Green computing research project 1

A P P E N D I XC ADDITIONAL CASES AND SOFTWARE

INTRODUCTION

This appendix provides two cases in addition to the running case in Chapters 4 through 13 of this text. The first case includes tasks ordered by each of the 10 knowledge areas dis- cussed in Chapters 4 through 13. The second case includes tasks based on the five project management process groups. This appendix also includes information about using several project management simulation software tools and MindView Business mind-mapping software. Additional running cases and suggestions for other student projects are available on the instructor Web site.

The purpose of these cases is to help you practice and develop the project management skills you learned from this text. Several of the tasks involve using templates provided on the companion Web site (www.cengagebrain.com) and the author’s personal Web site (www. kathyschwalbe.com). Instructors can download the suggested solutions for these cases from the password-protected section on Cengage Technology’s Web site. Contact a sales representative at www.cengage.com/coursetechnology using the “Find Your Rep” menu.

ADDITIONAL CASE 1: GREEN COMPUTING RESEARCH PROJECT

Part 1: Project Integration Management You work for We Are Big, Inc., an international firm with more than 100,000 employees in several countries. A strategic goal is to help improve the environment while increasing revenues and reducing costs. The Environmental Technologies Program just started, and the VP of Operations, Natalie, is the program sponsor. Ito is the program manager, and there is a steering committee made up of 10 senior executives, including Natalie, who oversees the program. Several projects operate within this program, including the Green Computing Research Project. The CIO and project sponsor, Ben, has given this project high priority and plans to hold special interviews to hand-pick the project manager and team. Ben is also a member of the program steering committee. Before coming to We Are Big, Ben sponsored a project at a large computer firm to improve data center efficiency. This project, however, is much broader. The main purpose of the Green Computing Research Project is to research possible applications of green computing, including the following:

• Data center and overall energy efficiency • Disposal of electronic waste and recycling

• Telecommuting • Virtualization of server resources • Thin client solutions • Use of open source software • Development of new software to address green computing for internal use and

potential sale to other organizations

The budget for the project is $500,000, and the goal is to provide an extensive report, including detailed financial analysis and recommendations for which green computing technologies to implement. Official project request forms for the recommended solutions will also be created as part of the project.

Ben decided to have five people working full-time on this six-month project and to call on people in other areas as needed. He wanted to be personally involved in selecting the project manager and to have that person help him select the rest of the project team. Ben wanted to find people already working inside the company, but he was also open to reviewing applications for potential new employees to work specifically on his project as long as they could start quickly. Because many good people were located in different parts of the world, Ben thought it made sense to select the best people he could find and allow them to work virtually on the project. Ben also wanted the project manager to do more than just manage the project. The project manager would also do some of the research, writing, and editing required to produce the desired results. Ben was also open to paying expert consultants for their advice and to purchasing books and related articles as needed.

Tasks 1. Research green computing and green projects performed by large organiza-

tions such as IBM, Dell, HP, and Google. See www.greenercomputing.com and similar sites provided on the companion Web site, or find sites yourself. Include your definition of green computing to incorporate all of the topics listed in the background scenario. Describe each area of green computing, including a detailed example of how at least one organization has implemen- ted each area, and investigate the return on investment. Summarize your results in a short paper, and cite at least three references.

2. Prepare a weighted decision matrix using the template named wtd_decision_matrix.xls from the companion Web site. Ben will use this matrix to evaluate applicants for project manager for this important project. Develop at least five criteria, assign weights to each criterion, assign scores, and then calculate the weighted scores for four fictitious applicants. Print the spreadsheet and bar chart with the results. Write a one-page paper that describes the weighted decision matrix and summarizes the results.

3. Prepare the financial section of a business case for the Green Computing Research Project. Assume that this project will take six months to complete (in Year 0) and will cost $500,000. The costs to implement some of the technolo- gies will be $2 million for year one and $600,000 for years two and three. Esti- mated benefits are $500,000 in the first year after implementation and $2.5 million in the following two years. Use the business case spreadsheet template (business_case_financials.xls) from the companion Web site to help calculate the NPV, ROI, and the year in which payback occurs. Assume a 7 percent dis- count rate, but make sure the rate is an input that is easy to change.

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Appendix C

4. Prepare a project charter for the Green Computing Research Project. Again, assume that the project will take six months to complete and that the budget is $500,000. Use the project charter template (charter.doc) and examples of the project charters in Chapters 3 and 4 as guidelines. Assume that part of the approach is to select the project team as quickly as possible.

5. Because people will request changes to the project, make sure that you have a good integrated change control process in place. You also want to address change requests as quickly as possible. Review the template for a change request form (change_request.doc) provided on the companion Web site. Write a short paper that describes how you plan to manage changes on this project in a timely manner. Explain who will be involved in making change control decisions, what paperwork or electronic systems will be used to collect and respond to changes, and other related issues.

Part 2: Project Scope Management Congratulations! You have been selected as the project manager for the Green Computing Research Project. The company’s CIO, Ben, is the project sponsor, and Ito is the program manager for the larger Environmental Technologies Program. Now you need to put together your project team and get to work on this high-visibility project. You will work with Ben to hand-pick your team. Ben had already worked with the HR department to advertise team openings internally and outside the company. Ben also used his personal contacts to let people know about this important project. In addition, you are encouraged to use outside consultants and other resources as appropriate. Initial estimates suggest that about $300,000 of the funds budgeted for this project will go to internal staffing, and the rest will go to outside sources. The main products you will create are a series of research reports—one for each green computing technology listed earlier and a final report that includes all data. You will also produce formal project proposals for at least four recommendations to implement some of these technologies. Ben suggested that the team should develop at least 20 different project ideas and then recommend the top four based on extensive analysis. Ben thought that some type of decision support model would make sense to help collect and analyze the project ideas. You are expected to tap into resources that are available from the Environmental Technologies Program, so you need to include some of those resources in your project budget. Ben mentioned that some research had already been done on increasing the use of telecommuting. Ben also showed you exam- ples of what he considered good research reports. You notice that his examples are very professional, with plenty of charts and references; most are 20 to 30 pages and are single- spaced. Ben has also shown you examples of good formal project proposals for We Are Big, Inc. These proposals are quite detailed as well; they often reference other research and include a detailed business case.

Tasks 1. Document requirements for your project so far, including a requirements tra-

ceability matrix. Use the reqs_matrix.xls template provided on the companion Web site. Also include a list of questions you would like to ask the sponsor about the scope.

2. Develop a scope statement for the project using the template provided (scope_statement.doc). Be as specific as possible in describing product

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Additional Cases and Software

characteristics and deliverables. Make assumptions as needed, assuming you received answers to your questions in Task 1.

3. Develop a work breakdown structure (WBS) for the project. Break down the work to level 3 or level 4, as appropriate. Use the wbs.doc template on the companion Web site and samples in the text as guides. Print the WBS in list form as a Word file. Be sure to base your WBS on the project scope state- ment, stakeholder requirements, and other relevant information. Remember to include the work involved in selecting the rest of your project team and outside resources as well as coordinating with the Environmental Technolo- gies Program. Use the project management process groups as level 2 WBS items or include project management as a level 2 WBS item to make sure you include work related to managing the project.

4. Use the WBS you developed in Task 3 to create a Gantt chart for the project in Microsoft Project 2010. Use the outline numbering feature to display the outline numbers. Click Tools on the menu bar, click Options, and then click Show outline number. Do not enter any durations or dependencies. Print the resulting Gantt chart on one page, and make sure to display the entire Task Name column.

Part 3: Project Time Management As project manager, you are actively leading the Green Computing Research Project team in developing a schedule. You and Ben found three internal people and one new hire to fill the positions on the project team as follows:

• Matt is a senior technical specialist in the corporate IT department. He works in the building next to yours and Ben’s. He is an expert in collaboration technologies, and he volunteers in his community to help organize ways for residents to dispose of computers, printers, and cell phones.

• Teresa is a senior systems analyst in the IT department in a city 500 miles away from your office. She just finished an analysis of virtualization of server resources for her office, which has responsibility for the company’s data center.

• James is a senior consultant in the strategic research department in a city 1,000 miles away from your office. He has a great reputation as being a font of knowledge and excellent presenter. Although he is over 60, he has a lot of energy.

• Le is a new hire and former colleague of Ben’s. She was working in Malaysia, but she was planning to move to your location and begin work about four weeks after the project started. Le wrote her doctoral thesis on green computing.

While waiting for everyone to start working on your project, you talked to several people who were working on other projects in the Environmental Technologies Program and you did some research on green computing. You can use a fair amount of the work already done on telecommuting, and you have the name of a consulting firm to help with that part of your project, if needed. Ito and Ben both suggested that you get up to speed

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Appendix C

on available collaboration tools because much of your project work will be done virtually. They knew that Matt would be a tremendous asset for your team in that area. You have contacted other IT staff to get detailed information on your company’s needs and plans in other areas of green computing. You also found out about a big program meeting in England next month that you and one or two of your team members should attend. Recall that the Green Computing Research Project is expected to be completed in six months, and you and your four team members are assigned full-time to the project. Your project sponsor, Ben, has made it clear that delivering a good product is the most important goal, and he thinks you should have no problem meeting your schedule goal. He can authorize additional funds, if needed. You have decided to hire a part-time editor and consultant, Deb, to help your team produce the final reports and project proposals. You know Deb from a past job. Your team has agreed to add a one-week buffer at the end of the project to ensure that you finish on time or early.

Tasks 1. Review the WBS and Gantt chart you created for Tasks 3 and 4 in Part 2.

Propose three to five additional activities you think are needed to help you estimate resources and durations. Write a one-page paper that describes these new activities.

2. Identify at least four milestones for this project. Write a one-page paper that describes each milestone using the SMART criteria.

3. Using the Gantt chart you created for Task 4 in Part 2, and the new activities and milestones you proposed in Tasks 1 and 2 above, estimate the task dura- tions and enter dependencies as appropriate. Remember that your schedule goal for the project is six months. Print the Gantt chart and network diagram.

4. Write a one-page paper that summarizes how you would assign people to each activity. Include a table or matrix that lists the number of hours each person would work on each task. These resource assignments should make sense given the duration estimates made in Task 3.

5. Assume that your project team starts falling behind schedule. In several cases, it is difficult to find detailed information on some of the green comput- ing technologies, especially financial data. You know that it is important to meet or beat the six-month schedule goal, but quality is the most important goal. Describe contingency strategies for making up lost time and avoiding schedule slips in the future.

Part 4: Project Cost Management Your project sponsor has asked you and your team to refine the cost estimate for the project so that a solid cost baseline exists for evaluating project performance. Recall that your schedule and cost goals are to complete the project in six months or less for under $500,000. Initial estimates suggested that about $300,000 would be spent on internal labor. You mistakenly thought that travel costs would be included in that $300,000, but now you realize that travel is a separate cost item. The trip to England early in the project cost $6,000, which you had not expected.