Project Analysis of Program Management Office

Project and Process Analysis of Program Management Office;

Banglalink Digital Communication Ltd

Since Banglalink’s launch in February 2005, its impact was felt immediately overnight mobile telephony became an affordable option for customers across a wide range of market segments. Currently, Banglalink is the second largest telecom operator in Bangladesh in terms of market share. This enormous achievement would not have been possible without the satisfaction and retention of the loyal Banglalink subscribers. Highlighting the previous statement, this report solely focuses on the activities of the loyalty and partnership division of Banglalink.

Objective of the Study:

General Objective:

The key objective of this report is to assess the PMO functions, different aspects of PMO, overall analysis of financial performance of the organization to recommend the changes those can add up to the performance of the organization.

Specific Objective:

The specific objectives of this study are:

To know about the organization and its parent in details and the ownership structures.
To have an overview on the products and services offered by Banglalink Digital Communications Ltd.
To be identified with the Program management team of Banglalink Digital Communications Ltd.
To understand and analyze the Program Management process in Banglalink
To know about the challenges of their process.
To perform a financial analysis on Banglalink Digital Communications Ltd.

Company Profile:

Organizational Background

Orascom Telecom Bangladesh Limited is a constrained obligation open organization consolidated in Bangladesh. The organization is putting forth its administrations under the brand names Banglalink and Icon. Its head office is named as “Tigers lair” which is located in House no. 4, SW, BirUttam Mir Shawkat Sharak, Gulshan-1, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Sheba Telecom (PVT Ltd) at long last was conceded permit in 1989 to work in the rustic territories of 199 upazilas. Later it acquired GSM permit in 1996 to broaden its business to cell portable, radio phone administrations. It propelled operation in the last quarter of 1997 as a Bangladesh-Malaysia joint wander. In July, 2004, it was accounted for that Egypt based Orascom Telecom is situated to buy the Malaysian stakes in Sheba Telecom through a quiet arrangement, as Sheba had neglected to tap the business possibilities in Bangladesh predominantly because of an unending fight between its Malaysian and Bangladeshi accomplices. In September 2004, Orascom Telecom Holdings acquired 100% of the shares of Sheba Telecom (Pvt.) Limited (-Sheba). It was gained for us$60 million. Sheba had a base of 59,000 clients, of whom 49,000 were customary when it was sold. A short time later it was remarked and propelled its administrations under the ―Banglalink mark on February 10, 2005. In March, 2008, Sheba Telecom (Pvt.) Limited transformed its name as Orascom Telecom Bangladesh Limited, matching its parent organization name.

This positive change that is effectively credited to Banglalink, has turned into the corporate situating of Banglalink and is interpreted in their trademark “Begin Something New”. Banglalink accomplished 1 million endorsers by December 2005 and 3 million supporters in October 2006.

In less than two years which is by December 2007, Banglalink overwhelmed Robi (Aktel) to turn into the second biggest administrator in Bangladesh with more than 7.1 million clients. Banglalink presently has 25.49 million endorsers as of June 2012.

The Company’s Major Functions and Products:

PREPAID PACKAGES:

Banglalink primarily recommends two prepaid plans; Deshand Bangalink play. Adding some changes with BanglalinkDesh they offer their other prepaid packages like Deshhello, Desh7FNF, Desh 10 FNF and others.

Banglalink launched Desh on September14, 2006. Desh is one of the cheapest prepaid plans in the country by tariff. It gives you 10 paisa per 10 second to all BanglalinkFNF numbers, all day long.
Banglalink play provides 16 FNF at any number and at the best rate is 4.17 paisa per 10 sec. Besides for special FNF 29 paisa per SMS and 100 SMS only at 99 paisa per day can get on BanglalinkPlay.

POSTPAID PACKAGES:

Banglalink post-paid packages are mostly customer centric and it provides customer the best value for money. Currently there are two postpaid plans from Banglalink. These are:

Banglalink Inspire:

It brings special new features for post-paid subscribers with extremely low call rates, along with the lots of FNF numbers and many other services and facilities. No deposit is required for autobill pay subscribers. Every new connection has 300 SMS per month (to any operator), 500 MMS per month, 100 MB internet pack per month, Amar tune subscription and news service subscription free for the first 3 months. In Banglalink Inspire, 42 paisa per minute call rate for two supplementary numbers.

BanglalinkSME:

Banglalink SME package offers attractive tariffs and a complete package customized to suit the needs of small and medium enterprises. Banglalink SME package offers flexibility to choose from two packages Banglalink SME- postpaid and Banglalink SME call &control. It offers 1second pulse to Banglalink numbers and 10% bonus on incoming calls from other operators.

BANGLALINK 3G:

Banglalink 3G provides customers to surf the internet with fastest internet speed even on the move with the superior HSPA+ connection. Banglalink 3G brings the experience of using mobile broadband on 3G mobile phone/device. Banglalink 3G people are enjoying superior video streaming, download experiences, enhanced video calling, high-speed data transmission and accessing innovative 3G services on the mobile phones. In 2014, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission declared that Banglalink‟s third- generation data service fastest in the country. Besides providing the fastest 3G internet, Banglalinkis only the second telecom operators in Bangladesh to cover 64 district headquarters.

SERVICE OFFERED:

To introducing state-of-the-art communication solutions for its customers Banglalink has always been the market leader. They are continuously adding up to the range of their Value Added Services, all for customer convenience.

The Value Added Services (VAS) Section will disseminate the consumer with the new services that can now benefit from, which will give them all the freedom they need, making mobile communications more exciting, convenient and enjoyable. Since its beginning, Banglalink has always endeavored to offer its customers with innovative products and services on a regular basis. Banglalink offers the following Value Added Services that designed to meet customer‟s needs: GolpoChoraGan, Friend Finder, Amar Tune, Azan Alert, Namaz Alert, Stock Information, BanglalinkJigyasha, Quran, Messenger, Call Block, Internet, Voice Adda, Missed call Alert, Song Dedication, Call Me Back, SMS (Text, Quotes, Jokes), SMS email, SMS Adda, SMS Facebook, Daily Facebook, Instant Recharge, Money Transfer from Abroad.

Quality of Service:

Customer Care

Banglalink Customer Care is turned out to be a key quality to the organization with an enthusiasm to give quality administration under the topic of ―kothaDilam. Condition of the workmanship Banglalink Call Center coddling in excess of 23.75 million clients equipped for replying in excess of 68 thousand calls with different questions consistently. With strict administration quality checking, Banglalink Call Center figured out how to keep up around 91% administration quality and an ideal administration level. Additionally, a mechanized ―e-voucher

IVR framework for the retailers helps serve essential inquiries quicker and in this manner decreased such calls arriving at operators‟ level.

Network Strength:

Through persistent efforts, Banglalink has kept on developing its GSM system, which is without further ado a standout amongst the most extensive networks in Bangladesh, arriving at reaching approximately 97% of the aggregate population and more or less 79.60% of the topographical region as of December 2011. With more than 7,000 BTS, Banglalink has been giving scope and administrations in each of the 64 areas of Bangladesh. In 2012, around 1,000 BTS destinations were on air, out of which around half are for new scope and rest are densification locales.

Corporate Social Responsibilities

Banglalink has constantly strives to have any kind of effect by expanding the welfare of the nation through socially capable exercises. In accordance with this, Banglalink has taken various after activities round the year

Cox„s Bazaar Sea Beach Cleaning Project and International Coastal Cleanup Day
Donating Blankets at Orphanages
Special arrangements for Hajj Pilgrims at the Hajj Camp
Water & Date Distribution and Iftar at Orphanages during Ramadan
ICT Support for Students: Computer Lab Set Up

Industry Analysis:

Barriers for New Entrants:

Higher hindrance infers lower rivalry, again lower boundaries for new contestants suggests higher rivalry on the business. In Bangladesh entrance boundaries are high. Because of tenets and regulation there are just six organizations can work business in Bangladesh. This additionally reflects the high exchanging expense for the business operations. Additionally, the high exchanging expense and government regulation on High permit charge has made the business considerably harder for a participant’s right to gain entrance.

Bargaining Power of the Suppliers:

To secure telecom particular gears, like cutting edge broadband exchanging supplies, fiber-optic links, mobile handsets, billing software and the likes, the each organization needs to rely on upon the suppliers. Huawei, the Chinese telecom gear producer is one of the major suppliers of telecom supplies in Bangladesh. Vimpelcom (also known as ‘BeeLine’) – started from Russia gives voice and data services through a range of wireless, fixed, and broadband technologies to Djuice (a Vital Specialty Unit (SBU) of Grameenphone) and Banglalink in Bangladesh.

Grameenphone takes Sun oriented Force Help from Summit Tele Power Ltd. from India. These assets guarantee bounteous supply backing to the nation’s telecom industry. This is the reason; the dealing force of suppliers in the business is low because of more noteworthy option supply sources.

Bargaining Power of the Buyers:

Around 40% of the population exists under poverty line that is more averse to buy mobile phones. In whatever is left of 60% of the population who has the capacity to buy a mobile phone, has one or various phones. Around 46% of the aggregate population has cell phones and the greater parts of the subscribers are within the 60% portion that lives over the poverty line. The business is very nearly at the crest as far as client era. Holding client is the key test of the business which is the reason dealing force of the client in this industry is high. Besides, clients are less intrigued to have new contact numbers, and more importantly low pricing on call rate are establishing stronger position for buyers in the industry.

Threat of Alternative Product/Service:

The organizations like -Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd, People’s Telecommunication & Information Services, Rangs Telecom Limited, Jubok Phone, Bijoy Phone Onetel Communications, National Telecom, Westec, Dhaka Telephone Company Limited, Sheba Phone, S.A. Telecom Systems Limited and so forth are giving Public Switched Telephone Network or PSTN administration to the clients. This PSTN administration could be an alternative option for communication. Still there is need of alternate product because of technological insufficient advancement. So the risk of interchange item or administration is not that much.

Competition among Existing Competitors:

The six operators – Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi, Airtel, Citycell&Teletalk are presently running the business. Grameenphone claims the most noteworthy piece of the pie, remaining in a beneficial position than others. Each one organization is attempting to gain market share by low call rate, unrivaled network coverage & better Value Added Services. The opposition has driven the business’ average revenue per share to a low stamp. For this reason, telecom organizations are incurring losses. The primary motive of this value rivalry is to switch clients from the contenders. Considering the intensity of the competition- the rivalry among existing contender is high. The later piece of the study gives a definite view on the aggressive environment of the nation’s telecom industry.

Industry Analysis:

Barriers for New Entrants:

Bargaining Power of the Suppliers:

Bargaining Power of the Buyers:

Threat of Alternative Product/Service:

Competition among Existing Competitors:

SWOT Analysis:

Banglalink has some inside quality and shortcoming alongside external opportunity and treats. These things have been depicted underneath.

Strength Analysis:

High Market Growth& Second Highest Subscriber Base:

From the rise (in 2005) of Banglalink, the organization figured out how to keep up forceful development in the business by being one of the quickest developing versatile operators. The organization figured out how to achieve one million subscribers inside the initial 9 months of operation. Once more, Banglalink attained ten million subscribers stamp in just 3.5 years. The organization created a 14 million client’s base in under seven years (2005-2011). This fast development of the organization is acting as a corporate goodwill for the organization.

Greater Public Attention:

The organization’s popular services like – Krishibazar (farming data based administration), Mobile Remittance Service, the limited time activities like – Cox’s Bazar Sea Beach Cleaning Project, JagoronerGaan, New7wonders, ModhuMela, BoshontoUthshab and beautiful & engaging TV ads dealt with an enormous client consideration for Banglalink which can be a solid potential for the organization if the organization guarantees prevalent administration.

Agro-Information Based Service – Krishi Bazar:

Bangladesh is an agro-based economy. Banglalink’s recently developed idea Krishi Bazar is getting consideration in the horticulture market. (Akhter, 2011) More than 45% of the nation’s work power is from agribusiness. Administration like – Krishi Bazar can be a gigantic potential for creating and promoting another business section for the organization.

Mobile Remittance:

Banglalink without precedent for Bangladesh (and in South-Asia) propelled Mobile Remittance Service as a team with Dhaka Bank Limited and Eastern Bank Limited. There are around 3.5 million transient laborers who make a yearly commitment of around BDT 700 billion to the national economy. This administration will permit the rustic populace to gather with their relatives’ settlements through a helpful way. This quality to join with the country individuals and the outside vagrant specialists can go about as a tremendous extension for the organization to produce

Weakness Analysis:

Weak Financial Structure:

All the speculation exercises for the organization is financed just by Banglalink’s guardian auxiliary Vimplecom. This covey‟s higher capital hazard on Vimplecom yet come about slower development potential for Banglalink. Other real telecom organizations like – Airtel (BhartiAirtel-Warid joint wander), Robi (Axiata-Docomo joint wander), Grameenphone (Telenor-Grameen Telecom joint wander) have stronger subsidizing sources which places Banglalink in relatively weaker position in the business.

Weaker Network Coverage:

The organization at present has system scope of around 90% of the nation. The organization is neglecting to guarantee development in scope in contrast with the development of organization’s client number. As an aftereffect of this occasionally clients are having baffling knowledge for not having system in their crises and this is harming the organization’s notoriety of value administration supplier.

Incurring Loss:

Despite the fact that the organization’s EBITDA is having a tremendous augmentation from BDT 0.27 billion (year 2008) to BDT 7.32 billion (year 2009). The organization is failing to win benefit. In year 2009, the organization acquired a loss of BDT 3.07 billion which is such a baffling reality for such a guaranteeing organization. The fundamental reasons working behind the constant misfortunes are – nonstop speculation on organization’s assets and low Average Revenue every User of the business.

Customer’s Lack of Interest to Switch:

Since clients have a tendency to keep up a unique contact number, they are less concerned about brand exchanging. Since Grameenphone has the biggest client base, it is a test for Banglalink administration to switch a Grameenphone client towards Banglalink services.

Opportunity Analysis:

Alternative Source of Capital Rising:

The organization has the chance of outside financing from different sources. The organization’s administration is looking for merger or securing open door from the business. Besides, the organization wants to raise capital through issuing Initial Public Offering (IPO). Banglalink obliges substantial capital backing so as to get by in the business and the outside store can assume an instrumental part in extra gathering pledges.

M-Banking:

Banglalink made a concurrence with Dutch Bangla Bank Limited to create a Mobile Banking Platform that will make a helpful & secure channel for exchange. According to the understanding, chose Banglalink appropriation outlets will be utilized as Dutch Bangia Bank’s money focuses. Banglalink’s M-Banking stage can prompt give versatile based monetary administrations at more noteworthy scale which permits making fresher product offerings with new clients for the organization.

New Technology:

Banglalink has effectively presented 3g web modem capacities in the business. The current web access from Banglalink is yet to be encouraging. Quicker & reliable web execution can bring an entire new client base for any organization. Banglalink being the second biggest of the telecom area can abuse this opportunity and effortlessly use it for exchanging clients from the organization’s rivals.

Infrastructure Sharing:

Since Banglalink does not have the greatest system scope the organization can look for practical system base imparting. Actually Banglalink figured out how to gain enthusiasm of Grameenphone to impart base for both organization. Both organization collaborated and consented to a framework imparting Arrangement. As a consequence of this understanding, Banglalink is having the system scope from Grameenphone again and Grameenphone is having the right to gain entrance to Banglalink’s progressed innovative assets.

Appealing Niche – Reaching the Unmet Needs with Wider Network Coverage: The current system scope for Banglalink is 90% of the nation where Grameenphone has around 98% of the nation’s system scope. This infers that, there is 8% of the aggregate system where Banglalink could impart clients to Grameenphone and 2% of the aggregate nation’s unmet need which Banglalink could investigate and create new income sources.

Threat Analysis:

Price War:

All the six organizations are contending to get the business sector through low pricing. As an aftereffect of this, Average Revenue every User is frequently diminishing and coming about as a loss. In recent years just Grameenphone figured out how to gain benefit where other companies had to incur loss. Grameenphone has the strongest piece of the overall industry in the nation which is permitting the organization to create income from its greater client base of the business.

Be that as it may Banglalink does not have as much enormous client base contender Grameenphone does. Under these circumstances, ‘value war’ is by all accounts the greatest risk for Banglalink that can harm the fate of the organization.

Competitor:

Banglalink has a few immediate contenders like – Grameenphone, Robi, Citycell, Airtel, and Teletalk (BTCL) and aberrant contenders like – Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), other web access suppliers (Banglalion, Wimax). All these contenders are concocting different methods to have comparative target clients with Banglalink and reason lower benefit for the organization.

Regulations:

The regulative blemishes are influencing the development capability of the telecom business which is similarly confronted by all the six administrators of the nation.

Unfavorable Business Environment:

Issues like – power lack and vitality deficiencies, value treks, high swelling and characteristic disasters are the major unfavorable fixings of the business environment of Bangladesh which are having an effect on the telecom business alongside other industries.

Criticisms and penalty:

In October, 2007, BTRC fined Banglalink Tk. 1.25 billion for its contribution in illicit VoIP or call termination business. Then the BTRC chairman real general (retd.) Manzurul Alam affirmed Banglalink’s inclusion in the unlawful exchange. Banglalink, in any case, in an announcement said the organization has consented to set aside a few minutes settled installment of Tk. 1.25 billion to the administration as remuneration for its misfortune in incomes.

Process preparation steps:

Process request receive procedure: Every department has different objectives and tasks to fulfill which requires a customized workflow. When a department or unit identifies a requirement for a process for a particular task; they communicate with PMO and share the scope of the process along with the core stakeholders. Once the scope is approved and finalized, PMO starts developing the process with all the stakeholders.

Stakeholder identification: Different process requires different stakeholders from different departments. For a particular task, the departments who are related with that task,sends a POC (person/point of contact) who attends all the meetings and represents his departments and guides how his department or unit will help or act according to the related process. At the very beginning, PMO asks for POCs from all the necessary departments for a process who supports through the entire process development.

Process Meeting: Meeting is a very important part of developing a process. Here, POCs from different departments sit together to develop the process and assign the tasks for each unit and describes how do they do the tasks. The initial meeting is all about a brief understanding of the process from the process owner who describes and elaborates the necessary of the task and the work flow. Later, several meetings are conducted for detail understanding and clarification of the process and finding the bottlenecks and resolving them. For a successful process, several meetings are called with the stakeholders; and one to one meetings are also conducted for personal understanding. All these meetings are arranged by PMO process owner, and under his observation the whole process is completed.

Initial draft preparation: After several meetings, a draft structure is made with inputs and responsibilities from all the units. Banglalink PMO has a particular format for documenting all the process.

Cover:

The cover page of every process has a particular format. It consists of the name of the process, the owning department and unit of the project, issuing and next revision date, version number and the name of the PMO representative who prepared the whole process.

Purpose:

This part briefly describes the sole objective for the existence of this process.

Scope:

This part elaborates how this process fulfills the objectives of this process and serves better efficiency and advantages for the whole activity.

Definition and Abbreviation

Some particular company abbreviations are generally used to minimize the length of the sentence, which might not be familiar to other departments. That‟s why all the abbreviation s are elaborated at the very beginning of the process so that the reader wouldn‟t face any trouble understanding them.

Process Flow/Steps:

This is the main part of the process where all the steps are described elaborately that how an activity will be done accordingly. The process flow is also incorporated with the responsible departments and a particular timeline for every step.

Process Swimlane:

Swimlane is similar to flow chart, however it is done in Microsoft Visio application which sums up the whole process in a figurative presentation which is easier to understand at a glance.

RACI Matrix:

RACI stands for – Responsible/Accountable/Consulted/Informed

Responsible: People who are expected to act actively participate in the activity and contribute to the best of their abilities.

Accountable: The person who is ultimately responsible for the results

Consulted: People who must be consulted for some other reason before a final decision is made

Informed: People who are affected by the activity/decision and therefore need to be kept informed but do not participate in the effort

Approval and Distribution:

After preparing the final process, the hard copy of the document is circulated to all the stakeholders and POCs, once all the corrections are applied, the POCs and department heads approve the process by signing on the document.

References:

References for further review with other processes are liked here for future needs.

Meeting and Modification: Once the draft is emailed to all the stakeholders, different modifications and inputs come up from the stakeholdersfor fine tuning the process. Meetings are also called for notifying the other stakeholders regarding the modification.
Final Process for Approval: After the modification part, once all the stakeholders agree to the final process, it goes for final printing and approval from all the stakeholders. Then the approved hard copy is scanned and the soft copy is archived to the database for easy access for any necessity.

Document Archiving Automation:

Document Archiving scope deals with scanning, indexing, import electronic files from email or any other source/system and folders into a central location and distribute important documents in a standardized format. This process is also a part of “Going Paperless Project”

Also, the physical document(s) to be archived by the solution provider in a convenient method with the option of searching and tracking of the hard copies.

The core business objective of document scanning and archiving the soft copy into a central depository and reduce the usage and maintenance of the hard copy which can be accessed through the database by the users of the documents as and when required along with the visibility of the hardcopy location.

The main purpose of implementing Document Archiving is:

Minimizing the time of retrieving any information regarding the documents through the system
Having backup of the hardcopy in image or pdf format
Keep track of the location of the hardcopy for further use
Easy access for all the users in real-time and minimizing the overall time constrain.
Ensure less usage of papers and storage

Findings and Recommendations:

To conclude, I would like to reinforce the fact that “Establishing a PMO is not a simple solution to a complex problem”. Having a PMO does not, by itself, increase project success. It‟s what the PMO does that makes the difference; and that should depend on how successful you already are in delivering projects and programmes, what problems you expect the PMO to address and the aspects of portfolio, programme and project management you want to improve.

Being clear about the business objectives for implementing a PMO or developing its role is essential if it is to deliver significant improvements in project performance and justify the cost. Which and how many of the four objectives we described at the start are relevant will depend on the business problems the PMO is intended to overcome. Once the problems are clear and agreed, the type and range of services required to address them can be defined. This will determine the type of PMO that is needed. Only then can the type of skill and expertise needed by the PMO staff be identified, roles defined and activities to deploy, manage and develop people to deliver the PMO services undertaken. Working in the PMO should be an opportunity for both individuals to develop their skills and knowledge and for the organisation to increase its project and programme management capabilities.

What then becomes critical is that project and programme managers and senior management make efficient and effective use of the services and capabilities of the PMO. And finally it is important to define the metrics by which the performance of the PMO will be assessed and evaluated, both directly (the effectiveness of its services) and indirectly (the improvements it enables in project, programme and portfolio decision making and outcomes).

But that is not the end of the story. Research shows that few PMOs are stable: as issues evolve, business circumstances change and the PMO achieves some or all of its objectives, its purpose and role need to be reappraised and its services and resources adapted to remain effective or developed to meet new challenges that emerge.

Conclusion:

The primary goal of a PMO is to achieve benefits from standardizing and following project management policies, processes and methods. Over time, a PMO generally becomes the source for guidance, documentation, and metrics related to the practices involved in managing and implementing projects within the organization. A PMO may also get involved in project-related tasks and follow up on project activities through completion. The office may report on project activities, problems and requirements to executive management as a strategic tool in keeping implementers and decision makers moving toward consistent, business- or mission-focused goals and objectives. And I believe that PMO unit of Banglalink Digital Communications has so far done an amazing job. I am glad to had the opportunity of doing my internship at PMO unit and I wish the team thanks and all the very best in future.