The Hokies Lunch Group (Coursework Sample)

Case Study 1.2: The Hokies Lunch Group Name of Student Department, Institutional Affiliation Course Code, Course Name Instructor’s Name Date Case Study 1.2: The Hokies Lunch Group In the case of "The Hokies Lunch Group," the lunch group members are all working on different projects and are at various stages of the project life cycle in each section of the case. The community service project that Fatma is working on for her company entails converting an abandoned warehouse into affordable housing for low-income families. Viktoria is working on developing a next-generation neurostimulator (dubbed "PAX 2"). Finally, Jasper is working on a technology start-up project based on the concept of shared economies. Each section of the example contains three projects, each displaying characteristics associated with a different project life cycle phase. The Project Life Cycles for A, B, and C Part A discusses Fatma's project. Fatma's project is at the defining stage in this section, as her team is "struggling to define the project's scope." Establishing the project's scope is a critical task in the defining stage and the life cycle as a whole. To avoid scope creep later in the project, all stakeholders must agree on the scope. Viktoria's project, on the other hand, is nearing completion. Her team had just finished the second PAX 2 prototype and started testing. Testing the prototype is part of the execution phase because it determines what modifications need to be made to meet the final product requirements. Jasper's idea is also nearing completion, as the founders have requested additional features after seeing the one they liked. As a result, the project would need to be revised to meet consumer demands. Fatma's project looks to be at the planning stage in part B because she is now in charge of arranging work assignments for her team. Furthermore, Fatma outlined a two-day risk management workshop for the project. The time spent discussing possible risks/solutions and creating a risk report falls within the project life cycle's the planning stage. In this section, Viktoria and Jasper are both in the execution phase. Viktoria explains test failures and improvements made by her project's project manager to alleviate concerns with the battery prototype. These status reports and updates to the prototype are part of the life cycle's execution phase. Jasper discusses how his product was being tested to prevent feature integration issues. This is also typical of the project life cycle's execution phase. Fatma's project has now reached the implementation phase in section C, as her crew has begun refurbishing the warehouse. Viktoria's project was nearing completion as they wrapped up the successful PAX 2 endeavor. She also stated how her team conducted a project retrospective near the end of the project. During this process, they discussed what went well and what lessons might be drawn from the project to apply to future initiatives. Viktoria also adds that the closing step required substantial formal documentation before the project was completed. Unfortunately, Jasper's initiative perished due to his team's inability to deliver. As a result, the founders could not get a second round of funding and were forced to abandon the business. Important Things Learned about Working on Projects from the Case This case illustrates numerous significant aspects that may be used to project work. However, the two most important lessons I gained from the example concerning project management are the significance of clearly defining the scope before a project is permitted and how risk management on the front end can minimize unforeseen shocks once the project is underway. In part A, I got to learn that a project scope is an essential consideration before starting a project since it determines what is and is not included in the project and what may be added or removed as it is carried out (Meredith, Mantel & Shafer, 2017). Scope management develops control factors that may be used to handle aspects that cause changes during the project's lifespan. It is critical to establish priorities early on. Project managers may avoid "scope creep" later in the project by explicitly outlining the project's scope and ensuring that all stakeholders sign off on it. Scope creep refers to alterations or unplanned increases in the scope of a project after it has begun. Viktoria adds that scope is the most crucial aspect of her PAX 2 project. She emphasizes the need to carefully define the project scope, no matter how long it takes. Part A of Jasper's argument shows that his team's scope was continuously shifting as the founders demanded additional functionality. This pushed the team off schedule because it had not been prepared for the project scope. Jasper's team could have saved the project if they had spent more time defining the project's scope and ensuring the founders signed off on the specs. The key lesson from Part B is that risk mitigation planning is crucial because it gives project managers the foresight to commit resources for both known and unknown risk occurrences ahead of time. This lowers friction during risk events and helps project teams and other stakeholders to focus on the most critical concerns. Viktoria's project manager had predicted that their initial prototype would fail and had lessened the risk by developing two alternate battery solutions. All of the tests were passed by the alternative technology. Instead of being months behind schedule, they were only a few days. Fatma's team spent two days on risk management since, with projects like hers, one mishap might cause a project to be shut down for weeks or months. Fatma's team successfully managed the risk of an unexpected delay by spending time reviewing risk assessments from past projects and discussing ideas on potential hazards and remedies to them. The poor risk management strategy used by Jasper's teams involves addressing concerns daily during testing rather than doing so upfront during the planning stage. As a result, his project's integration issues became a driving element in the project's demise. They could have prevented the delays caused by these difficulties during the execution phase if they had spent more time addressing them beforehand. Another crucial attribute to have as a project scheduler is integrity; one must act as an honest leader by proving that they are devoted to upholding their principles and ethical standards and not allowing their decisions to be swayed by favors from other workers (Meredith, Mantel & Shafer, 2017). From part c, the clear lesson is that a retrospective or a reflection allows you to codify what you've ...