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Course ProjectPart 1 – Building Your Project PlanYou and your
- 1. Course Project Part 1 – Building Your Project Plan You and your project team must develop a new project (product or service oriented) for your organization. Company Background Tell the story (who, what, when, where, how) of the company or organization for which this project is being done. · Who founded this company? Who are its leaders? · What does this company make or do? What is its target market? What is its financial performance? · When was the company founded? Where was/is it located? · How does the company operate? How effective is the company in its industry? How are its competitors placed in the market? If using a company website, be sure to cite the source!Current Process What is the current process or existing scenario for accomplishing the company’s goals? In other words, how does the company conduct business? If, for example, it is a construction business building new homes, what would be the process that encompasses the company’s procedure from advertising through getting customers, doing the project and closing out the project deliverable. This current process might be something like: 1) Receive customer specifications 2) Design preliminary floor plan and elevation 3) Send preliminary documents to customer 4) Receive and execute customer changes 5) Create bid for customer contract 6) Run bid through technical and legal departments 7) Ship bid to customer 8) Follow up with customer 9) Negotiate details of bid acceptance 10) Build the negotiated architectural design 11) Oversee construction budget
- 2. 12) Deliver agreed upon product to customer 13) Receive payment 14) Close out project using lessons learned approach Your project must fit within the framework of the company’s business. In other words, if the company builds single family residences, your project would not be for an office building. It must be related to a specific type of single family home/townhouse. Project Overview The project overview is a report on the project undertaking and a discussion of the general situation management finds itself in. This provides important context for the project management team to use in determining methods, approaches, and timeframes, as well as a scope. For example, if building a new home, you should state whether it will have one or two stories, three or four bedrooms, and any other rooms that are to be included. There may be important details regarding the lot, area of town, and other issues such as landscaping. Be as detailed as possible, since this will assist the instructor in understanding and ultimately approving your project based on his/her belief that you have a viable project topic for a team of 3-4 persons. Objectives Objectives describe concrete outcomes that a project will meet so as to be deemed a success. Goals need to be described as specifically as necessary-but no more specifically than that. The purpose is not to artificially constrain the project but to limit the project to as wide a range of acceptable outcomes as possible. Targets are measurements of how well the goals were met. For example: Goals Targets 1) Provide construction blueprints to customer Excellent = < 4 days Good = < 1 week Acceptable = < 2 weeks 2) Decrease delivery time on all raw materials from 10 days Excellent = -40%
- 3. Good = -30% Acceptable = -15% 3) Reduce amount of rework from inspections Excellent = -80% Good = -65% Acceptable = -50% 5) Decrease cost overruns Excellent = -40% Good = -30% Acceptable = -15% General Approach What will be the general project approach taken, in terms of managerial and technical changes, to create these changes through the project? For example: Managerial approach – These items relate to how the managers will plan, organize, direct and control the project resources toward the targeted outcome. Technical approach – These items relate to the procedural aspects needed, including logistics of moving equipment to and from the site, designing the blueprints to meet customer expectations, utilizing computers, etc. Constraints Describe the things that will limit the project. For example: 1) Budget constraints—This project will increase profitability by perhaps 30%, but therefore should not cost in excess of three times this savings to ensure that its payback period is relatively short. 2) Time—This project must be completed in the time agreed upon by builder and customer in the contract terms (proposed to be 90 days’ time). 3) Customer contracts—The project must not impact operations for current customers nor fail to meet the customer demands for this project. 4) Regulatory standards—Rework and shutdowns caused by inspections that are not up to code will delay and potentially kill the project.
- 4. Part 2 – Developing the Work Breakdown Structure Develop a work breakdown structure (WBS) for your project based on the first project assignment. The process is as follows: 1) Create a detailed list of the components of the project, through work packages, tasks, and subtasks. Use the intended scope of the project to help you determine all the project components. 2) Determine the resource needs for the project (i.e., personnel, facilities, and equipment). 3) Determine the relationships between the project components and the people. For example, for each component, at least one person will be responsible for its completion, while others may be involved as consultants or decision approvers.Example Work Breakdown StructureAbbreviated Personnel Table Name Department Title Joe Evans Accounting Bid Manager Sim Elezar Projects Project Manager Kim Astair Engineering Systems Architect Leo Biel Operations Operations Manager Tara Simmons Operations Logistics Manager NOTE: If you do not have names, you can identify the personnel by job such as Master Plumber, Journeyman Electrician #3, etc.Abbreviated Sample Work Breakdown Structure
- 5. WBS 1 Improvement Project Main Project 1.1 Deliverable 1: Bid response time Deliverable 1 1.1.1 Map current bid process Work Package 1.1.1.1 Interview bid team Task 1.1.1.2 List bid steps and process relationships Task 1.1.2 Conduct value-added process study Work Package 1.1.2.1 Determine value added by each process step Task 1.1.2.2 Separate process steps into necessary vs. unnecessary Task 1.1.3 Reform process to eliminate unnecessary and non-value- added steps Work Package 1.1.3.1 Pare down to only necessary and value-added steps Task 1.1.3.2 Identify ways to improve and shorten remaining steps
- 6. Task 1.1.3.3 Create new process map Task 1.2 Deliverable 2: Increase customer response rate Deliverable 2 1.2.1 Interview customers Work Package 1.2.1.1 Create survey Task 1.2.1.2 Find non-responsive and responsive customers Task 1.2.1.3 Deliver survey Task 1.2.2 Analyze removing response rate barriers Work Package 1.2.2.1 List primary reasons for low response Task 1.2.2.2 Order reasons for priority/feasibility Task 1.2.3 Implement new measures Work Package 1.3 Deliverable 3: Reduce bid complaints and calls Deliverable 3 1.3.1 Interview customers
- 7. Work Package 1.3.1.1 Create survey Task 1.3.1.2 Find unhappy customers Task 1.3.1.3 Deliver survey Task 1.3.2 Analyze resolving complaint root causes Work Package 1.3.2.1 List primary reasons for bid complaints Task 1.3.2.2 Order reasons for priority/feasibility Task 1.3.3 Implement new measures Work Package 1.4 Deliverable 4: Decrease bid package size and complexity Deliverable 4 1.4.1 Interview customers Work Package 1.4.1.1 Create survey Task 1.4.1.2 Identify customers with bid size complaints Task 1.4.1.3 Deliver survey
- 8. Task 1.4.2 Determine appropriate bid content Work Package 1.4.3 Implement new bid construction process Work Package 1.5 Deliverable 5: Increase customer contract sign rate Deliverable 5 1.5.1 Identify existing market bids Work Package 1.5.1.1 Benchmark market leaders Task 1.5.1.2 Analyze price ranges Task 1.5.1.3 Analyze bid features Task 1.5.2 Normalize bid features and ranges to market expectations Work Package 1.5.2.1 Identify target market Task 1.5.2.2 Match bid creation process to intended market Task NOTE: Instead of the diagram above, you can simply copy and paste your Microsoft project view obtained by inputting all tasks, indenting as necessary, and inserting the column WBS for the coding/numbering. The WBS does NOT include any dates,
- 9. predecessors or durations. These are aspects of scheduling while the WBS is simply a breakdown of all aspects of the project deliverables. Example Responsibility Matrix The example above can be modified using letters and/or numbers instead of the symbols give. You must, however, explain what it means to be responsible, to support, etc. Also, given the extensive nature of your real-world project, your list of work packages (WP) and the personnel involved will be much more detailed. Instead of the names of people, you may use your resource job description, such as master plumber, journeyma n electrician, etc. Again, you can copy from your Microsoft Project’s Gantt chart/input view at the work package/tasks level. Do not assign resources to the sub-deliverables (those in bold lettering). Part 3 – Project Risk Assessment You must analyze all risks that could prevent completion of your project. To do this: 1) Generate a list of likely risk factors. Use sources to support that these could be possible risks. Do not simply make up things you believe to be risks without investigating reliable sources. Internet websites are fine for your research. Be sure to copy these and cite them in your analysis. 2) Discuss the risks in terms of likelihood and impact. Again, to do this find sources for support. In other words, if doing a construction project in Houston in August, and you indicate the risk of a hurricane then what is the likelihood of a hurricane hitting the Houston area in that month? 3) Develop strategies for handling (or accepting) these risks. The above risk analyses will require the following two matrices with explanations.. First: Risk Assessment matrix requires the research identified in
- 10. item 1) above. When you determine a number on the scale of 1 to 5 for likelihood, impact and detection difficulty, you should refer to a designated scale that you determined. For example, 1 might mean 20% or less, 2 might be 21-40%; 3 might be 41- 60%, etc. or 1 might be defined qualitatively as Very Unlikely; 2 as Unlikely; 3 as Somewhat likely, etc. Whatever scale you use should reflect the research that you conducted. You may not be able to find as much on Impact and Detection Difficulty in the literature but, again, define your scale to define your terms and number scores. Risk Likelihood Impact Detection Difficulty When Major injury requiring immediate medical attention 3 (state here the % of major injuries in construction) 3 (may indicate a short work crew for duration) 1 (easily observed that worker is severely bleeding or in shock) During the project Hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast 1 (this will depend upon your project’s start and end dates, I’ve assumed we are working in November) 5 (must shut down and evacuate the site including all equipment and loose objects) 3 (weather reports can be followed but often off as to exact location hit) During the exterior deliverable Second: Contingency Matrix clearly indicating the risk and action taken. Be very clear in identifying your Trigger. The trigger is that which causes you to put an action into place. The trigger for a hurricane would be different depending upon the close proximity of the storm. If the hurricane is 2 days out, you could mitigate damage by actions to secure the site. If the hurricane suddenly changed course and you are now in danger
- 11. of a direct hit, you may have to accept the risk and get people off site quickly. If it is possible, you could avoid the hurricane damage by not building in the Gulf Coast area in August. So, the trigger involves when you see this risk happening. Risk Response Trigger (what is observed) Contingency Plan Who responsible Major injury requiring immediate medical attention Transfer Worker has cut hand badly and is bleeding profusely from wrist Contact ambulance service to take him to hospital Site supervisor Hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast Mitigate Weather report indicates your site is in direct path of storm due in 48 hours Batten down the site; move equipment and personnel to safe location Project manager Overall, be very clear in your analysis throughout these two matrices and graph. Be sure you research and explain with Works Cited evident! Part 4 – Developing the Project Schedule Before you start your input, you need to specify the holidays/non-working days in your project. You must also specify the working times for the project. Default is Monday- Friday from 8-12 and 1-5. In construction, for example, this may not make sense. You can set different working days for a specific resource once that resource is entered in Part 5. You can also, set different working times for any resource or group of resources once they are entered. For this section, state your
- 12. working times and add predecessors and durations for each activity (not sub-deliverables!) in your WBS from Part 2. Everything is not “1 day”! And if something is one day, be sure to remove the default “?” from that duration entry. You can change your project start date using Project tab and you can change the default from days. If something takes only a couple of hours, then type in “2 hrs” and MS Project will convert this into fractions of a day (if that “days” is your project default). The scheduling output includes the Gantt Chart view clearly showing durations, times and beginning/ending dates with the Gantt chart, the network diagram (or Tracking Gantt), and a statement of the critical path. Remember that if you group by critical, you get a list of the critical activities but these may be on multiple paths. You MUST check your network and/or tracking Gantt to identify the critical path(s)! Also, a critical path is a statement of the activities, not the line numbers or an alphabetic identifier. Part 5 – Managing Your Project’s Resources Now, that you have a schedule and ideal project duration, you must add your resources to each activity. (See Part 6 below for Resource Sheet view). Overallocated resources will be identified in the Gantt chart view as well as in other views; again see Part 6 below. You must resolve any overallocations. Your resource-leveling procedure should be consistent to utilizing your resources identified. The key to this is maximizing the use of project resources while minimally disrupting your project schedule from Part 4. It may be necessary to use several iterations. Thus, you must consider first that the project is time constrained and level within slack. Identify any resources now no longer overallocated. If you cannot resolve all overallocations, then level outside of slack, assuming that your project is resource constrained. Identify changes made. Lastly, if neither approach works, rethink your resource usage
- 13. by Maximum Units and/or allocations to activities. Your project section should identify what you did and why. It must show your revised schedule including your new Gantt chart view, etc. In particular, there is a Report of Who Does What When that will show your resources as not being overallocated (Task and Resource Views do this as well). Part 6 – Developing the Cost Estimates and Budget For your project we are concerned only with labor costs in support of your project narrative and scope statement. Your budget will roll up from the labor costs entered into the Resource Sheet. If a person is salaried, you need to compute the hourly cost for this resource. If you have a flat bid rate, you can enter this as Cost/Use but it will be easier to level this resource if again, you calculate the cost per worker. A crew can be entered in more than one way. You can list as your resource Architectural Designers (for example) and if there are 2, your Maximum Units will be 200% (2 people working 40 hours per week). If they are paid at different rates, you can refer to each as Designer 1 with his/her rate and Designer 2 with his/her rate. Resource Name Type Material Label Initials Group Max. Units Std. Rate Ovt. Rate Cost/Use Accrue At Base Calendar Joe Work S
- 16. Standard Conference Room Material E $0.00 $250.00 Start You should Set Your Baseline (budgeted) cost, Save, and Insert a Baseline column. Then conduct an earned value analysis using a status date approximately one month from the schedule you determined after leveling resources. You can insert Earned Value columns into your Gantt View and/or use the Earned Value Report for your analysis. Actual costs can be entered if you turn off the Option (default) for Microsoft to automatically calculate costs. Then you can enter the Actual Costs. If you do not have actual costs, you can use the % Completed assuming that at the status date, you are on time. This needs to be explained in your report. Part 7 – Conclusions You need to relate your project results to your scope statement, risk assessment, goals, objectives, etc. This is not a section for what you learned doing the project in this class. It wraps up your project by stating clearly what you observed. What changed from the beginning schedule? If you believe that the duration is now too long, what changes would you consider? Overall, what statements regarding this project would you give to management?