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Case Study
LaPoint, P., & Haggard, C. (2014). Design Prototypes Inc project management (B): Planning the Alpha C306 Project. CaseCentre. Retrieved from https://www.thecasecentre.org/main/products/view?id=156286
Objectives
Upon successful completion of the case study, students should be able to
• develop understanding of project management planning principles,
• identify the technical elements of the Critical Path Analysis, and
• apply software techniques to calculate the critical path and integrate the results into management decision making.
Instructions on the Case Study Analysis
Read the case study and respond to the case question:
1. What is the result of the Critical Paths Analysis on the revised Work Breakdown Structure?
2. Based on the results of the revised Critical Path Analysis, is the project feasible within the 18-month timeline established by management? Explain your answer using information from the case.
3. How long will it take to complete the project? What is the Critical Path on the new timeline?
4. What information should Raef include in his presentation to management?
Submission should be a maximum of 5 pages double-spaced (excluding title page and reference page) and should follow APA referencing style.
All submissions must be done through the online Turnitin portal in Moodle. Percentage similarity MUST NOT exceed 15%.
Submission Instructions
Read the Case Study associated with the specific unit carefully, then proceed as follows:
1. Prepare a response that is 750 words (+/- 75 words, excluding title page and reference page), double-spaced and follows APA format, and referencing style.
2. While there is no “formula” for analyzing case studies, the following guidelines are recommended:
a. Define the goals and objectives for your analysis. What questions are you trying to answer and what issues are you trying to resolve?
b. Rapidly skim through the case study and get a sense for how the case study has been structured
c. Read through the case study with paper and pencil and make notes as you go along
3. Structure the information in the case study: this is the key step.
a. Whilst addressing the case questions, think of the information given in the case study as “raw data” that you have gathered to help you answer the questions and resolve the issues in Step 2a above.
b. You need to structure this information to resolve the issues. Here are some useful dimensions along which you can structure the given information chronologically:
i. evolution of the industry in which the enterprise operates (e.g., changes in technology, customer needs, competitive landscape)
ii. evolution of strategy – business, technology, and market – of the enterprise
iii. evolution of technology (including manufacturing), product platforms, and product lines of the enterprise
iv. the technology, product, and process development process within the enterprise
v. growth (or decline) of the enterprise with respect to market share, revenues, costs, profits, etc.
vi. organizational structure of the enterprise
vii. key decisions made at different stages in the life of enterprise, and the drivers for these decisions
viii. the interconnections and relationships between all the above factors
c. Make extensive use of figures, tables, trees, etc. to shape your thinking during the structuring process.
d. Perform any necessary analysis, for example, revenues or costs associated with different design options
4. Draw conclusions, answer questions, resolve issues, and make recommendations using the structured information in Step 3.
