Discussion of project constraints and management of these constraints affect the project success
Delphi Printers & Peripherals is a small electronics and computer peripheral manufacturer decides to develop new and innovative consumer printer. A competitor of the organization is also going to launch a printer with same features. The senior project manager at Delphi Printers & Peripherals takes responsibility to develop new printer, which competes against the competitor’s offering. The project scope is to design sophisticated rendering firmware and a faster mechanical subsystem that can increase printing speed beyond the performance of the competitor’s product. Therefore, its target scope is high speed. Target schedule is week 17 and target cost is $40,700.
This paper discusses on the project constraints, which the senior project manager faces while conducting the project work. There are three major constraints in this particular project plan such as scope, schedule and cost. It also analyzes the influence of those constraints in the project success to determine its performance.
There are three types of project constraints, which are identified in the project plan of Delphi Printers & Peripherals. After identifying the constraints, its effects are discussed with managing those constraints for project success. The first constraint is scope. The project team selected the design of printer as multifunction with specification of snap-in module for scanning and faxing. It provides simple way to the consumers to make color copies of photos. This computer is more sophisticated than the competitor’s printer is. On other hand, the target scope of management is high-speed printer. Due to potential change of scope during the project lifecycle, scope creep occurs. It results into increase in cost, schedule, and resources and reduces the project quality. Therefore, it increases risk on project delivery at time. Due to change in scope, the team’s project is ahead of schedule. The targeted date of completion is week 17, while estimation of team is week 18. This constraint is managed by informing the project stakeholder about the project objectives. Therefore, before making changes in the project scope, the team should predict its effects on the project and take possible action in time.
Second constraint is schedule. Due to change in project scope, the project plan is ahead of schedule. The targeted time is week 17, but it tends to complete on week 18. Therefore, the schedule is increased by 1 week. In week 3, 169 tasks are not finished and 12 are finished which makes the schedule behind. Upto week 7, the schedule is behind. The schedule is managed by change outsourcing from primary tasks to support tasks. In week 8, there are total of nine members are added with the three members from week 1. Therefore, due to addition of more resources to the project plan manages the behind schedule plan and finally, the schedule is ahead of time. Allocation of resources gets the project back on the track. Proper schedule is planned from the starting point of project with defined tasks. This schedule should manage the work progress showing where both time and cost is increasing or decreasing. It helps to meet with deadline, reduce schedule delays and reduction of scope creep. Therefore, it allows Delphi Printers & Peripherals to ramp up the manufacturing as well as marketing to match with competitor new product announcement.
Reflection from the simulation result
Third constraint is cost. After week 3, 5 and 7, the cost is over budget due to behind of the project schedule. The final score shows that target cost of the management team is $40,700, while final cost of the project plan is $73,020. There is an increment of $32,320 more cost with the targeted cost by the management team. Therefore, the plan gets over budget. Due to addition of new resources, changing of project scope, change in type of project meeting and prototype increases the total cost of the plan. There is lack of accountability in the project plan. The influence of cost on the project plan is that the total planned cost gets over budget and there is unexpected cut of cost. The project manager should evaluate the structure of workflow, which helps to estimate both time as well as cost. Then, the project manager can track the project progress quickly in order to optimize the workflow. The salaried workers can effort unpaid overtime in order to overcome with budget constraints and keep the project on track. Therefore, the cost structure of project will not enable to release new printer with a profit margin higher as compared to competitor.
In week 1, we are three members who started to work for the design of consumer printer with medium-high skill level. We did one-to-one coaching and status review to get better project success. After completing week 1, the project is ahead of schedule. In week 2, manage meeting is changed from 1 session/2hours to 2 sessions/4 hours to one to one coaching. Upto week 2, we were able to complete 14 tasks where four problems are discovered. In week 3, we change outsourcing from primary tasks to support tasks, addition of one team member, reduction of one to one coaching and increase status review. Them it is simulated that 12 tasks are completed which is less than previous week, therefore the schedule goes behind. After week 3, the result is budget is out of control and schedule is behind.
In week 4, set one to one coaching to zero and reduction of status review, the result is completion of 18 tasks with two problems discovered. Then, again, the time is ahead of schedule. In week 5, the simulation result is over budget and behind schedule. In week 6, there are no changes and in week 7, we hired extra 2 members, until then it is over budget and behind schedule. In week 8, there are no changes; therefore, it is over budget and ahead of time. In week 9, we had reduced the team member by 8 from total of 9, then the schedule is ahead of time with 46 unfinished tasks. In week 10, set one to one coaching to zero and the result is over budget and ahead of schedule. Finally, in week 11, the multifunction project is released with a total cost of $73,020. Therefore, we are able to complete the project before 6 weeks but the budget is increased by $32,320. The total score was 701/1050.
Conclusion
It is concluded that the targeted time and cost from the management team is week 17 and $40,700. However, the simulation result shows that the malfunction project finished in week 11 with cost of $73,020. The team member changes the project scope, therefore due to change in scope, both cost as well as budget is increased. At the instance when the schedule is behind of time, then new resources are added to complete the plan within time. The result is that there is delay in entire project plan. Due to addition of new resources, the cost is also increased. In order to manage the project constraints, the project manager should evaluate the structure of workflow, for estimating both project time as well as cost. The project manager can track the project progress and it can result into project success.
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