Project Plan for

DBAP, Inc.
April 21, 2019

Project Information
Project Name

This project has been designated as Customer Service and

SimplyOrder Training.

Project Background and Description

Exclusive Clothes and Gifts (ECG) is a mail-order and Internet catalog business
marketing high-quality gifts, apparel, and home accessories. In operation for six
years, ECG is seeking to aggressively grow their company while remaining
profitable. To reach this goal, they would like to focus efforts on improving the
quality of customer service and resulting customer service scores by 10% and
improve the quality of the work environment through staff development and
recognition.

Management has identified several areas of concern. Employee retention and

morale are low. Customer service complaints have increased 30% since the same
period in the previous year. In the coming year, ECG will be updating its current
technology including new hardware configurations and equipment. Additionally,
new HR policies were recently introduced along with a new company
handbook. ECG has designated a budget of $400,000 to employ DBAP, Inc. to
assist the company in reaching their determined growth goals through training to
address these concerns.

DBAP, Inc. conducted a full gap analysis to assess current conditions at ECG and
identified key sources impacting Telephone Operator performance and customer
service. Following the gap analysis, DBAP, Inc. prioritized several
recommendations for ECG. These recommendations included:

 Customer Service Skills Training

 Design and Usability Consulting for the Product Information Module

Within SimplyOrder

 SimplyOrder Training

 Management Training

 Train-the-Trainer Instruction

These proposed solutions were presented to Jane MacKenzie, Director of Catalog

Sales, during the Sponsor Meeting held on April 3, 2019 at which two of the
recommended solutions were identified for development and implementation.
DBAP, Inc. Project Plan
 These include Customer Service Skills Training and SimplyOrder Training for the
Product Information Module within SimplyOrder. DBAP, Inc. will collaborate
with various SMEs and management within ECG to design, develop, and
implement the associated trainings, templates and support documents.

Project Purpose

DBAP, Inc., through this project, will develop a series of deliverables to

assist ECG in addressing employee support needs to foster a working
environment that facilitates productivity and efficiency. Efforts will focus
on the improvement of Telephone Operators' ability to quickly locate and
courteously communicate product information to customers. This will be
addressed by employing targeted training of Telephone Operators and
Customer Service Supervisors.

Business Objectives

ECG would like to maintain or exceed their financial targets while maintaining
profitability. These targets include:

 $7 million in total sales

 $3 million in catalog sales

 $4 million in Internet sales

 A 40% increase in customer lists

 A net profit of $2 million

 Increased investment in business and support systems

In addition to monetary targets, ECG has also expressed goals of improved quality
of service delivery. Goals include:

 A 10% improvement on customer service survey scores

 Improving the quality of staff development and recognition

 Improving the quality of the work environment

Scope Statement
Deliverables Included

The Project Plan, this document, provides an overview of the planning of the
project which includes the schedule, Gantt chart, change management, and
communication plan pertaining to the two proposed training programs.
 Customer Service Skills Training: A 4-hour comprehensive training for
Operators and Customer Service Supervisors focusing on proper phone
protocol, customer service-oriented etiquette, and basic sales techniques.
Five sessions will be conducted between June 18 to June 26, which
DBAP, Inc. Project Plan
 includes one make-up session. As a part of developing the training, the
following documents will also be delivered:
o Design document – outlines the learning objectives, course
outline, learning strategies, activities, and feedback/assessment.
o Training materials – student guide, facilitator guide, and job aids
(supplementary telephone scripts)
o Other training documents – slides and/or other graphics, scenario
scripts and assessment checklist for role plays
o Evaluation report – to determine the efficacy of the training
 SimplyOrder Training: A 4-hour intensive hands-on training for
Operators and Customer Service Supervisors for orienting them to order
management and product information in the new order-entry system,
SimplyOrder. Five sessions will be conducted between July 9 to July 17,
which includes one make-up session. As a part of developing the training,
the following documents will also be delivered:
o Design document – outlines the learning objectives, course
outline, learning strategies, activities, and feedback/assessment.
o Training materials – student guide, facilitator guide, and job aids
(supplementary practice exercises for the sandbox)
o Other training documents – slides and/or other graphics
o Evaluation report - to determine the efficacy of the training
In addition to the two trainings, DBAP Inc., will also submit a Train-the-Trainer
(TTT) assessment report for the assigned trainers, Sarah Commons and Maria
Gomez, from ECG.

Exclusions

DBAP, Inc. will not be responsible for:

 Any documentation material outside that specified above
 Providing training in CD format and its parallel transcript
 Any training or documentation on the functionality and processes that
haven’t changed in SimplyOrder (customer database and functionality of
entering new customers, retrieving existing customer information, and
changing customer information).

Project Completion Criteria

This project will be complete when all the specified deliverables, including the
assessment of the trainers, Sarah Commons and Maria Gomez, have been signed
off and delivered to ECG management.

Project Plans
Primary Plans

This Project Plan includes the following formal plans to ensure a smooth
implementation of the Customer Service and SimplyOrder training:
DBAP, Inc. Project Plan
  Schedule
o Milestone Signoffs
o Work Breakdown Structure
o Gantt Chart
 Change Management Plan
o Change Control Process
o Communication Plan

Scheduled Meetings

DBAP, Inc. will schedule the following regular meetings. Other meetings can and
will be scheduled should the need arise.

Meeting Frequency Attendees Description

DBAP, Inc. Weekly Bernadette Neal DBAP, Inc. team
Internal Status members will meet to
Fridays Amy Parlo
Meeting discuss project
3pm ET Dana Miller progress, needs,
Pritha Sur possible delays or
issues.

Project Sponsor Weekly Jane MacKenzie DBAP, Inc. team will

Status Meeting meet with Project
Mondays Bernadette Neal
Sponsor to provide an
10am ET Amy Parlo update on project
Dana Miller progress, needs,
possible delays or
Pritha Sur issues.

SME Meeting Weekly Sarah Commons DBAP, Inc. and ECG

will meet to discuss
(Customer Mondays Maria Gomez
content for training
Service training) Paula Moore
11am ET materials, review
Rosalinda feedback on content,
Sanchez and provide project
Bernadette Neal progress.

Amy Parlo
Dana Miller
Pritha Sur

SME Meeting Weekly Tom Swartz DBAP, Inc. and ECG

will meet to discuss
(SimplyOrder Tuesdays Tsien Yun
content for training
training – Order (optional)
9am ET materials for the order
System)
Bernadette Neal system, review
Amy Parlo feedback on content
and training materials,
Dana Miller and provide project
progress.
DBAP, Inc. Project Plan
 Pritha Sur

SME Meeting Weekly Tsien Yun DBAP, Inc. and ECG

(optional) will meet to discuss
(SimplyOrder Tuesdays
content for training
training – Marge Moorhead
10 am ET materials for the
Product
Sheena Perez Product Information
Information
(optional) Module, review
Module)
Ray Johnson feedback on content
and training materials,
Bernadette Neal and provide project
Amy Parlo progress.

Dana Miller
Pritha Sur

Scheduled Status Reports

Each Friday, by end of business day, a status report will be emailed to the
following ECG individuals:
 Jane MacKenzie
 Tsien Yun
 Tom Swartz
 Marge Moorhead
Each Monday, DBAP, Inc. will review the weekly status report with Jane
MacKenzie on the regularly scheduled status call.

Assumptions

DBAP, Inc. will be responsible for the following:

 Design and develop the Customer Service Skills training program and
deliver the instruction in five sessions completed no later than June 26,
2019.
 Deliver all Customer Service Skills training program materials in an
electronic format no later than June 18, 2019.
 Print hard copies of the student guides, facilitator guides, role play
scenarios, checklist assessment for role play scenarios, knowledge check
sheets, and job aids for the Customer Service Skills training to distribute
during each training session.
 Design and develop the SimplyOrder training program and deliver the
instruction in five sessions no later than July 17, 2019.
 Deliver all SimplyOrder training program materials in an electronic format
no later than July 9, 2019.
 Print hard copies of the student guides, facilitator guides, practice
exercises, and job aids for the SimplyOrder training to distribute during
each training session.

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan

  Assess the training skills of the two Customer Service Supervisors (Train-
the-Trainers) during a Customer Service Skills training session and a
SimplyOrder training session.
 Inform ECG of any roadblocks that would jeopardize meeting target dates.
 Act as project manager for the Customer Service Skills and SimplyOrder
training project.
 Provide weekly status reports to project sponsor and attending status
meetings as required.

ECG will be responsible for the following:

 Communicate goals and responsibilities to staff and assigned members for
each project.
 Provide a training room with ten workstations to accommodate every
participant in a session, one instructor workstation and an LCD projector,
as well as an IT contact for any technical issues that may arise for the
duration of each training session.
 Schedule Telephone Operators and Customer Service Supervisors to attend
a Customer Service Skills training session and a SimplyOrder training
session.
 Provide SMEs for customer service and sales standards, SimplyOrder, and
catalog product information.
 Provide a SimplyOrder sandbox that DBAP, Inc. members can access via
their laptops and training participants can access via the training
workstations.
 Assign a dedicated person(s) responsible for inputting catalog product
information into SimplyOrder.
 Assign reviewers for Customer Service Skills training materials and
SimplyOrder training materials and providing timely and consolidated
feedback.
 Inform Customer Service Supervisors (two Train-the-Trainers) they need
to attend all trainings and teach one lesson at the end of a Customer
Service Skills training session and a SimplyOrder training session.
 Assist in removing roadblocks that affect a project’s progress.
 Sign off on major deliverables in a timely manner.
 Attend status meetings as required.

Constraints

The following situations, people, and project parameters will impact DBAP, Inc.’s
ability in completing the project:
 SMEs working different shifts extends the time it will take to coordinate
content input and review comments among them, and ultimately, being
delivered to DBAP, Inc.
 Because Sheena Perez has taken on new responsibilities, she has limited
time available to offer content input or review for product descriptions.

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan

  With the fall catalog being mailed out mid-July, there is very little
opportunity to push out current target dates for rollout and training if
needed.
 No training sessions are scheduled during night shift hours, which would
require ECG making it mandatory for night shift employees to attend
training outside their normal working hours.

External Dependencies

The following external factors, outside of DBAP, Inc.’s and ECG’s control, may
affect the successful completion of the project:
 Any bugs discovered in the core code of the SimplyOrder software.
 An increase in call volume on days when SMEs need to be available to
contribute and review content.
 Unexpected life circumstances affecting members of the ECG and DBAP,
Inc. teams and their relatives.

Project Approach

DBAP, Inc. will follow the ADDIE instructional design process to complete this
training project. A high-level overview of each phase of this process is described as
follows:
 Analysis Phase – DBAP, Inc. will conduct analyses of the target audience,
existing content, and job tasks
 Design Phase – DBAP, Inc. will decide and document all design decisions
regarding the course organization, objectives, content, activities, and
assessments
 Develop Phase – DBAP, Inc. will develop all the training materials, which
include facilitator and student guides, job aids, and presentations
 Implement Phase – DBAP, Inc. will facilitate the trainings
 Evaluation Phase – DBAP, Inc. will evaluate the success of the trainings
via qualitative and quantitative data analysis against business objectives
and other metrics.
Major signoff milestones for ECG are included in the Design, Develop, and
Implement phases and described in the following table.

Milestones

The following table indicates the signoff dates of the project documents and
deliverables. An elaborate timeline is presented under the Schedule section.

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan

 Milestone or Activity Deliverable Target
Date

Signoff on learning objectives, Design document May 17,

course outline, learning strategies 2019
and assessments based on Job Task
Analysis

Signoff on student guide, facilitator Training materials June 7,

guide, presentation, and job aids 2019

Pilot Customer Service Skills - June 18,

Training conducted 2019

Signoff on Customer Service Skills Revised training documents June 19,

Training revisions, if needed 2019

Pilot SimplyOrder Training - July 9,

conducted 2019

Signoff in SimplyOrder Training Revised training documents July 10,

revisions, if needed 2019

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan

 WBS Diagram

The following Work Breakdown Structure diagram shows all the high-level tasks
that must be completed by DBAP, Inc. and ECG in order to complete the project.
The diagram includes tasks that have already been completed in the Analysis
phase.

An online version of the following diagram can be found here:

https://coggle.it/diagram/XK4EIRJYKwoNcaSZ/t/training-customer-service-and-
simplyorder/c5433207d10790898a64008313c89c495fc633757654c4d9f8594cefe7
d96649
A larger version of the WBS diagram can be found in this document under
Appendix A.

Schedule

The schedule, shown in Appendix B, outlines the start and due dates for each
activity under the various phases. If ECG finds that any of its personnel is unable
to meet the deadline as listed as listed in the schedule, please inform Bernadette
Neal of DBAP, Inc. All dates are End of Day (EOD) in CT time.

Gantt Chart
DBAP, Inc. Project Plan
 The following Gantt chart displays the main phases of the project at the category
level, along with start and due dates and responsible parties.

An online version of the following Gantt chart can be found here:

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=65c43f3038644b28a826abbba284c
135
A larger version of the Gantt chart can be found in this document under Appendix
C.

Change Management Plan

Purpose

DBAP, Inc. and ECG have agreed upon a detailed charter document that outlines
the scope, budget, schedule, and milestones of this project. In the event of a change
due to stakeholder request or unforeseen outside circumstance that gives reason to
modify any project parameter, this scope change procedure has been developed as
a communication framework to document and control all changes.

Goals

The goals of this change management plan are to provide a centralized location
for:
 Specifying the communication flow procedure
 Documenting all changes across schedule parameters affecting workflow
and budget to ensure smooth change implementation
 Tracking scope change effects on project budget for reporting purposes
 Providing transparency and project goal alignment for stakeholders
regarding expected deliverables
 Supplying a detailed record of this project’s span and outcome for ECG
company history record

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan

 Change Control Process

All proposed scope changes to this project shall follow a specific change control
process. This process includes a communication plan per each step of the change
control process. The scope change procedure and associated communication plan
is detailed below in the first table, followed by a second table describing DBAP,
Inc. consulting member responsibilities, an abbreviated Change Control Process
flow chart, and an abbreviated Scope Change Log.
Refer to Appendices D and E located at the end of this Project Plan document to
find full-size versions of the Change Control Process flow chart and Scope Change
log.
Table 1: Scope Change Procedure and Communication Plan

Step Description

Step 1 Requesting Official makes request on the “Scope Change Request

Form”.

Step 2 DBAP, Inc. Project Manager verifies the requestor’s authority to

make scope changes.

Step 3 Project Manager sends unauthorized requests to the ECG Project

Sponsor and sends authorized requests to the Budget Official and
the Scope Official, respectively, to generate impact estimates on
cost, time, and workflow.

Step 4 Project Manager sends “Scope Change Request Form” back to

Requesting Official with cost, time, and workflow impact estimates
attached.

Step 5 Requesting Official acknowledges change impact and applies

signature on the “Scope Change Request Form”. Project Manager
stores rejected requests along with their estimate documentation in
Project Change Control Folder.

Step 6 Project Manager obtains final approval by signature on the “Scope

Change Request Form” from the Project Sponsor of any added cost
or time.

Step 7 Business Plan Official updates all project documents related to the
change.

Step 8 Project Manager notifies appropriate stakeholders by email of the

scope change and attaches revised documentation, as necessary.

Step 9 Project Manager records finalized scope change in the “Scope

Change Log”.

Step 10 Project Manager stores all change documentation in Project Change

Control Folder.

Step 11 Project Manager oversees implementation of scope change,

assigning a manager if necessary.

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan

 Responsibilities

Table 2: DBAP, Inc. Consulting Members and Responsibilities

Person Responsible Responsibilities

Bernadette Neal At the onset of the project, convey the scope change
Project Manager procedure regarding documentation and proper
communication chain to the project sponsor, team
members, and stakeholders. Obtain sponsor approval,
as necessary.

During the project, enforce use of the scope change

procedure to all project constituents regarding
documentation and communication of any changes.

Detail the final change in the Scope Change Log and

store in a change control folder, along with all
documentation of estimates, memos, and notes.

Pritha Sur (department head r) to

Scope Official Prepare description of scope change impact on
schedule, milestones, and project final delivery date.

Dana Miller (the department head r)

Budget Official Prepare an estimated report describing cost and time
required to implement scope change.

Amy Parlo Change project planning and baseline documents per

Business Plan Official approved change. Change all other documents related
to each change, (i.e. WBS, Budget, Gantt Chart.)

Project Plan Approvals

Approvals

Approved by:

Name Role Signature Date

Jane MacKenzie Project Sponsor

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan

 Appendix A: WBS for Customer Service and SimplyOrder Training

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan

 Appendix B: Schedule
The initials in the schedule stand for the following personnel:
 ECG
JM: Jane MacKenzie
SMEs: Marge Moorhead (MM), Tom Swartz (TS), Ray Johnson (RJ), Sarah Commons (SC), Maria Gomez (MG), Paula Moore
(PM), Rosalinda Sanchez (RS)

 DBAP, Inc.
BN: Bernadette Neal
AP: Amy Parlo
DM: Dana Miller
PS: Pritha Sur

Duration %
Task Start Due Status Who
(in days) Complete
Analyze March 18 April 15 21
Conduct needs assessment March 18 March 25 6 DBAP (All)
Conduct performance analysis March 22 April 2 8 DBAP (All)
Conduct content analysis March 25 March 29 5 BN, DM
Conduct sponsor meeting April 3 April 3 1 DBAP(All),
JM
Write and submit charter April 4 April 9 4 DBAP (All)
Interview SMEs April 4 April 10 5 AP, PS
Conduct job task analysis April 8 April 12 5 DM, AP
Conduct learner analysis April 8 April 12 5 BN, PS
Conduct kick-off meeting April 15 April 15 1 DBAP(All),
JM, SMEs
Design April 15 May 17 25
Select course content development April 15 April 15 1 DBAP (All)
tools
Finalize the color, font, and formatting April 15 April 17 3 BN, JM
guidelines for training material

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan

 Duration %
Task Start Due Status Who
(in days) Complete
Create Course Outline April 15 April 18 4 DM
Define objectives April 15 April 17 3 DM, BN
Design learning strategies/activities April 22 April 26 5 AP, PS
Design assessments/feedback April 16 April 26 5 AP, PS
Gather graphics for training materials April 16 April 24 7 MM, TS,
RJ, AP, PS
Write first draft of Design Document April 29 May 6 6 DBAP (All)
Review and submit feedback on first May 7 May 9 3 SMEs
draft of Design Document
Implement revisions May 10 May 13 2 DM, BN
to Design Document
Review final draft of Design Document May 14 May 15 2 SMEs
Signoff on Design Document May 16 May 17 2 JM
Develop May 17 June 7 15
Create facilitator/student guides May 17 June 7 15
and exercises
 Write first draft of guides and May 17 May 28 7 BN, AP, PS
exercises
 Review and submit feedback on May 29 May 31 3 SMEs
first drafts
 Implement revisions June 3 June 4 2 BN, AP
 Review final drafts June 5 June 6 2 SMEs, JM
 Signoff June 7 June 7 1 JM
Create Presentation May 17 June 7 15
 Write first draft of presentation May 17 May 28 7 DM, PS
 Review and submit feedback on May 29 May 31 3 SMEs
first drafts
 Implement revisions June 3 June 4 2 PS
 Review final drafts June 5 June 6 2 SMEs, JM
 Signoff June 7 June 7 1 JM
Create Job Aids May 20 June 7 14

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan

 Duration %
Task Start Due Status Who
(in days) Complete
 Write first draft of job aids May 20 May 28 6 DM, AP,
BN
 Review and submit feedback on May 29 May 31 3 SMEs
first drafts
 Implement revisions June 3 June 4 2 DM
 Review final drafts June 5 June 6 2 SMEs, JM
 Signoff June 7 June 7 1 JM
Implement (Customer Service Training) June 10 July 1 16
Notify employees of training and June 10 June 17 6 ECG
sessions to attend
Conduct pilot training sessions June 18 June 18 1 BN, DM
Revise training, if needed June 18 June 18 1 DBAP (All)
Review revised training, if needed June 19 June 19 1 SMEs, JM
Signoff on training revisions, if needed June 19 June 19 1 JM
Conduct second set of trainings June 20 June 20 1 AP, PS, SC,
MG
Conduct makeup training session, if June 21 June 26 1 BN, DM,
needed SC, MG
Create TTT assessment reports June 26 June 28 3 BN, PS
Deliver TTT assessment reports July 1 July 1 1 BN
Implement (SimplyOrder) July 1 July 22 15
Notify employees of training and July 1 July 8 5 ECG
sessions to attend
Conduct pilot training sessions July 9 July 9 1 AP, PS
Revise training, if needed July 9 July 9 1 DBAP (All)
Review revised training, if needed July 10 July 10 1 SMEs, JM
Signoff on training revisions, if needed July 10 July 10 1 JM
Conduct second set of trainings July 11 July 11 1 BN, DM,
SC, MG
Conduct makeup training session, if July 12 July 17 1 AP, PS, SC,
needed MG

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan

 Duration %
Task Start Due Status Who
(in days) Complete
Create TTT Assessment Reports July 17 July 19 3 AP, DM
Deliver TTT Assessment Reports July 22 July 22 1 AP
Evaluate March 18 Aug 16 108
Gather pre-training data March 18 March 27 8 BN, AP
Develop Evaluation Plan April 4 April 12 7 DBAP (All)
Gather post-training data June 24 Aug 2 29 PS, DM

Analyze data July 29 Aug 9 10 DBAP (All)

Develop Evaluation Report Aug 12 Aug 15 4 DBAP (All)
Submit Evaluation Report Aug 16 Aug 16 1 BN

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan

 Appendix C: Gantt Chart for Training Project

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan

 Appendix D: Change Control Process Flowchart

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan

 Appendix E: Scope Change Log

Scope Change Log

Date of Request Requesting Scope Change Impact on Cost Impact on Final Outcome Requesting Project Manager Project Sponsor
Official Description Schedule Official Signature Signature
Signature

DBAP, Inc. Project Plan