder Engagement: Frequent updates and consultations with stakeholders ensure alignment and satisfaction.
Risk of Over-Iteration: If poorly managed, too many iterations and last-minute changes could overwhelm the team or compromise the event’s quality.
Uncertainty in Final Deliverable: Since the plan evolves during the project, some aspects may lack clarity until later stages, which could cause anxiety for stakeholders or teams.
A hybrid approach often works best, so i would recommend the use of an iterative approach to refine critical components early (e.g., venue setup, logistics), and adopt agile principles for stakeholder communication and responding to changes in real-time.
Regardless of the approach, the event’s vision and objectives remain central to avoid scope creep or misalignment.