Mn601 Network Project Management | Assessment Answers

You will form a team of people and work co-operatively to complete the chosen project. Your major group project report must consist of at least the following:

• A clear outline of the project including title, start and end date, goals and objectives, etc.
• Gather project requirements (both functional and non-functional)
• The envisaged project team members (title, skills/expertise, not names!)
• Develop project plan

Determine project scope

• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Estimate time for your project

Determine resource needs for your project

Draw a Gantt Chart and Network Diagram for your project

Estimate cost for your project

Plan Quality for your project

Stakeholder analysis for your project

Plan communications for your project

Plan project risks management

Plan project deployment

• Crash the total project duration by 2 weeks.
• Use of Microsoft Project to complete WBS, allocate time and resources, apply cost, and prepare

Gantt chart and Network Diagram.

• Project Signoff
• Post project review and recommendations

Introduction

The report presents project details utilized by Small business Development Corporation (SBDC) project team to implement one of its projects. The project implemented was that of a wireless communication system to be used for communication needs with its clients (Agrawal & Zeng , 2015). The report outlines the several project methodologies, techniques and tools used to ensure the project deliverables are achieved. The project took place in 2007 after the management of the company decided on improving its competitive niche nationally. The project outlines several project components found in project scope and project management plan (Blakeman, 2014).

Project summary

It represents a summary of project descriptions

Business case

The SBDC is an authority established to promote, facilitate and assisting establishment, growth and development of businesses in Western Australia. The company offers array of services including business skills, advisory services, dispute resolutions and business licensing finding for small businesses. The rising client base has prompted SBDC to improve its communication needs with its clients. The implementation of the system was important in facilitating several interactions with clients. It will enable the corporation to be competitive by increasing customer satisfactions (Blakeman, 2014).

Project objectives

Objectives define the major activities needed to achieve the required deliverables. The SBDC wireless communication system objectives were:

1. To establish communication needs for small business in Western Australia
2. To design a wireless communication system for SBDC
3. To link the wireless communication system with various businesses operative functions

Project requirements 

Project requirements are important in ensuring project deliverables are achieved (Cleland, 2013). Requirements for the project represented technical and operative requirements. Some of the requirements included: information gathering, project charter, wireless communication system, intranet and extranet networks, websites, resources, and IT infrastructures.

Project exclusions and constraints

The project exclusions include: not training small business clients on the use of the system, and also not providing the small businesses with any wireless communication system (Bourne, 2015). The project was delivered within a budget constraint of AUD15, 340.

Project plan

The project plan represents sequences, events and functions to be followed to achieve the intended project goals. The plan covers components like scheduling, quality, risk, budget and communication. The SBDC covered several components in ensuring the project is accomplished.

Work breakdown structure (WBS) for SBDC wireless communication system

WBS represents a tool in which project activities is broken or divided into smaller work packages and tasks for easier allocation of resources and execution (Curtin, 2014). The WBS of the project involved the following activities.

1. It involved information gathering by carrying out needs and stakeholder analysis and evaluating the findings.
2. The project required a project charter to be written documenting the goals, and aims of carrying out the project. The information of the charter was used for making approvals by top management and allowing its continuation.
3. Development of wireless communication system design involved writing necessary specifications and sourcing for the required infrastructure. It also involved designing the wireless communication system, interfacing the system, and website development.
4. Execution of the project involved piloting of the wireless communication system, intranet and extranet linkage, and rolling the system.
5. Later it involved project review and closure which included monitoring, review, reporting, final approval and acceptance of the project.

Figure 3 WBS for the project.

Time management

Figure 4 times on WBS

Reasons for the project

The company top management decided to implement the project by ensuring that information can be easily be shared with business owners (Curtin, 2014). The wireless communication system will expedite how information can be shared, stored and reported between the businesses. The customers will be served better through the system. From the system analyst it is argued other functions can be easily be integrated to the system to increase its utility.

Project team members

Project team is important in providing linkage between resources and project goals (Felix, 2013). The team members represent operational, technical and administration staff that helped to deliver project deliverables. Table 5 shows a summary of project team members job titles, skills and expertise required in implementation of the project.

Table 5 Project team member’s details

Project Gantt chart

The Gantt chart is an illustration that shows the sequence of events to achieve the end result of the project (PMI., 2013). The chart takes consideration of starting and ending times of project activities. The SBDC wireless communication system was developed from the project milestones. Figure 6 shows the Gantt chart for the project.

Figure 5 Project Gantt chart

Network analysis

Figure 6 network analysis

Project budget 

The project cost estimation of the project was based on baseline information gathered from a previous project similar in nature (Nazari, 2016). The preparation was based on bottom up approach to obtain the final amount. The preparation was based on assumption that cost would not be affected with economic factors and would be within the required budget constraints. Table 7 shows a summary of resources that was used to implement the project.

Table 7 cost budget summary

Direct and indirect costs: Direct costs they represent costs that directly affect project activities for example software application purchase, computer infrastructure sourcing, intranet and extranet purchases and payment contracts facilitations (Gido, J & Clements, J, 2014). The Indirect costs consist of those not directly attributed to project activities for example power charges, refreshments, contract payments, and stationeries.

Project budget status progress: It was important in showing progress of how resources are utilized and consumed as per project phases. It helped management in the planning process.

Project quality

The process of quality management was important in delivering project activities and processes (Ye, Chen, Sanjeev Jha, and Kevin C. Desouza., 2015). The wireless communication system had to be implemented according to the required standards and measures. SBDC had to integrate quality management into its policy in order to be awarded International standards of organization certifications. The three metrics that the project manager used in executing the quality management plan include: quality plan, quality assurance, and quality controls

Plan quality

It involves the process used by project managers to identify quality requirements and standards for products and processes are documented (Felix, 2013).  The project manager will utilize scope management statement, stakeholder and communication register, risk assessment register, enterprise environmental related factors and baselines information’s. The project manager was aided by cost benefit analysis and quality costing. The actual result of a quality planning is measured by the use of quality checklist. Table 8 shows the cost quality planning for the project.

Table 8 cost management plan

Quality assurance

The process is useful for SBDC project team to maintain standards by ensuring stakeholders are assured on quality.  The quality assurance was achieved by the team following process assets, change requests, organizational process assets, project documents, and national standards (Nazari, 2016).  Assurance was enhanced by carrying out project quality controls and audits. Table 9 shows a summary of quality checklist was followed during quality assurance process.

Table 9 Quality assurance checklists

Quality control

The process involves reviews of procedures and activities of the SBDC project against project standards to establish any variance existing. The control charts and inspection audits will be used as part of control measures for quality to be achieved (PMI., 2013). The inspection process was scheduled on a periodic period as per the project phases. Table 10 shows a template that will be used for inspection process

Table 10 Project inspection control template

The inspection control procedure was done by an independent quality auditor to ensure accountability and integrity. The inspections report, review and corrections were undertaken according to required specifications.

Project stakeholder analysis

There are two types of stakeholders who were affected by the wireless communication system project they included primary and secondary stakeholders (Gido, J & Clements, J, 2014). Primary stakeholders are those directly affected by the project while the secondary are those indirectly affected by the project. Stakeholder analysis was done to identify the stakeholders, and a register was formulated in order to manage their needs and interest. The level of interest was analyzed using the power/interest matrix (Gido, J & Clements, J, 2014). Those with high power and interest are classified as primary stakeholders. Table 11 shows a summary of stakeholder register.

Table 11 stakeholder register

Communication plan

The communication management plan is a critical component in communicating project needs to various stakeholders (Kloppenborg, 2014). It is formulated after stakeholder analysis has been done to identify the means, method and techniques employed to share information to stakeholders. The project team of SBDC developed a communication plan that was in line with delivery of project deliverables. Table 12 shows a communication plan for the project.

Table 12 Communication plan

Project risk management 

Risks directly affecting performance of project need to be identified and planned for (Gido, J & Clements, J, 2014).  The project manager of wireless communication system project needed to identify, analyze and mitigate them. The project risk identification was done through a brain storming process with subject experts and project team. Risks were classified into positive and negative risks and they included: Risk of unfulfilled demand using the wireless communication system was a positive risk, while the negative risk included: fear of systems failure, unresponsive clients, and changes in technology.

Risk evaluation is important in identifying the likelihood of occurrence and impact of a project risk (PMI., 2013).  The evaluation of the risks will enable mitigation process. The risk evaluation was done qualitatively using probability/impact matrix and ranking obtained. Table 13 shows probability/impact matrix.

Table 13 Probability/impact matrix for the project risks

     Impact

Rankings described as follows C=1 (high probability & high impact), B=2 (medium probability & high impact), D=3 (high probability & medium impact), and A=4 (high probability & lower impact).

Risk mitigation takes place after evaluation as taken place (Gido, J & Clements, J, 2014). It is useful in risks management. The mitigation of risks in the project will be done with an aid of risk register. A risk register is a useful tool showing full descriptions of risks and probable ways to mitigate them. Table 13 shows wireless communication system risk register

No table of figures entries found.

Table 13 Project risk register

Project name……………………………………………Prepared on………………………

By……………………………………..

Project plan deployment