Project Management Knowledge And Skills: Analysis, Planning And Execution
- December 22, 2023/ Uncategorized
Understanding Project Management Theory and its application
The work breakdown structure is developed as follows.
Figure 1: Work Breakdown Structure of the Project
(Source: Created by Author)
The network diagram of the project is developed as follows.
Figure 2: Network Diagram of the Project
(Source: Created by Author)
Figure 3: Gantt Chart of the Execution Phase (Full Gantt Chart in Appendix)
(Source: Created by Author)
The schedule for the project is developed and shown in the following table (Kerzner & Kerzner, 2017).
|
Task Name |
Duration |
Start |
Finish |
Predecessors |
|
Development and Testing of a Business Website for Eagle Boys Pizza |
171 days |
Mon 12/3/18 |
Mon 7/29/19 |
|
|
Project Initiation Phase |
23 days |
Mon 12/3/18 |
Wed 1/2/19 |
|
|
Analysis of the Current Business State of the Restaurant |
5 days |
Mon 12/3/18 |
Fri 12/7/18 |
|
|
Analysis of the Growth of Customer Base of the Restaurant |
3 days |
Mon 12/10/18 |
Wed 12/12/18 |
2 |
|
Analysis of the Success of Online Food Delivery Apps in the Country |
5 days |
Thu 12/13/18 |
Wed 12/19/18 |
3 |
|
Decision Regarding the Development of New Business Website |
2 days |
Thu 12/20/18 |
Fri 12/21/18 |
4 |
|
Preliminary Estimations Regarding Technical Requirements |
1 day |
Mon 12/24/18 |
Mon 12/24/18 |
5 |
|
Preliminary Estimations Regarding Time and Budget Required |
1 day |
Tue 12/25/18 |
Tue 12/25/18 |
6 |
|
Preparation of Project Proposal |
5 days |
Wed 12/26/18 |
Tue 1/1/19 |
7 |
|
Submission of Proposal to Authority |
1 day |
Wed 1/2/19 |
Wed 1/2/19 |
8 |
|
Milestone 1: Approval of Project Proposal |
0 days |
Wed 1/2/19 |
Wed 1/2/19 |
9 |
|
Project Preparation Phase |
14 days |
Thu 1/3/19 |
Tue 1/22/19 |
|
|
Consult a Software Developer |
4 days |
Thu 1/3/19 |
Tue 1/8/19 |
10 |
|
Recruit Development Team |
2 days |
Wed 1/9/19 |
Thu 1/10/19 |
12 |
|
Discuss Project Requirements with the Developers |
2 days |
Fri 1/11/19 |
Mon 1/14/19 |
13 |
|
Discuss the Overall Scope of the Project |
2 days |
Tue 1/15/19 |
Wed 1/16/19 |
14 |
|
Discuss Development Costs |
2 days |
Thu 1/17/19 |
Fri 1/18/19 |
15 |
|
Discuss Approximate Time Required to Develop the Website |
1 day |
Mon 1/21/19 |
Mon 1/21/19 |
16 |
|
Finalize the Project |
1 day |
Tue 1/22/19 |
Tue 1/22/19 |
17 |
|
Milestone 2: Sign Contract for the Project |
0 days |
Tue 1/22/19 |
Tue 1/22/19 |
18 |
|
Project Planning Phase |
16 days |
Wed 1/23/19 |
Wed 2/13/19 |
|
|
Start Preparation of the Project Plan Document |
1 day |
Wed 1/23/19 |
Wed 1/23/19 |
19 |
|
Determine the Overall Scope of the Project |
1 day |
Thu 1/24/19 |
Thu 1/24/19 |
21 |
|
Determine Schedule of the Project |
1 day |
Fri 1/25/19 |
Fri 1/25/19 |
22 |
|
Determine Final Budget of the Project |
1 day |
Mon 1/28/19 |
Mon 1/28/19 |
23 |
|
Determine Project Deliverables |
2 days |
Tue 1/29/19 |
Wed 1/30/19 |
24 |
|
Determine Stakeholder Roles and Duties |
1 day |
Thu 1/31/19 |
Thu 1/31/19 |
25 |
|
Develop a Suitable Communication Plan |
1 day |
Fri 2/1/19 |
Fri 2/1/19 |
26 |
|
Develop a List of Hardware and Software Requirements |
1 day |
Mon 2/4/19 |
Mon 2/4/19 |
27 |
|
Determine Possible Risks Associated with the Project |
2 days |
Tue 2/5/19 |
Wed 2/6/19 |
28 |
|
Prepare Mitigation Plan for the Risks |
3 days |
Thu 2/7/19 |
Mon 2/11/19 |
29 |
|
Finalize the Project Plan |
2 days |
Tue 2/12/19 |
Wed 2/13/19 |
30 |
|
Milestone 3: Approval of Project Plan |
0 days |
Wed 2/13/19 |
Wed 2/13/19 |
31 |
|
Project Execution Phase |
104 days |
Thu 2/14/19 |
Tue 7/9/19 |
|
|
Purchase Hardware Required |
5 days |
Thu 2/14/19 |
Wed 2/20/19 |
32 |
|
Purchase Software Required for the Website |
3 days |
Thu 2/21/19 |
Mon 2/25/19 |
34 |
|
Install Website Development Platform |
2 days |
Tue 2/26/19 |
Wed 2/27/19 |
35 |
|
Initiate the Development of the Website |
2 days |
Thu 2/28/19 |
Fri 3/1/19 |
36 |
|
Create a Suitable Domain for the Website |
5 days |
Mon 3/4/19 |
Fri 3/8/19 |
37 |
|
Develop a Sitemap for the Website |
5 days |
Mon 3/11/19 |
Fri 3/15/19 |
38 |
|
Design the Wireframe of the Website |
3 days |
Mon 3/18/19 |
Wed 3/20/19 |
39 |
|
Develop Website Design and Create User Interface |
10 days |
Thu 3/21/19 |
Wed 4/3/19 |
40 |
|
Develop Necessary Content for the Website |
6 days |
Thu 4/4/19 |
Thu 4/11/19 |
41 |
|
Assemble Layout and Contents |
4 days |
Fri 4/12/19 |
Wed 4/17/19 |
42 |
|
Initiate Coding |
15 days |
Thu 4/18/19 |
Wed 5/8/19 |
43 |
|
Start Testing of the Developed Website |
1 day |
Thu 5/9/19 |
Thu 5/9/19 |
44 |
|
Edit and Review the Content of the Website |
5 days |
Fri 5/10/19 |
Thu 5/16/19 |
45 |
|
Review and Modify Website GUI |
5 days |
Fri 5/17/19 |
Thu 5/23/19 |
46 |
|
Monitor the Website Functioning and Features |
4 days |
Fri 5/24/19 |
Wed 5/29/19 |
47 |
|
Detect Website Glitches and Bugs |
5 days |
Thu 5/30/19 |
Wed 6/5/19 |
48 |
|
Add Patches to Solve the Bugs |
2 days |
Thu 6/6/19 |
Fri 6/7/19 |
49 |
|
Monitor the Website Performance from Admin End and Client End |
5 days |
Mon 6/10/19 |
Fri 6/14/19 |
50 |
|
Final Testing of the Website |
10 days |
Mon 6/17/19 |
Fri 6/28/19 |
51 |
|
Review the Website Security |
5 days |
Mon 7/1/19 |
Fri 7/5/19 |
52 |
|
Completion of the Development |
2 days |
Mon 7/8/19 |
Tue 7/9/19 |
53 |
|
Milestone 4: Go Live |
0 days |
Tue 7/9/19 |
Tue 7/9/19 |
54 |
|
Project Closing Phase |
14 days |
Wed 7/10/19 |
Mon 7/29/19 |
|
|
Review the Website |
1 day |
Wed 7/10/19 |
Wed 7/10/19 |
55 |
|
Appraisal of the Project |
4 days |
Thu 7/11/19 |
Tue 7/16/19 |
57 |
|
Finalization of the Payments |
3 days |
Wed 7/17/19 |
Fri 7/19/19 |
58 |
|
Prepare Documentation of the Project |
5 days |
Mon 7/22/19 |
Fri 7/26/19 |
59 |
|
Stakeholder Signoff |
1 day |
Mon 7/29/19 |
Mon 7/29/19 |
60 |
|
Milestone 5: Closing of the Project |
0 days |
Mon 7/29/19 |
Mon 7/29/19 |
61 |
For the estimation of the budget, the resource usages are shown as follows (Harrison & Lock, 2017).
|
Resource Name |
Type |
Max. Units |
Std. Rate |
Ovt. Rate |
|
Project Manager |
Work |
100% |
$150.00/hr |
$0.00/hr |
|
IT Officer |
Work |
100% |
$115.00/hr |
$0.00/hr |
|
Finance Manager |
Work |
100% |
$120.00/hr |
$0.00/hr |
|
HR Manager |
Work |
100% |
$125.00/hr |
$0.00/hr |
|
Software Consultant |
Work |
100% |
$65.00/hr |
$0.00/hr |
|
Software Developer |
Work |
100% |
$50.00/hr |
$0.00/hr |
|
Software Tester |
Work |
100% |
$50.00/hr |
$0.00/hr |
|
Content Creator |
Work |
100% |
$40.00/hr |
$0.00/hr |
|
Hardware Requirements |
Material |
$10, 000.00 |
||
|
Software Requirements |
Material |
$4, 000.00 |
Accordingly, the budget is estimated using bottom up method as shown in the following table (Tyssen, Wald & Spieth, 2014).
|
Task Name |
Resource Names |
Cost |
|
Development and Testing of a Business Website for Eagle Boys Pizza |
$237, 120.00 |
|
|
Project Initiation Phase |
$44, 440.00 |
|
|
Analysis of the Current Business State of the Restaurant |
IT Officer, Project Manager |
$10, 600.00 |
|
Analysis of the Growth of Customer Base of the Restaurant |
IT Officer, Project Manager, Finance Manager |
$9, 240.00 |
|
Analysis of the Success of Online Food Delivery Apps in the Country |
IT Officer, Project Manager |
$10, 600.00 |
|
Decision Regarding the Development of New Business Website |
IT Officer, Project Manager |
$4, 240.00 |
|
Preliminary Estimations Regarding Technical Requirements |
IT Officer, Project Manager |
$2, 120.00 |
|
Preliminary Estimations Regarding Time and Budget Required |
IT Officer, Project Manager |
$2, 120.00 |
|
Preparation of Project Proposal |
IT Officer |
$4, 600.00 |
|
Submission of Proposal to Authority |
IT Officer |
$920.00 |
|
Milestone 1: Approval of Project Proposal |
Project Manager |
$0.00 |
|
Project Preparation Phase |
$30, 480.00 |
|
|
Consult a Software Developer |
IT Officer, Project Manager, Software Consultant |
$10, 560.00 |
|
Recruit Development Team |
HR Manager |
$2, 000.00 |
|
Discuss Project Requirements with the Developers |
IT Officer, Software Consultant, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$4, 480.00 |
|
Discuss the Overall Scope of the Project |
IT Officer, Software Consultant, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$4, 480.00 |
|
Discuss Development Costs |
IT Officer, Software Consultant, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$4, 480.00 |
|
Discuss Approximate Time Required to Develop the Website |
IT Officer, Software Consultant, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$2, 240.00 |
|
Finalize the Project |
IT Officer, Software Consultant, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$2, 240.00 |
|
Milestone 2: Sign Contract for the Project |
IT Officer, Software Consultant, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$0.00 |
|
Project Planning Phase |
$46, 720.00 |
|
|
Start Preparation of the Project Plan Document |
IT Officer, Project Manager, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$2, 920.00 |
|
Determine the Overall Scope of the Project |
IT Officer, Project Manager, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$2, 920.00 |
|
Determine Schedule of the Project |
IT Officer, Project Manager, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$2, 920.00 |
|
Determine Final Budget of the Project |
IT Officer, Project Manager, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$2, 920.00 |
|
Determine Project Deliverables |
IT Officer, Project Manager, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$5, 840.00 |
|
Determine Stakeholder Roles and Duties |
IT Officer, Project Manager, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$2, 920.00 |
|
Develop a Suitable Communication Plan |
IT Officer, Project Manager, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$2, 920.00 |
|
Develop a List of Hardware and Software Requirements |
IT Officer, Project Manager, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$2, 920.00 |
|
Determine Possible Risks Associated with the Project |
IT Officer, Project Manager, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$5, 840.00 |
|
Prepare Mitigation Plan for the Risks |
IT Officer, Project Manager, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$8, 760.00 |
|
Finalize the Project Plan |
IT Officer, Project Manager, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$5, 840.00 |
|
Milestone 3: Approval of Project Plan |
Project Manager |
$0.00 |
|
Project Execution Phase |
$96, 560.00 |
|
|
Purchase Hardware Required |
Hardware Requirements[1], Software Consultant |
$12, 600.00 |
|
Purchase Software Required for the Website |
Software Consultant, Software Requirements[1] |
$5, 560.00 |
|
Install Website Development Platform |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$1, 600.00 |
|
Initiate the Development of the Website |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$1, 600.00 |
|
Create a Suitable Domain for the Website |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$4, 000.00 |
|
Develop a Sitemap for the Website |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$4, 000.00 |
|
Design the Wireframe of the Website |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$2, 400.00 |
|
Develop Website Design and Create User Interface |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$8, 000.00 |
|
Develop Necessary Content for the Website |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$4, 800.00 |
|
Assemble Layout and Contents |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$3, 200.00 |
|
Initiate Coding |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$12, 000.00 |
|
Start Testing of the Developed Website |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$800.00 |
|
Edit and Review the Content of the Website |
Software Developer, Software Tester, Content Creator |
$5, 600.00 |
|
Review and Modify Website GUI |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$4, 000.00 |
|
Monitor the Website Functioning and Features |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$3, 200.00 |
|
Detect Website Glitches and Bugs |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$4, 000.00 |
|
Add Patches to Solve the Bugs |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$1, 600.00 |
|
Monitor the Website Performance from Admin End and Client End |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$4, 000.00 |
|
Final Testing of the Website |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$8, 000.00 |
|
Review the Website Security |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$4, 000.00 |
|
Completion of the Development |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$1, 600.00 |
|
Milestone 4: Go Live |
Software Developer, Software Tester |
$0.00 |
|
Project Closing Phase |
$18, 920.00 |
|
|
Review the Website |
IT Officer |
$920.00 |
|
Appraisal of the Project |
Project Manager |
$4, 800.00 |
|
Finalization of the Payments |
Finance Manager, HR Manager |
$5, 880.00 |
|
Prepare Documentation of the Project |
Content Creator |
$1, 600.00 |
|
Stakeholder Signoff |
Content Creator, Finance Manager, HR Manager, IT Officer, Project Manager, Software Consultant, Software Developer, Software Tester |
$5, 720.00 |
|
Milestone 5: Closing of the Project |
Project Manager |
$0.00 |
There are a number of risks associated with the project that are listed and mitigation plan has been developed in the following risk register.
|
Risk Description |
Chance of Occurrence |
Impact on Project |
Mitigation Plan |
|
Scope creep may occur in the project due to lack of well defined project scope and project plan not aligned with the project scope and limitations |
High |
Medium |
Definition of clear scope of the project is important; during the development of the project charter, appropriate project scope is to be developed and it is to be ensured that the stakeholders have complete understanding of the project scope |
|
Lack of proper and specific decisions regarding the project may happen due to the presence of too many decision makers in the project team |
Medium |
Low |
During the planning phase, an agreement should be done in order to determine who will take the majority of the main decisions throughout the course of the project (Heldman, 2018) |
|
Due to the complexity of the required business website, some part of the coding may require a huge amount of time to achieve only some basic and marginal features of the website |
High |
Low |
In order to address this issue, it is suggested to avoid custom coding and use basic coding to complete the website rather than waste significant amount of time on marginal features of the website |
|
Cyber security presents a major risk in the project as external entities like malicious files, hackers and others may break the intrinsic security of the website and steal confidential information from the connected server |
Very High |
Extreme |
It is important to protect any online hosted content using suitable software; firewalls are available to protect the computer against any external attacks while anti-virus software can help to detect and remove any virus that may enter the system through various sources (Marchewka, 2014) |
|
While the target of the company is to develop the online food delivery website for all users, the may not be compatible with small devices like smartphones |
Low |
Medium |
It is required to ensure the website is compatible for different platforms during the testing phase and the development must be done accordingly |
The communication management plan for the stakeholders of the project is developed in the following table.
|
Stakeholder |
Communication Purpose |
Communication Frequency |
Communication Medium |
|
Project Manager |
Project update, change requirements, additional requirements |
Weekly |
Email / Face to Face Meeting |
|
IT Officer |
IT requirements of the system, system requirements and updates regarding project |
Daily |
Face to Face |
|
Finance Manager |
Manage finances and budget of the project |
As required |
Finance sheets, expenditure report |
|
HR Manager |
Human resource requirements, payment of wages |
As required |
|
|
Software Consultant |
System and project requirements |
During project planning |
Face to Face |
|
Software Developer |
System and project requirements |
During project planning |
Face to Face |
|
Software Tester |
System and project requirements |
During project planning |
Face to Face |
|
Content Creator |
System content requirements |
During project planning |
Face to Face |
The main deliverable of the project is the new business website for Eagle Boys Pizza. The status report for the execution phase is shown in the following table.
|
Task Name |
Status |
Expected Performance Against Schedule |
Budget |
|
Purchase Hardware Required |
PENDING |
+2 days |
+$2500 |
|
Purchase Software Required for the Website |
PENDING |
Ok |
+$1000 |
|
Install Website Development Platform |
PENDING |
+1 day |
– |
|
Initiate the Development of the Website |
PENDING |
Ok |
– |
|
Create a Suitable Domain for the Website |
PENDING |
+2 days |
– |
|
Develop a Sitemap for the Website |
PENDING |
+2 days |
– |
|
Design the Wireframe of the Website |
PENDING |
-1 day |
– |
|
Develop Website Design and Create User Interface |
PENDING |
-2 days |
– |
|
Develop Necessary Content for the Website |
PENDING |
+/- 1 day |
– |
|
Assemble Layout and Contents |
PENDING |
+3 days |
– |
|
Initiate Coding |
PENDING |
Ok |
– |
|
Start Testing of the Developed Website |
PENDING |
Ok |
– |
|
Edit and Review the Content of the Website |
PENDING |
+1 day |
– |
|
Review and Modify Website GUI |
PENDING |
+4 days |
– |
|
Monitor the Website Functioning and Features |
PENDING |
+2 days |
– |
|
Detect Website Glitches and Bugs |
PENDING |
+5 days |
– |
|
Add Patches to Solve the Bugs |
PENDING |
+2 days |
– |
|
Monitor the Website Performance from Admin End and Client End |
PENDING |
+2 days |
– |
|
Final Testing of the Website |
PENDING |
Ok |
– |
|
Review the Website Security |
PENDING |
Ok |
– |
|
Completion of the Development |
PENDING |
Ok |
– |
This project has been based on estimated variables and attributes. Based on the requirements of the business website development, the appropriate activities have been listed and accordingly the schedule has been developed. Furthermore, based on the allocation of resources, the project budget has been accordingly determined.
From this project plan, I have learnt the use of various tools and techniques of project management that helps one to analyze the case presented and develop a plan accordingly. I also learnt about the main attributes of a project management plan and the method of accurate estimation of time and budget.
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