Barn 2 Project Management Case Study - Caribbean Ducor Chemical BACKGROUND In the latter part of 2021. Caribbean Ducor Chemical (CDC) received a research and development contract from one of their most important clients. The client had awarded Ducor with a twelve-month. sole-source contract for the Research and Development (RAD) effort to create a new chemical that the client required for one of its future products. If CDC could develop the product, the long-term production contract that would follow could generate significant profits over the next several years. In addition to various lab personnel who would be used as needed, the contract mandated that a senior chemist be assigned for the duration of the project. In the past, the senior chemists had been used mainly for internal rather than external customer projects. This would be the furst time a senior chemist had been assigned to this client. With only four senior chemists on staff, the project manager expected the resource negotiation process with the lab manager to be an easy undertaking Project manager: "I understand you've already looked over the technical requirements, so you should understand the necessity for assigning your best senior scientist." Lab manager: "All of my senior scientists are good. Any one of them can do the job. Based upon the timing of your project, I have decided to assign Romane Spalding.' Project manager: "Just my luck! You assigned the only one I cannot work with effectively. I have had the misfortune of working with him before. He's extremely arrogant and unpleasant to work with. Lab manager: "Perhaps so, but he got the job done, didn't he?" Project manager: "Yes, he did Technically, he is capable. However, his arrogant attitude and sarcasm produced a demoralizing atmosphere for my team. That project was about three months in length. This project is at least a year. Also, if follow-on work is generated, as I expect it to be. I'll be stuck with him for a long time. That's umacceptable to me." Lab manager: "I'll talk to Romane and see if I can put a gag in his mouth. Anyway. you're a good project manager and you should know how to work with these technical and scientific prima donnas." Project manager: "I'll never be able to maintain my sanity having to work with him full-time for at least one year. Surely you can assign one of the other three senior chemists instead." Lab manager: "Because of the nature of the other projects I have, Romane is the only senior chemist I can release for one full year. If your project were two or three months, then I might be able to give you one of the other senior chemists." Project manager: "I feel like you are dumping Spaulding on me without considering what is in the best interest of the project. Perhaps we should have the sponsor resolve this conflict." Lab manager: "First of all, this is not a conflict. Second, threatening me with sponsor intervention will not help your case. Do you plan on asking for my resources or support ever again in the future? I'm like an elephant. I have a long memory. Third my responsibility is to meet your deliverable in a manner that is in the best interest of the company. "Try to look at resource assignments through my eyes. You're worried about the best interest of your project. I have to support some twenty projects and must make decisions in the best interest of the entire company. Benefiting one project at the expense of several other projects is not a good company decision. And I am paid to make sound company decisions, whereas you are paid to make a projectdecision." Project manager: "My salary, promotion and future opportunities rest solely on the success of this one project, not twenty." Lab manager: "Our relationship must be a partnership based upon trust if project management is to succeed You must trust me when I tell you that your deliverables will be accomplished within time, cost, and quality. It's my job to make that promise and to see that it is kept." Project manager: "But what about morale? That should also be a factor. There is also another important consideration. The customer wants monthly team meetings, at our location, to assess propress. Lab manager: "I know that I read the requirements document. Why are the monthly meetings a problem?" Project manager: "I have worked with this customer before. At the team meetings, they want to hear the technical status from the people doing the work rather than from the project manager. That means that Romane Spalding would be directly interfacing with the customer at least once a month. Spaulding is a "loose cannon," and there's no telling what words will come out of his mouth. If it were not for the interface meetings, I might be agreeable to accept Spaulding. But based upon previous experience, he simply does not know when to shut up! He could cause irrevocable damage to our project." Lab manager: "I will take care of Romane Spalding And to appease you. I will also attend each one of the customer interface meetings to keep Spaulding in line. As far as I'm concerned. Spaulding will be assigned and the subject is officially closed!" THE PROJECT CONTINUED... Romane Spalding was assigned to the project team. During the second interface meeting, Spaulding stood up and complained to the customer that some of the tests that the customer had requested were worthless, serving no viable purpose. Furthermore, Spaulding asserted that if he were left alone, he could develop a product far superior to what the customer had requested He also believes that he would be hampered by what he considered less than competent team and the project is likely to fail if they did not listen to him The customer was furious over Spaulding's remarks and asserted that they would now evaluate the project performance to date. as well as CDC's commitment to the project. After the evaluation they would consider whether the project should be terminated, or perhaps assigned to one of CDC's competitors. The lab manager had not been present during either of the first two customer interface meetings.Page +. Answer the following questions based on the case: QUESTION 1 (25 Marks) a) Kimberly Thompson is hired as an independent Project Management Consultant to assist the CDC. What general and specific recommendations should she give to the Company? (15 marks) b) How effective is a risk management plan if cost overruns and schedule slippages are always allowed and how effective will a risk management plan be if developed by the project manager in seclusion?? (10 marks) QUESTION 2 (25 Marks) ") Who are the key stakeholders for this project and do you believe that the right people assigned as sponsors! (8 marks) b) How do we create a partnership between the project manager and the lab manager when project manager focuses only on the best interest of his her project and the line manager is expected to make impartial company decisions? (7 marks) c) While assigning project responsibilities, Kimberly assigned Joan Blair the task of developing the control chart below. The sample mean was found to be 25 and the upper and lower control limits 50 and 15 respectively. Given what is depicted. determine if the process in or out of control Explain how you arrived at your decision and advise Joan on 2 additional tools that could be used in managing project quality. (10 marks)CONTROL CHART UCL = 50 50 30 Values 20 1 E 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 LCL = 15 NUMBER OF SAMPLES The Sample mean is 25 QUESTION 3 (25 Marks) a) Pressure from the within and without could potentially generate change resulting in increased complexity of the management task, which could lead to jeopardizing cost and project certainty. Discuss this statement in the context of the conversation between the Project Manager and the Lab Manager. (7 marks) b) Kimberly hired Dian Grifiths to be her assistant. Dian has just completed a Project Management course and based on her knowledge of project management, Dian has suggested that communication is key to the success of projects. As such, she stated that "Good communications channels must be established between all resource managers." She has identified & such resource managers with whom she needs to communicate. Due to some internal and external organizational changes. three new workers have been added with whom she needs to communicate. She also had to add an external contractor, Horace Officer. What is the maximum number of communication channels and would you recommend that Dian utilize all of them in this situation? Justify your recommendation. (6 marks) c) Kimberly assigned Francine Powell a project work package which needs to be completed in 6 months. The approved budget for this project is 200,000 USD with a constant burnt rate (the same amount is spent every month). 2 months have passed and Francine has spent 60,000 USD. Upon close review, she finds that only 25%% of the work has been completed. Stefanie, a Cost Portfolio Management expert is being asked to assist Francine by calculating and analyzing the following i. the Schedule Performance Index (SPI) and Cost Performance index (CPD) (4 marks) ii. the Estimate at Completion (EAC) and the Variance at Completion (VAC). should no measures be taken to correct any variances identified (4 marks) iii. What advice should Stefanie have for Francine based on () and (ii)? (4 marks)Pare 6. QUESTION 4 (25 marks) Annella Edwards is responsible for developing a supervisory training programme for the company. The following table shows the relationships between the activities that must be completed along with estimates of the durations in days. Table 1: Activity Times and Predecessors Immediate Optimistic Time Most Likely Pessimistic Activity Predecessors Time (m) Time (b) 7 13 - 10 17 A B 5 C 14 C E 15 E. F D 12 E. H G, I 10 You are required to help Prudence, her abled assistant to carry out the following tasks: i Prepare a network diagram. (4 marks) ii. Calculate and show in a table or otherwise, the project activity schedule (ES, EF, LS, and LF) as well as activity time and slack. (10 marks) Identify the activities, which if delayed, will delay the entire project. (3 marks) IV. Determine the critical activities and hence the critical path for this project. (2 marks) V. Determine the expected completion time for the project. (2 marks) vi. Prudence. when asked by Annella, advised her that the time in PART (V) is the longest time the project is likely to take. Comment on the accuracy of the information provided by Prudence to Annella. A market