Abstract
How does the advent of virtual teams affect a project’s quality management? In this digital age, technology has increased our ability to connect across the country and around the world through the use of virtual teams. These teams allow people to remain connected, facilitating collaboration and the use of specialized expertise. Project quality is a constant balancing act between the quality of the product or service and the budget, scope, and time. Given the importance of quality in this trade-off, how do the advantages and disadvantages of virtual teams contribute to success or increase the challenges of a project throughout its life cycle?
Introduction
This paper highlights the significance of maintaining a balance between project quality and other project requirements and examines how virtual teams in the information age contribute in this regard. Quality has a clear definition. We will analyze the importance of virtual teams, the new challenges they face, and how these issues interact.
What are Project Quality Practices?
According to PMBOK, Project Quality Management consists of the processes and activities carried out by an organization to apply quality policies, objectives, and responsibilities so that a project meets the requirements for which it was undertaken. Project quality requires a continual balancing act among the quality of the product or service, scope, budget, resources, risks, and schedule. It includes “the processes and activities of the performing organization that determines quality policies, objectives, and responsibilities so that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken” (Riley, M, 2008). Project quality is therefore a constant balancing act among the quality of the product or service, budget, scope, schedule, resources, and risks (Gilson, Lucy L., et al., 2015). The chart below shows that each section has a particular role in assisting in the overall completion of the project.
What is a Virtual Team
A virtual team is a group of workers who operate from different, distant locations; they are geographically dispersed and work through communication and information technology. The use of virtual teams to accomplish particular projects has become increasingly common. In this regard, advances in technology such as Wi-Fi, smartphones, and other devices have further strengthened their role. Flexibility is a clear advantage of virtual teams, but communication costs are an important consideration because communication takes place through methods such as conference calls and video conferencing. Virtual teams work to achieve the same objective. Advances in technology have given virtual teams global access, but they also face greater challenges (Danton, 2006). Teams can work across geographical boundaries. This has further increased the importance of virtual teams in organizations.
Virtual Impacts to Quality
The increasing demand for communication between virtual team members and stakeholders can affect the quality of the product being produced. Mutual understanding is also of utmost importance in team management and quality practices that lead toward the completion of a project according to the quality standards stated in the statement of work (Khalsa, 2011).
A virtual team structure was established in New South Wales, Australia, for the police force to implement a project named the “Country Capital Works Program” (CCWP). The project lasted three years and cost more than $20.5 million Australian dollars. It aimed to improve the existing support for the police force’s radio systems. The primary reason for forming a virtual-team structure was that the long distances across rural New South Wales made it difficult for a co-located team at police headquarters in Sydney to maintain proper liaison and engagement with project members based in distant areas. The virtual-team organization illustrates the application of virtual teams to a project. Virtual teams can work effectively and collaborate closely despite the challenges they face, provided that a skilled manager leads the project and finds solutions to problems associated with the lack of direct person-to-person contact and its managerial implications. Problems can arise when an established organization must create a virtual team from personnel who already have daily operational duties within the organization.
Scope Management and Project Integration
The CCWP operated through an established business case that defined a set of subprojects for each area. Each subproject was allocated one year. In this regard, different subprojects ran simultaneously. Generally, subprojects were implemented independently in different RNS areas, but some specific subprojects were pooled at RNS units for efficient completion and to provide value for money (Johnson, Heimann, et al., 2001).
To provide a comprehensive understanding of the project, a workshop was organized for center-based managers and made them aware of their responsibilities for collective and individual assignments. At the start of each year of the CCWP, distant-area teams led by center managers were given the authority to refine subproject items by consulting users with whom the center managers had closer contact than central management did. Attention was given to budget allocations and time limitations before the steering committee formally accepted the subprojects. During formal acceptance by the steering committee, each subproject was assessed in terms of corporate requirements in collaboration with country teams. The assignments of distant teams included the development of a work breakdown structure. A thorough analysis of the WBS enabled team members to define a number of tasks for the subprojects. All teams were provided with appropriate templates and the necessary guidelines. The overall project plan included work related to project integration, refinement and pooling of appropriate subprojects, the definition of milestones, and forecasts of cash flows. Cash flows and milestones provided the basis for project-related decisions and the cost baseline used to evaluate overall project performance. Overall progress toward project targets was continually evaluated through periodic reports, discussions with team members, and emails.
There were several areas in which changes occurred during the CCWP, including technology-based policy requirements and the government’s radio strategy. These changes required several important adjustments to the scope of the overall project. However, in many cases, virtual team members could not comply with the agreed principles for managing changes in the scope of the subprojects allocated to them. The Benefits Management Process (BMP) was an official part of the project. It provided a comprehensive process through which the project team could demonstrate business benefits. A number of workshops were conducted, and business processes were identified. The BMP was initiated in country centers, where the benefits of the current project were assessed, verified, and recorded. Before BMP measurement began, team members needed skills to collect data, obtain relevant data from existing information, update data, and document data as a standard practice. They were required to communicate with their local business managers and stakeholders to determine the benefits (Astashkina). In this regard, local staff proved useful. This was an advantage for the virtual team members.
Time Management
Every aspect of the CCWP was thoroughly analyzed and closely assessed while the project schedules and milestones were being planned. These schedules were specifically designed to support multiple simultaneous projects and empower country teams. The project-management scheme was introduced in the PEP. However, in a virtual-team environment, both setting milestones and scheduling projects proved difficult. This was particularly complicated because there were more than 230 subprojects, some engineering limitations, and requirements for completion within critical time periods. Although the overall duration of the CCWP was three years, some subprojects were required to be completed during each year, which was challenging. During the early months of each project year, milestones were used to evaluate the start of critical project activities, and at the end of each milestone they were used to assess the completion of work. The progress of some activities was evaluated through intermediate monitoring points. Furthermore, all subprojects experiencing problems were continually monitored so that issues could be identified and resolved promptly.
Project milestones and schedules were introduced at the project level. They guided RNS units in scheduling subproject work and helped coordinate project work across RNS units. Because country teams owned the work, they managed the project with minimal control through effective planning and implementation. The engagement and enthusiasm of country teams expedited the process of obtaining planning approvals for some site-development work because country-team members had good relationships with local-government agencies in their areas.
Cost Management
As discussed previously, the subprojects were implemented independently in different RNS units to obtain value for money and complete some projects effectively. Budget allocations were also taken into account before the subprojects were approved by the steering committee. Cash flows and milestones provided the basis for project decisions and the cost baseline used to measure project performance (Hamilton, G, 2018). The CCWP budget was centrally controlled, and this proved to be an efficient and useful control system. The budget was monitored through Excel worksheets and graphs with cumulative values, as all team members were already familiar with data presented in that form.
Quality Management
Quality management for the CCWP was part of the PEP because it identified quality standards and methods for satisfying them. It was unanimously decided that centralized resources would not be used for quality reviews or inspections at the subproject stages because it was difficult for quality reviewers to visit remote locations in rural NSW.
The following quality-assurance practices were considered useful:
- Providing country teams with the relevant skills through a proper training program.
- Designing specification-review, tender-request, quotation, and evaluation methods.
- Including national and international product-quality standards and approved safety practices as references in the PEP.
- Giving priority to suppliers with quality-management experience when selecting contractors.
Because it was difficult for quality reviewers to personally visit extensive rural areas of NSW, distant team members were trusted to deliver quality products without having basic and final products checked by an assigned central team. However, quality control and quality assurance at the product level were more difficult in a virtual project team.
Human resource management
As an established organization, the NSWP had a strong system for managing human resources, with established patterns and guidelines. This included policies, procedures, and practices used within the project structure, especially for project communication, which formed part of communication management. All team members were managed by center managers acting as their line managers.
Communication Management
The NSWP had systems, guidelines, and practices in place to manage routine information and communication requirements for the CCWP, and all members had access to email, shared information, and telephones. Team members interacted electronically, although they also had some face-to-face interactions during training programs and meetings.
At the start, information was required from the country teams, so formal procedures were established to obtain relevant information. This was organized according to need, with the objective of making required information available for control and monitoring purposes and to all stakeholders involved in the project. The formal procedures were amended several times as the project progressed. Project progress was reported monthly. However, it was also necessary to gather data quickly to ensure that a current snapshot of the project was available. Official project reporting was carried out in two ways: (1) project-specific reporting for sharing information and supporting project completion, and (2) project-status reporting to provide specific information to different stakeholders. The existing structure and systems of the NSWP were used to provide project managers with formal reports. The team was encouraged to interact informally to improve mutual understanding. Cooperation and effective teamwork were also required to complete the project on time.
The steering committee conducted formal reviews at the beginning, middle, and end of each project year. These reviews were conducted through face-to-face meetings with country members. Country teams also visited Sydney in some cases, while in other cases personnel from Sydney visited country centers. Video conferencing was also used as required, for example, to resolve issues or formalize procedures. The system included the following:
- At the start of the project, project work, major milestones, and related information were assessed and agreed upon.
- Systems, formats, and reporting frequencies for monitoring budgets and timelines were agreed upon.
- Team members were involved as required in progress reviews and were given feedback during presentations of summary reports to stakeholders. However, three common problems were encountered in this regard.
- At the start of the project, considerable effort was needed to engage team members in accepting the project-management structure and its evaluation and control systems.
- An effective project-monitoring system was needed to identify issues and problems involving risk, scope, and other matters so that appropriate corrective measures could be taken.
- Additional attention was required to maintain complete project documentation because team members did not always appreciate the significance of documentation.
Several other problems were also encountered that may have reflected the constraints of virtual teams, skill-related issues, and the culture of the organization involved.
- For the implementation of certain procedures and the resolution of problems, the project manager required support from the sponsor.
- Some team members lacked the required expertise in project management.
- Resource constraints were encountered at important times because team members were also expected to carry out other tasks.
- At distant centers, decisions were not centrally made or documented in some situations.
- The documented escalation path from the project manager to the committee and then to the project sponsor was not followed when resolving some problems.
Risk Management
At the subproject-definition stage, country-team members received guidance and training on identifying risks, assessing risk levels, and developing responses for each subproject (Malone, 2011). A comprehensive risk-management plan was also developed for the project. Advance planning and management of risk responses worked efficiently in the project. For example, the project was planned as a number of locally managed subprojects with relatively few dependencies among most of them; this allowed unsatisfactory subprojects to be terminated separately when necessary (Mitchell, A, 2011). Some activities, such as site development, erecting buildings, and constructing huts, were exceptions. Reducing dependencies among subprojects made it possible to achieve some value for money. Likewise, at the product level, responding appropriately to changing risks during the project and updating risk-management plans proved difficult. There was a time gap between the occurrence of an event and notification of the project manager, which created additional risk. This happened because distant team members either could not identify risky events immediately or did not realize that they needed to report them to the project manager.
Procurement Management
The main objective of the CCWP’s procurement-management planning was to meet two requirements: (1) achieving value for money and (2) complying with NSW government procurement policies and guiding principles.
Procurement guidelines were included in the PEP to guide country teams through all procurement requirements, from procurement decisions to the satisfactory completion of contracts. The project manager was also available to advise team members whenever required. A thorough examination of activity-based patterns at the subproject stage helped team members define a group of activities for each subproject. Following the project-delivery methodology, they documented each procurement requirement, such as acquiring off-the-shelf equipment, establishing leasing arrangements with service providers, using contractors, and using in-house facilities. This work formed part of defining the initial scope of each subproject. The procurement plan proposed by country teams for each subproject was analyzed at the central office. This was followed by preparation of a coordinated procurement plan covering procurement work across RNS units, including monitoring of progress milestones. Some procurement work was pooled to achieve value for money, while other work was kept separate as part of a plan to reduce dependencies among subprojects. Moreover, country teams were permitted to submit purchase requisitions, which were assessed at the central office as part of the approval process.
Supplier agreements also supported the purchase of equipment as required for subprojects without sacrificing quantity discounts. This allowed equipment to be delivered in multiple consignments and helped meet the procurement needs of individual subprojects.
Review of Project Closure
A structured study was conducted after the conclusion of the project’s second year to inform the development of the project-closure report. The study reviewed the views of project participants, RNS staff members, the steering committee, and support staff, all of whom contributed to the development of the closure report. The focus was on suggesting improvements to the project-management practices used in the project. To provide the required data, participants were asked to analyze what had been done well, what had gone wrong, and the reasons for those outcomes. They were also asked what could be done to correct problems and what improvements could be introduced in the next project. Participants were given a table and asked to provide information covering nine major areas of project management and four learning requirements. The NSWP Internal Audit group also conducted an audit review during the second year of the project. The audit report produced specific findings concerning planning, implementation, completion, and finance.
Lessons
Important factors affecting the performance of virtual project teams were reviewed by compiling information from three sources: the project-closure report, the project manager’s experience, and the NSWP audit report. These factors were published in the paper (Kuruppuarachchi, 2006). They can be classified into three major areas:
- Development of supporting systems for virtual teams;
- Effective control and monitoring.
Support systems specifically designed for virtual teams can be provided while improving the organization’s routine activities. The following initiatives are proposed:
- Compliance with proven management practices.
- Improving the project-management skills of staff members without limiting their ability to perform daily operational duties.
- Engaging engineering teams to develop technical-product standards for future projects without waiting for project initiation.
- Continually maintaining current information based on user needs and available technologies.
- Maintaining good relationships with members of the organization and relevant external agencies, including government bodies, power utilities, and carriers.
- Minimizing delays in certain project tasks, for example, through the use of memoranda of understanding.
- Developing knowledge-management systems, especially for general information and valuable documentary knowledge from experienced people.
- Developing management groups to plan future projects.
- Identifying resource requirements for effective project management, including detailed planning, procurement management, documentation, and budget control.
- Establishing methods and mechanisms for better control, quality control, and risk management.
- Reaching mutual agreement on work responsibilities.
- Conducting workshops at the start of the project to establish trust and achieve a common understanding of work duties.
- Identifying formal and informal communication needs and agreeing on formal communication systems for status reporting, control, and monitoring.
- Establishing procedures for project activities, such as understanding user requirements and undertaking procurement.
- Using appropriate electronic communication methods such as telephone, email, and video conferencing.
- Following the code of conduct, especially regarding access to information.
- Identifying disputes within teams.
- Conducting regular meetings at two levels: (1) the project level and (2) the subproject level.
- Maintaining an atmosphere of trust and good relationships.
Conclusion
Virtual teams provide organizations with cost savings, flexibility, and other advantages, but they also create challenges related to communication and leadership (Walker, Anthony, 2015). These challenges include deficiencies in project visibility, failure to address the emotional needs of members, communication problems, and technological barriers such as poor data coverage in some distant areas. As a result, miscommunication can occur and affect team performance. However, these communication-related issues can be reduced by deploying effective and modern communication equipment. Advanced technologies can help achieve better results. Virtual teams also need the required skills to undertake tasks comprehensively while following client requirements. Because team members are geographically separated, an overall environment of trust should be developed among them; this provides a foundation for virtual collaboration (Peters & Manz, 2007, p. 124).
An efficient virtual team can be developed when employees are well-disciplined and have a thorough understanding of project-management concepts gained from their other daily work experiences (Iorio et al., 2015). They should also be well-versed in quality assessment and related tasks. The most important factor is teamwork.
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