Develop A Project Schedule Including At Least Two (2) Phases

Develop a project schedule that includes at least two (2) phases and twelve (12) tasks under the Agile delivery framework through the use of MS Project or Excel

Imagine that your company, a home improvement store chain, needs to build an e-Commerce website for your customers and prospects. The key features of your e-Commerce website include product description, product pricing and discount rate, home improvement tutorial videos, order and pickup scheduling, store location and store hours, and other similar features. You have decided to use the Agile Delivery Framework for this project. Write a four to five (4-5) pages paper in which you: Develop a project schedule that includes at least two (2) phases and twelve (12) tasks under the Agile delivery framework through the use of MS Project or Excel. Note: Submit a screenshot or image file that shows your work.

The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length. Determine the product vision and provide strategies for how to conduct the envisioning practice. Determine the main roles of the Agile project team and explain whether the product manager should be from the IT field or non-IT related field. Explain how iteration works in this project. Support your rationale.

Take a position on whether stories are important in the Agile delivery framework and explain why or why not. Include at least two (2) feature-story examples to support your explanation. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format.

Paper For Above instruction

The development of an e-Commerce website for a home improvement store chain represents a strategic initiative rooted in modern Agile project management principles. This approach emphasizes flexibility, continuous feedback, and iterative development cycles, making it well-suited to deliver complex, user-centric features like product descriptions, tutorials, scheduling, and location services effectively. This paper explores the creation of a detailed project schedule within the Agile framework, defining the product vision, outlining team roles, explaining iteration processes, and evaluating the significance of user stories in Agile methodology.

Developing a Project Schedule in Agile Framework

A comprehensive project schedule in Agile typically involves dividing the work into manageable phases or sprints that deliver incremental value. For this project, two primary phases can be identified: Sprint Planning and Execution, and Review and Deployment. Within these phases, diverse tasks are required, such as requirements gathering, design, development, testing, deployment, and review. For example, twelve tasks could include:

  1. Requirement elicitation and user story creation
  2. Design of website architecture and user interface
  3. Development of product description module
  4. Implementation of pricing and discount features
  5. Creation of tutorial video content
  6. Development of order scheduling system
  7. Implementation of store locator and hours feature
  8. Testing of individual modules
  9. Integration of website components
  10. Deployment of the website to staging environment
  11. User acceptance testing
  12. Final deployment and launch

Tools like MS Project or Excel facilitate visualizing these tasks through Gantt charts or task lists. For instance, in MS Project, tasks are organized with dependencies, durations, and resources, allowing project managers to monitor progress dynamically. Incorporating iteration cycles enables continuous refinements based on stakeholder feedback, making the project adaptable to changing needs.

Determining Product Vision and Envisioning Strategies

The product vision is a concise statement describing the purpose and value of the e-Commerce platform, such as "Providing a seamless online experience that empowers customers to access home improvement products and tutorials conveniently." To craft this vision, collaborative envisioning workshops involving stakeholders from marketing, IT, and customer service are conducted to gather diverse insights. Brainstorming sessions and user journey mapping are effective strategies for aligning stakeholders on the platform's goals and features. Additionally, market research helps identify customer needs and competitive advantages, reinforcing the vision alignment.

Main Roles of the Agile Project Team and Product Manager's Background

The Agile project team typically comprises roles such as Product Owner, Scrum Master, Developers, Testers, and UX/UI Designers. The Product Owner (often the product manager) prioritizes the backlog, defines user stories, and ensures that deliverables align with customer needs. Regarding the product manager's background, it is advantageous for the product owner to have a background in IT or software development, ensuring technical understanding and effective communication with the development team. However, a non-IT field, such as marketing or business analysis, can also be effective if supplemented with sufficient technical knowledge or close collaboration with technical experts.

Understanding Iteration in Agile Development

Iterations, or sprints, are time-boxed periods in which specific tasks or user stories are completed and reviewed. In this project, iterative cycles allow the team to develop core functionalities—such as product descriptions or order scheduling—early and refine them based on stakeholder feedback. This approach reduces risk, fosters adaptability, and ensures the evolving product remains aligned with user expectations. Regular sprint reviews and retrospectives enable continuous improvement, making iterations integral to delivering a high-quality platform that adapts to shifting priorities.

The Importance of Stories in the Agile Delivery Framework

User stories are fundamental in Agile because they capture functional requirements from the end-user perspective, fostering a user-centered development process. They facilitate clear communication, prioritize work based on customer value, and guide the development process. Two examples include:

  • "As a customer, I want to view detailed product descriptions so I can make informed purchase decisions."
  • "As a homeowner, I want to schedule pickup times online to save time during shopping."

These stories enable the team to focus on delivering features that matter most to users, ensuring the product aligns with customer needs. Without user stories, project development might lack clarity, leading to inefficient resource allocation and subpar user experience.

Conclusion

Implementing an Agile approach for developing a home improvement e-Commerce website offers significant advantages, including flexibility, stakeholder engagement, and rapid delivery of valuable features. A well-structured project schedule, clear product vision, defined roles, and reliance on user stories are critical components that ensure successful project execution. Emphasizing iterative development allows continuous refinement, resulting in a user-centric platform that meets market demands and enhances customer satisfaction.

References

  • Schwaber, K., & Beedle, M. (2017). Agile Software Development with Scrum (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall.
  • Highsmith, J. (2009). Agile Project Management: Creating Innovative Products. Addison-Wesley.
  • Moore, J. (2013). User Stories and Acceptance Criteria. Agile Alliance. Retrieved from https://www.agilealliance.org/
  • Leffingwell, D. (2018). SAFe 5.0 Reference Guide. Addison-Wesley.
  • Rising, L., & Janoff, N. S. (2000). Pragmatics of User-Centered Design: Involving Users and Organizational Stakeholders. ACM Computing Surveys, 32(1), 1–50.

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