You have just been hired as the lead Project Manager by a relatively new construction company that intends to focus primarily on commercial structures. On their last project, the company suffered a financial loss due to a number of factors including a lack of personnel with PM experience, improper planning, poor scheduling implementation, ineffective communication, and other unanticipated challenges that the company was neither prepared for nor experienced enough to handle effectively. Their intent in hiring you, a Project Manager with a Masters Degree in Technology Management, is to capitalize on your knowledge and have you implement models, tools, and techniques to ensure that the company is prepared to make competent and competitive job bids for potential projects and to prevent a repeat of their previous experience.

(A simple list is not sufficient as a response. Explain/Describe/Justify)

Questions:

A: What are some examples of common threats to projects that threaten the scope, schedule, and budget that should be anticipated and what contingencies could be included to mitigate these possible threats?

B: What technology and/or software applications would you recommend the company implement and how would it be utilized to better plan for and carry out a successful project?