BUS353e Copyright © 2017 SIM University Page 1 of 13 ECA – January Semester 2017 BUS353e End-of-Course Assessment – January Semester 2017 Project Management __________________________________________________________________________________________ INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS: 1. This End-of-Course Assessment paper comprises THIRTEEN (13) pages (including the cover page). 2. You are to include the following particulars in your submission: Title, Your PI, Your Name, and Submission Date. 3. Late submission will be subjected to mark-deduction scheme by the University. IMPORTANT NOTE ECA Submission Deadline: 06 March 2017, 12noonBUS353e Copyright © 2017 SIM University Page 2 of 13 ECA – January Semester 2017 ECA Submission Guidelines Please follow the submission instructions stated below: A - What Must Be Submitted You are required to submit the following THREE (3) items for marking and grading:  A Report (you should submit this item first as it carries the highest weightage).  A Video Presentation: o UniSIM conducts Hands-on workshop on how to record ECA video presentation for SBIZ students every semester. Students will receive an invite to the workshop via Student Portal, Canvas as well as email, a month before the ECA cut-off date. o The ECA video recording and submission guides are also available as an external links/downloads in the invite.  The set of PowerPoint slides, converted to PDF, upon which the video presentation is based. Please verify your submissions after you have submitted the above THREE (3) items. B - Submission Deadline  The THREE (3) items of Report, Video and Presentation Summary are to be submitted by 12 noon on the submission deadline.  You are allowed multiple submissions till the cut-off date for each of the THREE (3) items.  Late submission of any of the THREE (3) items will be subjected to mark-deduction scheme by the University. Please refer to Section 5.2 Para 2.4 of the Student Handbook. C - How the (3) Items Should Be Submitted  The Report: submit online to Canvas via TurnItIn (for plagiarism detection)  The Video: submit online to Canvas (refer to workshop invite for the user guide)  The Presentation Summary: o submit online to Canvas via TurnItIn (PPT must be converted to PDF and submission is in PDF only) o The PPT must contain at least 20 words o Refer to workshop invite for the user guideBUS353e Copyright © 2017 SIM University Page 3 of 13 ECA – January Semester 2017  Avoid using a public WiFi connection for submitting large video files. If you are using public wireless (WiFi) connection (e.g. SG Wireless at public areas), you might encounter a break in the connection when sending large files. D - Additional guidelines on file formatting are given as follows: 1. Report  Please ensure that your Microsoft Word document is generated by Microsoft Word 2007 or higher.  The report must be saved in .docx format. 2. Video  Showing your PowerPoint projection in the background is NOT required.  Time Duration: a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 6 minutes There are two methods for ECA video assignment submission; either Record Media or Upload Media. For Record Media Video can be recorded via Canvas through desktop/laptop with builtin webcam and microphone or through Canvas mobile app. For Upload Media Video can be recorded using other recording devices and uploaded as a media file. Do ensure that your video file conforms to these requirements: a) File Format: .mp4 b) File Size: No more than 500MB Note: You will receive an invite to the ECA Hands-On workshop via Student Portal, Canvas as well as email, a month before the ECA cutoff date. The invite will allow you to register for the workshop as well as download a copy of the user guide. 3. Presentation Summary  Your PowerPoint presentation must contain at least 20 words.  Please ensure that your PowerPoint presentation is converted to PDF format before you submit.  The maximum number of slides is fifteen (15).  Please do NOT download and use PowerPoint slide design templates from the Internet.BUS353e Copyright © 2017 SIM University Page 4 of 13 ECA – January Semester 2017 E – Please be Aware of the Following: Submission in hardcopy or any other means not given in the above guidelines will not be accepted. You do not need to submit any other forms or cover sheets (e.g. form ET3) with your ECA. You are reminded that electronic transmission is not immediate. The network traffic may be particularly heavy on the date of submission deadline and connections to the system cannot be guaranteed. Hence, you are advised to submit your work early. Canvas will allow you to submit your work late but your work will be subjected to the mark-deduction scheme. You should therefore not jeopardise your course result by submitting your ECA at the last minute. It is your responsibility to check and ensure that your files are successfully submitted to Canvas. F - Plagiarism and Collusion Plagiarism and collusion are forms of cheating and are not acceptable in any form in a student's work, including this ECA. Plagiarism and collusion are taking work done by others or work done together with others respectively and passing it off as your own. You can avoid plagiarism by giving appropriate references when you use other people's ideas, words or pictures (including diagrams). Refer to the APA Manual if you need reminding about quoting and referencing. You can avoid collusion by ensuring that your submission is based on your own individual effort. The electronic submission of your ECA will be screened by plagiarism detection software. For more information about plagiarism and collusion, you should refer to the Student Handbook (Section 5.2.1.3). You are reminded that UniSIM takes a tough stance against plagiarism or collusion. Serious cases will normally result in the student being referred to UniSIM's Student Disciplinary Group. For other cases, significant mark penalties or expulsion from the course will be imposed.BUS353e Copyright © 2017 SIM University Page 5 of 13 ECA – January Semester 2017 Important Note: Grading of TMA/GBA/ECA Submissions Marks awarded to your assignment are based on the following guidelines: 1. 80% of the marks are allocated to the content of your answers:  The marks awarded to what your answers cover depend on the extent to which they cover the key points that correctly and comprehensively address each question.  The key points should be supported by evidence drawn from course materials and, wherever relevant, from other credible sources. 2. 20% of the marks are allocated to the presentation of your answers: Wherever applicable, the marks awarded to how your answers are presented depend on the extent to which your answers:  form a sound reasoning by developing those key points in a clear, logical and succinct manner;  provide proper and adequate in-text citation and referencing to content drawn from course materials and other credible sources;  strictly follow APA formatting and style guidelines1, in particular for:  in-text citations and end-of-report references;  the identification of figures and tables;  use, wherever relevant, the specialised vocabulary and terminology commonly used in discussions about the topic(s) covered by each question;  provide a reference or bibliography at the end of the main report;  include less relevant details in an Appendix;  use sentence constructions that are grammatically and syntactically correct;  are free from spelling mistakes; present the workings, numerical formulation and results in a logical manner that follow the APA formatting and style guidelines;  design and present graphs, diagrams and plots that follow the APA formatting and style guidelines;  are highly original;  have proper formatting, which may:  include a properly formatted cover page;  respect the answer length/word count set in the assignment guidelines, if any is prescribed;  present answers in paragraphs with proper spacing and page margins;  include page numbers and appendices, if necessary. 1 You can find a short tutorial on the APA formatting and style here: https://is.gd/mgEOnC . Additional details (pertaining to tables & figures) can also be found here: https://is.gd/O4vDdT .BUS353e Copyright © 2017 SIM University Page 6 of 13 ECA – January Semester 2017 Video Presentation Evaluation Criteria Note: Students will be assessed on the quality of the presentation and not the quality of the video recording. However, the recording is expected to have video and audio clarity. Showing your PowerPoint projection in the background is NOT required. Organisation of Presentation /8 • Logical flow of presentation Posture & Body Language /5 • Posture: Standing, straight back etc… • Body language: – Hand gestures supporting oral arguments, etc… Eye-Contact /5 • Looking at the video camera • No reading of slides or notes or cue cards Pace & Articulation /7 • Pace: Speaks neither too fast nor too slow • Articulation: Oral expression is clear and confident in the presentation. TOTAL /25 Presentation Summary Evaluation Criteria Format and Style of Slides /3 • Layout, clarity of text elements, colour blends, graphical enhancements Clarity and Coherence /4 • Proper flow - title page, introduction, body, results, recommendations / discussion points, conclusion/summary; quick to understand, free from grammatical errors Creativity /3 • Ability to use creative elements to value-add to the presentation so as to enhance understanding and clarity of difficult concepts TOTAL /10BUS353e Copyright © 2017 SIM University Page 7 of 13 ECA – January Semester 2017 SECTION A (Total 65 marks) This ECA case is designed to allow students to apply the materials learned from the course. Students are encouraged to use Microsoft Project software for this assessment. Please note that the details of this project are fictitious. Any resemblance to real life situations is purely coincidental. PROJECT CASE: Skill Future Course Development Background As Singapore economy matures and education level increases, having a tertiary education does not guarantee Singaporeans employment. In fact there is a gap between job requirements and academic qualifications. Companies are looking for people who possess skills to solve problems. Hence government promotes life-long learning. SkillsFuture is established to develop an integrated, high-quality system of education and training that responds to constantly evolving industry needs. Citizens are given support to upgrade their skills and mastery. Digital Science Institute (DSI) is a private education centre providing Engineering and IT trainings. With government's launch of SkillsFuture, DSI sees an opportunity to conduct more technical courses on the latest technologies. As many companies require fast prototype developments, 3D Printing will be a grow area. There is a potential demand for 3D Printing courses which trainees can pay for with their SkillsFuture fund. DSI has proposed to the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and apply for funding to set up a 3D Printing Course and Lab. DSI management call it the 3D Printing (3DP) Project. Section 1: Managing the Project Team Assuming you are DSI's Head of Program (HOP) for Manufacturing Courses. There is no strong knowledge in 3D Printing in your department yet. On 1 Sep 2016, the CEO, Mr. Alan Tan, appointed you to head the 3DP Project. He wants the project to start on 1 Nov 2016. The course must be launched on 3 Jan 2017, the first day of the new academic year. WDA will fund only part of the project cost. Hence, CEO wants you to minimise the project cost where possible. As a start, basic 3D Printing theories and practical lessons must be conducted. Any expansion of the syllabus can be done in future runs. Question 1 (a) To reflect on the CEO's directions, appraise the priority of the project and construct a project priority matrix. (5 marks) (b) You are asked to form the project team by recruiting members either internally or externally. Analyze and discuss three (3) personal attributes (excluding technical expertise) of team members that are most critical to the success of this project. (6 marks)BUS353e Copyright © 2017 SIM University Page 8 of 13 ECA – January Semester 2017 Section 2: Developing a Project Plan After some searching, the following members are recruited to the project team: (i) Yourself: Project Manager. (ii) Mr. John Harvey: A 3D Printing academia hired from an overseas research institute. (iii) Ms. Roshida: DSI's Lab Manager. (iv) Ms Jessy Ang: DSI's Purchasing Officer. You conducted a pre project discussion with your team members. The team worked out the project activities and preliminary details as shown in Table 1. Table 1: Activities List for 3D Printing (3DP) Project Activity Number Description Duration Predecessors Resource 1 3D Printing (3DP) Project 2 Project kick off meeting 1 day PM 3 Requirement studies 5 days 2 John 4 Course development 21 days 3 John 5 Recruit instructors 15 days 3 PM 6 Purchase 3D printers 14 days 3 Jessy, 3D Printers 7 Purchase workstations 7 days 3 Jessy, Workstations 8 Lay electrical cables 5 days 3 Roshida, Electrical Cables 9 Lay network cables 5 days 8 Roshida, Network Cables 10 Setup workstations 8 days 7,9 Roshida 11 Install 3D printers 7 days 6,10 Roshida 12 Test overall system 4 days 10,11 Roshida 13 Print course material 8 days 4 John, Course Materials 14 Apply SkillsFuture status 6 days 4,5 PM 15 Administer students' applications 5 days 14 PM 16 Promote to industry 7 days 14 PM 17 Setup online portal 5 days 13 John 18 Standby and support 3 days 19FF Roshida 19 Launch course 1 day 12,13,15, 16,17 PMBUS353e Copyright © 2017 SIM University Page 9 of 13 ECA – January Semester 2017 A budgetary costing would have to be reported for approval. The unit costings are shown in Table 2 and 3: Table 2: Hourly rates for staff cost Resource Name Cost (Week day rate) PM $50/hr John $55/hr Roshida $45/hr Jessy $40/hr The following resource costs can be treated as material costs for relevant activities Table 3: Material/Ad-hoc Item Cost Resource Name Material/Item Cost 3D Printers (1 lot) $24,000 Workstations (1 lot) $12,000 Electrical Cable (1 lot) $1,500 Network Cable (1 lot) $1,000 Course Materials (1 lot) $1,000 Ad-hoc Admin Staff *$450 per day (for week days) Temp Engineer *$360 per day (for week days) Note on the costs: 1. The Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday (PH) and Leave-In-Lieu rates for Project Team members and Ad-hoc staff are two times that of normal week day. 2. As the project will be partly fund by WDA (percentage of funding will be decided by WDA), you have to present the project cost to your management. Hence all related staff costs involved in this project shall be treated as variable costs calculated based on the number of days each staff works on the project. 3. The ad-hoc Admin Staff, internally from DSI, is to be deployed by pulling staff out from other lower priority projects. The Temp Engineer is to be contracted from an outsourcing company. Their costs are to be calculated based on actual durations needed, and added to the related activities costs. Note on using MS Project for Q2 &3: 1. The above schedule and costing are based on a 5-day work-week. Each day has 8 working hours. No work will be performed on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays unless otherwise stated or you deem necessary. Do not change any durations, predecessor relationships or the resources assignments unless you can justify with good reasons to do so. 2. The relevant public holidays which may fall into the project period are Christmas on 25 Dec 2016 and New Year on 1 Jan 2017. If a Public Holiday falls on Sunday, the next day (Monday) will be a Leave-in-lieu. No leave-in-lieu for Public Holiday on Saturday. You have to mark in MS Project all Public Holidays and Leave-in-lieu as Non-Working Days. (Project-> Change Working Time).BUS353e Copyright © 2017 SIM University Page 10 of 13 ECA – January Semester 2017 3. Click View->Gantt Chart (Leftmost icon)->More View->Resource Sheet to enter the name, type and cost of each resource item into the Resource Sheet. 4. Click View->Gantt Chart Gantt Chart, then View->Table->Entry to enter the Task Name, Duration, Predecessors and Resource in the Gantt Chart Entry Table View. Do not change the order of the activities (you are not required to rearrange the list according to WBS). Set Activity 1 as the Higher Level Activity by highlighting all activities before and right indent them to second level. Then Click Project -> Project Information -> Set Start Date as directed by CEO. Right click on Activity 19 Launch Course to access its Information; Under Advanced Tab, Set Constraint Type as "Must Start On", set Constraint Date as the date directed by the CEO. 5. To see any resource conflicts, select all task, right click to choose Auto Schedule, then Resource Tab ->Clear Levelling. Observe any resource conflicts. 6. Diagrams, charts, tables, graphs and relevant project outputs may be shown as images in Q2 & 3. These must be appropriately formatted and presented so that they are legible and can be comfortably viewed. Question 2 (a) Prepare and construct a Gantt Chart using the information and steps outlined above before resolving any resource conflicts. Present the MS Project Gantt Chart View with columns for Information (i), Task Name, Duration, Start Date, Finish Date, Predecessors and Resource Names clearly shown. Determine the Project Finish Date (Activity 1) (5 marks) (b) Determine the total project cost before resolving the resource conflicts. Present the information with a MS Project cost table or report. (4 marks) (c) Examine any resource conflicts and activities delayed. Identify the activities and resources involved. (4 marks)BUS353e Copyright © 2017 SIM University Page 11 of 13 ECA – January Semester 2017 (d) Evaluate the most cost effective way to resolve each conflict without sacrificing other priorities. You may use Auto Resource Leveling feature of MS Project (see note below), but you must explain what the levelling has done. If the conflict cannot be resolved through Auto Resource Leveling, appraise two options for accelerating project completion when resources are not constrained, bearing in mind that the core team has already been formed, the members' pace cannot be quicken further and the task cannot be transferred to other members with different skills. For each option, evaluate the impact on cost then choose the best option. Explain any changes you make to the project. Note: To Level Resource, do the followings: Click Resource-> Levelling Option -> check the Level button, click on Level Entire Project, then uncheck the box: Level only within available slack. Finally click Level All. Then click Skip for activities that cannot be levelled. (12 marks) After resolving the conflicts and schedule issues, you made the necessary schedule and cost changes to the MS Project File. The CEO approved the changes. Set the status date (Project->Status Date) as 2 Nov 2016. Then set the baseline in MS Project (Project->Set Baseline- Entire Project). The project proceeds on. Section 3: Tracking a Project During the implementation period, the following issues emerge: i. The 3D printers cost increased by 5% due to the appreciation of US Dollar. ii. The 3D printers initially cannot be interfaced with the workstations. Test overall system (Activity 12) requires three additional days to solve the problem. iii. The network cabling routing paths has to be redesigned due to some obstruction in the building structure. The cost of Network Cables increased by $600 due to additional cables required. There is no change in the schedule. Question 3 You are required to carry out the following: (a) Issue (ii) on solving the interface issue will potentially increase the project cost. Examine the four options to cut/minimize project cots. Appraise the feasibility of each option in solving the problem. Propose the best option and evaluate the change in project cost. (10 marks)BUS353e Copyright © 2017 SIM University Page 12 of 13 ECA – January Semester 2017 (b) Incorporate issues (i) to (iii) and their solutions into the MS Project File. The project went on till completion. Set Status Date to two working day after the Finish Date of the Project (Activity 1). Then update the MS Project. Construct a Tracking Gantt Chart. Determine the Finish Dates for "Test overall system" and for the entire Project. (5 marks) (c) Evaluate and interpret the project's Cost Performance Index (CPI), by using appropriate formula. Verify your CPI with a MS Project cost table or report. (6 marks) Section 4: Closing a Project Question 4 (a) Assess and discuss whether the project has met the objectives set by the CEO. Determine if the project is considered a success. (4 marks) (b) Recommend two (2) actions that could have been done earlier to prevent the issues in Question 3 from occurring during the project or to minimise their impacts. (4 marks)BUS353e Copyright © 2017 SIM University Page 13 of 13 ECA – January Semester 2017 SECTION B (Total 25 marks) The Senior Management of Digital Science Institute (DSI) asked you, Project Manager for 3D Printing Project, for a presentation one week after project completion. Your presentation should address the following issues: 1. What were the objectives and priorities of the project, and were they met? 2. Were there changes in the schedule and what were the contributing events? 3. Was there a cost overrun and what were the contributors for the cost overruns, if any? 4. Lessons learnt and suggestions for future projects. Prepare a video recording of the presentation of at least 3 minutes but not exceeding 6 minutes. There are two methods for ECA video assignment submission; either Record Media or Upload Media. For Upload Media, please note that your file size should be no more than 500MB and the format is in .mp4. (25 marks) SECTION C (Total 10 marks) Prepare a set of PowerPoint presentation upon which the video presentation is based. Please note that the PowerPoint must be converted to PDF before submission to MyUniSIM (Canvas). (10 marks) ----- END OF ECA PAPER -----