The Day Trip BACKGROUND About four years ago, Smith and his wife had a really fun...

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The Day Trip BACKGROUND About four years ago, Smith and his wife had a really fun day. Being a project manager, Smith wants to say that it was because I managed it as a project. it's a good example of how project success relies on more than just the three results (r) factors: scope, time, and cost. The plan was to take a Saturday in June, and pick lychees at a pick-your-own lychee farm about an hour north of where their house. They wanted to bring home five pounds of lychees, which was enough to last them all summer. The lychees cost $4/pound, and gas for the trip was about $10, so the total project cost was $30. CULTURE It sounds simple. Most projects sound simple. But when you stop and think how many things go wrong, that tells a different story. Here are a bunch of things that could go wrong, organized to illustrate the nine areas of project management. THE EXECUTIVE DECISION Scope: If they got lost, and never found the lychee farms - no lychees! • Time: If they got started late, we'd arrive in the middle of the day. Picking lychees in hot sun is no fun at all. And, for a day trip, no fun then is project failure! I ▪ Cost: Oops! Lychees are a very sensitive fruit. They need a cooler and some ice, or they'll go bad before they get home. Add $5 for a Styrofoam cooler, and $1 for ice. • Risk: What if the car breaks down - a miserable day! Get it tuned up and checked out before they go. Quality: Pick with care! We want to bring home only the best lychees. Communications: In the car, half an hour from home. "Smith, do you have the map?" "What! I thought you had the map?" I . ▪ Human Resources: "Smith, time to get up and pick lychees?" "You go, I don't feel like it. Besides, my friend Barbara is taking me out to brunch." A day trip just turned into a divorce! ▪ Procurement: Phone call early Saturday morning. "Mr. Kemp, thank you so much for bringing your car in for a tune-up yesterday. Unfortunately, we got backed up, and we haven't started working on it yet." "But it was supposed to be done last night!" " understand, sir, but, really, we're doing our best. Your car should be available at about five o'clock this afternoon. Thank you for choosing the Speedy & Reliable Car Service Center!" No car, no trip, no lychees! ▪ Integration: They are trudging back to the car with our lychees. "Smith, where's the cooler?" "I paid for it, I thought you carried it out of the store." "I carried it out of the store, and you put it in the trunk." "No, I opened the trunk. I thought you put the cooler in." "But you closed the trunk." "I closed the trunk because I thought you put the cooler in." "No, I put the cooler on the ground, because you didn't open up the trunk fast enough." "So, you're saying it's my fault that you left the cooler in the grocery store parking lot!" No cooler, hot lychees; angry wife. Thus, many things can go wrong in the process of even a simple daytrip. How much more can go wrong on a $10,000-, or ten-million-dollar, business project! If we look honestly, these kinds of problems happen on every project all the time. And that is why most projects fail. But success is easier than you'd think - if you pay attention to all nine areas. QUESTIONS 1. Based on the above explained case, discuss the 9 areas of knowledge for project management. [5 marks] 2. Argue how those areas of knowledge could improve smith and his wife experience in the next trip. [5 marks] The Day Trip BACKGROUND About four years ago, Smith and his wife had a really fun day. Being a project manager, Smith wants to say that it was because I managed it as a project. it's a good example of how project success relies on more than just the three results (r) factors: scope, time, and cost. The plan was to take a Saturday in June, and pick lychees at a pick-your-own lychee farm about an hour north of where their house. They wanted to bring home five pounds of lychees, which was enough to last them all summer. The lychees cost $4/pound, and gas for the trip was about $10, so the total project cost was $30. CULTURE It sounds simple. Most projects sound simple. But when you stop and think how many things go wrong, that tells a different story. Here are a bunch of things that could go wrong, organized to illustrate the nine areas of project management. THE EXECUTIVE DECISION Scope: If they got lost, and never found the lychee farms - no lychees! • Time: If they got started late, we'd arrive in the middle of the day. Picking lychees in hot sun is no fun at all. And, for a day trip, no fun then is project failure! I ▪ Cost: Oops! Lychees are a very sensitive fruit. They need a cooler and some ice, or they'll go bad before they get home. Add $5 for a Styrofoam cooler, and $1 for ice. • Risk: What if the car breaks down - a miserable day! Get it tuned up and checked out before they go. Quality: Pick with care! We want to bring home only the best lychees. Communications: In the car, half an hour from home. "Smith, do you have the map?" "What! I thought you had the map?" I . ▪ Human Resources: "Smith, time to get up and pick lychees?" "You go, I don't feel like it. Besides, my friend Barbara is taking me out to brunch." A day trip just turned into a divorce! ▪ Procurement: Phone call early Saturday morning. "Mr. Kemp, thank you so much for bringing your car in for a tune-up yesterday. Unfortunately, we got backed up, and we haven't started working on it yet." "But it was supposed to be done last night!" " understand, sir, but, really, we're doing our best. Your car should be available at about five o'clock this afternoon. Thank you for choosing the Speedy & Reliable Car Service Center!" No car, no trip, no lychees! ▪ Integration: They are trudging back to the car with our lychees. "Smith, where's the cooler?" "I paid for it, I thought you carried it out of the store." "I carried it out of the store, and you put it in the trunk." "No, I opened the trunk. I thought you put the cooler in." "But you closed the trunk." "I closed the trunk because I thought you put the cooler in." "No, I put the cooler on the ground, because you didn't open up the trunk fast enough." "So, you're saying it's my fault that you left the cooler in the grocery store parking lot!" No cooler, hot lychees; angry wife. Thus, many things can go wrong in the process of even a simple daytrip. How much more can go wrong on a $10,000-, or ten-million-dollar, business project! If we look honestly, these kinds of problems happen on every project all the time. And that is why most projects fail. But success is easier than you'd think - if you pay attention to all nine areas. QUESTIONS 1. Based on the above explained case, discuss the 9 areas of knowledge for project management. [5 marks] 2. Argue how those areas of knowledge could improve smith and his wife experience in the next trip. [5 marks]

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Question 1 Project Management for Day Trip The Day Trip BACKGROUND About four years ago Smith and his wife had a really fun day Being a project manager Smith wants to say that it was because managed i... View the full answer