DISCUSSIONSWEEK 1discussion week 1Read Case Study 3.1
The Keflavik Paper Company is a case with a problem in determining a project management process for new product development.
Answer the following questions:
What does this case demonstrate about the effect of poor
project screening methods on a firms ability to manage projects
effectively?How would project portfolio management help to improve the situation at Keflavik?If you think about it, all business problems are case studies.
To effectively evaluate the situation, you must approach the problem
in a methodological manner. A proven technique to do this is to do the
following:
list the facts;identify the issues;based on the facts of the case and your knowledge, analyze the issues of the case;prepare recommended solutions and their possible outcomes;implement the optimal solution (not always the one with
the best outcome, because the cost or other things could be
impractical); andmonitor the implementation and outcomes.

So when you read and prepare to respond to this case, please follow
the above guidelines. I don’t necessarily expect you to perform Steps
46, but I do expect your response to be based on the facts and your
knowledge. Rememberyour first impressions may not be correct!Read Case Study 2.4
The Widgets R Us case study is a case with a problem of how the
company is set up and how the company will handle operations with its
projected growth.
Answer the following questions:
You have been called in as a consultant to analyze the
operations at WRU. Based on the readings, what would you advise
Widgets R Us to do in order to sustain the competitive advantage in
the widget market?What structural design changes might be undertaken to improve the operations at the company?

WEEK 3WEEK 3

Project Schedule (graded)

To develop a schedule for a project, we will use the concept of a
project network, which shows work activities taken from the work
breakdown structure and is organized according to the logical flow in
time and relationships governing when the work will be performed. By
combining this network of work activities with estimates of the time
duration for performing each of the activities, we can create a schedule
for the project work. What types of information can we learn about the
project by reviewing the project schedule and all the information used
to generate it?WEEK 2WEEK 2Project Scope (graded)
As we have seen this week, project scope creation is very
different in traditional project management versus Agile project
management. What advantages and disadvantages can you see with the
process of scope creation in the traditional project management world?
What advantages and disadvantages can you see with the process of scope
creation in the Agile project management world? Share your experiences
with projects that were created using either Agile or traditional
project management techniques.Case Study: Project Management at Dotcom.com (graded)
Read Case Study 5.3: Project Management at Dotcom.com. Dotcom.com
is a software engineering and systems development consulting firm
that needs some organizational improvements in the area of project
management processes that will cut cost and potentially increase the
profit margin for the company.
Answer the following questions:
Discuss how you would begin redesigning dotcom.coms project
management processes to minimize the problems it is experiencing with
poor scope management.Why do you think configuration management and project change
control are difficult to perform in the middle of a complex software
development project, such as those implemented at dotcom.com?Share any experiences you have with project change requests.

Agile Schedule Development (graded)

As we have seen, traditional and Agile schedule developments are
quite different. Agile project management was originally developed to do
software development. Could a traditional process be successfully used
to develop a new software program? Why or why not? Could an Agile
methodology be used to build a strip mall in your home town? Why or why
not?WEEK 4Risk Management (graded)
Assume you have just been assigned to a project risk team composed of five members. Your task, as project manager, is to develop a process for handling risks to the project.Because
this is the first time your organization has formally set up a risk
team for a project, it is hoped that your team will develop a process
that can be used on all future projects. Your first team meeting is
next Monday morning. Each team member has been asked to prepare for
the meeting by developing, in as much detail as possible, an outline
that describes how you believe the team should proceed in handling
project risks. Each team member will hand out his or her proposed
outline at the beginning of the meeting. Your outline should include,
but not be limited to, the following information:
What methods should be used for identifying risks?Who should be involved in identifying risks?What should be considered when identifying risks?Risk Management Part II(graded)
As the work of your risk management team (from the first
discussion question) continues, the discussion of your team’s risk
management plan outline moves on and considers the following
questions:
How should the risks be prioritized?Who should do the prioritization of the project risks?How should project risks be monitored and controlled?Who should develop risk responses and contingency plans?Who should own these responses and plans?WEEK 5Case Study: The Problems of Multitasking (graded)
Read Case Study 12.1: The Problems of Multitasking. Answer the following questions:
How does multitasking confuse the resource availability of project team personnel?In modern organizations, it is impossible to eliminate multitasking for the average employee. Why?How would resource loading or resource leveling help address multitasking situations?

Reducing Project Duration (graded)

In your own words, describe crashing, fast tracking, and scope
reduction as means of schedule compression. When would each be
appropriate? Which methods would you consider better first-choice
methods by most project sponsors? Would any of these methods apply to
Agile projects? How does Agile address schedule compression?WEK 6WEEK 6Project Communications (graded)
Discuss the importance of communication and information exchange
to project success. What are the crucial features and elements of
effective communication and information exchange in successful projects?
How are key stakeholders involved in this process? Are communication
requirements different on an Agile project versus a traditional project?
Case Study: Finding the Emotional Intelligence (graded)
Read Case Study 4.2: Finding the Emotional Intelligence.
What are the differences between leaders and managers?Can anyone be a leader? Which would you prefer to work for: a leader or a manager? Why?Select one of the characteristics of an effective project manager and tell why it is important.Is leadership of a project different in an Agile environment than in a traditional project environment?Take the Future Time Perspective scale on page 129. Share your results and comments with the class.
WEEK 7week 7Project Baseline (graded)
We have now moved from the planning stage to the execution stage
of project management. Following good project management practices, we
have set a baseline. How is a project baseline used to guide the
execution of the project’s work, to evaluate progress and performance,
and to control the project? Also, as you continue to think about
monitoring and controlling the project, specifically consider the
question: How can the project baseline and the earned value approach for
variance analysis be used to monitor and report project progress?

Agile Project Control (graded)

In the first discussion, we looked at traditional project
control. Is project control different in an Agile project? What is the
role of a project manager in controlling an Agile project? What is the
role of the project client, sponsor, or customer at controlling project
changes?

DISCUSSIONSWEEK 1discussion week 1Read Case Study 3.1The Keflavik Paper Company is a case with a problem in determining a project management process for new product development.Answer the following questions:So when you read and prepare to respond to this case, please follow
the above guidelines. I don’t necessarily expect you to perform Steps
46, but I do expect your response to be based on the facts and your
knowledge. Rememberyour first impressions may not be correct!Read Case Study 2.4The Widgets R Us case study is a case with a problem of how the
company is set up and how the company will handle operations with its
projected growth.Answer the following questions:WEEK 3WEEK 3To develop a schedule for a project, we will use the concept of a
project network, which shows work activities taken from the work
breakdown structure and is organized according to the logical flow in
time and relationships governing when the work will be performed. By
combining this network of work activities with estimates of the time
duration for performing each of the activities, we can create a schedule
for the project work. What types of information can we learn about the
project by reviewing the project schedule and all the information used
to generate it?WEEK 2WEEK 2As we have seen this week, project scope creation is very
different in traditional project management versus Agile project
management. What advantages and disadvantages can you see with the
process of scope creation in the traditional project management world?
What advantages and disadvantages can you see with the process of scope
creation in the Agile project management world? Share your experiences
with projects that were created using either Agile or traditional
project management techniques.Read Case Study 5.3: Project Management at Dotcom.com. Dotcom.com
is a software engineering and systems development consulting firm
that needs some organizational improvements in the area of project
management processes that will cut cost and potentially increase the
profit margin for the company.Answer the following questions:As we have seen, traditional and Agile schedule developments are
quite different. Agile project management was originally developed to do
software development. Could a traditional process be successfully used
to develop a new software program? Why or why not? Could an Agile
methodology be used to build a strip mall in your home town? Why or why
not?WEEK 4Assume you have just been assigned to a project risk team composed of five members. Your task, as project manager, is to develop a process for handling risks to the project.Because
this is the first time your organization has formally set up a risk
team for a project, it is hoped that your team will develop a process
that can be used on all future projects. Your first team meeting is
next Monday morning. Each team member has been asked to prepare for
the meeting by developing, in as much detail as possible, an outline
that describes how you believe the team should proceed in handling
project risks. Each team member will hand out his or her proposed
outline at the beginning of the meeting. Your outline should include,
but not be limited to, the following information:As the work of your risk management team (from the first
discussion question) continues, the discussion of your team’s risk
management plan outline moves on and considers the following
questions:WEEK 5Read Case Study 12.1: The Problems of Multitasking. Answer the following questions:In your own words, describe crashing, fast tracking, and scope
reduction as means of schedule compression. When would each be
appropriate? Which methods would you consider better first-choice
methods by most project sponsors? Would any of these methods apply to
Agile projects? How does Agile address schedule compression?Discuss the importance of communication and information exchange
to project success. What are the crucial features and elements of
effective communication and information exchange in successful projects?
How are key stakeholders involved in this process? Are communication
requirements different on an Agile project versus a traditional project?
Read Case Study 4.2: Finding the Emotional Intelligence.We have now moved from the planning stage to the execution stage
of project management. Following good project management practices, we
have set a baseline. How is a project baseline used to guide the
execution of the project’s work, to evaluate progress and performance,
and to control the project? Also, as you continue to think about
monitoring and controlling the project, specifically consider the
question: How can the project baseline and the earned value approach for
variance analysis be used to monitor and report project progress?In the first discussion, we looked at traditional project
control. Is project control different in an Agile project? What is the
role of a project manager in controlling an Agile project? What is the
role of the project client, sponsor, or customer at controlling project
changes?