1.9 Exercises

Added in August 2023.

Exercise 1:

Imagine you are a project manager for a software development company. Your current project involves creating an online platform for a client that sells used books. The scope of the project involves developing a website, integrating a secure payment gateway, and a user-friendly search engine to locate books by name, author, or genre. The project schedule is 8 months, with a budget of $200,000.

The project constraints include the client’s strict budget, the team’s expertise, the availability of resources, and the project’s time constraints. Additionally, you have identified potential negative risks, such as cybersecurity threats and potential delays due to unforeseen circumstances such as the pandemic or technical issues.

While the project is progressing well, you receive a request from the client to add a new feature: a recommendation system that suggests books based on users’ previous purchases. Adding this feature would expand the project scope, possibly extend the schedule, and require more budget.

Questions:

1. How would you evaluate the impact of this change request on the project constraints such as scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, and risks?
2. If you decide to accept this change request, what would be the possible trade-offs among these constraints?
3. What considerations would you have to take into account regarding stakeholder satisfaction?
4. In terms of project success, how would you ensure that the project is successfully managed, keeping in mind the client’s and end-users’ expectations?

Exercise 2:

You are the project manager for an event planning company that has been contracted to organize an international conference for a client in the tech industry. The scope of the project includes arranging the venue, organizing travel and accommodation for international guests, coordinating speakers, and managing the event’s promotional activities. The budget provided by the client is $500,000, and the event should be ready to kick off in six months.

Due to the pandemic, international travel has become uncertain. You’ve identified this as a significant project risk that could impact the overall success of the event. Meanwhile, your client insists that a virtual conference would not provide the same networking opportunities and requests you to proceed with the plan.

Midway through the project, it becomes apparent that due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, international travel restrictions are being imposed again. Now, the uncertainty has turned into a reality, and the project faces a considerable challenge.

Questions:

1. Given the constraints of the project, how would you adjust your management approach in response to this alteration?
2. What would be your next steps in discussing this issue with your client?
3. How would you reassess the project risks given this change?
4. How might this scenario impact the other project constraints such as scope, cost, schedule, quality, and resources?
5. What alternative solutions can you propose to the client to ensure project success in the current situation?