Project Management In Product Development -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Project Management In Product Development? Answer: Introducation Globex formerly B T Sons Farming Equipment established RALS (Riviera Agriculture and Lifestyle Show) in 2000; a three day event held in November every year. The event requires that attendees pay for tickets at the entrance which re checked and then allowed to proceed to attend the event. The event relies heavily on trained volunteers. The main problem being faced is managing ticketing at the entrance especially on opening days when there are many people attending the event; what happens is that the ticketing system is manual and at peak human traffic, some people are able to slip in because they cannot wait for too long. Further, the volunteers are usually overwhelmed; this slows down the business process of issuing tickets while making it almost impossible for the staff to ascertain the number of tickets given out and he number of people that attended. Furthermore, the volunteers needed for the exercise are also many. What is required is a system in which people can purchase tickets earlier before attending the event and have a system where they can have the number of tickets purchased and redeemed automatically updated so they know the number of people attending through bar code scanning and the computer system. It is assumed that the people know how to use the system (are computer literate) and that the system will work at least 96% of the time in a given 365 day period. It is also assumed that the system will be fully accurate and enabling infrastructure (Internet and networks) will also work, along with the automatic bar code scanners. It is also assumed that the attendees will have some access to a mobile device or computer to make the purchases on-line/through the web or at least be able to access some of the ticketing outlets where they can buy printed tickets. Another assumption is that for those buying the tickets online, they have a way to print them or at least have an application that will enable digital bar code scanning of their e-tickets. Business Purpose, Need and Significance This project is needed to help the organizers of the RALS to make the process of accessing the venue by customers easy and seamless; this will reduce over crowding at the gate/ entrance. The system will also lead to increased sales as few people will manage to slip through without paying for tickets, especially when there are crowds during opening days or at peak times. The system will enable potential attendees to purchase the tickets on-line and at their convenience and print them out or use electronic means to sign out. This will also lower costs, including the need for fewer volunteers and to help with administration and planning as the organizers will be able to ascertain the number of tickets sold and redeemed and people that attended. This will also ensure accurate accounting. The idea of the system is driven by the need for greater accountability, the need to have accurate metrics on ticket sales and attendees, and to improve the experience of attendees through easy and seamless entry, even during peak times and on the opening day. The system should be easy to use by customers, quick transaction processing, give real time updates and reports, and be able tp perform without lags even during high demand. The system should also be compatible with different browsers and operating platforms, and have the same functionality and appearance whether accessed using mobiles, tablets, or computers. The system should have resilience so that even in the event of a disaster or during backups, business processes will still continue and full operations can be restored within a short period of time. The system should also be easy to maintain and allow people to be given specific access rights to prevent abuse. If there is a wrong operation committed either by buyers or internal users, the system must highlight this and enable the user to repeat the process again, with help options available. These will be the guiding objectives for this project Benefits and Costs The system should reduce delays during entry, make the process of ticketing easy and seamless, and enable accounting and report generation by authorized users. The system will increase ticket sales and reduce operational costs while giving visitors a better experience and the organizers an easy time in planning and managing the project. The system will have various costs, including costs of making surveys and capturing user requirements, the purchase of hardware and other software, development and labor costs, costs for hiring cloud backup services, and maintenance and management costs. These costs are summarized in the table below; Item Cost in $ Initial survey and logistics costs, including user documentation 500 Cloud service provider costs 600 per month Purchase of turnstiles (8) each at 600 6000 Development costs (labor) 45000 Barcode scanners 3000 Hardware (Computers and power backups) 9000 Cables and networking 3000 Labor costs 2500 Maintenance costs 4000 Other incidentals and caution money 5000 Total 80000 Methodology The system will be developed using the agile project management methodology known as scrum; scrum. It is a lightweight method in which a project is undertaken and delivered incrementally in sprints, with each sprint supposed to end with a minimum shippable product that can perform the envisaged tasks as captured in the user requirements (Schwaber, 2015). Changes can be made along the way, but the delivery deadline and budget does not change. This method would be highly suitable for this project because it ensures the final product is table and works according to client needs. Its an approach that also enables new user requirements to be identified as the system is developed and testing and a system can be delivered in a far shorter period and with a lower budget than other traditional software delivery methods (Mike, 2010), (Pham Pham, 2016). The figure below shows the agile scrum framework; Source- (Innolution 2017) Team Project Charter Skills and Knowledge Inventory Skills Leadership and organizing skills Knowledge of product and customer needs Technical skills for testing Conflict resolution skills Team management skills Reporting skills Testing skills (technical) Communications skills Programming skills in JAVA and C++ Programming skills in Python Database development skills and Perl Knowledge of All forms of SQL Knowledge of No-Databse database system Web development skills including HTML and HTML 5 skills Training and support skills Business process skills Networking skills Purchasing and negotiation skills Cloud operations and backup skills RAID skills Networking skills Software testing skills Programming skills in Python, Perl, JAVA Knowledge of Linux testing and penetration skills Roles and Responsibilities Team Member Roles and Responsibility Shaik Ahmed Bin Taher Accurately capturing the needs of the client Testing products to ensure the user needs are well captured Communicating the user needs and any other needs effectively to the team Overall leadership for the project Liaising with the client on behalf of the team and giving progress reports Developing the backlog and budget Rafa Afr Will record all minutes of meetings and document them Plan, organize, and chair regular team meetings Ensure all team members are working seamlessly Risk management for the entire project Documentation Communication with all team members Developing Communication Plan Team member Developing the web interface scripts for performing various actions including capturing user details Developing the pay processing system and the cart system Developing the help system (online) Team member Software application development to include reporting and user access rights Testing of the system Developing interoperability with other systems and softwares Team member Development of the database and relationships between database items Testing the database Future updating of the database Developing Queries Developing web interface scripts using Perl for user querying Team member Will be responsible for developing the web interface and website for the system developing UX diagrams for the web interface and back end web access Using of HCI rules in web development Team member Developing the business processes that will operationalize the system Ensuring the developed system captures business processes effectively Training the client and users on how to use the system Developing help documentation for users Team member Purchasing and acquiring the necessary software and hardware components testing purchased equipment and ensuring they meet needs of the system and the user needs Team member Installing the system instances on the cloud Installation of system in private cloud Setting up cloud and off site backup Setting up redundancy using suitable RAID architecture Setting up business process continuity negotiating cloud service provider SLAs Team member Developing the networks and networking Ensuring system works seamlessly from any access point Team member Ensures the software performs as required (performance metrics) Notifies other team members of any issues Identifies bugs and fixes them in the software Develops software patches and updates Ensures the system is secure and any security loopholes are fixed Performs penetration testing for the system Based on scrum framework (Pham Pham, 2016) Team Communications The team will meet at least three times before the commencement of the project; the fist two meetings will happen at the client location when soliciting user needs and understanding the requirements of the user. The third meeting will be at the project office where team oles will be discussed and given; this meeting will also be used to ensure all team members understand the project requirements clearly and what is required for the project. The fourth meeting will be plan the course of action and what should be delivered at what time. After that, the team will meet daily in the morning during stand up meetings that will take an hour or less at the project office and also after every sprint is done to evaluate the work done and have a sprint retrospective. At the end of the project, there will be two meetings, one with the client during handover and another for team members during the scrum retrospective meting where documentation will be done. At the end of every sprint, the team wil l meet with the client or the client representative and test the developed system (so far) and capture any issues to be corrected along with with any other new user requirements to be incorporated. The agile framework requires effective communications and frequent meetings (Aguanno, 2005)The team will continue to communicate while developing the system be e-mail and telephone, as well as through the project management system interface and the digital scrum wall so everyone is up to date on the meeting. The meetings are summarized below; Meeting Location Purpose Date and Time Meeting 1 Client premises Familiarize with user needs and know requirements Meeting 2 Client premises In depth capture of user needs Meeting 3 Project Office Sprint planning meeting Understanding and sharing roles and responsibilities Meting 4 Project Office Knowing the work and work schedule Meeting five Project Office Daily scrum meeting 7.00 am to 8.00 am Meeting Six Project Office Daily scrum meeting 7.00 am to 8.00 am Meeting Seven Project Office Daily scrum meeting 7.00 am to 8.00 am Meting Eight Project Office Daily scrum meeting 7.00 am to 8.00 am Meeting Nine Project Office Daily scrum meeting 7.00 am to 8.00 am Meeting fifteen Client premises Testing at the end of first sprint Meeting sixteen Project Office Sprint Retrospective Sprint meetings (daily start again until the next testing phase with client Meeting x Client premises Testing at the end of sprint Meeting X Project Office Sprint Retrospective Cycles continue until the software is ready and is being handed over to client Scrum review meeting Project Office Evaluate entire project, lessons learned, documentation During meetings, Rafa Afr will chair all the meetings and each member will be free to speak or make comments; Rafa will do the documentation for the meeting and update these on the digital scrum board as well as on the physical scrum board. Each member will be given time to present what they did during the daily sprint meetings as well as any challenges they faced. Rafa will document these and post them on the project management system board for all members to see and make comments. Further communication will take place on-line through the project management system software and through e-mail and group chat platforms. Members can also communicate through mobile phones, although these are not recorded. The on-line project management system will enable each member to access resources such as sprint backlogs and the digital scrum board as well as minutes of past meetings. The physical scrum board will be located at the project office and be accessible by anyone during meetings; Taher wi ll update th scrum board so every member can see the progress of the entire team. Team Rules and Expectations The team rules have been developed due to a past experience where team members did not attend enough meetings and there were arguments that slowed down progress Team Rules and Expectations The team members are encouraged to express their feelings and opinions freely Team members must contribute during meetings No aggressive or abusive language during meetings Disagreements are allowed, but an amicable solution must be reached either through a vote or under the direction of Rafa All meeting minutes must be communicated to all team members by Rafa Communication will be official through e-mail, project system, or verbally and recorded All team members must attend 90% of the daily sprint meetings in person All team members must visit the physical/ or digital scrum board at least one daily Team values Commitment Communication Respect Code of Ethics No arguments or fights No abusive language Being bound by team decisions even if in disagreement Attending at least 90% of meetings on time (lateness will not be tolerated) Avoiding disruptions during meetings such as receiving and making personal calls Team Signatures Learning cycle Meetings All meetings must be attended in person frequent meetings help the team bond and know progress (what has been done and what needs to be done) Client needs These must be captured and can be updated as testing is done Delivery System will be developed and delivered incrementally Roles Team roes are complementary (inter dependence) Framework Effective project delivery must be structured and use a suitable methodology and follow its rules and tasks (the team chose to use the scrum agile method) Communication An effective communication plan is essential in project success Constraints Time and budgets ae constant constraints and this should be managed based on the work breakdown structure and project schedule Planning Prior planning and updates to plan helps team keep focused Communication Planning This was developed during the fourth meeting at the project office where stakeholders were identified and a plan on how to communicate with them developed. The communication plan is based on the stakeholder role and influence in the project Title Role Influence Communication method/ channel Interest in project Frequency Globex CEO Executive sponsor Very High Face to face E-mail telephone Reports and memos Very high Fortnightly Globex Executive In Charge of LARS Business sponsor Very High Face to face E-mail telephone Reports and memos Very high Weekly Globex Team Advisory team High Face to face E-mail telephone High Monthly Globex Staff Users Low Face to face High Fortnightly Members of public People that attend LARS events and will use system Low Face to face E-mil Medium Fortnightly Reflection Managing projects can be very challenging, especially given that one will be working with teams of diverse behaviors and personalities. Using a structured approach will help make the process of managing projects easy, especially when undertaking the role of the leader. From this project, I learned that even when one is the overall leader or has substantial leadership responsibilities, the rest of the team members are also leaders in their own little way. I discovered this, luckily in the second meeting and it was helpful in getting the team members to define their roles and give ideas on how the entire project would succeed and what needed to be done to achieve the project objectives and project success. Further, the leader, as I learned, gives direction and overall vision; the team members will give the road signs and speed at which the destination will be arrived at (meeting objective). The ability for effective communication is crucial for the leader, and different situations requ ire different leadership skills and styles. The leader must have integrity and enthusiasm, while also showing empathy if a team member is lagging behind. The lead must lead by example, being at the meeting earliest and being the last to leave, while dealing with individual concerns (Ellis, 2016). To perform these roles, a leader requires a set of both soft and hard/ technical skills; I needed to have technical skills for testing software to ensure it works well under different conditions. The leader must also clearly understand the client requirements, better than everyone else and effectively communicate these to the team members. The leader must know different project management methodologies, and the way it is used, knowing the methods is not enough, the practices must also be well known. The leader must know how to deal with conflict and disagreements and inspire the team forward (Flanners levin, 2005); in summary, a leader requires technical IT skills, soft skills, and practical project management skills References Aguanno, K. (2005). Managing agile Projects: [the project management essentials library]. Lakefield: Multi-Media Publications. Ellis, G. (2016). Project management in product development: Leadership skills and management techniques to deliver great products. Oxford : Butterworth-Heinemann. Flannes, S. W., Levin, G. (2005). Essential people skills for project managers. Vienna, VA: ManagementConcepts. Mike, C. (2010). Succeeding with Agile: Software Development using Scrum. Pearson India. Pham, A. T., Pham, D. K. (2016). Business-Driven IT-Wide Agile (Scrum) and Kanban (Lean) Implementation: An Action Guide for Business and IT Leaders. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Schwaber, K. (2015). Agile project management with scrum. Redmond: Microsoft.