Pool and Patio Supply, Case Study Example

The project’s scope is defined by the Project Management Book of Knowledge 2008 (PMBOK) as “The work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a product, service or result with the specified features and functions”.  So in order to have a project plan it is first necessary to understand what project is being undertaken and what it will take the provide the desired results necessary to accomplish those project objectives.  The process of defining the scope of the project would, in reality, require the input of the subject matter experts to conduct a workout session to determine initially how the large project could be divided and implemented based upon how the legacy operations are operated and their unique dependencies and requirements.  We understand that this project which is a temporary endeavor to provide a unique deliverable at the summation of its lifecycle and with a project there is an associated cost to that project to complete it.

Within this project the initial scope is to understand the cost for setting up an above ground pool.  The cost is associated with a pool of a certain size based on a pre-defined labor rate.  The total amount of time will be within a range of 12.33 hours per effort.  This is based upon estimates generated off of a WBS that was created by John Ringold Jr. and may have a variation that is different than what occurs in the field.  In order to present the information to the leadership of the organization, a project report is created.

The approach to the project will follow along a typical lifecycle of a project.  This includes initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling and finally project closure.

The project life-cycle starts in the initiation phase where the scope is determined and sets the project on its progression towards completion.  During the initiation phase the project stakeholders establish how the project will be measured and what success looks like.  The scope being defined helps provide a baseline of how the project manager will execute the project and provide guidance throughout the project lifecycle.  The potential for failure is ever present in any project but when the scope is poorly defined the exponential growth for the potential for failure increases.

Scope

The above ground pool installation process includes all functionality in the aspects of installation and utilization of an above ground pool system.  The overall above ground pool system will include site preparation, pool build, testing, validation and cleanup of materials utilized for site installation.

Justification

Increasing the quality and quantity of the above ground installations will help drive company profits in a positive direction.  Currently the amount of profit margin is adequate but there is a desire by the organization to maximize profits while completing quality-centric efforts for their pool installations.  The data within the field of above ground pool installations has never been gathered nor compared among competitors and there is a direct need for a baseline.  The project will initially define a baseline of installation cost and quality and ultimately will continue down a process of continual process improvement until a satisfactory balance between cost, quality and profit is obtained.

The project management lifecycle is the lifecycle of a temporary endeavor that provides a good or service.  The entire project requires multiple levels of control, planning and leading of resources to achieve the specific goals and objectives outlined through the scope of the project.    The typical lifecycle of a project goes through multiple phases which have specific entry and exit criteria.  These phases are initiating, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling then finally closing. The project’s level of effort is shown based on the portion of the cycle the project is in.

The work breakdown structure (WBS) defines each activity that needs to occur during the entire project.  This project includes site preparation, installation and ensuring quality for the above ground pool installation process.

Success is ultimately achieved by fulfilling the end users’ needs and expectations.  The goals and objectives of this project have goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.  The project scope must align with the expectations of the stakeholders as well as the cost estimates, established budget and the proposed schedule of the project.  Each objective will have a pass/fail criteria established with the stakeholders so that at the end of the project the criteria accepted at the beginning of the project will be the same criteria that is measured for project completion.  The three key success criteria include site preparation, pool implementation and successful quality testing.

Success will be the installation of the above ground pool within the defined scope, cost and quality of the business’s installation processes. If the scope is altered during the course of the project the acceptance criteria will be adjusted to meet the scope requirements.  This includes modifications to the size of the site, time allotted to install the pool or the amount of building that occurs for the site’s support.  As with all projects, if the scope changes the schedule and cost of the project are also subject to change.  It is up to the project manager to manage the change in scope and limit the ramifications scope creep has on the project.

The project will take approximately 1.5 days of effort to complete the entire lifecycle for the above ground pool installation.  Each area of the project is progressive in nature and relies upon the successful completion of the previous tasks in order to complete the next set of tasks.  For example, the project cannot complete the installation of the liner prior to the installation of the bottom rings, side panels or top ring.  Below is a Gantt Chart illustrating the schedule of the project.  The tasks are noted in hours with the schedule based in days.  The employees will work in days but if the work orders are not aligned in such a manner there is a potential for .5 day or more being lost productivity.

The net present value and the return on investments is calculated based on financial data derived from the operations.  The net present value is based on a time series of cash flows and illustrates the present value of money based on future inflow and outflow of funding.  If the net present value for this project is greater than zero the project should be undertaken.  If the project has the NPV equal to zero it does not have a value that distinguishes it as positive or negative in regard to monetary value but if the NPV is below zero the project should not be accepted.  The return on investment defines the performance of the project and the efficiency in which the investment is providing a return to the business.  The higher the ROI the more return versus cost is being generated for the operations.