$5$:$09$

Chapter $1-$ Project$-...$

Project Management

Consider a scenario that our organization is a grocery chain $($Grocery LLC$)$ with fifty branches across five states. During the weekends, and between $4pm$ and $7pm$ during the week, these branches, in general, experience more than usual traffic of customers. Therefore, long lines form in front of the current check$-$out stations where the cashiers work. Sometimes, it is not possible to assign an adequate number of cashiers to all the existing stations because of the lack of personnel. The chief operations officer $($COO$)$ of Grocery LLC visited CEO's office several times to discuss potential solutions to this problem. With the help of her operations team, she prepared a business case with several solutions. During the preparation of the business case, in order to elicit the business, stakeholder, and solution requirements of these solutions, the team sent paper and e$-$mail surveys to all the branches to understand managers' and employees' expectations and interviewed ten managers, ten supervisors, and thirty employees who volunteered for follow$-$up and further examination. Furthermore, two hundred customers who volunteered and were given a $$20$ gift card to spend at the grocery market were interviewed when they visited these branches to do their shopping during the busy hours. The team also visited other grocery chains' markets which are the main competitors of Grocery LLC to observe their daily operations. The team also collaborated with a market research consultancy company for further analysis and to receive expert judgment. Among several options, the candidate solution with the highest priority was identified as the establishment of self$-$checkout areas in all the branches. This solution was discussed in the project selection committee meeting at which our organization's CFO, CTO, and senior representatives from three departments $($R&D$,$ procurement, and human resources$)$ are the members. Based on pre$-$determined criteria and the weights that our organization uses for all the projects $($see Chapter $2,$ Table $2\mathrm{.}5),$ this solution was selected to proceed with as a project. The committee decided to organize the project as a program and to assign $5$ project managers who are responsible for ten branches each. Grocery LLC wanted to start the project in January $2022$ and finish all the works by August $2022.$ Once self$-$checkout areas are built and inspected to verify if they can be utilized to the full capacity with all the requirements met, customers will be able to check out their items themselves without the presence of cashiers, and, hence they can avoid crowded lines.

Based on this case study, we should ask, first off, if this can be considered a project. Projects are temporary, and hence have a definite start date and an end date. They result in the creation of a unique product, service, process, or outcome, and are completed when their goals and objectives have been met $($or the objectives cannot be met, and accordingly they are terminated early$)$ and finally signed off by the project sponsor and the clients $($funder$).$

Using these criteria, let's examine if the establishment of self$-$checkout areas in all branches is a project:

Is it unique?

Yes, because the self$-$checkout kiosks don't exist in this grocery chain. The outcome of this project offers a new way of service to the customers which would increase the speed of checkouts and reduce the lines at traditional checkout stations. The main purpose of this project is to provide faster service to the customers during busy hours. For each branch, a new design and implementation can be required due to the different layouts and sizes, and according to varying demands of the local customers.

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$\frac{?}{\text{b}\text{a}\text{r}}($ Project Management $)$

Therefore, it is also a unique endeavor for each branch.

Is this a temporary endeavor? Is there a way to determine when the project is completed?

Yes, the project starts in January $2022$ and ends in August $2022.$ When the kiosks are installed and the self$-$checkout service is offered to the customers at each branch, we can close the project and disband the project teams. Then, this will become an operation that is carried out every day.

Besides these two characteristics, we should also ask another question that is related to the constraints of a project.

Is there a way to determine stakeholder satisfaction?

Yes, the expectations of the stakeholders will be documented in the form of requirements while

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