Slide 1: Title Slide

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) Project: A Case Study in Project Management Challenges
Your Name
Course: Project Management Capstone (PROJ6016)
Date

Slide 2: Introduction

Project Aim

 BER was intended to merge all of Berlin’s airports into one major airport.

 Originally aimed at improving Berlin’s connectivity in the global airline system (Alberts et
al., 2009).

Timeline

 Originally planned to be opened in 2011, but the construction was completed in 2020.

 Delays due to technical and managerial challenges.

Budget Overruns

 The project was estimated to cost three times what was allocated in the budget.

 Poor financial planning and unforeseen costs.

Key Challenges

 Poor planning and stakeholder mismanagement.

 Inadequate risk management and technical failures.

Slide 3: Research Questions & Objectives

Research Questions

 What were the key issues of project management?

 What was the effect of stakeholder mismanagement on BER?

 What lessons for future managers can be derived from the given case?

Objectives
  Analyze causes of failure.

 Evaluate management practices.

 Recommend future improvements.

Slide 4: Methodology

Design

 Case Study of BER Project.

 Consequently, the emphasis should be placed on matters such as project management

Data Sources

 Newspaper articles, magazines, research papers, academic papers, journals, government

 Interviews with stakeholders and project managers.

Criteria

 Recent, peer-reviewed, project-focused literature.

 Emphasis on practical insights and theoretical frameworks.

Analysis Techniques

 Qualitative analysis of project documents.

 The method involves comparison in order to achieve an understanding of the key

Slide 5: Theoretical Frameworks

PMBOK 7th Edition

 There are five process groups: initiating process group, planning process group,
executing process group, monitoring and controlling process group, and closing process
group.

 Framework for structured project management.

Stakeholder Management Theory

 Coordinating stakeholder interests based on the project objectives.

Risk Management Framework

 Identification, analysis, mitigation.

 Mitigating measures to deal with the uncontrollable events.

Change Management

 Adapting to changes and its importance in a project.

 Strategies for effective change control.

Slide 6: Key Literature Insights

Planning Failures

 Unrealistic timelines and resource estimates.

 Frequent design changes causing confusion.

 Lack of comprehensive feasibility studies.

Stakeholder Miscommunication

 Lack of structured communication plans.

 Lack of timely updates among the stakeholders has led to mistrust.

 Conflicting priorities between stakeholders.

Risk Neglect

 Lack of consideration of technical and governance risks.

 Lack of concerns over the defects within the fire safety system.

 Inadequate contingency planning.

Technical Failures

 Problems with escalators, lifts and doors.

 Non-compliance with safety standards.

Poor Stakeholder Identification

 Inadequate mapping of stakeholder interests.

 Conflicting interests between contractors and government bodies.

Communication Issues

 Lack of regular stakeholder meetings.

 Lack of trust because of lack of open and honest communication.

Example of Failure

 There were conflicting objectives between the contractors and the government
departments involved.

 All the updates of the stakeholders were in harmony with the project.

Impact on Project

 Delayed decision-making processes.

 It is common to find projects experiencing a rise in the cost of undertaking them as a

Slide 8: Risk Management Failures

Audit Failures

 Lack of regular risk audits and assessments.

 Neglected chances to initiate an appraisal of threats at an early stage.

Technical Issues

 Fire safety systems faulty and non-compliant.

 Technical failures in escalators and elevators.

Corruption

 Bribes influenced decision-making processes.

 There are also unskilled employees being employed to do the work hence poor quality
work is produced.
Example of Risks

 Challenges that lead to additional costs in designing:

 The absence of contingency measures that are put in place for technical hitches.

Slide 9: Scheduling and Resource Issues

Scheduling Problems

 Some project schedules are set and planned without accurately analyzing all the possible
conditions.

 Frequent delays due to mismanaged timelines.

Resource Allocation

 This resulted in poor resource allocation and thus brought about inefficiency.

 Amateurs needed some of the tasks to be redone which caused delays.

Lack of Techniques

 Lack of critical path or resource leveling on a project.

 Lack of proper management of resources in projects.

Impact on Project

 Increased costs due to inefficient resource management.

 In this case, stakeholders’ trust is affected by delays in the management and completion
of projects.

Slide 10: Findings: Key Lessons Learned

Stakeholder Engagement

 Stakeholders must be engaged at the beginning of the process in order to make sure that
they are on the same page with others.

 They need to have regular communication that fosters trust to allow for quick decision
making.
  For instance, conducting weekly meetings and visiting the sites could have enhanced
participation.

Risk Management

 Carry out ongoing risk assessments and assessments.

 Develop proactive risk mitigation strategies.

 For instance, it could have been possible to avoid time wastage if fire safety concerns
had been tackled at an earlier stage.

Scheduling

 LPMs such as Critical Path Method (CPM) and Resource Leveling can be used.

 Ensure that they set realistic time frames for the project and that they adequately divide
available resources in the project appropriately.

 For instance, it could have been possible to avoid construction delays through proper
scheduling.

Communication

 Establish structured communication plans.

 Ensure transparency in project updates.

 For instance, lack of clear communication should have minimized conflicts among
stakeholders.

Slide 11: Discussion: Bridging Theory and Practice

PMBOK Structures Not Adhered To

 Failure to follow the structure or method caused confusion.

 Example: Absence of change control management.

Ignoring Stakeholder Needs

 This was contrary to best practice in stakeholder management.

 For instance, stakeholders complained of being left out from decision-making processes.

Real-World Practice Deviations

 Did not closely follow the guidelines of the best practice.

Integration of Theory and Practice

 Significance of ensuring that practice corresponds to theory.

 For instance, application of PMBOK principles could have aided on the following aspects.

Slide 12: Professional Growth Reflection

Proactive Stakeholder Management

 Criticized the idea of not involving stakeholders early enough in the project.

 For instance, promoting the efficient interaction between stakeholders leads to better
project outcomes.

Regular Risk Assessments

 They got greater appreciation of ongoing risk audits.

 For instance, risks can be identified early enough and this averts any delay that would be
costly later on.

Realistic Project Planning

 Increased knowledge of setting realistic expectations for timelines in projects.

 Example: Realistic scheduling is the best practice that makes use of available resources in
the right manner.

Clear Communication

 Recognized value of transparent communication.

 For instance, clear updates minimize the conflicts of interest among stakeholders.

Slide 13: Recommendations for Future Projects

Stakeholder Management from Initiation to Closing

 Involve stakeholders throughout project lifecycle.

 Example: Continuous engagement prevents misalignments.

 The frequency of risk identification activities, to determine possible dangers.

 For instance, proactive planning helps in risk management to a significant extent.

PM Software should be used for scheduling and management of resources.

 Make use of sophisticated techniques in time management.

 For instance, PM software improves on the management of resources.

Improve Communication Strategies

 Develop structured communication plans.

 Example: In the ability to make updates transparent, it helps to increase the level of
stakeholder trust.

Slide 14: Future Research Opportunities

An Analysis of Agile Application in Infrastructure Projects

 Investigate benefits of Agile methodologies.

 For instance, agile practices improve flexibility and responsiveness in the system.

Investigate Digital Project Management Systems

 Study impact of digital tools on project management.

 Example: Technology improves stakeholder collaboration.

Analyzing the Role of Technology in Facilitating Stakeholders’ Engagement

 Analyse how the various forms of digital platforms can enhance participation.

 For instance, online tools facilitate communication procedures.

Discuss the Effectiveness and Consequences of Rise in Advanced Scheduling Techniques

 Comparative analysis of the effectiveness of modern means of scheduling.

 Example: Critical path method enhances the timeline of the project.

Slide 15: Conclusion

 In this case, the major problems that arose were the issues related to stakeholder
management which resulted in the delay of the project.

 Cost overruns were due to the failure of risk management systems.

 Challenges such as scheduling and planning greatly affected progress.

PMBOK principles have to be followed in all future projects

 Integrate systemization for improved performance.

 For instance, efficient application of PM frameworks improves the project outcome.

Stress Risk Audit and Stakeholder Engagement

 Regular audits prevent unforeseen challenges.

 For instance, stakeholder engagement helps in project alignment.

Slide 16: Q&A

Thank You for Your Attention

 Open the floor for questions.

 Promote conversation regarding the results and suggestions.