5. Read the opening case below. What are the problems in the case? Discuss how the four main processes of project procurement management" can help resolve the problems? Why is good project procurement management important for IT projects? (Briefly review sections 12.1 12.5) (20 points) OPENING CASE Marie McBride could not believe how much money her company was paying for out- side consultants to help finish an important system conversion project. The consulting company's proposal said it would provide experienced professionals who had completed similar conversions, and that the job would be finished in six months or less with four consultants working full time. Nine months later her company was still paying high con- sulting fees, and half of the original consultants on the project had been replaced with new people. One new consultant had graduated from college only two months before and had extremely poor communications skills. Marie's internal staff complained that they were wasting time training some of these "experienced professionals." Marie talked to her company's purchasing manager about the contract, fees, and special clauses that might be relevant to the problems they were having. Marie was dismayed at how difficult it was to interpret the contract. It was very long and obviously written by someone with a legal background. When she asked what her com- pany could do because the consulting firm was not following its proposal, the purchasing manager stated that the proposal was not part of the official contract. Marie's company was paying for time and materials, not specific deliverables. There was no clause stating the min- imum experience level required for the consultants, nor were there penalty clauses for not completing the work on time. There was a termination clause, however, meaning that the company could terminate the contract. Marie wondered why her company had signed such a poor contract. Was there a better way to procure services from outside the company