Stand-Alone Project Assignment: Chase Retail Complex (Research Paper Sample)

Part A
Develop a project life cycle analysis of the proposed project. Include and discuss at least two (2) tasks for each of the four (4) stages. (80 points) (A 4-page analysis is required.)
Introduction
Projects are the only available ways of managing and accomplishing business goals, objectives and activities. Projects play a major role as a provisional assemblage of main personnel designs in accomplishment of specific business goals and objectives with the identifiable consumers in mind. The four main project stages are Initiation Phase, project Planning Phase, Project control and execution phase and project close out phase (Fleming, 1997).
The Initiation Phase
The main purpose of this phase is meant to develop a higher level plan and assessment of risk for the proposed project. It also offers information for strategic portfolio assessment for the project viability. During this phase, the strategic project requirements and immediate needs are considered to ensure the proposed project stands out (Fleming, 1997).
The project managers are required to determine the project scope and the estimate of work required to complete the project. He should also define the work breakdown structures in order to have a smooth flow during implementation.
The Chase project manager should consider the following inputs for the project. He must consider interviewing the expected customers to ensure they are away of the layout of the buildings. Additionally, he must look into the requirements of the customers to ensure they are satisfied (Fleming, 1997). Variously, he must input the strategic documentation of the project and customer literature into the proposed project to ensure it’s all-inclusive.
The tasks involved in this phase includes interviewing customers, defining project roles and development of cost estimates. In our case, regardless of the fact that chase have purchased the land ready for construction. They should recheck on the project budget to ensure it’s not too low that it may fail the project. The project managers of the chase construction project should document the project costs in a spreadsheet for easy tracking (Fleming, 1997).
Secondly, the project team should interview some the customers to ensure that the proposed plan meets with their vision for the building and setup. The project manager should ask open ended questions to the consumers to ensure they explain their vision in words. During the interviews, the project manager of the chase project should obtain any customer documentations that would be of use during the ground breaking process (Fleming, 1997).
Project Planning Phase
The chase project manager should utilize this phase to kick off the project and launch an accurate project schedule or plan. The project manager assign responsibilities to the various players in the project team. Additionally, project reporting and communication doctrines should be established and submitted to the project team. After assigning the responsibilities, the chase project team must establish a work tracking system (Fleming, 1997). The team should now breakdown the work responsibilities into measurable tasks. Breakdown the work plan forms the actual project schedule and plan making it easy for the chase project manager to monitor. Together with the team, the chase project manager have to develop a risk management plan.
The planning involved in this phase determines the project viability and success. Similarly, since the project involves construction and manual work, the project manager have to obtain staff, assign responsibilities, develop communication plans and ensure diligence in risk assessment.
Since the Chase project requires heavy construction and machinery work. The team must put high level project charters into consideration, documentation of every step and ensure high level risk assessment plans.
The main task involved in this phase includes conducting a project team comprehensive work session and planning meeting. To our project, the chase project manager should conduct this meeting to familiarize the project team about the project requirements and vision. The project manager should ensure he communicates project goals, expectations and the success criteria to approach (Fleming, 1997). The meeting should also highlight to the team members about the member responsibilities, budgetary requirements, communication plans and project time span. Finally, the team must work on the work breakdown structure to ensure the project objectives are met.
The second task that project team would be involved in is development of the detailed work breakdown structure. The detailed work breakdown structure breakdown the project objectives into workable deliverables for project accomplishment. The prepared work breakdown structure should plan the deliverables on hourly bases and the budgetary requirements to achieve them. The importance of this task is that the chase team will have an easy team to work on the project task with smaller task requirement for every participant. Each team member will be assigned him or her responsibilities which are documented in the work breakdown structure. Additionally, the detailed WBS will ensure smooth funding sources and accountable accounting systems (Fleming, 1997).
Finally, during this phase, the project manager must also consult all management review, project charter, communication management plan, contract administration management measures and develop a workable project development baselines. The baseline will work in place of the project team to ensure that the construction work is progressing according to the plan. The baseline should also have the documented project original schedule, project plans, approved changes in the project and the budget.
The project owners will use the developed project baseline to keep track on the construction of the chase retail complex.
 
Project Control and Execution Phase.
For any project to succeed, it requires 80% control and tracking with 20 % planning. The project tracking responsibilities are left with the project manager who ensures that each team member is working to achieve the project goal. Additionally, during this phase, the project manager must monitor, execute and control project progress in order to detect any challenges, problems and issues that may require fast intervention (Fleming, 1997).
The importance of this phase is deliverables leads to achievement of the desired results in the designated period, within the chosen cost and using the proposed resources. Also, the project manager in the chase retail complex will be tasked with implementing reporting and tracking processes for the project. Doing this will ensure that the project progress goes as planned and reschedules any responsibilities that needs to be redone to keep the project work on the track.
At this phase, the project manager must also ensure that the consumer’s vision for their retail complex is achieved. Finally, the manager must work hand in hand with the team to ensure that the risk management plan is put in good use to keep the work environment safe for all (Fleming, 1997).
The main task involved in this phase include tracking, status meeting, and change management, maintenance of quality and project documentation. The tracking task involves looking into the task to ensure that it meets the required project objectives. In the chase retail complex, the project must ensure that the building occurs 10,000 square foot so as to offer 2000 square foot per building as required by the customers. Lastly, tracking must also ensure project complexity, good performance and management visibility to make the project successful.
Project Close-out Phase.
At this phase, the project team will have to complete and finalize all project activities. Additionally, the funders, chase complex owner’s reviews and cross checks the customer requirement to already what has been constructed. In this phase too, the customers too will confirm whether their vision for a retail complex was achieved. At this phase, the project manager of the Chase retail complex will have to archive all project documents, assess customer satisfaction, conducting performance evaluation and finally debriefing project team members. The inputs required at this phase includes a completed project schedules, quality checklist and project documentation (Fleming, 1997).
The main tasks involved in this phase includes administrative closure, project participant’s survey and conducting post implementation project review. The administrative closure task involves closure of procurement contracts of all items used in the construction, additionally the project manager must match all suppliers’ invoices with their required payments.
Lastly, the leader of the project must conduct a post project implementation review to make sure that future projects will have much successful future than this chase retail complex. It also highlights the lessons learn throughout the project cycle and highlights all the achieved customer goals and objectives (Fleming, 1997).
 
 
 
 
PART B
Develop a work breakdown structure (WBS) and a responsibility matrix like those found in your text (pp. 108-109; p. 111, respectively). You may use MS Word or Excel to develop both of these charts. (50 points) (A chart and matrix are required.)
 
 
 
 
 
WBS Code
WBS Element
Chase001
Foundation Construction
WBS Element Responsibility Breakdown
The primary responsibility and function in construction of the chase retail foundation lays in the hands of Randy. Randy will be supported fully by Mark and Mike. The three have the responsibility to ensure firm and strong foundation for the complex blocks.
 
WBS Code
WBS Element
Chase 002
Landscapi...