Assignment - Scenario:

You are the asset manager for a Parcel Post company (e.g. Courier Post, NZ Courier, Fastway Couriers). You are planning on giving more visibility to your customers in terms of where their parcels are. Currently, your barcode scanning system, can track the parcel when

the parcel is picked up by the courier van,
the courier van drops the parcel in a depot
the parcel is picked up at the depot by a courier van
the courier van drops the parcel at the destination

The missing information is tracking of the parcels between the depots (ie when the parcel is on the truck). The proposed solution is as follows:

As per current systems, the PARCELs are automatically sorted at the depot and placed in CONTAINERs, which are then loaded on to TRUCKs.

The CONTAINERS are to be tagged with RFID tags (currently they are just collapsible metal or plastic boxes without any RFID tags).

The TRUCKS currently have GPS tracking devices, but do not have sensors to identify which CONTAINERS are loaded. So they need to be fitted with such a device.

We need a SOFTWARE developed to track which PARCEL is in which CONTAINER, which CONTAINER is in which TRUCK, and the GPS location of the TRUCK.

At the destination depot, we need to make sure the CONTAINER is disassociated with the TRUCK when it is unloaded.

The current online tracking portal, where customers are tracking their parcel is to be modified to read the new tracking information from the new SOFTWARE.

Everybody involved needs to be trained appropriately to maintain the system.

Here are some other facts about the project

We have 100 TRCUKS in operation in the country 40 of the TRUCKS are independently owned and operated by individuals and are contracted out to us. They will be responsible for paying for purchasing and maintenance of the devices installed on their TRUCKS.

60 of the TRUCKS are owned by us.

We have 10,000 CONTAINERS. They are mostly sitting at depots and loaded and unloaded to and from the TRUCKS by forklift.

Forklift drivers treat the containers very poorly, and they are often knocked and need repair due to rusting, ware and tea and collisions.
Maintenance is provided by a third party Nationwide.

We need to engage with an external party for developing the SOFTWARE. We have not worked with such a company before.

We have not been able to find a local supplier of the RFID tags (for CONTAINERS) and sensors within our price range.

We have found a supplier in China, who does not have a local representative and have not sold them to a company in NZ before. We have been communicating via email and have got a quote from them.

The project is not time-critical and the the most important aspect of the project is for the whole system to work reliably and without a glitch.

The budget is limited but we have some freedom to ensure the right technology is purchased and implemented.

An internal team comprising 1 Project Manager and 2 Business Analysts have been assigned to you (the Asset Manager).

The ultimate responsibility of operating and maintaining the implemented system is on you.

Assignment:

Using the steps outlined in the lectures slides and the prescribed text book, complete the following tasks (where required make assumptions to fill in the gaps in the project scenario, but state those assumptions clearly in your submission:

Define the project scope

Establish the project priorities

Develop a work breakdown structure for the project (up to 5 Levels of detail)

Develop a risk breakdown structure for the project using the following risk categories (at least 5 risks per category):

Technical
External
Organisational
Project

Evaluate and prioritise the identified risks (6 Marks)

For the Top 3 risks, propose an appropriate risk treatment

List all assumptions

For Task 1 - Project Scope, make sure you cover all the 6 aspects listed on slide

Project Objective is a description of the final system that is being developed.

Deliverables are a list of outcomes that are handed over to you the Asset Manager at the end of the project

Milestones, are critical sub-objectives that must be achieved along the way in order to deliver the deliverables. A deliverable can be a milestone too. A milestone must have a deadline.

Technical requirements, describe the key technical aspects of the project that must work reliably in order for the whole system to function well and interact with other systems in the business.

Limits and exclusions should be used to mark a clear bundary around the project, so it is well understood what is in the project and what is not.

Reviews with customers, refers to how the customer should be informed about the project and involved in the project, in terms of regular review of the project (for this assignment you can assume you are the Customer or you can assume that another executive in the business is the Customer)