Assessment item 2Individual case study

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2Mb.
ASSESSMENT

2
Length No set length
Introduction and Student Guide
This assessment item is to be completed individually.
The case study simulates a project management scenario where
the student takes on the role of project
manager. The case information is not complete so where
necessary students will have to make assumptions
and argue the pros and cons for any recommendations they
make.
If necessary, students are expected to find relevant
information in the academic literature to justify their
answers.
To assist students in their assessment solution development
the following information is provided
Product development
case description
Specific assessment
questions that must be answered
Information
regarding the submission of the assessment
Marking guide
Product Development Case Description
Background
Abbac is a medium sized company that develops and
manufactures mobile data collection devices. You are an employee of Abbac and
work as project manager in the product development department. The people
involved in this case are
You are Mr. Jones,
the project manager.
Ms. Wells is the
Director of Product Development.
Mr. Palmer is the
Director of Marketing and Portfolio Management.
Ms. Brown is the
Human Resource Manager.
Functional line
managers in the research and development department.
Engineers and
members of your project team.
You have been leading a small team of experienced engineers
conducting a technical feasibility study to investigate if it is possible to
modify one of its standard products to create a product variant to satisfy the needs
of a local organisation involved in environmental management. You are planning
to hold a M1
Milestone Concept Review on Friday 13th December
2013. (For the purposes of this assignment assume that this is next week.) The concept review is one of the milestones
in the companys product development process.
The need for the new product has been identified by the
marketing department lead by Mr. Palmer, Director of Marketing and Portfolio
Management. Mr. Palmer provided your small project team with a product brief, outlining
the special end user, sales and service requirements to supplement the
requirements already established for the standard product. She also developed
the business case for the product and believes that there is a market for this
variant of the product beyond the customer with the original requirementrequest
forthe modified product.
Schedule and Budget
Great Devices Milestones
The milestones your team will use are
A. M1 Concept review complete (At this point the
feasibility study will be complete. A gono-go decision for the project will be
made at this milestone).
B. M2 Designs
Complete and Reviewed (At this point the overall design will be complete and
reviewed. A gono-go decision for procurement will be made at
this milestone. For the purposes of
this assignment assume that this gono-go decision is made at
the design review meeting, so you are
not required to add any additional tasks for this decision
making process).
C. P1 proto build
start (Everything is ready so that the product prototype 1 is able to be
manufactured with the quality level expected).
D. P2 proto build
start (Everything is ready so that the product prototype 2 is able to be
manufactured with the quality level expected).
E. M3 Final Design
review (At this point the product quality is verified based on the product
validation testing carried out on the last prototype. A gono-go decision for
production of required number of units for customer is made).
F. M4 Launch review
(A gono-go decision depending if all business areas are ready for market launch
and required number of devices are in stock. For the purposes of this
assignment this is the milestone marking the end of the project. You are not
required to add a task to make the decision it will be made by senior
management at this point. This milestone is the end of your schedule).
At the M1 concept review it was decided to go ahead with the
project. M1 milestone is to be the start of the project. Make the start of the
project Monday 161213. This is M1 the first milestone.
On Monday 161213 (after M1) you have a workshop led by Mr.
Software, Mr. Mechanics, Mr. Electronics, Mr. Production and Mr. Validation to
plan the product development activities. They are members of your project team
and very experienced managers and engineers.
From the team workshop you have obtained the following
information
1. A work break down
structure (WBS), resource estimates and some dependencies provided in Table 1
below.
2. Mr. Production
also did some preparations prior to the workshop and his input is summarized in
the
Activity-In-the-Box (AIB) network diagrams in Figure 1.
Note that the following abbreviations are used
Electronic Engineer
(EE)
Software Engineer
(SW)
Mechanical Engineer
(ME)
Test Engineer (TE)
Production Engineer
(PE)
Technical Writer
(TW)
Printed Wire Board
(circuit board) (PWB)
Electromagnetic
Compliance (EMC)
Planning Workshop
(PW)
Table 1- Work Breakdown Structure
Activity
Description Predecessor(s) Person daysweeks
of effort 1(and type
of resource
required.)
To be
completed
at the
following
milestone
PW Planning Workshop
Planning workshop M1 2 days fixed
duration. 1SE, 1TE,
1ME, 1 PE, 1EE,
1TW will be in
attendance.
1. Electronics
1.1 PWB outline modifications Planning
workshop(PW)
1 EE for 1 week.
(fixed duration)
1.2 Component selection
Selection of electronic
components. Must be started
together with 1.3.
1.1 1 EE for 2 weeks
(fixed duration)
1.3 P1 circuit design and PWB
layout
Creation of circuit diagram
and PWB layout. Breadboard
solution created. Must be
started together with 1.2.
1.1 1 EE for 2 weeks
(fixed duration).
1.4 P1 electronics verification
tests
Electronic verification tests
with the use of the P1
prototypes.
P1 build
complete (5.5)
1 person-week of
EE.
1.5 P2 circuit design
improvements
Electronic improvements to
circuit diagram, component
selection and layout.
1.4 1 person-week of
EE.
1.6 P2 electronics verification
tests
Electronic verification tests
with the use of the P2
prototypes.
P2 build
complete (6.5)
1 person-week of
EE.
M3
1.7 Thermal verification tests Verification that electronic
heat generation and heat
transmission through covers
is acceptable.
P2 build
complete
1 person-day of EE.
1.8 EMC verification tests
Verification of compliance
with electromagnetic
compliance regulations.
1.7 1 person day of EE.
M3
2. Software
2.1 Software specification
Specification of the software
functionality based on user
requirements.
PW 1 person-week of
SE.
2.2 User interface specification Detailed specifications of the
user interface
2.1 1 person-week of
SE.
2.3 Database specifications 2.1
1 person-week of
SE.
2.4 Software test plans
2.2,2.3 2 person-weeks of
SE
2.5 Software design
2.1 1 person-week of
SE.
2.6 User interface design
2.2 1 person-week of
SE.
2.7 Database design
2.3 1 person-week of
SE.
2.8 Review of designs and test
plans
1.2,1.3, 2.4,
2.5,2.6,2.7,
4.1, 3.4
2 days fixed
duration. 4SE, 1TE,
2ME, 1 PE, 3EE,
1TW will be in
attendance.
M2
2.9 Software development
You can assume that there are
four modules of
approximately similar effort
and if there are 4 SEs
available for this task it could
be reduced to a duration of 3
weeks (this is still 12 personweeks of SE effort). For this
assignment, you can also
assume that individual
2.8 (i.e. M2) 12
person-week of
SE. In your initial
schedule assign 2
SEs to this task, so
it should take 6
weeks.
modules will be tested during
development
2.10 User interface
development
Assume this includes
interface development and
testing
2.8 3 person-weeks of

SE.
2.11 Database development
Assume this includes
development and testing
2.8 4 person-weeks of

SE.
2.12 R1 release creation
Creation of the R1 software
release used for
testing with
the P1 prototype (in 4.4)
2.9,2.10,2.11 2
person-days of SE
2.13 R1 error correction and
user interface improvements
4.4 1 person-week of
SE.
2.14 R2 release
creation Creation of the R2 software
release to be used for testing
with the P2 prototype
2.13 2 days of SE.
2.15 R2 release tests
Testing of the R2 release with
the P2 prototype
2.14,6.5
(prototype 2
build
completed)
1 person-week of
SE.
2.16 R2 error corrections
Correction of errors 2.15 1 person-week of
SE.
2.17 R2 interoperability tests Testing of interoperability
with 3
rd
party accessory
devices.
2.16 1 person-week of

SE.
2.18 R2 interoperability error
correction
Correction of errors
2.17 1 person-week of
SE.
2.19 R3 sales release creation Creation of the software sales
release
2.18 2 days of
SE. M3
3. Mechanics
3.1 Industrial design
Design of the industrial
design for the device. Must be
started in parallel with 1.1
and 2.1
PW 2 weeks of a
MEindustrial
designer.
3.2 PWB outline modifications Modifications of the PWB to
fit the industrial design, new
components and usability
requirements. Must be done
in parallel with 1.1
3.1 1 person-week of
ME.
3.3 P1 mechanical CAD design CAD design of mechanical
plastic parts and metal parts
for the device.
3.2 2 person-weeks of

ME.
3.4 Tolerance stack analysis
Analysis of the mechanical
tolerance stacks compared to
part tooling and moulding
capabilities.
3.3 1 person-week of
ME.
3.5 P1 mechanical part analysis Physical analysis of moulded
plastic parts and sheet metal
parts used in the first
prototype
P1 build
complete
1 person-week of
ME.
3.6 P2 mechanical part
modifications
Modification of moulding and
sheet metal tools used for P2
parts.
3.5 2 person-weeks of

ME.
3.7 Mechanical tool approval
Evaluation of P2 mechanical
parts and approval of
moulding and sheet metal
tools used in part
manufacture.
P2 build
complete
2 weeks of ME. M3
4. Verification
4.1 Test plan creation
Creation of a plan
documenting what is to be
tested.
PW 2 person-week of
TE
M2
4.2 Component tests
Test of key hardware
component reliability to
various standard tests like
drop and humidity.
After delivery
of components
for P1 i.e.
5.1,5.2,5.3 and
also 4.1)
1 person-week of
TE
P1
4.3 Module tests Test
of module functionality
after assembly.
P1 build
complete, 4.2
1 person-week of
TE.
4.4 System integration tests
Test of integration of modules
4.3 ,2.12 1 person-week of P2
and R1 software i.e. testing
of P1 prototype
TE and 1 personweek of SE
4.5 Product validation tests
Test of product against
reliability to various standard
tests like drop and humidity
and end user requirements.
4.4, P2 build
complete (6.5)
1 person-week of
TE
4.6 Technical Construction File
compilation
Creation of documentation
for regulatory approvals.
4.5 1 person-week of
TE.
4.7 Type approval and regulatory
approval tests
Approvals from regulatory
authorities.
4.6 4 weeks by
regulatory
authorities.
M3
5. prototype 1 build
see figure 1 for details See fig
1 for
details
See fig 1 for details
6. prototype 2 build
see figure 1 for details see
figure 1
for details
see figure 1 for
details
7. Documentation
7.1 documentation plan
Table of contents etc. 2.8 1 person-week of
TW and 1 personweek of SE
7.2 development of
documentation
TW writes documentation
7.1 2 person-weeks of
TW
7.3 review of documentation
Review by SE and
corrections by TW
7.2 1 person-week of
TW and 1 personweek of SE
M3
8. Production of devices for
customersmarket
8.1 assembly and production
preparation
M3 2 person-weeks of
PE
8.2 Production of devices
Bulk production of required
number of devices for
customers and market launch
8.1 3 weeks fixed
duration. Requires 1
PE.
M4
Note To achieve the WBS numbering shown in the table, you
will have to manually enter the WBS numbers
in a WBS column. Automatic generation will not produce the
above WBS numbers because you should have
an outer level summary task for the whole project (and also
have milestones at the top of the task).
It is very
useful to include the correct WBS numbers as this will allow
you to check your predecessor
relationships by
making a comparison with the table above.
Figure 1 – Activity in Box Network Diagrams for Production
Assume that all durations shown are fixed duration.
Abbreviations w is weeks and d is days.
Prototype 1
Prototype 2
P1 component lead-time
5.1 4w Suppliers
P1 PWB manufacture and
delivery
5.2 4w Supplier
P1 mechanical part lead-time
5.3 3w Supplier
P1 assembly and production
test preparation
5.4 2w 1 Production
Engineer
P1 prototype build
5.5 2d P Engineer P1
M2
1
As the project manager you have accepted the tasks of
creating the compiled project schedule and allocating
resources.
Available Resources
The maximum full time resources available for your project
are
Resource $hour Number Available
Electronics Engineer
$95.00 3
Software Engineer
$90.00 4
Mechanical Engineer
$80.00 2
Test Engineer
$90.00 1
Production Engineer
$100.00 1
Technical Writer
$65.00 1
Your team is committed to producing only two prototype
iterations to develop and validate the design.
You know that there are items you did not address at the
project workshop and that you may need to make
some assumptions to complete your schedule and budget. Make
sure that you list any assumptions you make
at the beginning of your assignment submission.
General Information
In addition to the work breakdown structure and AIB network
diagram you have collected the following
information.
The project booking
of the proto builds (task 5.5 and 6.5) will have to be done at the latest four
(4)
weeks in advance of the build. This is the lead time
required to include builds in the manufacturings
master production schedule.
The company will
have a general holiday period between 231213 to 3114. You should also
include a public holiday on 270114. You are not required to enter any other
holidays for the
purposes of this assignment.
The booking of the
Type Approval (TA) test house (task 4.7) has to be done 8 weeks prior to type
approval (task 4.7).
The engineers work
a 40 hour week from Monday to Friday (i.e. a 5 day week with 8 hour days).
Assessment Part A
For part A of the assessment you must complete the following
tasks and questions. Read all the questions
before you commence the tasks.
1. Ms Palmer has
asked you to use Microsoft Project to develop the project schedule. Note that
Mr.
Palmer has also asked you to include the milestones at the
top of the task list in your schedule.
Develop the schedule and make sure that you
a) Include the
milestones at the top of the task list (underneath the project summary task at
the
top of the task list).
b) Include the
resource allocation details on the schedule.
c) Resolve any
resource allocation issues. Assume that the project is constrained to the
resources listed in the case study description above.
d) Have an
appropriate project name as the top of the task list and have all other tasks
indented
below this heading. Note that by having the overall project
summary task and the milestones
at the top of the task list the automatically generated
outline numbers WBS numbers will
not correspond to the WBS numbering in the specification.
However, you should introduce a
WBS column and manually enter the numbering required to keep
the work breakdown
numbering specified in the assignment. The WBS column should
be placed before the task
column.
e) Make sure that the
holidays described in the general information are not included in the
available working days for your project.
2. In this question
you must identify the critical path in your schedule.
a) The bars of the
tasks on the critical path must be automatically highlighted in the Gantt chart

view of your project schedule (in the .mpp file). The marker
should be able to view all tasks
in the project when they open the .mpp file.
b) List the tasks on
the critical path in your answer to this question in the Word document.
3. Include additional
milestones (tasks with 0 duration) in your schedule to show the latest date
you
need to contact
a) the production
manager to ensure that the facilities are booked for the prototype builds (i.e.

two milestones one for each prototype build).
b) the type approval
test house to ensure that the facilities are booked for the type approval.
c) According to your
schedule when is the latest date that you need to contact
The production
manager to book the facilities for the first prototype build
The production
manager to book the facilities for the second prototype build
The type approval
house to book the facilities for the type approval
Note that these additional milestones should be listed at
the end of the milestones list at the start of
the project and should be highlighted in the task list in
yellow using the background colour icon on
the task ribbon. This is to allow your marker to locate them
easily.
4. Write a memo to
the director of product development, Mr. Palmer outlining
a) the expected
completion date of the project, assuming it commences at M1;
b) the total duration
of the project;
c) an explanation of
the main factors that cause the project to require that length of time
d) the estimated
labour cost of the project after the M1 concept review. Present the costs in a
table showing the costs for the following
Planning workshop
Electronics
Software
Mechanics
Verification
Prototype 1 build
Prototype 2 build
Documentation
Production of
devices for customers
Total for the
Project
Assume that you will send the project schedule as an
attachment to the memo.
5. Generate a who
does what report using the Microsoft Project reporting facilities. The start
of a
who does what report for a different project is shown
below. Include a screenshot of your who
does what report as the answer to this question in your
Word document.
6. Is there any way
that the overall duration of the project can be shortened without removing any
tasks (Justify your answer. Be specific and describe any
tasks that you would target and what you
might do that could reduce the length of the project.)
7. Describe what the
project manager needs to do to ensure that the project runs smoothly and
completes on time. Give a detailed answer describing
procedures, processes and anything else that
you believe is important both in general terms and
specifically for this project
8. Is there any way
that the cost of this project could be reduced (Justify your answer. Be
specific and
describe any implications (apart from the reduction in cost)
that could result from you suggestion(s).
You are only required to discuss one suggestion to answer
this question.)
9. Are there any
project related supporting activities, plans, events or tasks that you might
have
overlooked If they were overlooked describe how this could
impact on the project. .
Assessment Part B
Mr. Production reviews your project schedule and requests
that both the prototype builds also include the
participation of one engineer from electronics and one from
mechanics. You will have to update your
schedule as you agree with this proposal.
You are now 1 week after the M1 milestone and the display
supplier has been revised the delivery time. This
is one of the components required for the prototype 1 build
(not the prototype 2 build). The delivery time is
now expected to take 5 weeks. (This will impact on the
duration for task 5.1.)
In addition, you are advised that the type approval and
regulatory approval tests are now expected to take
only 2 weeks.
Based on the additional information given above complete the
following tasks
1. Amend the project
schedule incorporating the request from Mr. Production, the change to the
delivery time for the display and the new estimated times
for the regulatory approval task.
2. Describe the
impact of each of the changes, i.e. what
is the impact of
a. the requirement
for the additional resources on the prototype build on both the duration and
the cost of the project
b. the change in
delivery time for the display component on both the duration and the cost of
the project
c. the change in the
time for the regulatory approval tests on both the duration and the cost of
the project.
3. Are there any
options that you would consider instead of making any of these changes Explain.
4. What is the new
duration for the project What is the new expected completion date for the
project
Assessment Part C
You have been advised that there will only be two software
engineers available for the project.
1. Modify your
resource details so that there are now only 2 software engineers available.
2. a) Does this
result in a resource over-allocation issue in your schedule
b) If so, resolve the resource over-allocation issue. If you
had to resolve a resource over-allocation
issue explain how you resolved the problem(s). If you did
not have to resolve a resource overallocation issue, explain how you would have
resolved the resource over-allocation issue. a resource
over-allocation issue using Microsoft Project.
3. Has this change
impacted on the duration of your project Explain whywhy not.
4. Has this change
impacted on the sensitivity of the network Explain whywhy not.
Assumptions
You are free to make any assumptions necessary to complete
the assignment. However each assumption
must be justified and stated clearly in your assessment word
document. Marks will be deducted for any
unreasonable assumption or for stating an assumption and
then ignoring it in your assignment.
Submission of Assessment
The assignment is to be submitted as four separate files
using the electronic assignment submission system
that can be accessed from the assessment item 2 link on the
course website. The four files to be submitted
are
1. The Word document
with the assumptions and solutions to the questions for Part A, Part B and Part

C.
2. The Microsoft
project files created for Part A, Part B and Part C. Please ensure that the
names of
these files clearly indicate their purpose, e.g.
Abbac_Part_A.mpp, Abbac_Part_B.mpp and
Abbac_Part_C.mpp.
Marking Guide for Assessment item 2 Individual Case Study
Assignment Question
Criteria Marks
available
Marks
awarded
Part A
Q1 The adequacy of
the Project Schedule
Tasks; correct WBS;
overall summary task;
auto scheduling
Durationseffort
Resources allocated
(+ no over-allocation)
Milestones
Predecessor
relationships
holidays
7
Q2 Critical path
highlighted and tasks listed 1
Q3 Dates of
bookings 1
Q4 Appropriateness of
the Written Memo and all
information correct according to the schedule
4
Q5 Who does what
report 1
Q6 Details on
shortening the Project 2
Q7 Ensuring finished
on time 3
Q8 Reducing
cost. 2
Q9 Overlooked
activities 3
Sub Total Part A 24

Part B
Q1 The adequacy of
the amended Project Plan (+
ensure no resource over-allocation)
2
Q2 Discussion of the
impact of each of the changes (for
each discuss impact on budget and duration)
3
Q3 Discussion of
options 1
Q4 Overall duration
change 1
Sub Total Part B 7
Part C
Q1 Change to 2
SEs 1
Q2 Resolution of
resource issues 1
Q3 Impact on duration
+ explanation 1
Q4 Impact on network
sensitivity + explanation 1
Sub Total Part C 4
TOTAL 35
Comments
Lecturer ______________________________ Lecturers signature
_______________________
Date Assessment item 2Individual case studyAll students are to submit electronically max file size is
2Mb.ASSESSMENT2Length No set length Introduction and Student GuideThis assessment item is to be completed individually.The case study simulates a project management scenario where
the student takes on the role of project manager. The case information is not complete so where
necessary students will have to make assumptions and argue the pros and cons for any recommendations they
make. If necessary, students are expected to find relevant
information in the academic literature to justify their answers.To assist students in their assessment solution development
the following information is provided Product development
case description Specific assessment
questions that must be answered Information
regarding the submission of the assessment Marking guide Product Development Case DescriptionBackgroundAbbac is a medium sized company that develops and
manufactures mobile data collection devices. You are an employee of Abbac and
work as project manager in the product development department. The people involved in this case are You are Mr. Jones,
the project manager. Ms. Wells is the
Director of Product Development. Mr. Palmer is the
Director of Marketing and Portfolio Management. Ms. Brown is the
Human Resource Manager. Functional line
managers in the research and development department. Engineers and
members of your project team.You have been leading a small team of experienced engineers
conducting a technical feasibility study to investigate if it is possible to
modify one of its standard products to create a product variant to satisfy the needs
of a local organisation involved in environmental management. You are planning
to hold a M1 Milestone Concept Review on Friday 13th December
2013. (For the purposes of this assignment assume that this is next week.) The concept review is one of the milestones
in the companys product development process.The need for the new product has been identified by the
marketing department lead by Mr. Palmer, Director of Marketing and Portfolio
Management. Mr. Palmer provided your small project team with a product brief, outlining
the special end user, sales and service requirements to supplement the
requirements already established for the standard product. She also developed
the business case for the product and believes that there is a market for this
variant of the product beyond the customer with the original requirementrequest
forthe modified product. Schedule and BudgetGreat Devices MilestonesThe milestones your team will use are A. M1 Concept review complete (At this point the
feasibility study will be complete. A gono-go decision for the project will be
made at this milestone).B. M2 Designs
Complete and Reviewed (At this point the overall design will be complete and reviewed. A gono-go decision for procurement will be made at
this milestone. For the purposes of this assignment assume that this gono-go decision is made at
the design review meeting, so you are not required to add any additional tasks for this decision
making process).C. P1 proto build
start (Everything is ready so that the product prototype 1 is able to be
manufactured with the quality level expected).D. P2 proto build
start (Everything is ready so that the product prototype 2 is able to be
manufactured with the quality level expected).E. M3 Final Design
review (At this point the product quality is verified based on the product
validation testing carried out on the last prototype. A gono-go decision for
production of required number of units for customer is made).F. M4 Launch review
(A gono-go decision depending if all business areas are ready for market launch
and required number of devices are in stock. For the purposes of this
assignment this is the milestone marking the end of the project. You are not
required to add a task to make the decision it will be made by senior
management at this point. This milestone is the end of your schedule).At the M1 concept review it was decided to go ahead with the
project. M1 milestone is to be the start of the project. Make the start of the
project Monday 161213. This is M1 the first milestone.On Monday 161213 (after M1) you have a workshop led by Mr.
Software, Mr. Mechanics, Mr. Electronics, Mr. Production and Mr. Validation to
plan the product development activities. They are members of your project team
and very experienced managers and engineers. From the team workshop you have obtained the following
information1. A work break down
structure (WBS), resource estimates and some dependencies provided in Table 1 below.2. Mr. Production
also did some preparations prior to the workshop and his input is summarized in
the Activity-In-the-Box (AIB) network diagrams in Figure 1.Note that the following abbreviations are used Electronic Engineer
(EE) Software Engineer
(SW) Mechanical Engineer
(ME) Test Engineer (TE) Production Engineer
(PE) Technical Writer
(TW) Printed Wire Board
(circuit board) (PWB) Electromagnetic
Compliance (EMC) Planning Workshop
(PW) Table 1- Work Breakdown Structure Activity
Description Predecessor(s) Person daysweeks of effort 1(and type of resource required.)To be completed at the following milestonePW Planning Workshop
Planning workshop M1 2 days fixed duration. 1SE, 1TE, 1ME, 1 PE, 1EE, 1TW will be in attendance.1. Electronics 1.1 PWB outline modifications Planning workshop(PW)1 EE for 1 week.(fixed duration)1.2 Component selection
Selection of electronic components. Must be started together with 1.3.1.1 1 EE for 2 weeks(fixed duration)1.3 P1 circuit design and PWB layoutCreation of circuit diagram and PWB layout. Breadboard solution created. Must be started together with 1.2.1.1 1 EE for 2 weeks(fixed duration).1.4 P1 electronics verification testsElectronic verification tests with the use of the P1 prototypes.P1 build complete (5.5)1 person-week of EE.1.5 P2 circuit design improvementsElectronic improvements to circuit diagram, component selection and layout.1.4 1 person-week of EE.1.6 P2 electronics verification testsElectronic verification tests with the use of the P2prototypes.P2 build complete (6.5)1 person-week of EE.M31.7 Thermal verification tests Verification that electronic heat generation and heat transmission through covers is acceptable. P2 build complete1 person-day of EE.1.8 EMC verification tests
Verification of compliance with electromagnetic compliance regulations.1.7 1 person day of EE.
M32. Software 2.1 Software specification
Specification of the software functionality based on user requirements.PW 1 person-week of SE.2.2 User interface specification Detailed specifications of the user interface2.1 1 person-week of SE.2.3 Database specifications 2.1
1 person-week of SE.2.4 Software test plans
2.2,2.3 2 person-weeks of SE2.5 Software design
2.1 1 person-week of SE.2.6 User interface design
2.2 1 person-week of SE.2.7 Database design
2.3 1 person-week of SE.2.8 Review of designs and test plans1.2,1.3, 2.4, 2.5,2.6,2.7, 4.1, 3.42 days fixed duration. 4SE, 1TE, 2ME, 1 PE, 3EE, 1TW will be in attendance.M22.9 Software development
You can assume that there are four modules of approximately similar effort and if there are 4 SEs available for this task it could be reduced to a duration of 3 weeks (this is still 12 personweeks of SE effort). For this assignment, you can also assume that individual 2.8 (i.e. M2) 12
person-week of SE. In your initial schedule assign 2 SEs to this task, so it should take 6 weeks.modules will be tested during development2.10 User interface developmentAssume this includes interface development and testing2.8 3 person-weeks of
SE.2.11 Database development
Assume this includes development and testing2.8 4 person-weeks of
SE.2.12 R1 release creation
Creation of the R1 software release used for
testing with the P1 prototype (in 4.4)2.9,2.10,2.11 2
person-days of SE2.13 R1 error correction and user interface improvements4.4 1 person-week of SE.2.14 R2 release
creation Creation of the R2 software release to be used for testing with the P2 prototype 2.13 2 days of SE.2.15 R2 release tests
Testing of the R2 release with the P2 prototype2.14,6.5 (prototype 2 build completed)1 person-week of SE.2.16 R2 error corrections
Correction of errors 2.15 1 person-week of SE.2.17 R2 interoperability tests Testing of interoperability with 3rdparty accessory devices. 2.16 1 person-week of
SE.2.18 R2 interoperability error correctionCorrection of errors
2.17 1 person-week of SE.2.19 R3 sales release creation Creation of the software sales release2.18 2 days of
SE. M33. Mechanics 3.1 Industrial design
Design of the industrial design for the device. Must be started in parallel with 1.1 and 2.1PW 2 weeks of a MEindustrial designer.3.2 PWB outline modifications Modifications of the PWB to fit the industrial design, new components and usability requirements. Must be done in parallel with 1.13.1 1 person-week of ME.3.3 P1 mechanical CAD design CAD design of mechanical plastic parts and metal parts for the device.3.2 2 person-weeks of
ME.3.4 Tolerance stack analysis
Analysis of the mechanical tolerance stacks compared to part tooling and moulding capabilities. 3.3 1 person-week of ME.3.5 P1 mechanical part analysis Physical analysis of moulded plastic parts and sheet metal parts used in the first prototypeP1 build complete1 person-week of ME.3.6 P2 mechanical part modificationsModification of moulding and sheet metal tools used for P2 parts.3.5 2 person-weeks of
ME.3.7 Mechanical tool approval
Evaluation of P2 mechanical parts and approval of moulding and sheet metal tools used in part manufacture. P2 build complete2 weeks of ME. M34. Verification 4.1 Test plan creation
Creation of a plan documenting what is to be tested.PW 2 person-week of TEM24.2 Component tests
Test of key hardware component reliability to various standard tests like drop and humidity.After delivery of components for P1 i.e.5.1,5.2,5.3 and also 4.1)1 person-week of TE P14.3 Module tests Test
of module functionality after assembly.P1 build complete, 4.21 person-week of TE.4.4 System integration tests
Test of integration of modules
4.3 ,2.12 1 person-week of P2 and R1 software i.e. testing of P1 prototypeTE and 1 personweek of SE4.5 Product validation tests
Test of product against reliability to various standard tests like drop and humidity and end user requirements.4.4, P2 build complete (6.5)1 person-week of TE 4.6 Technical Construction File compilationCreation of documentation for regulatory approvals.4.5 1 person-week of TE.4.7 Type approval and regulatory approval testsApprovals from regulatory authorities.4.6 4 weeks by regulatory authorities.M35. prototype 1 build
see figure 1 for details See fig
1 for detailsSee fig 1 for details 6. prototype 2 build
see figure 1 for details see
figure 1 for detailssee figure 1 for details7. Documentation 7.1 documentation plan
Table of contents etc. 2.8 1 person-week of TW and 1 personweek of SE7.2 development of documentationTW writes documentation
7.1 2 person-weeks of TW7.3 review of documentation
Review by SE and corrections by TW7.2 1 person-week of TW and 1 personweek of SEM38. Production of devices for customersmarket8.1 assembly and production preparation M3 2 person-weeks of PE8.2 Production of devices
Bulk production of required number of devices for customers and market launch8.1 3 weeks fixed duration. Requires 1 PE.M4Note To achieve the WBS numbering shown in the table, you
will have to manually enter the WBS numbers in a WBS column. Automatic generation will not produce the
above WBS numbers because you should have an outer level summary task for the whole project (and also
have milestones at the top of the task).
It is very useful to include the correct WBS numbers as this will allow
you to check your predecessor
relationships by making a comparison with the table above. Figure 1 – Activity in Box Network Diagrams for ProductionAssume that all durations shown are fixed duration.
Abbreviations w is weeks and d is days.Prototype 1Prototype 2P1 component lead-time5.1 4w SuppliersP1 PWB manufacture and delivery5.2 4w SupplierP1 mechanical part lead-time5.3 3w SupplierP1 assembly and production test preparation5.4 2w 1 Production EngineerP1 prototype build5.5 2d P Engineer P1M21 As the project manager you have accepted the tasks of
creating the compiled project schedule and allocating resources. Available ResourcesThe maximum full time resources available for your project
areResource $hour Number AvailableElectronics Engineer
$95.00 3Software Engineer
$90.00 4Mechanical Engineer
$80.00 2Test Engineer
$90.00 1Production Engineer
$100.00 1Technical Writer
$65.00 1Your team is committed to producing only two prototype
iterations to develop and validate the design.You know that there are items you did not address at the
project workshop and that you may need to make some assumptions to complete your schedule and budget. Make
sure that you list any assumptions you make at the beginning of your assignment submission.General InformationIn addition to the work breakdown structure and AIB network
diagram you have collected the following information. The project booking
of the proto builds (task 5.5 and 6.5) will have to be done at the latest four
(4) weeks in advance of the build. This is the lead time
required to include builds in the manufacturings master production schedule. The company will
have a general holiday period between 231213 to 3114. You should also include a public holiday on 270114. You are not required to enter any other
holidays for the purposes of this assignment. The booking of the
Type Approval (TA) test house (task 4.7) has to be done 8 weeks prior to type approval (task 4.7). The engineers work
a 40 hour week from Monday to Friday (i.e. a 5 day week with 8 hour days).Assessment Part A For part A of the assessment you must complete the following
tasks and questions. Read all the questions before you commence the tasks.1. Ms Palmer has
asked you to use Microsoft Project to develop the project schedule. Note that
Mr. Palmer has also asked you to include the milestones at the
top of the task list in your schedule.Develop the schedule and make sure that youa) Include the
milestones at the top of the task list (underneath the project summary task at
the top of the task list).b) Include the
resource allocation details on the schedule. c) Resolve any
resource allocation issues. Assume that the project is constrained to the resources listed in the case study description above.d) Have an
appropriate project name as the top of the task list and have all other tasks
indented below this heading. Note that by having the overall project
summary task and the milestones at the top of the task list the automatically generated
outline numbers WBS numbers will not correspond to the WBS numbering in the specification.
However, you should introduce a WBS column and manually enter the numbering required to keep
the work breakdown numbering specified in the assignment. The WBS column should
be placed before the task column. e) Make sure that the
holidays described in the general information are not included in the available working days for your project.2. In this question
you must identify the critical path in your schedule.a) The bars of the
tasks on the critical path must be automatically highlighted in the Gantt chart
view of your project schedule (in the .mpp file). The marker
should be able to view all tasks in the project when they open the .mpp file.b) List the tasks on
the critical path in your answer to this question in the Word document.3. Include additional
milestones (tasks with 0 duration) in your schedule to show the latest date
you need to contacta) the production
manager to ensure that the facilities are booked for the prototype builds (i.e.
two milestones one for each prototype build).b) the type approval
test house to ensure that the facilities are booked for the type approval.c) According to your
schedule when is the latest date that you need to contact The production
manager to book the facilities for the first prototype build The production
manager to book the facilities for the second prototype build The type approval
house to book the facilities for the type approvalNote that these additional milestones should be listed at
the end of the milestones list at the start of the project and should be highlighted in the task list in
yellow using the background colour icon on the task ribbon. This is to allow your marker to locate them
easily.4. Write a memo to
the director of product development, Mr. Palmer outlininga) the expected
completion date of the project, assuming it commences at M1;b) the total duration
of the project;c) an explanation of
the main factors that cause the project to require that length of timed) the estimated
labour cost of the project after the M1 concept review. Present the costs in a table showing the costs for the following Planning workshop Electronics Software Mechanics Verification Prototype 1 build Prototype 2 build Documentation Production of
devices for customers Total for the
ProjectAssume that you will send the project schedule as an
attachment to the memo. 5. Generate a who
does what report using the Microsoft Project reporting facilities. The start
of a who does what report for a different project is shown
below. Include a screenshot of your who does what report as the answer to this question in your
Word document. 6. Is there any way
that the overall duration of the project can be shortened without removing any tasks (Justify your answer. Be specific and describe any
tasks that you would target and what you might do that could reduce the length of the project.)7. Describe what the
project manager needs to do to ensure that the project runs smoothly and completes on time. Give a detailed answer describing
procedures, processes and anything else that you believe is important both in general terms and
specifically for this project 8. Is there any way
that the cost of this project could be reduced (Justify your answer. Be
specific and describe any implications (apart from the reduction in cost)
that could result from you suggestion(s). You are only required to discuss one suggestion to answer
this question.)9. Are there any
project related supporting activities, plans, events or tasks that you might
have overlooked If they were overlooked describe how this could
impact on the project. .Assessment Part B Mr. Production reviews your project schedule and requests
that both the prototype builds also include theparticipation of one engineer from electronics and one from
mechanics. You will have to update your schedule as you agree with this proposal.You are now 1 week after the M1 milestone and the display
supplier has been revised the delivery time. This is one of the components required for the prototype 1 build
(not the prototype 2 build). The delivery time is now expected to take 5 weeks. (This will impact on the
duration for task 5.1.)In addition, you are advised that the type approval and
regulatory approval tests are now expected to take only 2 weeks.Based on the additional information given above complete the
following tasks1. Amend the project
schedule incorporating the request from Mr. Production, the change to the delivery time for the display and the new estimated times
for the regulatory approval task.2. Describe the
impact of each of the changes, i.e. what
is the impact ofa. the requirement
for the additional resources on the prototype build on both the duration and the cost of the projectb. the change in
delivery time for the display component on both the duration and the cost of the projectc. the change in the
time for the regulatory approval tests on both the duration and the cost of the project.3. Are there any
options that you would consider instead of making any of these changes Explain.4. What is the new
duration for the project What is the new expected completion date for the
projectAssessment Part C You have been advised that there will only be two software
engineers available for the project.1. Modify your
resource details so that there are now only 2 software engineers available.2. a) Does this
result in a resource over-allocation issue in your scheduleb) If so, resolve the resource over-allocation issue. If you
had to resolve a resource over-allocation issue explain how you resolved the problem(s). If you did
not have to resolve a resource overallocation issue, explain how you would have
resolved the resource over-allocation issue. a resource over-allocation issue using Microsoft Project.3. Has this change
impacted on the duration of your project Explain whywhy not.4. Has this change
impacted on the sensitivity of the network Explain whywhy not.AssumptionsYou are free to make any assumptions necessary to complete
the assignment. However each assumption must be justified and stated clearly in your assessment word
document. Marks will be deducted for any unreasonable assumption or for stating an assumption and
then ignoring it in your assignment.Submission of AssessmentThe assignment is to be submitted as four separate files
using the electronic assignment submission system that can be accessed from the assessment item 2 link on the
course website. The four files to be submitted are 1. The Word document
with the assumptions and solutions to the questions for Part A, Part B and Part
C.2. The Microsoft
project files created for Part A, Part B and Part C. Please ensure that the
names of these files clearly indicate their purpose, e.g.
Abbac_Part_A.mpp, Abbac_Part_B.mpp and Abbac_Part_C.mpp.Marking Guide for Assessment item 2 Individual Case Study Assignment Question
Criteria Marks availableMarks awardedPart A Q1 The adequacy of
the Project Schedule Tasks; correct WBS;
overall summary task; auto scheduling Durationseffort Resources allocated
(+ no over-allocation) Milestones Predecessor
relationships holidays7 Q2 Critical path
highlighted and tasks listed 1 Q3 Dates of
bookings 1 Q4 Appropriateness of
the Written Memo and all information correct according to the schedule4 Q5 Who does what
report 1 Q6 Details on
shortening the Project 2 Q7 Ensuring finished
on time 3 Q8 Reducing
cost. 2 Q9 Overlooked
activities 3 Sub Total Part A 24
Part B Q1 The adequacy of
the amended Project Plan (+ ensure no resource over-allocation)2 Q2 Discussion of the
impact of each of the changes (for each discuss impact on budget and duration)3 Q3 Discussion of
options 1 Q4 Overall duration
change 1 Sub Total Part B 7 Part C Q1 Change to 2
SEs 1 Q2 Resolution of
resource issues 1 Q3 Impact on duration
+ explanation 1 Q4 Impact on network
sensitivity + explanation 1 Sub Total Part C 4 TOTAL 35CommentsLecturer ______________________________ Lecturers signature
_______________________Date