IND-ME 713: Project Management

Case Study Assignment 1 Due Date: October 10, 2015 (Saturday, Noon)

INSTRUCTIONS: 1. This assignment counts for 3% of your final grade (as part of participation grade). 2. This is a group assignment. Just as team work is encouraged in understanding and

executing projects, you should form or join a team to work out this assignment. The number of students in a group can be 4 to 6. Group members for this assignment can also be from different lab sections if needed.

3. Please write down the name, student # for each student in the group on the cover page of

the case study report. 4. All submissions should be on D2L Assignment drop box. Hard copy or email

submissions will not be accepted. 5. Each group should submit only one case study report. In case of multiple submissions,

only the latest submission will be kept on D2L.

6. Late submissions (better late than never!) with 20% penalty will be accepted for two more days after the due date. However, to avoid penalty, submit by the due date and don’t try to update your submission after the due date.

5. Good luck!

CASE STUDY

Text book pages 79-88: “From Experience: Linking Projects to Strategy” Each member of the group should read the case study in detail, schedule a meeting or a conference and discuss together to answer the question on page 88, in a report format. The objective of this case study is to develop a harmonious team working skill, goal oriented evaluation & selection skills, and report writing skills.

CASE STUDY REPORT Please don’t just answer the questions. Please prepare a report in 3-pages (maximum) typewritten, one-and-half-spaced, using default margins and 12-point type. In addition to the main body, you can attach an appendix that includes a list of references, and any details of the calculations, figures, tables, etc. The appendix itself should not exceed 2 pages. Your report should start with an executive summary (maximum 0.5 pages), which summarizes your report in short. The main body of the report should present a detailed discussion based on the provided questions and your analysis of the quantitative questions. Clearly state your assumptions. Be selective. Do not restate case facts. Summary tables in the text are encouraged for quantitative information. The details of the calculation can be put in the appendix, but any result that is important for answering questions or providing managerial insights should be referenced in the text. You may use figures to visually represent information contained in the text. Make sure tables and figures are referenced in the text. General Guidelines An ideal case study report should be composed of four sections: (a) executive summary, (b) problem analysis, (c) detailed recommendations, and (d) limitations. Executive Summary

State the goals and major issues. If you do not intend to address all of the major problems in your recommendations, then indicate which one(s) you do intend to address. Use caution in your selection. Do not choose a minor problem with an obvious solution. Next, summarize your recommendations. Indicate the results you expect. This section of the report should take from one to two paragraphs. Analysis and Selection criteria

Provide any analysis necessary to support your statement of the problems. Indicate the significance or importance of the problems through discussion of their magnitude, urgency,

difficulty, and/or possible consequences of a delay in addressing them. Discuss causal relationships whenever possible. You may include a discussion of secondary problems, as well. Indicate why you think these are secondary. Recommendations

Give the details of your recommendations. Take a stand for action. Do not merely suggest "more study" or "call in a consultant." Direct your recommendations to eliminating the underlying causes, not merely minimizing or eliminating the symptoms. Indicate precisely how these will help to alleviate the problem. Provide supporting analysis. Include the most significant and relevant facts, assumptions and principles. Include computational support where appropriate. You may want to discuss major alternatives that you rejected with a brief explanation of your reasons for rejecting them. Discuss the results you expect in greater detail, give support, and indicate when you anticipate the realization of the benefits. Be realistic. Identify major costs necessary for implementation. (This should be the primary section.) Limitations

Discuss limitations of your analysis or recommendations. These might include assumptions you made but do not feel comfortable with, or impediments to success that may prove more difficult than you expect. Discuss potential disadvantages of your recommendations.