Project management- Coursework

The assignment is in three parts. The first two parts require you to apply your knowledge from the lecture material and from your background reading to write short project management reports on the value of Scope Statements and on methods of estimating. You must show evidence of having consulted the literature and texts for project management and reference your work appropriately. You are expected to have consulted the recommended textbooks for the module and at least five other recent sources.
The final part requires you to use Microsoft Project Management or equivalent project management software to plan and present a brief report based around specific planning questions.

Word Count: Each part should not exceed 1000 words and the report itself should not exceed 2500 words, excluding appendices. You should declare the appropriate word counts.

This assignment represents 50% of total marks for module.

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The Electromax Project

The Parc Company makes high quality electric mopeds. Sales representatives have reported a growing demand for a racing scooter. The Managing Director (MD), Robert Parc, is keen to exploit this emerging market. He has appointed you as Project Manager. The project is to be called Electromax.

Part 1 ? Defining the Project (30 Marks)

1.    Discuss the importance of having a complete scope statement to the success of projects. Using the Electromax project, produce a complete scope statement.
15 marks
2.    Discuss how a communication plan benefits the management of projects. Demonstrate your answer by developing a communication plan for the Electromax project.
15 marks

Part 2 ? Estimating (30 Marks)

3.    The Managing Director has also requested a report on estimating techniques. He needs to know what estimating techniques exist and which is the most suitable technique for the Electromax project.
15 Marks
4.    Apply your recommended technique to the Electromax project using the information provided in Part 3.
15 Marks
Part 3 ? Planning (40 Marks)

Table 1 gives information on the activities identified by the project team, including best estimates of duration and effort and Table 2 gives staff costs.
Following a planning workshop, the following dependencies have been identified:
    Market Analysis must await the Project Approval Meeting. Product Design and Manufacturing Study can start once Market Analysis has been completed. Product Design Selection must not start until Product Design and Manufacturing Study have been completed.
    Detailed Marketing Plans, Manufacturing Process Specification and Detailed Product Design must not start until the Product Design Selection has been completed. Test Prototype can start once Detailed Product Design has been completed.
    Finalise Product Design can start once Manufacturing Process Specification and Test Prototype have been completed.
    Order Components and Order Production Equipment must await the completion of Finalise Product Design. Install Production Equipment must not start until 20 days after Order Components has been completed and 40 days after Order Production Equipment has been completed.
    The Review Meeting can take place as soon as Detailed Marketing Plans and Install Production Equipment have been completed.

Activity id    Activity Name    Duration    Effort
A    Project Approved Meeting    0
B    Market Analysis    25 days    Marketing Manager
C    Product Design    40 days    Designer
D    Manufacturing Study    20 days    Operations Manager
E    Product Design Selection    10 days    Operations Manager, Designer (20% of his time i.e. one day each week)
F    Detailed Marketing Plans    15 days    Marketing Manager, Managing Director (10% of MD?s time approximately)
G    Manufacturing Process Specification    45 days    Operations Manager
2 Clerical Officers
H    Detailed Product Design    40 days    Designer, 1 Clerical Officer
I    Test Prototype    10 days    Prototype Tool
J    Finalise Product Design    25 days    Designer, Operations Manager (20% of Operations Manager?s time i.e. 1 day each week)
K    Order Components    7 days    1 Clerical Officer
L    Order Production Equipment    14 days    2 Clerical Officers
M    Install Production Equipment    25 days    2 Production Engineers
N    Review Meeting 1 day    Designer, Operations Manager, Marketing Manager, Managing Director (Mr Parc)
Table 1: Activities, Tasks, Duration and Effort

Staff    Rate per hour (?)
Marketing Manager    100.00
Designer    80.00
Operations Manager    75.00
Managing Director (Mr Parc)    200.00
Clerical Officer    50.00
Prototype Tool    ?1500.00 fixed cost per use
Production Engineer    90.00
Table 2: Staffing Costs

The following points were noted during the workshop
1.    The project team works an eight-hour day, Monday through to Friday
2.    No work takes place on British bank holidays
3.    The project starting date is 14th January 2013
4.    The MD, Mr Parc is used to reading reports but expects them to be focussed and summarised. He is not familiar with Project Management terminology
5.    All resources are available when required

Write a brief report, which should include some analysis, to inform the Managing Director (MD) of the following project products and events. You should summarise the information as you feel appropriate. You should use software generated graphs and charts, including a Gantt chart, to illustrate your answers where appropriate. You are expected to use appendices and to ensure that your graphs are easy to read and clear. Marks will be allocated for clarity, simplicity and succinctness.

Mr Parc will like to be able to see:

5.    A Work Breakdown Structure.
5 marks

6.    Estimates of completion dates of the tasks and of the overall project.
5 marks

7.    A summary of the cost of the project, broken down into sections, including total costs.
8 marks

8.    The critical path for the project.
4 marks

9.    You have been alerted to the possibility that the estimated durations for the tasks E, F, G, H, J and N in Table 1 above may need to be increased by 5 days in each case. Comment on the implications of these delays for the estimated completion date.
10 marks
10.    There is also a possibility that, following the Test Prototype activity that a second prototype will need to be developed before we finalise the product design. The second prototype should be ready tested within 10 days. You are expected to report on the implications of requiring a second prototype.

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