Now That You Understand The Full Project Lifecycle And How

Now That You Understand The Full Project Lifecycle And How All The Pie

Now that you understand the full project lifecycle and how all the pieces fit together, go back and prepare to present your project plan by slide presentation. Portions of the deliverables will be completed by the group; others will be completed by the individuals—see the table following. It must have a consistent look and feel, and there should not be any redundancies, contradictions, or gaps. The document and presentation must flow as if one project manager created all of it. Create a slide presentation with speaker notes that will provide a comprehensive summary of the project plan (20–30 slides with speaker notes).

It will be presented to the project sponsor and other members of senior management and should be organized as follows:

Project Section

• Project Plan Overview: Provide an introduction to the project. Develop the project charter and identify the project sponsor and customer. Describe how the project will be measured for success. Describe the components of the project plan, how it will be used throughout the project, and its benefit to the sponsor. (Entire group)
• Project Scope: Describe the scope of the project—the major deliverables as well as the items that are not part of the scope. Be sure to address the full scope, not just the area addressed in the earlier activity. Describe how scope will be approved and how changes to the scope will be documented, reviewed, and approved. (Individual contribution)
• Project Leadership and Communications: Identify the sponsor, stakeholders, and key customers involved in the project. Describe any special considerations for staffing the project. Based on the structure of the organization, describe how staffing changes will be identified, escalated, and resolved. Illustrate the communication structure—escalation, reviews, approval, and information. Be sure to address all the audiences, not just the ones identified in the earlier activity. (Individual contribution)
• Project Schedule: Use a work breakdown structure or similar tool to explain the major activities to be completed as part of the project. Describe the major milestones for the project, associated deliverables, estimated effort, and involved personnel. For two milestones, detail the activities needed to achieve them. Address dependencies, duration, and resource effort. Describe how schedule changes will be managed. (Individual contribution)
• Project Budget: Describe the budgeting process, components, and items with associated costs. Explain how costs will be estimated and how budget changes will be escalated and resolved. (Individual contribution)
• Project Risks: Identify possible high-probability, high-impact risks. Suggest mitigation actions for each and explain how the risk management plan updates will be reviewed and approved. (Individual contribution)
• Project Metrics: Describe metrics for schedule, budget, utilization, and status, including frequency of data collection and analysis, and how these will be communicated. (Individual contribution)
• Potential Barriers to Success: Outline factors that may hinder project success, such as change management issues, attitudes, cultural differences, priorities, etc. (Individual contribution)
• Actions for Success: Recommend measures to address and mitigate the barriers identified. (Individual contribution)

Note: Each group member should select one barrier category and develop the corresponding barriers and actions sections, e.g., logistical barriers, communication barriers, scope and complexity, leadership and staffing, priorities and goals, cultural barriers.

Do we have a common project? I am thinking that maybe we need a common project to write about. Perhaps we can use the detail from Winsome Mfg.

Paper For Above instruction

In this paper, I will outline a comprehensive project plan based on the full lifecycle of project management, illustrating how each component interconnects and contributes to overall project success. For specificity and practical illustration, I will reference Winsome Manufacturing (Winsome Mfg.) as the hypothetical project case, facilitating a structured and realistic approach to each project section.

Introduction and Project Overview

The project at Winsome Mfg. entails implementing a new manufacturing process to increase productivity and reduce waste, aligning with strategic business objectives. The project charter establishes the scope, objectives, and critical success factors, with the project sponsor being the Operations Vice President and stakeholders including production managers, quality assurance teams, and suppliers. Success measurement involves reductions in waste levels, process efficiency metrics, and stakeholder satisfaction. The project plan encompasses scope, schedule, budget, risks, and communication strategies—serving as a roadmap to ensure alignment, resource allocation, and performance tracking throughout project execution.

Project Scope

The scope includes the design and installation of new equipment, staff training, process testing, and the transition to continuous production. Out-of-scope items are unrelated IT upgrades and administrative process changes. Scope approval involves formal review sessions with the sponsor and stakeholders, with documentation procedures in place. Change control processes ensure that scope adjustments are thoroughly evaluated, documented, and approved, preventing scope creep and ensuring project clarity.

Leadership and Communication

The project sponsor, Operations Vice President, will provide executive oversight, while a project manager leads day-to-day activities. Key stakeholders include production teams, engineering, and suppliers. Staffing considerations include cross-training staff and ensuring technical support availability. Communication will follow a structured flow with regular status meetings, escalation protocols for issues, and stakeholder updates—all documented via project management software and communication logs.

Schedule Planning

The work breakdown structure (WBS) delineates phases such as design, procurement, installation, testing, and go-live. Major milestones include completion of equipment installation, successful testing, and beginning full production. Activities for two milestones—installation and testing—include subcontractor coordination, validation procedures, and quality checks. Dependencies involve procurement lead times and testing durations. Schedule changes will be managed through structured review sessions, with adjustments documented and escalated as necessary.

Budgeting

The budgeting process incorporates cost estimates for equipment, labor, training, and contingency funds. Costs are derived from vendor quotes, labor rates, and historical data. Budget control occurs via regular financial reviews, with variance analysis to identify deviations. Escalated budget issues are reviewed by the project steering committee, ensuring corrective actions are implemented promptly.

Risk Management

High-probability risks include supplier delays, equipment failures, and unforeseen technical challenges. Mitigation strategies involve early procurement, maintaining contingency inventories, and engaging technical experts early. The risk management plan is reviewed periodically; significant changes are documented in risk registers, which are approved by project stakeholders to keep proactive risk oversight in place.

Project Metrics

Metrics tracked include schedule adherence (percentage of milestones achieved), budget variance (cost deviations), resource utilization rates, and project status progress. Data collection occurs weekly, with dashboards and reports communicating progress to stakeholders. Analysis guides decision-making, corrective actions, and project adjustments to stay aligned with targets.

Potential Barriers to Success

Potential barriers include resistance to change among staff, insufficient training, unclear communication, and cultural differences in multinational teams. These hurdles may delay the project or diminish outcome quality, requiring proactive management strategies.

Actions for Success

Addressing resistance involves stakeholder engagement and communication; enhancing training programs builds capacity; establishing clear communication channels ensures transparency; and fostering a collaborative culture mitigates cultural barriers. Regular feedback loops and leadership support are crucial for overcoming these barriers and ensuring project success.

Conclusion

Applying comprehensive project management principles to the Winsome Mfg. case illustrates how detailed planning across scope, schedule, budget, risks, and communication fosters project success. Anticipating barriers and implementing targeted actions are critical for maintaining momentum and achieving strategic objectives. This structured approach ensures cohesive execution, stakeholder alignment, and measurable outcomes, exemplifying the importance of a holistic project lifecycle understanding.

References

• Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. Wiley.
• PMI. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), Sixth Edition. Project Management Institute.
• Meredith, J. R., & Mantel, S. J. (2017). Project Management: A Managerial Approach. Wiley.
• Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information Technology Project Management. Cengage Learning.
• Leach, L. P. (1999). Critical Chain Project Management. Artech House.
• Heldman, K. (2018). PMP: Project Management Professional Exam Study Guide. Wiley.
• Standish Group. (2019). CHAOS Report. Retrieved from https://www.standishgroup.com
• Williams, T. M. (2017). Modeling Project Management: Essential Methods and Techniques. Wiley.
• Gray, C. F., & Larson, E. W. (2017). Project Management: The Managerial Process. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Cooke-Davies, T. (2004). The “real” success factors on projects. International Journal of Project Management, 22(3), 179-183.