Read the case study provided in Chapter $2$ of$$Integrated Project Management.

Write a three$-$ to five$-$page paper that analyzes instances of vertical and horizontal integration, strategic planning, portfolio planning, and ethics.

Case Study of PMBOK Implementation: Integrated Transportation System

Using an integrated transportation system project case and the Microsoft Project schedule $($Fig$.2\mathrm{.}1),$ we will explore the application of the PMI PMBOK and other industry standards for integration. A Microsoft Project schedule for the case serves to illustrate how the work breakdown structure $($WBS$)$ is translated to project tasks, schedule, budget, and resource assignments.

This transportation program, entitled the Integrated Transportation System, involves the design and development of a product, a new transportation vehicle concept that will incorporate a controlled, line haul highway system for urban transportation. The case is scheduled into Microsoft Project and will be discussed, task level by task level to illustrate integration issues and opportunities in a typical such project. This product development project is organized in the stage$-$gateway framework, with entry from one stage to another controlled by an integration gateway review. This integration gateway review assesses progress, change, and impacts from each stage and provides the basis for a $$go$$ or $$no go$$ decision to proceed to the next stage.

The program is being developed in ITS, Inc., a research and development firm that designs transportation systems. Program stages are defined as separated projects to be integrated forward to the final program product. Forward integration is the process of looking forward to delivery rather than backwards to align with original baseline plans. Forward integration is based on earned value, that is$,$ taking where we are in a project in both schedule and cost terms, and planning for remaining work. The scheduled tasks serve as the basis for this analysis in Figure $2\mathrm{.}1.$

Note that the gateway decision to proceed to the next stage is the summary output of each stage, thus highlighting the process of building in each stage to a proceed or terminate decision.