Based on the information you have, develop a project plan for the Sakura Bank K.K. operations improvement training programme, to share with Tao, the Managing Director of Kloud BV. This should include:

• Project timing – complete a critical path analysis, create a Gantt chart and consider any uncertainties in time estimates.

• Project costing – create a project budget and consider options for ‘crashing’ activities.

• Project resourcing – create an RACI matrix to determine the key responsibilities for those involved in the project.

• Project risk – note any risks you are concerned about and possible mitigation strategies. ‘Well that’s the bad news!’, said Tao, the Managing Director of Kloud BV, a consulting and executive development firm headquartered in Amsterdam, specialising in operations and supply chain improvement. ‘The good news is that Chao should be out of hospital in a couple of weeks. It may take a few months before he’s fully fit, but it all looks very promising.’ Maria was pleased to hear that things were looking more positive for Chao after his accident. She had only been at the company for six weeks, having taken up a role as a junior project manager, but had already grown to respect and like Chao.

‘But’, continued Tao, ‘that does leave us in a tricky situation.

As you know, Chao was in charge of the big project with Sakura Bank in Tokyo, which I’m going to look after until he’s back at work. He was also just setting up a smaller project for them, training senior managers, which will run out of their facilities in Osaka. I appreciate you’re pretty new here, but I’d like you to take on the project management for this one. Chao recommended you, so it seems you’ve made a very good impression!’ Maria was pleased to hear that Chao, her immediate boss, had a good impression of her. ‘Well, I’m very happy to take this on Tao’, she said as she quickly looked through the draft proposal for the project that Chao had been developing for Sakura Bank just before his accident (see Figure 15.18).