Smartphones for Upper Management

Our company currently provides the executives with internet-enabled smartphones, however, in order to save money we have decided to expand the smartphone program to all employees who currently have a company cell phone and laptop. It should be noted that 100 employees currently have a both a company laptop and cell phone, while 15 have neither and 10 senior managers expect to be the priority recipients of the new smartphones. Granted that the savings are long term, the funding will be approved for the upgrades. Project Scope

The project scope for this particular scenario is to determine the project deadline and how long it will actually take to upgrade the senior managers, 100 employees, and the 15 who have neither a laptop nor smartphone. I’m suggesting that this task be completed within a month due to the fact that there are many who already have both assets and few that need both a laptop and smartphone. Given the complexity of the fourth scenario, we must acknowledge and plan accordingly for the cost associated with the upgrades (to include system), expansion, material costs, labor, training, and maintenance. Stakeholder’s Needs

The stakeholder’s of any company or project may be directly or indirectly affect or be affected by the organization’s actions, objectives and policies. In this case, the needs of the stakeholders will vary depending on the anticipated outcome of each individual who will be receiving the upgrade. This means that a total of 115 employees will be involved, thus making them the primary stakeholders. Another stakeholder in this project will be the company or companies involved in the upgrade and the ones maintaining the project from start to finish. Lastly, another stakeholder is the company that our company will be purchasing all of the upgrade equipment from for the 115 employees. The overall objective of the primary stakeholders is to save the company money in the long term.

WBS Purpose & Limitations
The purpose of the WBS for this scenario and particular project is to provide 115 employees with both smartphone and laptop capabilities which in turn will hopefully save the company money in the long-term. In order to do this, the company has decided to expand the smartphone and laptop program to all of those who currently have both as well 15 additional employees who previously did not have this capability. The purpose of the WBS worksheet was to identify the work that needs to be done, while also identifying the types of resources required to meet the demands of the project at hand. Moreover, we must develop estimates for each one of the work elements associated with the WBS and identify the storage locations. While the WBS worksheet addresses many key areas, who specifically performs the work and when it will be completed will not be

WBS Structure & Org
Throughout the upgrade and implementation of the new smartphones and laptops to the respective parties, the lifecycle of the project will be monitored closely by the senior project manager, myself, and other members of the project team as depicted in the WBS chart. By closely monitoring the lifecyle of the project, we can ensure the project will be completely in the month time frame we discussed earlier in the intro to the scenario. Furthermore, the lifecycle will determine the necessary techniques and funding required for the effort to upgrade the smartphones and assign both technologies to the 15 individuals who previously did not have a smartphone or laptop.

We will need to establish proper tools and resources for the material and system upgrades in which we will have IT professionals who are familiar with programming and technical expertise. Some skills and techniques that are required will be in both communication and proficiency with technological devices and software so that the transition to the new equipment will be a smooth one. Lastly, leadership within the company and amongst one another will allow for a smooth transition because each employee can learn from one another experience and trails throughout the upgrade process. The success of the upgrade project will hinge on the completion of all the milestones throughout the WBS and how well each employee grasps the new technologies.

References

Kerzner, H. (2013). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling,
and controlling. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons.

Project Management Institute. (2013). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK guide). Newtown Square, Pa: Project Management Institute.