Resource Optimization Plan $$ Winter $2024$ Finals

Scenario: Global Growth Corporation Expansion

Background:

Global Growth Corporation, a multinational marketing agency, is expanding its operations to a new location in the vibrant city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This expansion is aimed at catering to the increasing demand for digital marketing services and strengthening the company's presence in the Pacific Northwest region. As the project manager, you have been entrusted with leading a diverse team to plan and execute this exciting venture.

Project Details:

$1.$ Project Scope:

$$ Establish a modern office space equipped with cutting$-$edge technology.

$$ Set up IT infrastructure, including servers, software systems, and communication networks.

$$ Recruit and onboard new staff members to support the expansion.

$2.$ Resource Constraints:

$$ Budget: $$1\mathrm{.}5$ million

$$ Timeline: $8$ months

$$ Available office space: $8,000$ square feet

$3.$ Project Tasks $($Group Work$)$:

$$ Resource Allocation $(15$ points$)$:

$$ Identify and allocate key resources required for each phase of the expansion project. This includes determining the necessary resources such as personnel, equipment, and materials for tasks like office setup, IT infrastructure deployment, and staff recruitment.

$$ Justify the resource allocation decisions by explaining how each resource contributes to achieving project goals.

$$ Estimate Activity Resources $(10$ points$)$

$$ Estimate the quantity and type of resources needed for each project activity. This could include estimating the number of hours required for tasks such as office setup, IT infrastructure deployment, and staff recruitment.

$$ Consider factors such as resource availability, skill sets required, and any potential challenges that may arise during each activity $($e$.$g$.,$ Office Design and Layout: Estimate hours needed for architectural planning and design. Consider skill sets and experience levels.

Furniture Procurement: Estimate quantities of furniture items $($desks$,$ chairs, sofas$).$ Consider cost, quality, and delivery timelines. IT Infrastructure Setup: Estimate server installation time, network configuration, and workstation deployment. Consider technical expertise and availability.$)$

$$ Acquire Resources $(10$ points$)$:

$$ Procure necessary resources $($contractors$,$ furniture vendors, IT suppliers$).$

$$ Research and identify potential vendors, contractors, equipment suppliers and staffing agencies based on budget, reliability and quality $($e$.$g$.,$ Contractors: Procure contractors for construction, electrical work, and furniture installation.$)$

$$ Develop a plan for procuring resources within the allocated budget and timeline.

$$ Develop Team $(10$ points$)$:

$$ Assemble a cross$-$functional team to execute the expansion project. Create fictional team members with different roles. $($e$.$g$.,$ These roles could include:

Architects: Responsible for designing the project $($e$.$g$.,$ office layout, infrastructure plans, etc$).$ You can assign names and responsibilities to these fictional team members.

$$ Foster collaboration and effective communication. Your group should outline how team members will collaborate: $($e$.$g$.,$ Regular team meetings $($virtual or in$-$person$).$

$$ Manage Team $(10$ points$)$:

$$ Monitor resource allocation throughout the project. One way to do this is for your group to create a simple tracking system $($e$.$g$.,$ spreadsheet$)$ to monitor resource allocation, list team members and their assigned tasks, track hours worked, progress, and any resource shortages.

$$ Address any conflicts or performance issues promptly. In this project, your group can create fictional conflicts or performance challenges $($e$.$g$.$ A team member is falling behind on their tasks due to personal reasons. Your group should outline how you would address such issues: Communication with the team member. Offering support or adjustments to workload.

$$ Control Resources $(5$ points$)$:

$$ Regularly review resource utilization. Your group can set up periodic review plans $($e$.$g$.,$ weekly or biweekly$),$ assess whether resources are being used efficiently., Identify any bottlenecks or overutilization. Use visual aids $($charts$,$ graphs$)$ to present resource utilization trends.

$4.$ Presentation $(10$ points$)$:

$$ Each group presents their resource optimization plan to the class.

$$ Discuss challenges faced and lessons learned during the planning process.

Grading Rubric: Project Resource Management Assessment

$1.$ Resource Optimization Plan $(15$ points$)$

o Identification of Key Resources $(5$ points$)$:

$$ Clear identification of critical resources $($e$.$g$.,$ architects, interior designers, IT specialists$).$

o Resource Allocation to Specific Tasks $(5$ points$)$:

$$ Detailed allocation of resources to project components $($office design, furniture procurement, network setup$).$

o Justification of Resource Allocation $(5$ points$)$:

$$ Well$-$reasoned explanations for resource allocation decisions.

$2.$ Estimate Activity Resources $(10$ points$)$

o Office Design and Layout