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Project Management Protocols

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Case # 1

Kendrick discusses the project charter, which defines a project, in Chapters 2 (pp. 13-14) and 5. Usually the project charter is written by senior management; it authorizes the project leader to proceed with the execution of a project. The charter provides project leaders with the broad authority over all the elements associated with a project. In that sense it is a method of control over a project team where direct authority is lacking. Through the project charter, the project team members know that senior management stands behind the project and their failure to perform will be made known to their functional managers. Consider the following:

Company XYZ's board of directors has approved a project to build a new assembly line for widgets in an existing plant. The new assembly line will be fully automated, thus requiring relatively few employees, and will cost in the area of $10 million. This has become a high priority project because the existing plant, located in the United States with a relatively high manpower requirement, cannot compete against low-cost Chinese imports. But having an automated production line, coupled with certain advantages of having a plant within the United States, would restore the competitiveness of the company and turn growing losses around into profits. For that reason, completing the project in the shortest possible time is of utmost importance to the company.

Review the major parts of a project charter outlined in Kendrick, Chapter 2, pp. 13-14. Write a project charter for the project just described, including as much detail as possible. (You may invent certain details if you wish, but anything you invent must fit into the general parameters given in the previous paragraph description.) The charter will be signed by the XYZ board of directors and given to the project leader as the directive to proceed with the project (to be completed in the shortest possible time without exceeding the cost estimate of $10 million).

# 2. Questions

After reading Leading Virtual Teams (Pocket Mentor), write a 3-4 page, double-spaced paper (700 to 1000 words) that examines the following questions:

1. What are the competencies that a project manager needs in order to lead global virtual teams? Consider the kind of competencies you need to improve upon. How do you plan to acquire these skills?

2. What are some technological, cultural, and communication challenges inherent in global virtual project teams? How would you mitigate these challenges so that they do not impact timely and successful project executions/completions?

3. As the senior vice-president for global projects, how would you coach/train your new project managers to build effective high performing virtual teams? How would you determine which project managers are the best candidates to successfully manage resources in dispersed geographies around the world?

4. Kendrick discusses project staffing—establishing a team—in Chapter 5. Examine his suggestions on staffing (page 115 and following), and then write 2 to 4 paragraphs (200 to 400 words) that explain how following his suggestions would help a project leader to gain control during the initiation stage of the project.

Case # 2

This assignment has two parts. Complete all of the questions in both parts.

Part 1

1. Two projects are described below. For each, make a list of deliverables you would include to ensure that the project fulfills its objectives.

a. You are in the process of working with a contractor to pave a new driveway for your house as well as to build a detached two-car garage at the end of it. What deliverables would you place in the contract?

b. You work for a company that makes widgets. You have a single plant located in the United States. The plant has order, credit, manufacturing, warehousing, shipping, and invoicing departments. Each of these departments has its own unique legacy computer software programs. Information is passed from one department to the next by hand-keying the necessary information into a different computer hardware and software system. Your firm wants to implement enterprise resource planning (ERP), which involves replacing such individual legacy systems with one integrated software system, where an order will proceed from beginning to end without anyone having to input data other than what was entered when the order was originally placed. Make a list of deliverables you would expect from the software company setting up the ERP system.

2. What is involved in testing the limits as you do initial scoping?

3. What is the value of a scope document?

Part 2
A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team in order to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. In short, it is a giant "to do" list that shows how the team will accomplish the project objectives. A WBS organizes and defines the total scope of the project while subdividing the project into smaller, more manageable pieces in descending levels. Kendrick describes this process in Chapter 6. For a brief explanation and sample, see the chart below.

Look back to Part 1 of this assignment, where you made a list of deliverables. Choose one of the two projects described in Part 1, and create a work breakdown structure for it.

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Solution Summary

This solution of 1,275 words provides a review into project management protocols in pursuit to completing the project. References used are included.

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Case # 1 -- Kendrick discusses the project charter, which defines a project - Company XYZ's board of directors has approved a project to build a new assembly line for widgets in an existing plant. The new assembly line will be fully automated, thus requiring relatively few employees, and will cost in the area of $10 million. This has become a high priority project because the existing plant, located in the United States with a relatively high manpower requirement, cannot compete against low-cost Chinese imports. But having an automated production line, coupled with certain advantages of having a plant within the United States, would restore the competitiveness of the company and turn growing losses around into profits. For that reason, completing the project in the shortest possible time is of utmost importance to the company.

Focus main elements within the project charter that can outline relevant points of reference to (a) completing the project (b) strategically stating key points of dates (c) expectations in meeting desired outcomes according to the overall project vision. Consider the following example:

Project Charter

The new assembly line for widgets will have a set budget at $10 million for completion within 7 months or less starting by year end.

The assembly line sections are proficient oriented by allowing (a) fully automation (b) try and list additional areas as indicated in the above

The project should contain both internally staff as well as external vendors to assure proficiency as well as cost management. The project risks should entail limitation to restriction in any project changes no more than two a week accordingly.

Therefore, the project scope entails the above with contingency up to an additional one million reserves to sustaining project completion.

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# 2. Questions - After reading Leading Virtual Teams (Pocket Mentor) -

1. What are the competencies that a project manager needs in order to lead global virtual teams? Consider the kind of competencies you need to improve ...

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