University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Aeronautical Engineering

Title: Mo Mulundi Projects Consulting (MMPC)

Intranet Project Case Study

Course Name: Systems Management and Integration

Course Code: MECN 4020A

Author: Tinashe Erwin Vhurumuku (687119)

Individual Assignment

Due Date: 03/04/2018

 UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG

SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL, INDUSTRIAL AND

AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

INDIVIDUAL DECLARATION WITH JOINT TASK SUBMITTED FOR ASSESSMENT

I Tinashe Erwin Vhurumuku Student Number: 687119, am registered for Course No. MECN 4020A

I herewith submit the following task, Mo Mulundi Projects Consulting for the partial fulfilment of
the requirements of the above course.

I hereby declare the following:

o I am aware that plagiarism (the use of someone else’s work without their permission and / or
without acknowledging the original source) is wrong;

o I confirm that the work submitted herewith for assessment in the above course is my own
unaided work except where I have explicitly indicated otherwise;

o This task has not been submitted before, either individually or jointly, for any course
requirement, examination or degree at this or any other tertiary educational institution;

o I have followed the required conventions in referencing the thoughts and ideas of others;

o I understand that the University of the Witwatersrand may take disciplinary action against us if
it can be shown that this task is not my own unaided work or that I have failed to acknowledge
the sources of the ideas or words in my writing in this task.

Signature: Date 03 /04/2018

Name: Tinashe Erwin Vhurumuku Student Number:687119
Case Title: Mo Mulundi Projects
SHORT CYCLE PROCESS
Who has the main responsibility of dealing with the issue/problem?
Name: Nandi Murray
Position: Project Manager (Intranet Project) and Head of the Project Management Office at MMPC.

What is the MAIN PROBLEM/ISSUE in this case?

MMPC has a functional website for providing company information and a basic intranet for sharing human resources information.
There is an opportunity to improve the intranet by enabling the sharing of consultancy knowledge within the fame and with clients at
the same time demonstrating the firm’s prowess in project management to its clients. In doing this, the project is running over budget
and overtime.

Why has the problem/issue happened/occurred?

The firm has grown to include more than 200 professional and experienced consultants. The level of complexity that the projects the
consultants have has increased and there is a need to efficiently share knowledge even amongst experienced consultants. This will
increase the efficiency of the firm. To meet the time constraint Nandi and Mo took the approach of spending more money.

When did the problem/issue arise? (date/time) AND by WHEN does it needed to be resolved?
The company’s CEO (Mo Mulundi) and Nandi agreed that the intranet project would benefit the firm before (2 May 2005). The benefits
of the opportunity are expected to be fully realized by 4 November 2005 (6 months). During the project, more information was
required and the effort required for some tasks was underestimated.

LONG CYCLE PROCESS

Immediate Problems/Issues
1. The estimated R100 000 for purchasing software was half the amount required (over budget) and the project is running over time
(beyond 2 November/more than 6 months).

2. Michael Chan (Senior consultant) seemed bored during project meetings and left the room to attend to his high priority clients.

3. Software guru Kevin Desai wanted to write all the software for the “ask the expert” feature whilst his colleague and negotiating
expert Sindi Ndlovu insisted on purchasing part of the software components as it made more business sense.

4. The project team received low survey and request responses from users.

Applicable Theory (refer to the PMBOK and/or INCOSE frameworks)

1. PMBOK – Scope, Cost, Time Management.

2. PMBOK – Human Resource Management.

3. PMBOK – Quality Control and Procurement Management.

4. PMBOK – Risk Management.

B: Case Data Analysis Apply course frameworks and analytical tools
PMBOK-Triangle (Time, Cost and Scope)
1. Time Aspect – The project was running beyond the initial period of 6 months. Initially there was a budget constraint. The CEO
insisted on getting the project done on time. Increasing the funds meant a shortened the critical path therefore improving the
time required to get the tasks done. The project is likely to finish on time, given the addition of funds, insistence of the CEO
and flexibility of resources.

2. Cost - The project is running over the initial budget of R 1 500 000. The under estimation of the software price by 50% and
sacrificing cost for time are the major contributors to the over-budget. The project cost baseline was not properly
implemented. The project cost aspect is below the standard set at the start.

3. Scope – By trying to meet the time requirements, the quality of a product may be affected in this case however, additional
funding meant the quality targets remained intact. Whilst working in her Project Management Office, Nandi could already see
how the project could improve productivity in her department.

Conclusion- Nandi is in control of the project, despite sacrificing cost for time and quality. The benefits of the project are
already showing. The cost increase is accepted by the funder and the visible issues have been dealt with adequately. The
Time, Cost and Scope analysis alone however is not sufficient to predict the success of the project as it does not account for
other factors.

PMBOK – Human Resource Management

1. Planning – The project will require someone who has deep knowledge of consultancy and a lot of experience. The CEO and
the project manager took this into account.
2. Acquisition - Michael Chen is an expert in his field and he is suited for the role given to him in the project
3. Project Team Development – Nandi demonstrated good team building skills by making Chan still feel welcome in team. She
allowed him to spend less time in meetings and yet still be allowed to give valuable contribution. The conflicting priorities
were properly resolved.
4. Team Management- The human resource (Michael Chan) is utilized effectively. Michael Chan made Nandi aware that his high
priority clients will take precedence during the project and they found a solution to this problem.

Conclusion – Nandi is adequately managing the human resources.

PMBOK – Quality Control and Procurement Management.

Quality Control and Procurement Management includes:

1. Plan Purchase and Acquisition

 This process of alternatively purchasing software was not agreed upon at the start by the project team, as Sindi had
to convince Kevin that purchasing made good business sense. Nandi could have made this clear at the very start. This
ended up significantly changing their cost estimates.
2. Select Sellers
 Sindi Ndlovu was tasked with purchasing the software as she is a good negotiator which was a good decision by the
Project Manager. Sindi however failed to find a supplier that would meet their initial cost estimate of R100 000z,
which was a short fall by her.
3. Plan Contracting and Contract Administration
 No contract problems are reported or disputes with suppliers, which is a merit for the project manager.
B: Case Data Analysis (Continued)You may attach ONE(1) extra sheet if your analysis does not fit in this space
PMBOK – Risk Management.
The PMBOK definition of Risk is an uncertain condition or event that if it occurs it can have a positive or negative effect
on the project [1]. The risk procedure involves identifying, analyzing and creating measures to deal with the risk.
The team did not anticipate low survey and user request responses. The unforeseen risk can negatively affect the project
in this case. Nandi did not initially consider the risk but she and the CEO must be commended for creating measures to
deal with it. The CEO persuaded consultants to respond by emphasizing the importance and giving incentives.

Risk Analysis
Risk Register
Risk Possible Cause Risk Impact Level Risk Owner(s) Possible Response
Lack of inputs from They have an obligation Medium Project Manager Talk to the CEOs of the
client representatives to protect their own companies and have
may delay the project companies. transparent
and reduce quality. explanation of how
their input will benefit
them and sign a
confidentiality
agreement.
Security of the new Use of both external Medium IT Guru - Kevin Desai Consult an IT security
system could be and internal software. expert.
compromised.
Project may run out of The approach of High Project Manager and Hire an Accountant or
funding and become spending more money CEO Mo Mulundi. financial advisor.
economically above anything else
unsustainable. may lead to a larger
than anticipated start
up and running costs .
The goal of the project
paying for itself within
a year may not be
realized.

Time Line

C: Alternative ways to address the problem/issue based on your case analysis

1. Time and Cost – The Project manager can hire a financial expert to advice. The benefits of the expert will outweigh the
labour costs and in the end will save the project money. This will reduce the risk of the project not meeting its financial
obligations.

2. Scope vs Requirements – The Project manage can hire a security expert scope so that the final product will be secure. The
requirements can also be adjusted by getting more input from the client representatives that will be implemented into the project
to meet the financial obligations of the project.

3. Human Resource Management – The project manager can further clear an ambiguity of conflicting priorities and responsibilities
amongst team members. For example, Michael Chan can exclusively work on the ask the expert feature and conflicts like those
between Sindi and Kevin can be reduced by clearly stating who has the responsibility to decide on the best approach in dealing with
a technical issue. What makes business sense may not be technically sound with respect to the software.

4. Risk Management – The project manager can assign more resources to critical paths and hire experts as stated in 1.
Exercise 1 (Individual Assignment)
Project Timeline (2 May 2005 to 2 November 2005)
Objectives
1. Increase the growth rate and profitability of MMPC.
2. Reducing internal costs of the business.
3. Demonstrate the Companies prowess in project management to its clients.
4. To enable Consultants and clients to share valuable project management information.

Assumptions
1. The project duration is 6 months.
2. The project will pay for itself within a year of implementation.
3. The intranet site will be an asset to the company.
4. Clients will actively support the intranet site.
5. The manager will play the main part in the initiation process.
6. The software/intranet site will be user friendly.
7. The software/intranet site will be secure.
8. The project will start on 2 May 2005 and end on 2 November.
9. The project will end on 2 November 2005 (6 months after the start)
10. The other members will each contribute at least 60 hrs/week for the project.
11. The project manager will work for 20hr/week for 6 months.
12. The working days will be Monday to Friday from 8am-12pm then 1pm to 5pm (8hr
per day)
The Resource Sheet

Resource Name Brief Role Descriptions

Programme Leader: oversees the project on a

James Manning
strategic level.

Project Manager: in charge of the day-to-day

Thami Zondi
operations of the project.

Head of Technical Office: Responsible for the

Ishan Koli Design and Manufacturing processes of the
Project.

Sindiswa Zulu CAD Designer

Hendrik Swart CAE Analyst

Design Involved in the Mechanical design aspects of the

Technologist Project Including assembly.

Systems Mainly concerned with the flow of information

Technologist and materials during the project.

Software Involved in the software design, installations and

technologist verifications against the given standards.

Procurements Managing Procurements of materials, panel parts

Administrator etc..

Records
Records and keeps up to date the vital documents.
Administrator

General Works closely with the Project manager and offer

Administrator assist where its required
The Resource Usage

Resource Name Work

James Manning 40 hrs

Thami Zondi 496 hrs

Ishan Koli 248 hrs

Sindiswa Zulu 376 hrs

Hendrik Swart 336 hrs

Design Technologist 256 hrs

Systems Technologist 128 hrs

Software technologist 144 hrs

Procurements Administrator 88 hrs

Records Administrator 920 hrs

General Administrator 528 hrs

Work Breakdown Structure of the A3000 Flight Simulator Panels