Final Exam This exam is based on the sample problem that was assigned early in the course. You…
Final Exam
This exam is based on the sample problem that was assigned
early in the course. You should draw upon information about this case that was
supplied to you.
Acme Industries is looking at the introduction of a new
product for a new client. It has determined the required activities, estimated
time (in weeks) and assigned individuals to work on this project. The list of
activities, time estimates, precedent relationships and assigned staff are
provided in Table 1.
Table 1.
Activity
Description
Duration
Predecessors
Resources
A
Conduct competitive
analysis
3
–
Bob, Henry, Ted
B
Review field sales
reports
2
–
Janine
C
Conduct technical
capabilities assessment
5
–
Janine, Ed, Bob, Clara
D
Develop focus group data
2
A,B,C
Janine, Rowena, Clara
E
Conduct telephone surveys
3
D
Janine, Rowena, Karl, Jake
F
Identify relevant
specification improvements
3
Ed, Bob, Henry
G
Interface with marketing
staff
1
F
Janine, Rowena, Larry
H
Develop engineering
specifications
5
G
Janine, Ed, Bob, Clara
I
Check and debug designs
4
H
Clara, Rolf, Vincent
J
Develop testing protocol
3
G
Ed, Vincent
K
Identify critical
performance levels
2
J
Bob, Henry, Oscar
L
Assess and modify product
components
6
I,J
Ed, Bob, Ted
M
Conduct capabilities
assessment
12
L
Bob. Ted, Vincent, Joel
N
Identify selection
criteria
3
M
Ted, Ed, Clara
O
Develop RFQ
4
M
Henry, Bob
P
Develop production master
schedule
5
N,O
Clara, Bob, Oscar, Vincent
Q
Liase with sales staff
1
P
Janine, Larry
R
Prepare product launch
3
Q
Bob, Henry, Ted, Janine
The resource labeled Bob has been assigned the job of project
manager. Bob is 31 years old. He has had no prior experience as a project
manager on the job of the size and importance. He has considerable expertise
and product development. On the other hand, Ted is 47 years old and has had
extensive experience in managing software projects. Ted is resentful that he
wasn’t assigned the job of project manager. He believes Bob got this
opportunity because these being mentored by an executive vice president. Janine
is 21 years old and has worked with Bob for several years. They’ve developed an
excellent rapport with each other and Janine was the only team member that Bob
was allowed to choose. Ed and Clara our field engineers with years of
experience. The rest of the team has had extensive experience with projects of
this type.
As a way of starting the project, Bob invited all
participants to an open meeting. He expressed his belief that given the tight
time constraints on the project it was important for all participants to feel
comfortable to express their viewpoints. Immediately, Ted spoke up and stated
his belief that a felt the project was off to a bad start because of the
failure to discuss the possible use of Capability Maturity Model Integration,
Systems Development Lifecycle, Unified Process, Agile Modeling or Scrum. It was
clear to everyone at Ted was indicating his lack of faith involves skills as a
project manager.
Bob acknowledged Ted suggestions. He said that he would
provide a formal review of each approach at the next meeting which was to be
held in four days. Bob then brought up the topic of a project charter. He
suggested that he would present the entire team a draft of such a charter at
the next meeting, asked for their input’s and recommendations and asked him to
sign off on the charter.
Janine stated that on many of the projects that she had
worked with it was critical, clear understanding of the subcomponents of the
overall plan for the project she suggests that the template for the strategic
plan be prepared by Bob, Ed, Ted, Clara, Rowena and herself.
Clara pointed out that they were being asked to develop a
new product outside of their normal expertise and that of Brisbane done for a
client which they had no prior experience. She said “I feel the hot breath
of Murphy breathing down our necks”. And she went on to state that she
felt that this project had numerous hidden risk that you would be much more
comfortable in there was a coherent plan to do with those risk.
In many ways she was prescient, by the completion of
Activity J (Develop Testing Protocol) the project was $75,000 over budget and
2.5 weeks overscheduled. At the beginning of the project top-level management
viewed the completion of Activity J as the midpoint of the total project.
Bob recognized that the team needed to bring the project
back on schedule and to reduce the excess spending. By the time the team had
completed Activity M the project was back on schedule. Everyone had felt that
they had a terrific job. Bob agreed with that viewpoint. Bob received a notice
that he was going to brief the CEO and the client. The project was over budget
and was back on track and cost-cutting had reduced the size of the overruns on
the budget. When Bob met with the CEO and the client expressed their admiration
and respect for both Bob and his team.However,the client stated that his in-house
marketing team was no longer as positive about the market viability of the
product that Bob and his team were working on. The client stated that he would
come to a decision in two weeks as to whether to continue work on the product.
He had promised to send you that the next product development of his company
would be given to Bob and his team. Bob left the meeting unsure as to whether
the project would be finished.
1. Bob wanted to address opening attack
with a flexible response at the next meeting. He wanted to prepare a proposal
that highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, plus an analysis
of the appropriateness of each approach to product development. Help Bob
prepare this report. (15 points)
2. Discuss what should be in this
project’s charter. You can provide this in an outline format, but provide a
rationale for each component. Discuss the importance of each element. (15
points)
3. Discuss what should go into the
strategic plan. Provide a rationale for each component. Discuss the importance
of each element. (10 points)
4. How would address Clara’s concerns
about risk management? (10 points)
4. Bob recognized early that team dynamics
are critical to the success of the project. What would you advise Bob to do to
ensure a cohesive team. How should Bob deal with Ted? What might you anticipate
as the major behavioral problems? (15 points)
5. In Table 2, we provide the weekly cost
of each team participant. Given these costs, what would you do as an Earned
Value Analysis at the completion of Activity J. (20 points)
6. After Bob’s meeting with the CEO and
client, Ted organized several other team members to asked Bob what happened. Bob
could tell them the truth, but that might destroy the morale of the team and
reduce their effectiveness. Even if the project is continued the team might no
longer function as successfully as they had in the last several weeks. If he
doesn’t tell them exactly what had happened and any team member discovers what
had happened that I would lose all credibility. Put yourself in Bob’s shoes and
determined that he should tell them. Provide detailed rationale for your
arguments. (15 Points)
Table 2.
Resource
Weekly
$
Resource
Weekly
$
Bob
$1,700
Karl, Jake
$1,000
Ted
$1,600
Larry, Rolf
$900
Janine
$1,250
Vincent
$800
Henry, Ed, Clara
$1.375
Joel
$750
Rowena
$1,100
Oscar
$675
