Question $1(15$ points$)$

You work for a company that has decided to replace duplicate client service systems used in three different departments. These systems were implemented over $10$ years ago and each department chose their own platforms without consulting any other department.

The client service platforms each have similar functionality. They allow client service representatives to log client calls, categorize the calls, route them to the right teams for resolution, track issues and log client communications $($emails$,$ phone calls, etc.$).$

The company wants to choose a new platform that has better features, up$-$to$-$date technology and is cheaper for the company to operate.

The company does not have a culture of project management. Your CEO calls you and asks your opinion on how to proceed. The company is considering asking each of the existing department heads to work together to choose and implement one platform.

The CEO has heard of the value of project management but is not sure whether it will be helpful in this situation. She asks you your opinion.

How would you explain the value of project management and hiring or assigning a project manager for this effort?

Question $2(15$ points$)$

The company has decided to appoint you as the project manager for this effort. You have started working with each department to understand their operations and requirements.

The COO has been appointed as the project sponsor because this is such an important initiative. You meet with the COO to better understand how to start the project. He mentions that it has been so long since these systems have been implemented that there is no documentation on how these systems work.

Worse, there are multiple teams that use the platforms. Each department$$s client service teams use the systems to monitor client issues, management uses these to understand metrics $($e$.$g$.$ time to resolution$),$ and various departments use the systems to receive problem tickets and resolve issues. For example, IT may receive and record resolutions to technology issues, Legal may record and resolve client queries about contracts, Finance for billing, etc.

The COO asks you $$how can you systematically understand how everyone is using these systems so we don$$t miss anything?$$

How would you respond to the COO?

Question $3(15$ points$)$

You hold regular meetings separately with each department and also hold regular meetings with all departments together, along with IT$,$ compliance and others.

One of the department heads continues to raise issues with this initiative. He claims that his department has unique requirements that cannot be accomplished with a single platform. He notes that his department has customized the current platform with data and workflow specific to his department.

For example, his department has customized views for their specific products, including mapping common complaints specific to his department$$s products. These customizations have led to faster resolution times, he claims.

The other department heads are not as happy with their current systems and are open to the idea of implementing a new platform.

You need to find a resolution to this situation in order for the project to proceed successfully, the way your sponsor wants. You know there are various ways to manage conflict.

How do you proceed in addressing this conflict?

Question $4(15$ points$)$

As the project kicks off, you have assembled a team of experts in each department and the necessary resources and skill sets to implement the project. This includes engineers, junior project managers, product owners and qa staff necessary to implement the project.

This project is very visible to the company and can have an impact on its reputation for client service.

Your sponsor, the COO, wants to have a meeting to review the project with his boss, the CEO and invites you to attend the meeting.

As you are giving your update on the status of the project, the CEO asks you $$there are a lot of people involved in this effort and a lot of people who are interested in the details of the project. How are you managing to keep everyone up$-$to$-$date on this critical project. How are you getting their input into this effort?$$

How do you respond to the CEO?

Question $5(15$ points$)$

The project is up and running. You have created a project schedule, a stakeholder register and a communications plan. You meet with a senior IT manager who has allocated a number of engineers to the project. She is interested in the project and wants it to succeed.

As you are meeting, she notes that she has had experience with large cross$-$functional, multi$-$departmental projects. She gives some examples of the projects she has been part of in the past.

$$The problem with these sorts of projects$$ she notes $$is they never meet their milestones and they are always delayed$$

$$How are you going to make sure we meet our milestones?$$

Question $6(15$ points$)$

You a