Project Management Achieving Competitive Advantage 3rd edition Jeffrey K. Pinto - Solutions

Discover comprehensive solutions to "Project Management Achieving Competitive Advantage 3rd Edition" by Jeffrey K. Pinto. Access a wealth of online resources, including a detailed solution manual, answers key, and step-by-step answers to enhance your understanding. Our platform offers a test bank and instructor manual, providing chapter solutions and solved problems to aid your studies. Benefit from our extensive collection of questions and answers, available for free download in solutions PDF format. Unlock the full potential of your textbook with our expertly crafted chapter solutions and seamless learning experience.

Prepare a business case for the Global Treps project. Assume that the project will take six months to complete, use many volunteer hours, and cost about $130,000 for hardware, software, travel, and labor. Use the business case template provided on the Companion website for this text. Be sure to
Either from your own experience or by searching the Internet, describe a well-planned and executed project. Describe a failed project. What elements of project integration might have contributed to the success or failure of each?
Start a lessons learned register to document knowledge learned on this project. Include la lessons learned ID, date, source, category, description, impact, recommendations, and proposed actions. Be creative in then making two entries.
Discuss the importance of following a well-integrated change control process on IT projects. What consequences can result from not following these best practices? What types of change control would be appropriate for small IT projects? What types of change control would be appropriate for large
Prepare a change request for the Global Treps project, using the template provided on the Companion website for this text. Assume that you have decided not to provide an online version of the show as it would be too much work for the initial project. Be creative when making up information.
Research software mentioned in this chapter, such as software for assisting in project selection, enterprise project management software, or cloud-based applications. Find at least two references and summarize your findings in a short memo to senior management.
Watch videos and read articles to research how two different organizations did a good job in directing and managing project work. You can search “PMI Project of the Year award” to find examples. Find at least four references and summarize your findings in a short paper.
Read the report “2015 Pulse of the Profession®: Capturing the Value of Project Management” by PMI, mentioned in the What Went Right feature. Summarize key points in this study and your opinion of it. Describe some specific steps organizations can take to provide a supportive culture for
Find two recent articles related to managing project knowledge. Summarize your findings in a short paper.
You are working on a project to develop a new or enhanced system to help people at your college, university, or organization to find jobs. The system must be tailored to your student or work population and be very easy to use. Write a short paper describing how you would collect requirements for
Document your approach for collecting requirements for the project. Include at least five technical requirements and five non technical requirements in a requirements traceability matrix. Also develop a list of at least five questions you would like to ask the project sponsor. Let your instructor
What is involved in collecting requirements for a project? Why is it often difficult to do?
Discuss the process of defining project scope in more detail as a project progresses, going from information in a project charter to a project scope statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary.
Consider Table 6-3. All duration estimates or estimated times are in weeks, and the network proceeds from Node 1 to Node 8.Data from in Table 6-3a. Draw an AOA network diagram representing the project. Put the node numbers in circles and draw arrows from node to node, labeling each arrow with the
Create the same WBS from Exercise 3 using Microsoft Project or similar software and indenting categories appropriately. Use the outline numbering feature to display the outline numbers, or enter the numbers manually. Do not enter any durations or dependencies. See Appendix A or Project 2016’s
Consider Table 6-2. All duration estimates or estimated times are in days, and the network proceeds from Node 1 to Node 9. Data from in Table 6-2a. Draw an AOA network diagram representing the project. Put the node numbers in circles and draw arrows from node to node, labeling each arrow with
Using the file you created in MindView or similar software for Exercise 3, export the WBS into Project 2016 or similar software. Make adjustments as needed and then print the Gantt chart from Project 2016 or similar software. Also write a paragraph describing your opinion of using a mind map versus
Develop a strategy for scope validation and change control for this project. Write a short paper summarizing key points of the strategy.
Review three different template files from Microsoft Project 2016, MindView, or any other project management software tool. What do you think about the WBSs? Write a short paper summarizing your analysis, and provide at least three suggestions for improving one of the WBSs.
Research the benefits of and requirements for earning a certification in business analysis, as described in the What Went Right feature in this chapter. Summarize your findings in a short paper.
Why is defining activities a process of project schedule management instead of project scope management?
Identify at least five milestones for the Global Treps Project. Write a short paper describing each milestone using the SMART criteria. Discuss how determining the details of these milestones might add activities or tasks to the Gantt chart. Remember that milestones normally have no duration, so
What do you think about adding slack to individual task estimates (sometimes called padding estimates)? What do you think about adding a project buffer for the entire project, as critical chain scheduling suggests? What are some ethical considerations when using slack and buffers?
Find at least three different sample schedules created in Microsoft Project, MindView, or other project management software. Analyze the schedules, focusing on how complete the task lists are, how realistic the durations are, whether dependencies are included, and so on. Document your results in a
List some of the reports you can generate with Project 2016 to assist with project schedule management.
You and your team are continuing your work on the Global Treps Project. Your project sponsor, Dr. K., has asked you to refine the existing cost estimate for the project so you can evaluate supplier bids and have a solid cost baseline for evaluating project performance. Recall that your schedule and
Create a cost estimate and model for building a new, state-of-the-art multimedia classroom for your organization within the next six months. The classroom should include 20 high-end personal computers with appropriate software for your organization, a network server, Internet access for all
What is meant by a sunk cost? Give examples of typical sunk costs for an IT project as well as examples from your personal life. Why is it difficult for people to ignore them when they should?
Read the free ebook Cost Estimating in an Agile Development Environment by Alvin Alexander, which discusses estimating software costs. Find one or two other references on ways to measure software development costs. In your own words, write a two-page paper that explains how to estimate software
How is project cost management different when using an agile approach?
Develop a list of quality standards or requirements related to meeting the stakeholder expectations described in the running case. Provide a brief description of each requirement. For example, two requirements related to the new website might be that users can read the content in several different
How is schedule management different when using an agile approach?
Search for videos that explain how and why you would want to find the critical path for a project. Write a short paper describing your findings. Summarize the best two videos; provide screenshots and explain why you liked the videos.
Research how schedule management is performed on agile projects. Summarize your findings in a short paper or presentation.
What are the main processes in project quality management?
Why is quality management becoming more important? What does it mean to use lean in quality assurance?
Research the criteria for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award or a similar quality award provided by another organization. Investigate a company that has received this award. What steps did the company take to earn it? What are the benefits of earning a quality award? Summarize your
Review the information in this chapter about Six Sigma principles and Six Sigma organizations. Brainstorm ideas for a potential Six Sigma project that could improve quality on your campus, at your workplace, or in your community. Write a short paper describing one project idea and explain why it
Review the concepts in this chapter that are related to improving the quality of software. Write a short paper describing how you could apply these concepts to software development projects.
Several people working on the Global Treps Project are confused about their responsibilities for providing content for the new website. Recall that the team members include you, the project manager, Bobby, the IT guy, and three people who will run shark-tank-like events in Vietnam, India, and
What are some of the considerations for project quality management in agile/adaptive environments?
Watch a video about a famous company, such as Google, Apple, or Walmart, that focuses on its treatment of workers and customers. (Netflix has several videos about companies, and you can find several documentaries on the Internet or through your school’s library.) How do these organizations manage
Research recent books, articles, and videos on motivation, including work by Daniel Pink. Also interview two or more people who have worked for an IT department in the past, or are doing so now, and ask them to give you all the approaches, besides money, that can motivate people at work. Do you
Briefly summarize the works of Maslow, Herzberg, McClelland, McGregor, Ouchi, Thamhain and Wilemon, and Covey. How do their theories relate to project management?
What is emotional intelligence (EI)? Why is it important to develop EI skills?
Take the MBTI test and research information about this tool. Several websites have different versions of the test, including www.humanmetrics.com, www.personalitytype.com, and www.keirsey.com. Write a short paper describing your MBTI type and your thoughts on this test as a team-building tool. If
Describe a situation where it would be appropriate to use each of the six leadership styles described by Daniel Goleman.
Summarize three of Covey’s habits in your own words and give examples of how these habits would apply to project management. Document your ideas in a short paper, and include at least two references.
Research different tools for assessing leadership styles. Summarize at least three tools and the styles they mention. Do you believe that it’s best for leaders to use different styles in different situations? Why or why not?
Research recruiting and retention strategies at three different companies. Make sure that the strategies use contrasting approaches. For example, find out how Google treats its workers, and compare the approach with that of Foxconn or another company in the news. What distinguishes one company from
Explain two types of team-building activities described in this chapter and discuss their advantages and disadvantages.
Summarize the different ways that project managers can address conflicts to help them manage project teams. What can they do to manage virtual team members successfully?
Developing good IT project managers is an important issue. Review several of the studies cited in this chapter that are related to the IT and project management job markets and required skills for these markets. Also review requirements at your college or university for people entering these
How can you use project management software to assist in project resource management?
For the following test marketing project at week 6: a. Ignore the far right “% Complete” column and using the 50–50 percent completion rule for PV and EV, calculate the cost, schedule, and time variances. Also calculate the CPI, SPI, CSI, and the ETC and EAC.
In terms of monitoring and tracking, which of the ten oversights is probably most critical?
Log on at itweek.co.uk/News/11329438 to see the string of news stories related to Project Libra. Identify some of the sources of the problems the project faces.
If you were to make the decision on whether or not to terminate this project, what would your decision be? Justify your position.
Suppose, for the problem above, that your PV was 75 and your EV was 80. Recalculate the SPI and estimated time to completion for the project with this new data.
How would you blend “hard data” and “managerial or behavioral” information to create a comprehensive view of the status of ongoing projects at Kimble College ?
Consider the major findings of the research on human factors in project implementation. What common themes seem to emerge from the research of Baker, Morris, and Pinto?
Using concepts from Critical Chain Portfolio management, how could buffer-drum concepts be applied to this problem?
Why do you suppose Randy took Sid’s 24 hour estimate and increased it to 32 hours when he presented it to Judy?
What steps would you take to begin changing the culture in the department? In your answer, consider what changes you would recommend making to the reward systems, methods for estimating activity durations, and task assignments for project personnel.
Identify some of the symptoms in the case that point toward cultural problems in the department.
What are the reasons we routinely waste the excessive safety we acquire for our project activities? Are some of these reasons more prevalent in your own experiences than others?
What are the three reasons Goldratt argues are used to justify adding excessive amount of safety to our project duration estimates? In your project experiences, are these arguments justified?
Explain the difference between “common cause” variation and “special cause” variation. Why are these concepts critical to understanding successful efforts to improve the quality and reliability of an organizational system?
Construct a network activity diagram based on the following information: Activity Preceding activitiesA
Calculate the direct cost of labor for a project team member using the following data: Hourly rate: $35/hr. Hours needed: 150 Overhead rate: 55%
The original bidding process favored the lowest project construction bids using a “fixed price” contract. What are the advantages and disadvantages to the Indian government from using this type of bidding process? How did it contribute to gross underbids and successive cost escalations?
Explain the challenge of producing accurate cost estimation when working in harsh geographical conditions.
Which conflict resolution style is warranted in this case? Why? How might some of the other resolution approaches be inadequate in this situation?
“Ford’s Edsel should have succeeded. It was simply the victim of bad luck.” Do you agree or disagree with this view? Why?
Comment on this statement: “Through poor feasibility studies and dated market research, Ford convinced themselves that they had designed a car to fill a niche that, by 1957, was no longer there.”
What does the story of the Ford Edsel suggest about the importance of considering both technical and commercial performance for project success?
Consider the problem of project scope creep – the unwillingness or inability to freeze project specifications . When is “Scope creep” useful and when is it dangerous? Under what circumstances might an organization refuse to freeze design specifications for valid reasons (e.g. Microsoft)?
At the back of the chapter is a Future Time Orientation scale. After completing it, determine whether you have a future time perspective, present time perspective, or past time perspective. What are the implications for the types of tasks you enjoy performing? How will your preferences lead to
Massivesoft Corporation is trying to decide whether or not to invest in a new software project. The initial investment will be $5 million dollars. The project has a 40% chance of returning $1 million per year into the future and a 60% chance of generating only $100,000 in revenues. Assuming
A heavy manufacturing company wants to decide whether to initiate a new project. The success of the project depends heavily on the state of the economy, which has a 50/50 chance of being strong enough to support the venture. The project will require an initial investment of $1 million dollars,
Your Vice President for MIS informs you that she has researched the possibility of automating your organization’s order-entry system. She has projected that the new system will reduce labor costs by $30,000 each year over the next five years. The purchase price (including installation and
What does the above case suggest to you about the use of project selection methods in organizations? How would you resolve the contradictions found in this example?
Choose the project that you feel, based on the above analysis, Nova Western should select. Defend your choice.
Phyllis has called you into her office to help her make sense of the contradictions in project evaluation. How would you explain the reasons for this divergence of opinion from one technique to the next? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each screening method?
How are financial models superior to other screening models? How are they inferior?
How does the options model address the problem of non-recoverable investment in a project?
What advantages do you see in the GE Tollgate screening approach? What disadvantages do you see? How would you alter it?
Why is project portfolio management particularly challenging in the pharmaceutical industry?
What are the keys to successful project portfolio management?
What are some of the key difficulties is successfully implementing portfolio management practices?
Keflavik Paper presents a good example of the dangers of excessive reliance on one screening technique (discounted cash flows). How might excessive or exclusive reliance on other screening methods discussed in this chapter lead to similar problems?
Assume that you are responsible for maintaining Keflavik ’s project portfolio. Name some key criteria that you believe should be used in evaluating all new projects before they are added to the current portfolio.
What does this case demonstrate about the affect of poor project screening methods on a firm’s ability to manage its projects effectively?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of the profile model for project screening?
How does use of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) aid in project selection? In particular, what aspects of the screening process does the AHP seem to address and improve directly?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of project checklists for screening alternatives?
If you were to prioritize the criteria for a successful screening model, which of those criteria do you rank at the top of your priority list? Why?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions they could employ?
The chapter suggests that a definition of strategic management includes four components:Developing a strategic vision and sense of missionFormulating, implementing, and evaluatingCross-functional decisionsAchieving its objectivesDiscuss how each of these three sub-elements is important to
What strengths and weaknesses do you perceive in each of the models?

Showing 5700 - 5800 of 5801

First
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59

Project Management Achieving Competitive Advantage 3rd edition Jeffrey K. Pinto - Solutions

Step by Step Answers