Analyse the case below using SHORT$-$CYCLE PROCESS in project management.

Analyse the case below using LONG$-$CYCLE PROCESS in project management.

CASE SYNOPSIS

After $10$ years at Design Prototypes, Inc., Raef Conley is leading his first major project team. Raef has assembled a highly qualified, diverse yet cohesive team and has the full support of his boss on the project, the regional Electrical Engineering $($EE$)$ Director, Jonathon Wright. It has been almost $6$ months since the Alpha C$306$ project was green lighted by top management. Raef and other members of the project team have met several times during those $6$ months to track the progress of the project activities and from Raef$$s perspective the team works well together and is still highly motivated. Initially, the project was envisioned as taking a year and a half $(548$ days$)$ to complete. However, Raef and his team had developed a Work Breakdown Schedule $($WBS$)$ that projected completion in $515$ days, giving the team $33$ days of slack time. Developing a $515$ day plan was a very fortunate decision, as at this point the project is in the concluding stage of activity K $($product testing$)$ and due to unforeseen delays the $33$ days of slack time have been expended. Thus the team is using the $515$ day WBS for the just under one year remaining to complete the project. Top management is requesting that the project be shorted by a month $(480$ day schedule$)$ or preferably two months $(450$ day schedule$).$ In addition, the VP of Engineering$$s son, Simon, has been added as a team member. Simon, who has been with the company only $2$ years and lacks technical qualifications, is attempting to use the project as a way to demonstrate his value to upper management. Therefore, Simon$$s agenda is very different from that of the other team members, creating a source of conflict. The case revolves around the questions of: Can the team develop workable shortened time schedules for completing the project in $480$ and $450$ days? Are the added costs of reducing the schedule economically sound? How do Raef and the other team members cope with the late addition of a divisive, politically connected team member?