Assignment 1
Rationale: Students will create a report of 1,500 words which presents a critical analysis of project planning and project management skills required by a successful IT project manager. Students will refer to contemporary issues in project management literature and discuss how these impact on the success of an IT project. In this assignment, you will apply concepts and principles of Project management to develop a strategy for your given scenario.
Scenario:
Smart-Solutions is a home appliances company based in Southampton. The company deals in selling products of different retailers such as, washing machines, refrigerators, and microwave ovens etc. Providing highest level of customer services is paramount for any businesses. The workforce is comprised of two directors, one receptionist, three office administrators, four marketing executives, and nine field workers. The company uses manual operations and hard copy file systems to manage clients’ data. Although the company has successfully assisted well over 250 clients, it is looking for more effective management system to keep track of inventory. Realising the benefits that the computerised environment can bring; the company now intends to digitise data and create a network to share the data and resources centrally. Therefore, the company has decided to buy software and hardware, build a website as well as implement a network to access and share centralised files stored on a local server. Smart-Solutions also wishes to implement smart technology to optimize the delivery platform by driving efficiencies, streamlining online calls to their customers, increasing inclusive and personalised view, maximizing value, growing smarter, creating new KPIs and standardising processes.
Unfortunately, Smart-Solutions does not have an IT department at present, so they have approached your company, Sci-Tech, to advise them on the best possible solution to carry out this project.
You have been designated as the project manager for this project and have now been asked to manage it. Explain and simulate the steps you would take to implement and deliver this project successfully. This may include different kinds of information such as:
Sample Project Initiation Document (PID)
Management of IT Projects
Budgetary Information
Software and IT Equipment’s (Estimation)
Timescales
Stakeholder Analysis
Risk Assessment
You will also be required to do a risk management in case the project does not go as planned and does not complete on time. Assess what would your strategy be.
Your first task is to prepare a suitable case description for a substantial IT project from the scenario explained above. You may wish to use another project case description; this could be a project you are currently working on or have worked on. You may use a case that is the property of a membership organisation, such as the PMI or may use an undocumented case from your own personal experience. However, in this context, a “case” means a description of the project, including the main events during its execution, what were the challenges/problems encountered, and how they were addressed. You must also give a brief background of your project. You may search the web, use the online library, or any other resources accessible to you. Note: Your chosen case study needs to be approved by your lecturer prior to commencing your assignment. Relevant assumptions, should be made and justified.
Tasks / Deliverables of Assignment 1
Task-1:
Provide an academic summary of this case which highlights points most relevant to the management of IT projects. [5 Marks]
Discuss how the need for the project arose. [5 Marks]
Evaluate the methods used to gather, analyse and manage the requirements for the project. [10 Marks]
Total: [20 Marks]
Note: Case descriptions never have complete information, so you may need to make certain assumptions.
Task-2: Identify and categorise the stakeholders of the project. Critically evaluate the approach the project team would take in managing stakeholders and communicating with them. What are some of the generic mistakes that project managers make so that they can be avoided in this project? [25 Marks]
Task-3: What is software estimation in terms of costs and technicality and why is it important during software project management? How can a project manager improve their estimation accuracy? What options are available to them? [25 Marks]
Task-4: For the selected IT project (case) from the above scenario or your own, identify the risks associated with your IT project and prepare a suitable risk management approach. You must refer to the current project management literature in your risk management approach. [20 Marks]
Presentation, Report Layout and References: [10 marks]
Note: An executive summary, introduction and conclusion are necessary in your report. Referencing and Bibliography:
Although much of your report will contain existing body of knowledge, you must write your assignment in your own words to demonstrate your understanding of the subject. You are required to follow the Harvard referencing system when citing others’ work. An accompanying list of references must also be provided as part of your report. Extensively referenced work reflects the level of research you conducted in the process of producing the document. It is also an acknowledgement of other people’s work. Correct referencing demonstrates your academic and professional skills. It also reflects your academic honesty and thus to some degree protects you from cases of plagiarism.
Marking Criteria/Guidance
Task Guidance/Criteria Marks
1 Summarise the case from an academic perspective, it should concentrate on the points which are most relevant to the management of IT projects. Discuss how the need for the project arose. Evaluate the methods used to gather, analyse and manage the requirements for the project. 20
2 Identify and categorise the stakeholders of your project. Critically evaluate the approach the project team would take in managing the stakeholders and communicating with them. From the description provided, what mistakes could the project manager make while communicating with the stakeholders?
It is also important to provide an explanation of how these mistakes can be avoided in future projects. 25
3 What is software estimation and why is it important during software project management? Critically discuss the main estimation techniques used by a project manager (like size estimations; effort estimates; estimate improvement techniques; function points; algorithmic cost models). Pay particular attention to how a project manager can improve their estimation accuracy. What options/techniques are available to a project manager? 25
4 This task focuses on risk management strategy of the project team. You are required to identify risks from different categories in your project. After these risks are identified, prepare a risk management strategy for the identified risks. 20
Presentation, Report Layout and References Your report is well laid out and formatted according to the given requirements. Your report is free from grammatical and spelling errors. Harvard references style has been used to cite the work where necessary and a list of references are also provided. 10