Portfolio Case Study 1

Portfolio Case Study

Darren Hamilton

MGMT505 Project Management Fundamentals

September 15, 2011

Tony L. Sines

Southwestern College Professional Studies

Portfolio Case Study 2

Portfolio Case Study

From beginning to end, a project must be superbly managed and properly planned to help

ensure a successful completion. From the initial inception, a project manager is responsible for

creating an accurate scope, developing a plan, allocating resources, determining deliverables, and

orchestrating the cooperation of teams involved. For this case study we take a look at a Nicolette

Larson, who has been designated director/project manager for planning a summer soccer

tournament. We look at the current situation, a plan for completing the project involving risks,

costs, constraints, resources, and methods to manage the project.

Case Summary

The Manchester United Soccer Club (MUSC) is a soccer club designed to help

recreational soccer players attain a higher level of skill and prepare them for the State Olympic

Development Program and future school teams. The club currently has 24 members, both boys

and girls, ranging from 9 to 16 years of age. The board of directors has determined to sponsor a

soccer tournament in the fall that should provide a source of income. These tournaments are a

great method for creating a revenue flow due to the fact that each MUSC team competes in up to

four tournaments per summer. Estimates for the revenue generated range from $50,000-$70,000.

The board of directors has decided that in order to host the summer tournament additional fields

will need to be added to the complex and existing fields need improvements made. Some of

these funds would also be utilized to improve the scholarship program that helps subsidize the

dues for athletes whose family cannot afford the $450 yearly dues.

Nicolette Larson is a self-proclaimed soccer mom who has been appointed to

tournament director of the Manchester United Tournament Organizing Committee. She has been

placed in charge of planning the clubs first tournament. Nicolette organized the first committee
Portfolio Case Study 3

meeting and had high hopes and expectations for the meeting. She decided to begin this meeting

by having a brainstorming session to try and determine what necessary steps/resources were

needed to pull off this tournament. This lack of direction for the first meeting resulted in many

different suggestions and arguments. The suggestions that may be useful to the project were

utilizing local colleges fields, how much teams would be charged to enter, how much would be

spent on prizes for winners, and several fund raising ideas. The fund raising ideas were looking

for local sponsors and selling tournament apparel.

In order for us to begin this project, we must determine what the deliverables for the

project will be. The end result is a remodeled soccer complex, but there are many small

deliverables that must combine to create this final product. In order to build a new field, we are

going to have to have a land survey, have the land prepared and install new fields and improve

existing fields. We will also need to provide sponsors for raising funds for the various expenses

we will incur. A scholarship fund must be created. We will also need lighting and other

equipment for the fields, such as corner post, goals, and bleachers. A draft of the Work

Breakdown Structure (WBS) can be seen on the following page.

Portfolio Case Study 4

Tournament

Remodeled
Complex

New Fields Remodeled Funds

Fields

Survey, Field Replace Field Fund

Dirt Work Landscaping Sponsors Grants
Blueprints Dressings Equipment Treatments Raising

Fund
Apparel Raising
Activities

Turf Lighting Goals Corner Posts Bleachers

Clothing
Design manufactur
ed

WP-1 T WP-1 CP
WP-1 L
WP-2 T WP-1 B
WP-2 L WP-1 G
WP-3 T
WP-3 L
WP-4 T
Portfolio Case Study 5

Developing a WBS could alleviate some of the problems that occurred during the first

meeting and help organize and plan the project by determining deliverables that will be

necessary to complete the project. A work breakdown structure is the cornerstone of every

program because it defines in detail the work necessary to accomplish a programs objectives

(Work Breakdown Structure, 2009). By listing each of these deliverables and the work

associated with each, we can create a means of control for the meeting and the project. This will

give the next meeting a more focused direction and allow specific conversations to be had about

responsibilities and future of the project. If we can keep the group on track, the WBS will help

avoid topics of controversy unrelated to the project. Responsibilities for tasks can begin to be

determined giving team members tasks to focus on.

Nicolette can find additional information to help develop a WBS for the tournament

project by contacting other clubs or schools that have gone through this process to prepare fields

for activities. Since most schools have their own fields, we may want to visit newer schools that

have recently constructed their fields. City park managers may be able to provide additional

information if they were involved with the construction of fields. Other soccer organizations

such as the US Soccer Foundation have a wealth of information about lighting, field types, sizes

and other important knowledge. One important thing to consider is that there may be members

of the parent committee that have experience in some of the fields that are requiring tasks. If any

of the members own a construction or lawn care business, not only can they give accurate costs

and timeframes, they may be able to provide services at a slightly discounted rate.

With the knowledge gained from creating the WBS, Nicolette and her task force can use

the WBS to generate cost estimates for the tournament by determining the costs of labor,

resources, and deliverables required for the tasks in the WBS. Since the WBS breaks each small
Portfolio Case Study 6

deliverable down into tasks, it should be possible to provide fairly accurate timeframes and costs.

This information would be useful to present to the board of directors, forecast expenditures, and

determine the viability of the project.

Plan Going Forward

I will work with Nicolette to first define exactly what we are trying to do with this

project. We have to determine the specifications, tasks, and responsibilities for those tasks and

have a clear understanding of what is the expected final deliverable. There may need to be

several meetings with the board of directors to determine exactly what they are expecting. With

this information we can then create a scope statement. This scope statement or project charter

will include information about what the objective is, what the deliverables are, what the major

milestones will be, the technical requirements, and the limits and exclusions. This scope

statement will then need to be approved by the board. From here, we will integrate the WBS into

an organizational breakdown structure (OBS). The OBS assigns resources to each of the tasks

needing completed. Using the OBS we can create responsibility matrices that determine which

resources are primary and backup on each of the tasks or deliverables for the project.

Once we have compiled all of this information, we will then begin estimating the

resources, funding, and time needed for the project. We need to begin estimating the amount of

time and costs associated with the tasks and deliverables of the project. Since we have parents

involved in both construction and lawn care, we will go to the experts to gain accurate costs and

schedules. We will utilize the bottom-up approach of estimating costs, resources and time since

we have knowledgeable field experts on the team. Utilizing the skill set of the group of parents

that attend the meeting, we will assign tasks and begin looking for contractors to gain estimates
Portfolio Case Study 7

to complete some of the remaining tasks. Once these estimates are complete we will be able to

move on to the project plan.

As we begin to draw up the project plan, we will need to determine the order in which

tasks need to be completed. We will create an activity-on-node network diagram that will allow

us to determine multiple characteristics about tasks. Some tasks can overlap and other tasks have

no predecessors that can float to varying times during the project to level out resource need.

Once we have an activity-on-node network completed, we can begin to accurately create

schedules and allocate resources.

Once the plan is complete and we have the approval to move ahead, we will begin

executing the tasks associated with the project. During this phase, we will have contractors

doing surveys of the land we intend to use for new fields, a crew to create the proper dirt base for

the field, a team installing lights, turf, goals, bleachers, and teams in the same areas working on

renovating the existing fields. We will utilize status reports, monitor changes, watch for quality

issues, and begin forecasting metrics about the project. During the closing phase of the project,

we will hand off any maintenance tasks required for the new soccer complex.

Constraints

There are a number of constraints concerning this project. The first constraint facing this

project is time. We have been given 11 months to complete the soccer complex before the

tournament is to be held. With a portion of that during the winter months, construction may be

stalled and momentum may be lost. We will have to be well prepared to complete the complex

in 11 months.

Another major constraint on this project is funding. We will have to actively be

searching for sponsors to help fund this project. We will have to look into fund raising activities
Portfolio Case Study 8

and other means of generating revenue to proceed with this project. We may be able to generate

some revenue by renting fields or the complex out, allowing cell phone companies to lease a

portion of the land to put up a cell tower which we can use to mount lighting (Academy Sports

Turf, 2010), selling team apparel, and selling advertising around the field.

Another constraint may be people, materials, and equipment. It may be difficult to enlist

parents as a resource for this project. Many of the parents probably have other obligations and

may not be available when needed. Contractors may have other jobs they have to complete on

their schedule that may conflict with our schedule. There may not be enough equipment or

materials in the area, so that must be researched and those required resources will need to be

shipped in. If there are certain times in the project when we are completing similar tasks, such as

laying turf on two different fields, our resources may be stretched too thin and we may need to

use a leveling technique to spread out the need of those resources to fit availability (Larson &

Gray, 2011).

Resources

There is a large variety of resources needed for this project. One major resource needed

for this project will be funding. We will create a team that specifically seeks out funds for this

project. They will be responsible for finding sponsors and will operate fund raising activities.

While the tournament will bring in some income to cover some of the costs, it will take many

tournaments to cover the cost of the remodeled complex. For the first phase of the project,

Nicolette and I will work together to create the scope, plan, schedule, and determine required

deliverables and resources. We will utilize some of the parents as team members to distribute

some of the tasks and will rely on contractors for many of the other tasks. To survey the land we

intend to develop, we will need a contractor with equipment to complete this survey. We will
Portfolio Case Study 9

then need a designer to lay out the blueprints for the new fields. Based on these blueprints we

will need to bring in a development contractor with large earth moving equipment to create a

base for the new field. After this is complete, we will need a team to install turf and electricians

for the lighting. We will need landscapers to renovate the existing fields that need work. We

will need graphic artists to create designs for apparel for us to sell, a manufacturer to produce the

apparel, and team members to promote the apparel. Final touches will need to be done by

another team, properly marking fields, putting up goals and corner posts, bleachers, and

operating the refreshment stands selling tournament apparel.

Responsibilities for Resources

Task Jayhawk Lightning Thompson Jims Turf Skyline

Landscaping Electricians Excavation Co. Surveyors
Survey land X
Develop land X
Install turf X
Refurbish X
existing fields
Install X
lighting
Portfolio Case Study 10

Task Tom Spiffy Decal All Star Cathy

Designs Graphics Sports
Fund Raisers X
Design X
Apparel
Produce X
Apparel
Dress Field X
Develop X
scholarship

Timeframe

The completion of this project is due by summer of next year. We have a short window

of 11 months to get the soccer complex into shape to host a tournament the next summer. During

the fall of this year, we will complete a number of subtasks. In order to begin funding this

project, we will begin having fund raisers and looking for sponsors and grants. We will contract

out the design for the apparel and send that design to the clothing manufacturer. During

September and August, we will bring in the landscaping contractors to begin work on existing

fields. During this same time period, we will have surveyors in to lay out the new fields and

bring in the excavation team for developing the land. We will continue to raise funds over the

winter months. The next phase should begin in late February or early March depending on the

weather. Once the new field base has settled, we will begin installing turf. During this time, we

will be replacing and improving the equipment on the existing fields. Once the turf is in, the

electricians will begin to put up the lights and the equipment team will be installing the new

goals, corner posts, and bleachers.

Portfolio Case Study 11

Costs

If the board of directors determines not to move ahead with this project, there will be no

immediate costs associated with that decision. The only impact would be loss of future revenue

due to not being able to hold tournaments or rent out the complex. There could be major costs

involved if this project fails. Depending how far along we are in the project plan would

determine what those costs would be. If we have already started the spring phase of the projects

we would have all of the surveying and land development, improvements on existing fields,

apparel design and manufacturing, and angry sponsors to deal with. The table below contains

information on the costs of this project.

Deliverables Dollar Amount Quantity Totals

Each new Field $600,000 (Fresenburg, 2006) 2 $1,200,000
Lighting/field $200,000 (SAFE) 2 $400,000
Apparel Design $500 (Costhelper, 2009) 1 $500
Apparel Production $5000 1 $5000
Field equipment $7400 5 $37,000
Existing field $10,000 (U.S. Soccer Foundation) 3 $30,000
improvements per field
TOTAL: $1,672,500

Return on Investment

Through the course of this project and after this complex has been completed, there will

be considerable costs as well as returns. The yearly tournament can bring in between $50,000 to

$70,000. The complex can also be utilized for regular season games and possibly rented to other

schools or organizations that do not have their own fields. By finding partners such as Nike and

the U.S. Soccer Foundation, it may be possible to reduce costs by up to as much as 40% (U.S.
Portfolio Case Study 12

Soccer Foundation). That would drop the total cost down to $1,003,500. There is an estimate of

$70,000 a year revenue off of tournaments. With a possible income from renting fields of

$45/hour per field, there is a possible income of an additional $225/hour for the complex during

daylight hours and $135/hour after dark (City of Oakland Office of Parks and Recreation, 2008).

Depending on rentals, this is expected to bring in an additional $75,000 to $100,000 a year.

Apparel revenue is expected to be around $10,000 to $15,000 per year. Advertising at the

stadium is expected to bring in an additional $25,000 per year. With estimates of $210,000 a

year income, the remodel would be paid for in a little over 5 years not taking into account any

fundraising activities or donations.

Risk Assessment

Along with every project come risks. There are a variety of risks facing this project.

According to one veteran project manager, the key to project success is to be a proactive project

manager, looking forward to the next milestones, seeing the associated risks, and having a

contingency plan if those threats should materialize (Paul, 1999). Risks facing this project are

listed in the risk assessment on the next page.

Portfolio Case Study 13

Likelihood Scale Impact Scale Detection

Difficulty Scale
1 = Highly Unlikely 1= No Impact 1= Easy Detection
2 = Unlikely 2 = Minimal Impact 2 = Average
Detection
3 = Moderately 3 = Average Impact 3 = Difficult
Likely Detection
4 = Highly Likely 4 = Significant Impact 4 = Undetectable

Risk Event Likelihood Impact Detection Difficulty When

Bad Weather 2 3 3 During execution
Not enough 3 4 2 During execution
funding
Losing a 2 4 2 During execution
contractor
Increasing 3 3 1 During execution
resource cost
Not popular 2 3 3 After completion
Failure to 2 4 2 After expected
complete in completion
time
Lack of 2 4 3 During execution
Materials

Methods for Tracking Progress

Several tools we would use to track progress are the cost performance index and a

tracking Gantt chart. The cost performance index gives us an up to date measurement as to

where our task is on budget and can be used to estimate overages or coming in under budget. If

we utilize the CPI on a regular basis, we can trend the direction a task is headed. A tracking

Gantt chart gives us a visual picture of where we are timeline wise in a project. It shows us how

the baseline durations of each task tie together, how one influences another, and what percentage

of completion we are on a particular task in a project. I can see both of these being useful to
Portfolio Case Study 14

graphically and numerically show us where we are on the timeline and budget. These methods

could be used in monitoring the project in several ways. The graphical representation of the

timeline and how tasks rely on one another will be a good way to predict completion on schedule

and may allow for certain tasks to be shifted in the timeline to regain lost time or better utilize

resources. The CPI will permit me to report how we are running budget wise and either find

additional income or predict the future need for more funding or reduce the number of fund

raisers because we are running ahead of schedule.

Another way to gather data and monitor progress would be regular status meetings with

team members and team leaders. This would give us a broad view of how the project is going

from a management view and how it is perceived and headed from a resource view. Ensuring

that team members are on track and focused on a regular basis will help contribute to the success

of the project.

I would also implement software tracking for this project. Utilizing Microsoft Project to

track resources and time, as well as progress and budget would be very useful. It can

automatically create statistics and various diagrams and charts. It can also alert you if there are

scheduling conflicts and helps you tie together task dependency to determine the critical path as

well as which tasks can float and not impact the critical path. Microsoft project is capable of

managing project related information including tasks, duration, dependencies, resources, and

costs and generate a schedule as well as make it easy to share with others (Burns, 2008).

Conclusion

With a positive return on investment after approximately 5 years, this complex will pay

for itself and be a source of income. With tasks well defined and team members and contractors

responsible for their tasks, there should be little room for failure to complete this project in time.
Portfolio Case Study 15

With proper preparation for the risk involved with this project, the team can mitigate the impact

that those have on the project. We will keep on top of the tracking of the project utilizing

Microsoft Project, frequent status updates, tracking Gantt charts, and the Cost Performance

Index. If the board of directors follows this plan, the project has the best chance of success.
Portfolio Case Study 16

References

Work Breakdown Structure. (2009). GAO Reports, 65-78. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Academy Sports Turf. (2010). FAQ's Regarding Synthetic Turf. Retrieved September 22, 2011,

from Academy Sports Turfs: http://www.academysportsturf.com/faqs.php#6

Burns, M. (2008, March). Project management to the rescue. CA Magazine, 141. Retrieved from

EBSCOhost.

City of Oakland Office of Parks and Recreation. (2008). Field Rental Rates. Retrieved

September 22, 2011, from City of Oakland / Parks and Recreation:

http://www.oaklandnet.com/parks/facilities/rental_fieldrates.asp

Costhelper. (2009, January). How Much Does a Graphic Designer Cost? Retrieved September

22, 2011, from Costhelper: http://www.costhelper.com/cost/small-

business/graphic-

designer.html

Fresenburg, B. (2006, July 21). Synthetic Turfgrass Costs Far Exceed Natural Grass Playing

Fields. Retrieved September 22, 2011, from CAFNR:

http://cafnr.missouri.edu/research/turfgrass-costs.php

Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2011). Project management the managerial process. New York,

NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Paul, L. G. (1999, November 22). Maintaining momentum; Network professionals let you in on

their secrets to project management success. Network World, 61. Retrieved from

EBSCOhost.

SAFE. (n.d.). Have You Considered Lighting your Sports Field? Retrieved September 22, 2011,

from SportsTurf Managers Association: http://stma.cyzap.net/_files/_items/stma-

mr-tab9-
Portfolio Case Study 17

2455/docs/sportfieldlighting_safe.pdf

U.S. Soccer Foundation. (n.d.). All Conditions Fields. Retrieved September 22, 2011, from U.S.

Soccer Foundation: http://www.ussoccerfoundation.org/atf/cf/%7B4AB68129-

5AD7-

4143-BFC9-BDBD63658B29%7D/ACFBROCHURELO.PDF