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Report

On

Project Management Simulation:

Scope, Resources, and Schedule

Submitted by:

PMA1Tungabhadra
PM Section A
Sourav Anand( PGP/26/112)
Swathi N P(PGP/26/292)
Pragat Ghanshyam Jhawar(PGP/26/342)
Hitesh Kumar(PGP/26/383)
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Learnings from the Simulation

The simulation serves as a practical application of our project management knowledge within a
real-world context. In this simulation, we take on the role of project managers for Delphia
company's printer launch. Our main task is to make decisions regarding four essential project
aspects: Project Scope, Schedule, Cost, and Team. These parameters are universally significant
in project management. The crux of this simulation lies in finding the optimal equilibrium
among these factors and giving precedence to tasks based on varying scenario priorities.

The primary goal is to enhance our comprehension of how different factors impact these
parameters. Additionally, the simulation evaluates our capabilities by introducing unforeseen
real-world situations, providing a platform to assess our adeptness when working under
pressure or stringent time constraints. Throughout the simulation, we attained an average score
of 695.17 out of 1000 across all six scenarios.
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Scenario A
Objective
The management has tasked us, the Project Manager, with creating a basic wireless printer
that can outperform competitors' offerings. Furthermore, the objective is to achieve this
within a fixed timeframe of 18 weeks and a budget of $50,000. In addition to meeting these
targets, maintaining high team morale is also of great significance.

Strategy Followed

• The initial phase was allocated to plan, design, and assemble a competitive team.
Consequently, the initial 5 weeks were allocated to Primary Tasks. The team's size is kept
relatively small, ranging from 3 to 4 members with a Medium-High skill level.
• All team members have been outsourced to cut down on costs. Within the designated
schedule, one prototype was developed to aid product refinement and to promptly address
any issues. The target completion time has been set at 16 weeks instead of the original 18,
allowing for a buffer to mitigate risks and unexpected process alterations.
• While enabling overtime work, individualized coaching was implemented to ensure optimal
productivity and a positive team spirit. Regular standup meetings and status reports were
made mandatory to closely monitor and manage the project's progress.
• The product's scope is defined as Multifunctional, with a calculated trade-off in costs. This
choice is intended to deliver a product that maximizes its value proposition in comparison to
competitors, offering customers enhanced benefits.
Score and Inferences

Achieving a score of 794/1000, the project finished 2 weeks early due to skilled outsourcing,
incentivized overtime, and prioritizing schedule. Schedule and Scope surpassed targets, and team
morale was pleasing. Costs were managed well, though tradeoff for scope led to anticipated
overruns. Despite surpassing the budget, the product's value and pricing strategies are expected to
ensure recovery and significant profitability post-launch.
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Scenario B
Objective
The management has assigned us, as the Project Manager, the task of creating a superior high-speed
printer compared to competitors. Furthermore, the aim is to achieve this within a set timeframe of 18
weeks and a budget of $42,400. Alongside meeting these goals, maintaining a positive team morale is
also a significant factor.
Strategy Followed
• The initial period was devoted to planning, designing, and assembling a
competitive team, allocating the first 5 weeks to Primary Tasks. Initially, the team
comprised 6 members with Medium-High skill levels, all of whom were
outsourced to economize.
• A single prototype was developed within the project's entire timeline to aid
product evolution and issue identification. The target completion time was
shortened to 17 weeks from 18, creating a buffer against risks and unexpected
process changes.
• Overtime was permitted throughout, coupled with personalized coaching to
optimize productivity and uphold positive team morale. Regular standup
meetings and status reports were essential for monitoring and project control.
The product scope was defined as Multifunctional, striking a balance between
costs and delivering maximum value compared to competitors.
• The unforeseen loss of team members midway, along with a hiring freeze, was
mitigated due to the initial large team size. This unexpected alteration didn't lead
to significant setbacks. Subsequently, the approach was to leverage existing team
members to achieve objectives, avoiding unnecessary task and cost escalation
from new additions
Score and Inferences

Achieving a score of 748/1000, the project concluded 2 weeks ahead of schedule, despite facing a
setback in Week 5. This success can be attributed to a blend of skilled outsourcing, incentivized
overtime, and a secondary focus on costs. Among the 4 factors, Schedule and Scope surpassed targets,
and team morale yielded satisfactory results. However, costs were significantly impacted, as
anticipated due to scope tradeoffs. Despite exceeding the budget, the belief is that post-launch, the
product's high customer value and value-based pricing strategies will not only recover costs but also
generate substantial profits.
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Scenario C
Objective
The objective involved organizing and guiding a team of product designers to create a novel High-
Speed printer for consumers. Management's aim was to achieve this in 12 weeks within a budget of
$44,000. Employee morale, falling within the range of 85-95%, was crucial. Additionally, the team
needed to ready themselves for potential adjustments to meet a revised target time set by management
while ensuring the scope was fulfilled within the updated schedule.

Strategy Followed

• To create a buffer against potential project delays due to management's demand for quicker
completion, the team took a proactive approach by initiating ahead of schedule. They
employed a sizable team of 9 members with medium to high skills.
• Overtime was promoted throughout the project to enhance productivity, while managing the
workload and skills of employees to prevent undue stress. Extensive outsourcing was
adopted for rapid task completion at both project initiation and conclusion stages.
• To ensure task quality and error minimization, the team conducted 5 weekly stand-up
meetings and 1 weekly status review. The final 4 weeks also saw weekly one-on-one
coaching sessions to further decrease errors.
• A decision was made to craft 1 prototype initially to forestall errors during task completion,
later expanded to 2 prototypes.

Score and Inferences-

The project was finished within the designated timeframe, yet the scope remained constrained due to
the trade-off between schedule and scope priorities. Despite completing the project earlier than
planned, the team exceeded the budget stipulated by management. Employees experienced mild
stress and maintained a moderate level of morale throughout the project
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Scenario D
Objective
The objective involved forming and leading a team of product designers to create an innovative
Multifunction printer for consumers. The management's goal was to achieve this within a 12-week
timeframe and a budget of $40,000. Employee morale was a significant consideration, with a
permissible range of 85-95%.

Strategy Followed

• During the initial planning phase in week 1, the team opted for a lean approach with just 2
members to minimize costs due to the project's underfunded nature according to our
analysis. Subsequently, the team maintained a steady workforce of 5-7 members
throughout the project to sustain a consistent project pace.
• To enhance task comprehension and minimize errors, 2 prototypes were created. To
prevent errors, the team conducted weekly one-on-one coaching sessions throughout the
project. Teams were incentivized to work overtime until the 9th week to ensure sustained
productivity.
• To balance their morale and stress, an equilibrium between employee skills, their numbers,
and the task load was maintained. Additionally, a weekly status review meeting and 5
stand-up sessions were held to foster uniform progress and shared understanding among
all employees.

Score and Inferences

The team managed to finish the necessary project before the scheduled time, however, the scope
scores remained unchanged given the project's already advanced quality. Regrettably, the project
couldn't be completed within the budgetary constraints. The team experienced slight stress and
maintained a moderate level of morale throughout the project duration.
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Scenario E
Objective

In this situation, distinct weightings were assigned to scope, schedule, and cost. The majority of
emphasis was placed on the project's scope and resource allocation (cost). The project is required to be
finalized within a 12-week timeframe, with the goal being a multifunctional printer. Therefore,
achieving equilibrium between these aspects is crucial.

Strategy
• In contrast to typical development projects, we initiated with a focus on in-house tasks and
reduced reliance on outsourcing, deeming it a preliminary planning phase. Mainly, we adhered
to a consistent setup to capitalize on retaining the same skill set for tasks, aiming to avert
potential efficiency concerns due to frequent adjustments. This led us to slightly exceed the
budget to manage the task load.
• A conscious decision was made to slightly surpass the budget, strategically aiming to achieve
the objectives of score, schedule, and team morale.
• By the 6th week, with 3 prototypes in place and reduced effective work hours on deliverables,
we contemplated a minor shift in the schedule by a week or two, concurrently yielding cost
savings. Our budget had exceeded by $400 by the 6th week, but by week 10, we successfully
maintained a budget surplus, as illustrated in the above chart.
• Through the encouragement of overtime and provision of individual coaching, we
progressively approached our target, albeit with an anticipated delay of 2 weeks. This approach
boosted employee morale. Staying true to this strategy, we concluded the tasks in a span of 14
weeks.

Scores and Inferences

In this situation, our aim was to minimize costs for optimal scoring, but an unexpected event in the
simulation led to an increase in task volume, pushing the cost beyond our intentions. Additionally, we
adopted a strategy of extending task timelines to meet the budget target, which we nearly
accomplished. However, in making this tradeoff, excessive overwork began to negatively impact the
team's process rating, particularly in terms of morale. In the end, we did succeed in achieving our
objectives in team process and project scope ratings.
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Scenario F

Objective
In this context, the project schedule was allocated with additional time, yet the primary emphasis was
placed on project cost and scope. Furthermore, this scenario incorporated several setbacks within the
simulation to replicate real-world unpredictability factors.

Strategy
• Our central objective was to curtail expenses and remain within budget, while
simultaneously adhering to the project scope. To achieve this, we initiated with a team
possessing medium-high skill levels, concurrently implementing significant
outsourcing. This balance was essential to prevent potential issues arising from
excessive outsourcing, which was mitigated by the skill level of our team members,
thereby maintaining cost-efficiency.
• In the fifth week, during the prototyping phase, we encountered our initial setback.
This led to a slight deviation from the target schedule, prompting us to augment the
workforce. This decision, however, incurred higher expenses, which were strategically
synchronized with the project timeline.
• Additional challenging scenarios emerged, as detailed below. These setbacks
introduced a disparity in the trade-off between project schedule and cost. Although our
focus remained on cost containment, we expanded the team size to address the
increased challenges. This led to a discrepancy in the allocated funds intended for
extra weeks.
• Amid further complications in weeks 11-12, pending tasks accumulated. To mitigate
this, we increased hiring and expanded the team, opting for a trade-off by slightly
reducing skill levels from medium-high to medium to manage costs.
• Though this approach narrowed the gap slightly, the utilization of medium-skilled
employees alongside extensive outsourcing posed task completion problems. This
necessitated a return to medium-high skill levels. By week 15, our cost assessment
indicated a potential budget overrun. To counter this, we enhanced capacity by 60%
for the final two weeks, aiming to expedite completion and align with budget
constraints.
Scores and Inferences:
Having attained a cumulative score of 633 out of 1000, we successfully met the project scope and
predominantly adhered to the schedule rating. Nevertheless, due to unexpected occurrences, cost
suffered. In coping with heightened tasks, we motivated the team for overtime and eliminated
individual coaching to maximize their availability. This decision elevated employee stress levels and
consequently led to a decline in overall team morale.
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Conclusion
• The simulation teaches us how tricky it can be to balance the 3 key aspects: Scope,
Resources and Schedule in a project.
• While these 3 aspects are key in determining efficiency and success of a project, a
fourth aspect i.e., employee or team morale is vital especially in the long-term.
• In our experience with the simulation and real-life scenarios from our experiences, it
is difficult to balance every one of these aspects equally.
• But depending on the company’s objective a trade-off can happen. Like for instance if
budget, albeit fixed by top-management, is not string tight, then a trade-off of budget
to achieve the best results helps in executing a successful project.
• We also came across several challenges and setback during certain scenarios. For
example, members suddenly leaving the team, competition rolling out product
sooner, etc. which sometimes seriously hampers the planned process.
• Anticipating and creating risk mitigation plans while also making the necessary trade-
offs when met with such challenges is a very vital skill in a successful project
manager.
• Since these are situations out of our control, recovering it might create some
setbacks to the planned goals. But one must work smart and dedicate all their
resources and time to get the project back on track.
• Overall, the simulation was showed various scenarios of how a project can work out
and playing it has taught us how successful planning, scoping, designing, risk
mitigating helps not only deliver a successful project but also create a competitive
project manager.
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