Introduction
Project teams often just want to get started working on delivering the project results but good preparation will greatly increase the probability of project success. In this session guidance is provided on preparing the project team and creating the Project Scope Statement – the document that is used to keep everyone focused on the same objectives as the project proceeds.
Objectives
By the end of this session participants will be able to:
- Prepare the project team for successful, productive project activity.
- Create a Project Scope Statement
Establishing the Project Team
In the sessions on Problem Solving we considered the skills and roles that are required for members of a problem-solving team. The same process is appropriate for a project team. You should consider the skills and roles that are needed that are useful for your project and seek to form a team with people who have these. Understanding the skills of the team will help you manage them and to know where expertise from outside the team might be of value. Creating a set of team rules, as you did for problem solving, is also valuable.
When a project team is initially formed there is often a sense of urgency about starting work on the project. People know that time and resources are limited and want to start to see progress on achieving the results. While this diligence is to be welcomed, it can also result in problems. Planning what you are going to do before it is done is needed and the team need to establish relationships with each other that well help them work better together. This is especially needed where members of the team have not met before joining the team. Many teams will organise a meal together or a day or weekend away to allow relationships to form that will benefit the project.
You also need to consider the physical arrangements for the team. If people are working in the same location, a team room, where people can meet and work together and where information about the project can be shared and documents stored is common. Today there are many online tools that will allow online collaboration to take place for the project team and documentation to be stored and shared. Consider using one of these for your project.
Teams also increasingly work together with members in different locations, often in different countries. Online collaboration tools are usually used to enable them to work better together. Distributed teams should also consider how they can get people working well together at the start of the project, either with an initial physical meeting or through an initial meeting online that is solely focussed on getting to know each other.
Creating the Project Scope Statement
Clarity about the objectives of the project and the key elements that it will involve is important for everyone involved. Confusion over the project vision is a common reason for project problems. If the project team members are not agreed on what they are trying to achieve and the project stakeholders do not agree on what the objectives are, arguments and confusion can cause the project to struggle or fail.
The Project Scope Statement is created at the beginning of the project to create clarity. Its creation should involve the project team and key people who have an interest in and influence over the project. Its content will usually include:
- A description of the objectives of the project, including the deliverables that the project is intended to achieve.
- Constraints and boundaries of the project – what are the limitations on the project outcomes and the activities to achieve them.
- The assumptions that have been made that will influence the project. If these prove to be inaccurate then the project plan may need to change.
- A summary of the project costs.
- Major milestones in the project
- Approval requirements – who needs to approve major project decisions?
The Fast Food Restaurant Automated Ordering System
On Day 1 we considered the wilted lettuce problem and this has now been solved. The Fast Food Restaurant now wants to introduce automated ordering, through in restaurant terminals. Their intention is that this will cut costs and improve customer service, by reducing the number of counter staff and enabling fast, queue free ordering by customers.
In recent years, the restaurant has expanded its menu choices, including healthy options and a range of coffee selections. This has increased the complexity of their operations and customers have had to wait longer for their orders. The new system is intended to help with this too.
The new system will mean substantial changes in the organisation of the restaurant. The new machines will be placed near the counter and counter space will be reduced. A screen based visible numbering system will tell people when they should pick up their order. This will require some physical alterations to the restaurant space.
The jobs of employees will also change. The new order taking machines are connected to a scheduling system for the people who are preparing the food. The system will tell them what they should be working on, removing some freedom that they had to determine their work routine before. More disciplined adherence to system instructions is now required. Counter staff who are no longer required will be offered food preparation jobs and retraining.
The new system will need to be set up before it can be used. Prices, order items, cooking times and process routes will be entered. Staff will need to be trained in the new system and it will need to be tested to see that it is working properly. After implementation, a specialist will provide support for the first month on site to ensure things go smoothly. After that, a telephone helpdesk will provide support. Two local members of staff will be trained to undertake basic maintenance tasks on the system, with on call help available for more advanced support.
| Project ID | 007 | Date | 07/24/23 |
| Project Name | The Fast Food Restaurant Automated Ordering System | ||
| Project Objectives | To implement an automated ordering system that will reduce staff costs and increase the speed of accepting customer orders. The project will be implemented within 3 weeks of the project start and will not increase customer complaints received in the restaurant. | ||
| Product Scope Definition
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Three automated terminals will be installed in the restaurant which will each be capable of accepting 120 orders per hour. Introduction of the new system with employees should proceed smoothly with minimal disruption to normal restaurant operations. | ||
| Project Requirements
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The terminals must be reliable with 98% availability to customers. Sales in the restaurant should be maintained at normal levels while the project proceeds. Employees will be fully trained in the new systems and new restaurant systems be introduced at the same time as launch of the automated systems. | ||
| Project Boundaries
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Although this project will increase restaurant food preparation and serving capacity it is not intended to increase restaurant seating capacity. This may be the subject of a subsequent project. | ||
| Project Deliverables | The operational automated ordering system, changes in employee roles, including redeployment of staff where needed and training. Lessons learned from this project will be recorded and retained for use by project teams in other restaurants who are implementing this technology. | ||
| Product Acceptance Criteria | When the project is completed, machines will be operational, use by customers will be at expected levels, staff will be comfortable with their roles and activity and responsibility for managing will have been transferred to the restaurant manager. | ||
| Project Constraints | The restaurant will remain open throughout the project period. It will not close to accommodate project activity and the project plan should take this into account. | ||
| Project Assumptions | It is assumed that the automated ordering system has been designed well and that most customers will find it easy to use. | ||
| Initial Project Organization | The project will be managed by Judith Jacobs. The team members will be Ammar Khan, Tom Brewster, Lingling Hua and Bill Robinson. | ||
| Schedule Milestones | It is expected that the main milestones for this project will be: 1. Complete Planning, 2. Installed System, 3. Employees and Customers Prepared, 4 Initial operations Support Completed, 5. Handover to Restaurant Manager Completed. | ||
| Fund Limitation | This project should not exceed $120,000, including system and equipment costs. Financial decision making power for the project is held by the Regional Manager. The Restaurant Manager can approve expenditure up to $750. | ||
| Approval Requirements | The project scope and the deliverables should be approved and accepted by the Regional Manager and the Restaurant Manager. | ||
Canadian Canoe Company Case Study Exercise
- Review the description of the Connected Canoe project and create a Project Scope Statement for the project, using a flipchart page.
- Post the flipchart on the wall using masking tape and be prepared to discuss it in the class.
Project Leadership 