PROCUREMENT MONITORING
Define and explain procurement monitoring and how it helps identify potential issues early. Include techniques used for monitoring.
Provide two examples of early warning signs related to purchased items on a project with which you are familiar. This project could be one on which youve worked or one identified through research.
Conclude the body of your paper with an example of a project that could benefit from early warning sign monitoring, whether personal or sourced from a case study.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Procurement Monitoring: Identifying Potential Issues Early
Introduction
Procurement monitoring is a crucial aspect of project management that involves overseeing the procurement process to ensure compliance, efficiency, and timely delivery of goods and services. By actively monitoring procurement activities, project managers can identify potential issues early on, mitigate risks, and maintain project timelines and budgets.
Definition of Procurement Monitoring
Procurement monitoring refers to the continuous surveillance and assessment of procurement activities to track progress, identify deviations from the planned procurement process, and address issues promptly. It involves monitoring key performance indicators, vendor performance, contract compliance, and overall procurement activities to ensure successful project outcomes.
How Procurement Monitoring Helps Identify Potential Issues Early
1. Early Risk Identification: By monitoring procurement activities closely, project managers can identify potential risks such as supplier delays, quality issues, or budget overruns before they escalate, allowing for proactive risk mitigation strategies.
2. Timely Issue Resolution: Procurement monitoring enables quick detection of deviations from the planned procurement process, facilitating timely intervention to address issues, renegotiate contracts, or seek alternative solutions to prevent project delays or disruptions.
Techniques Used for Monitoring
1. Performance Metrics Tracking: Monitoring and analyzing key performance indicators related to procurement activities, such as supplier lead times, delivery performance, and cost variances, can provide insights into the effectiveness of the procurement process.
2. Regular Audits and Reviews: Conducting periodic audits of procurement documentation, contracts, invoices, and vendor performance can help in detecting discrepancies, ensuring compliance, and maintaining transparency throughout the procurement lifecycle.
Examples of Early Warning Signs Related to Purchased Items
1. Supplier Communication Breakdown: In a construction project I was involved in, a sudden lack of communication from a key supplier regarding delivery schedules indicated a potential issue with the supplier’s reliability or capacity to meet project deadlines.
2. Quality Defects in Received Goods: In a manufacturing project, the discovery of consistent quality defects in purchased raw materials served as an early warning sign of potential supplier quality issues that could impact product manufacturing processes and final product quality.
Project Benefiting from Early Warning Sign Monitoring
Imagine a software development project where there is a reliance on a single software vendor for critical components. Implementing procurement monitoring techniques such as performance metrics tracking and regular audits could help in identifying early warning signs like missed delivery milestones or communication breakdowns with the vendor. By proactively monitoring these signs and taking corrective actions, the project can avoid disruptions and maintain progress towards successful completion.
In conclusion, procurement monitoring is essential for project success as it allows for the early identification of potential issues related to purchased items. By employing effective monitoring techniques and actively addressing early warning signs, project managers can enhance risk management, ensure compliance, and maintain project deliverables within set timelines and budgets. Prioritizing procurement monitoring is key to achieving successful project outcomes in today’s dynamic business environment.
