Omair Parvez

Level 4

Unit 6: Managing a Successful

Business Project
TASK 1

Project Management is the practice of knowledge, skills, and techniques to execute

various projects effectively and efficiently. It is a strategic way for the organization to
enable them to tie project results and business goals in order for them to better
compete in the market. To put it in layman’s terms, it is mainly calculating the risks
and providing solutions to avoid them even if the project is planned really well the
possibility of dangers still exist. Projects in organizations have a common aim; to
follow the activities and ideas to shape them into reality.

Whether it is a small or large organization, it is important that project management is

involved in the implementation of new undertakings. Another r reason why project
management is important is because it is involved in the development of new
projects & services, establishing a new product line, help in public relations in a
promotional campaign or a major building program. Good project management
assures the goals of projects are strategically aligned with the organization’s goals.

Stages of Project Management

There are 6 core stages that a project manager has to go through in order to
manage the project successfully:
 Defining – the project manager’s job is to find the scope, budget, risk, target,
time frame and approach. Every member of the team has to have a clear idea
about the plans and objectives of the project.
 Initiation – this is the next stage where the scope of the project is finalized
and all the necessary approvals and stakeholder expectations are collected.
This is also the commencing stage of the project.
 Planning – all the aspects of the project that the organization has chosen are
outlined in this stage. It is highly crucial that a plan for the project initiation,
time, duration, budget, supply chain management, resource requirement, etc.

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 Planning is sort of the base framework for the entire project which is later
considered a benchmark to compare results overtime.
 Execution – this stage implements all the planned activities of the project into
reality. This marks the beginning of the development of the project.
 Control & monitoring – while the project is being executed, the project
manager is responsible to control and monitor the resources planned for the
project by giving the team proper instructions and have continuous tracking
through reports on risk and current status of the project. This helps in
monitoring the project regularly.
 Closure – the last and final stage of the project where all the work is carried
out and the formal sign off approval is given from the stakeholder as a mark
that the project has been completed successfully and there is no more work
required.

Advantages of Project Management

There are many advantages that project management entails:

 Improved communication – there is improved and effective communication
amongst leaders and employees that are involved in projects. Skilled and
talented project managers are easily able to handle stakeholders and the
board and those who are hesitant and judgmental on the project becoming a
success.
 Following and setting efficient goals – this is an essential factor as well as
an advantage as these types of goals are measurable, realistic, specific,
attainable, and time-bound. Without these goals, the project is most likely to
fail. It makes sure that the project is on the right track and is within the budget.
 On-point risk evaluation – evaluating the risks in the project can help
allocate resources in a more organized manned and can also help take
calculated risks proficiently.
 Even better satisfaction to customers – delivering a new product with user
focused features is effective and brings satisfaction to the customers. This in
turn also helps reduce costs for clients. A successful project management
experience leaves the company with positive customer satisfactions.

Project management is important as it makes sure what product is being delivered to

you, what is the real value and what is right in terms of business opportunity. Project
management brings forth leadership and a sense of direction for the project. Without
project management you could say that the team is a car which is in a middle of
nowhere without fuel. Great project management is important as it delivers success
and helps motivate teams in order to give it their all.

THE PROJECT PLAN

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Today, at Samsung’s keynote we introduced Ballie, a small ball-shaped robot
intended to help you around the house.

With the world evolving and technologically advancing at the fast pace, we feel that a
need of assistance is required to the people as there’s always a rush whether it’s
waking up late for work or a football match. There’s so much a person can do which
is where Samsung Ballie comes in action! This is the most technological
advancement that we have achieved and we would be delighted to deliver it to
people. We feel that this is something people need as a form of assistance to help
them in their day-to-day lives. The use of AI has given us the leap to produce a
product ahead of its time. We’ve used the AI functionality in Ballie to track the user’s
daily routine and store data so that it can get used to the commands set by the user.
Once commands are set, Ballie automatically integrates the commands and starts
doing it without the need for the user to give a command each time therefore easing
the process.

Key Features:
Samsung Ballie utilizes Artificial intelligence to be a security robot, a fitness
assistant, a tool to help seniors connect with smart devices in their homes, and it can
even be a friend to kids and pets.Rolling around and following people seems to be all
that Ballie can do at the moment. But we at Samsung have a bigger vision for Ballie
that could someday make it more of an at-home assistant. Ballie can open the blinds
in its owner’s home, turn on the TV so that the house’s dog could have something to
watch, and summon a Roomba-like vacuum to help clean up a mess.

Ballie's on-device AI capabilities will turn it into things like a fitness assistant or a
remote control.Ballie and Samsung's other efforts in AI also will incorporate
"stringent data protection and privacy standards." as privacy of our consumers is
highly important.It uses a single camera for object and person detection, but it
handles all the image processing directly on the device and the ability to record and
store footage of its surroundings entirely. The integration of samsung’s and google's
cloud AI allows better syncing with other home based products.

Ballie will officially debut on May 12, 2021 for $249 for one robot, a charging base,
and an interactive app. This will be targeting more home based people and business
people who are tied up with a lot of work. Pre-orders will start Dec 1st 2020.

Our Aim

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We believe that this is something that people want in their life to make it easier for
them to run day-to-day tasks and this product targets the middle-class and the
higher-class such as businessmen/businesswomen and those who have a busier
lifestyle than others. Our aim is to develop technology which can benefit the entire
world and create a synchronized ecosystem of smart robots which are user friendly
and efficient in completing tasks. In other words, a world where everything becomes
automated.

WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE

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 SAMSUNG BALLIE

DEFINING AND PRODUCTION OF SHOWCASING OF

PLANNING DESIGN FINAL PRODUCT
INTIATION PROTOTYPE PROTOTYPE

T1. WBS & Gnatt T1. Development of T1. Promotion of T1. Production of
T1. Market Scope T1. Software check
chart blueprints the product final product

T2. Projecting cost

T2. Process of T2. Communication
of project and T2. Design patent T2. Quality check T2. Product pricing
approval of stakeholders
resources

T3. Compliance of T3. Preparation of T3. Integration of T3. Marketing T3. Closure of
T3. Technical check
laws communication cloud services strategies project

T4. Change &

T4. Legal T4. User T4. Use surveys to
Incident
acceptance acceptance testing collect data
management

T5. Kickstart of T5. Resource T5. Consultation

project allocation with R&D Dept.

T6. Preparation of T6. Purchase of raw

quality standard materials

T7. Identification of
risk & finding
control measures

PROJECT COST STRUCTURE

START-UP AED(Mil)
Start-up costs 5
Legal expenses 2

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Market research 1
Total 8
FIXED
Licensing, copyright & patent 4
Cost of machinery 2
Design cost 3
Blueprint 1
Total 10
OPERATIONAL
Utilities cost 2
Promotional cost 2
Factory costs 5
Salaries and wages 5
Cost of raw material 2
Misc. expenditure 4
Total 20

FINAL TOTAL COST 38

Risk associated with Project

 Cost risk – this is an inflation of the costs of the project due to a rise in prices
of raw materials, other resources, people or poor cost estimation done by
project manager.
 Schedule risk – this is a risk that deliverables in the project will take a longer
time instead of what is identified and mentioned in the Gantt chart.
 Lack of team support in the project – this type of risk fails the projects as
results are not produced consistently. This is primarily because there is lack of
team support to the project manager.
 Scope risk – lack of clarity or a major change in the scope will highly impact
the project and related cost.
 Management risk – the risk that management takes this project on low
priority. The risk involved is that there are chances that the project could be
sidelined by the top management.
 Market risk – as there is a lot of competition and fluctuation in exchange
 Liquidity and credit risk – this risk is about a project running short of cash or
unable to raise funds from external sources
 Legal risk – this risk arises from legal and regulatory obligations
 Operational risk – this risk associates itself with the execution of the project

Scope of the project

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The scope of this project is to provide an improved and optimized user-friendly
experience through recording data and commands set by the user so that it is more
convenient. All data is securely stored online for a more personalized experience.

Benefits of the project

 It is user-friendly with a lot of security features built-in.

 It is easy to set commands and execute them.
 It is easy, flexible, and much more convenient to handle day-today operations
at home, work, etc.
 Although smart, it is an attractive product.

Quality of the product

When it comes to project management, it is important to plan it effectively. Planning

of a project is done with a lesser budget and with much better quality. Samsung
Ballie is following and completed according to the planning, equal and sufficient time
is provided to the coding, hardware production, software, and implementation.
Proper training has been given to the team members involved in the project.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Role Responsibility
Project Manager Monitor the progress of the project, analyze and
assess the risks involved, motivate employees and
lead the project’s development and testing.
Elaborates on the initial requirement, verifies all the
requirements that he will receive are met to the
standards.
Software developer The software that will be designed for the robot and
the application that users will use for it.
Product designer The design of the product, the various concepts and
the final design.
Data analyst To analyze data received from the research
conducted.
Marketer To find ways to price and market the product.

GANTT CHART

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TASK 2

In order for the product to be successful in the market segment, I will have to look
into the best possible ways of research methods to explore, discover, and analyze
the market suitable for Samsung. There are two methods that I’ve found effective
and useful; qualitative research and quantitative research.

QUANTIATIVE RESEARCH

The objective of this method of research is to gain an understanding of the

fundamental reasons and inspirations. There are also many predominant trends and
opinions which are uncovered. Data is collected thorough group discussions and in-
depth interviews. The manager and I went around and asked a set of questions
asked to the loyal customers of Samsung and non-customers.
Here’s a link to the form:
https://forms.gle/JK5XprRimaZvhhij7

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

The main objective of using this research method is the analyze and measure the
frequency of views and opinions from the selected sample. Qualitative research
collects data in real-time and collects information thorough online surveys,
interviews, questionnaires, etc. In order to execute quantitative research effectively,
my team and I will pass out surveys and gather people’s opinions and data;

 Would Samsung Ballie help increase the sales of the Samsung?

 Would customers be satisfied with the product?
 Does Samsung meet the demands and expectations of the society?
 Is Samsung socially responsible towards the society?
 Can we promote the product using the right promotion techniques?

Accuracy and reliability of the research methods chosen

Quantitative research such as surveys and telephone interviews provide honest and
anonymous responses to the company. Allowing respondents to answer our survey

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gives more accurate data and valid answers to the questions asked. Although this is
a time-consuming method, the questions asked in the survey reflects on the outcome
of the research and this makes quantitative researches important and reliable as it
gives an overview of the brand image.

On the other hand, qualitative research methods score high when it comes to
internal accuracy. This method observes the behavior of people in the day-to-day life
and examines every detail of the person when they describe and express their
experiences, attitudes, behavior, feelings that happen throughout their life. A
qualitative research compared to quantitative is extremely accurate but it is on a
wobbly step when it comes to reliability as it cannot be determined so easily.

Analyzing the survey conducted

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Qualitative research analysis

When conducting the qualitative research my team and I gathered responses from 5
people. Here is the analysis:

1st Respondent

When I showed the respondent the product that we’re coming up with, I asked him if
he would be satisfied with the product and the features it offers. I received a positive
response for the respondent and he told that the product looks adorable and it would
be really convenient to have it as he’s a really busy person. He also said that he
would recommend the product to his friends and family and that the product will have
a positive launch. The respondent’s overall image on our company was very positive.

2nd Respondent

The respondent didn’t have much of a positive outlook towards our product as she
thought it wouldn’t grab much attention and that it wouldn’t be much of a help having
a robot companion. When shown all the features it had and the stuff it can do, she
was intrigued and surprised. She recommended us to have a good budget and stick
to improving it. Overall, she was satisfied with our product.

3rd Respondent

We asked this respondent whether the product and the company meet the
expectations and demands of the society. The respondent replied by saying that we
do and at times we even exceed their expectations and he thinks that we are socially
responsible towards the society and the product will help increase sales. After
showing a look at the product, he was satisfied with the design and has applauded
us for the exceptional job we do.

4th Respondent

Interviewing this respondent was easy for us as she is a regular customer of

Samsung. When asked her views about the company, she said that we come up with
very innovative products and that she recommends our products to friends and
family. The overall result showed that she is a loyal customer of Samsung and she
found the product highly satisfactory.

5th Respondent

The last and final respondent was a young intern. When asked about the product
that we developed, he said that it was a step closer to the future of automation and
he quite liked the product and that it meets the needs of people.

Analyzing all the responses, we can say with confidence that Samsung Ballie will be
an incredible product and it will be welcomed into the market with ease and that we
will have a competitive advantage over our rivals.

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Analyzing the research above using appropriate tools and techniques, there are
some recommendations for the company and the product

Have a systematic budget

In order to complete the project, we need to allocate the resources required before
initiating the project. In order to do so, the company has to set a good enough to
develop the new product.

Follow all legal laws and regulation

I, the project manager am required to solve all the legal procedures in order for the
project to succeed. Once this is completed, the product can see the light of day.

HRM

The company requires experience and skilled employees and human resources for
gaining a competitive advantage over our rivals by hiring more experienced workers
who will contribute more to the project and complete it in the period of time given.

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 TASK 3

Once the project has been successfully initiated and executed, now we’ll be
communicating about the project to the stakeholders and we will also present it to
the audience with the help of presentations, meetings, etc. and we will highlight the
main focus of the project, it's findings that have be gathered from the research
conducted and most importantly mention the project plan.

Purpose of Audience Frequency Person Mode of

communication responsible communication
Introduction of the Stakeholders Once Project Meeting
project and project manager
investors
Project review with Team Weekly Project Presentations
team members members manager
Report of day-to-day Stakeholders, Weekly Team E-mails and
activities and status project members conference calls and
of project investors & and project meetings
team manager
members

Project Project Monthly Project Presentations

management status manager manager
report officer

Every Sunday morning, meetings will be conducted to discuss the progress of the
project and this meeting will be held every week or once in two weeks. We have
encouraged both oral and written communication in the meetings and the project
manager will lead and conduct all the meetings.

Presentations are an attractive and informative way of displaying communication and

it will help develop a better understanding of the project. The presentations will

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include the explanation of the marketing strategy, financial forecasts, and it will also
include the roles and responsibilities that are assigned to the team members of the
project. And in the end, a presentation of the dates and milestones of the project will
be shown and shared and a proper discussion with the team members will take
place to know their opinions.

Advantages of a communication plan

 Communication is easier which will help spreading tasks and information

much quicker.
 Certain risks get eliminated.
 Stakeholders are satisfied and are up to date on the progress.
 Better and quicker development as the team communicates more candidly
which allows them to work together effectively.

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TASK 4

A reflection is the process wherein one learns from his own experience so the he can
understand and examine it better and clearly and learn from it. The reflection
process can be seen throughout the entire project such as when using different
research methods, collecting and analyzing data and so on.

Stuff that we learnt

Throughout the entire project we learn many things such as the hardware and
software required to run Samsung Ballie, the use of the communication plan, the use
of the work breakdown structure to better handle the project. We also used a survey
to research on the market and people’s taste and preferences. We have used
financial techniques to form the project cost structure and track budgets in order to
manage the project within the budget for the entire duration of the project. On a
personal level, this project has helped improve my writing skills and enhanced my
knowledge through various findings.

Performance review

The main aim and objective of our project was to promote a new product, in a new
market and gain a competitive advantage over our rivals. The research that my team
has done has provided the scope of the project. One of the main reasons that the
project was initiated smoothly without any hesitation was because of the
encouragement and support that we received from our higher ups. The performance
review is based on the tasks provided throughout the duration of the project and to

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make sure that the tasks have been completed in time within the specified budget.
Thus, the performance review is made and it is also made individually to analyze
how the other team members have performed. Another crucial aspect of this success
was because we had a good team which gave it their all.

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Reference:

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management-important/#:~:text=Project%20management%20is%20important%20because%20it
%20ensures%20proper%20expectations%20are,when%2C%20and%20for%20how
%20much.&text=Effective%20project%20managers%20should%20be,stakeholders%2C%20teams
%2C%20and%20management.> [Accessed 26 July 2020].

Eby, K., 2020. Demystifying The 5 Phases Of Project Management. [online] Smartsheet. Available at:
<https://www.smartsheet.com/blog/demystifying-5-phases-project-management#:~:text=Developed
%20by%20the%20Project%20Management,for%20the%20project%20management%20profession.>
[Accessed 22 July 2020].

Flyvbjerg, B., 2020. Bringing Power To Planning Research: One Researcher’S Praxis Story - Bent
Flyvbjerg, 2002. [online] SAGE Journals. Available at:
<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0739456X0202100401> [Accessed 26 July 2020].

nibusinessinfo.co.uk. 2020. Advantages Of Project Management. [online] Available at:

<https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/advantages-project-management> [Accessed 26 July
2020].

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