Topic: Project Managing the Relocation of JOS Company
Please do not copy the essay from the book, other essay or internet.
Essay requirement
Distinct – An excellent work exhibits a high level of analysis and outstanding cogency and clarity in communication and reflection. The supporting report should be exceptionally well-substantiated in its analysis, reasoning, and conclusions within each area.
In addition, at the advanced level the student will demonstrate an exceptional ability to synthesise innovative perspectives of the topic with work from other parts of the discipline.
Assessment Title: Project Managing the Relocation of JOS Company.
First carefully read the case study shown below before attempting the assessment questions, you may refer to this information in your assessment.
Jardine OneSolution (JOS) is the leading provider of integrated IT solutions in Asia.
JOS Shanghai branch was founded in 1994, and it trades using web based sales techniques, which it introduced during its second year of trading. JOS (Shanghai) started out as a traditional IT service provider, however the business model has evolved significantly during recent years and it now trades over the internet more than 50%.
Since the inception of the business there has been rapid growth in this sector, which snowballed from 2003 when the business concentrated upon web based selling using an automated ordering and administration system. In the last three to four years the sales have increased from RMB75M to RMB180M in 2010, the staffing levels have increased to over 235. Profit before tax in 2010 was RMB6.2M.
With this sustained growth it is clear the existing premises will be unable to operate at their current efficient manner within three years, and therefore it is imperative that the business moves into a larger premise as soon as possible.
JOS(SH) work sectors:
The existing office space is open plan with head height partitions between each working section, managers have their own offices and there is a separate meeting room. The business is run with two 7½ hour shifts.
After sales service desks 30 workers each with a workstation
Accounts and financial control 26 workers each with a workstation.
Ordering and goods inward 50 workers each with workstation.
Technical staffs, consultants, website and MIS 16 workers each with a workstation.
Administration 16 workers each with a workstation.
Warehousing packaging and dispatch 100 workers with access to a workstation
Project Managers 6 each with an office and workstation
Senior managers 4 each with an office and workstation
The Proposal
The existing growth rate of the business dictates that the present arrangement will be at full capacity within the next trading year, therefore the opportunity exists to move the business from the existing small premises to a new ‘off the shelf’ 2400m2 building shell to be constructed on a brown field site, which is advantaged by an industrial development grant equal to the cost of the land. The package provided by the commercial property developer is to construct a ‘standard range’ basic building without any sub-divisions or services installed inside the building. No external infrastructure is included in the contract.
The developer is contracted to manage the building construction process, but will provide progress reports to the project manager. All other project work will be planned, controlled and monitored by the project team including the relocation from the old building into the new building. All of the project team is newly appointed, including the project manager who will have the authority to appoint members of the new project team, some of whom will be recruited from the existing JOS(SH)’s technical workforce.
SPONSORS BRIEF TO THE PROJECT MANAGER
The project is to organise and plan the relocation of the business into a new building. The scope of the project is to; MONITOR the construction of the new building, organise and manage fitting out the new building including the provision of office space, computer workstations, computer network and MIS. The project also includes the external environment which surrounds the building; such as landscaping and an access roadway.
The business is growing rapidly and the project team should design in an annual business growth rate of 5%.
Organise the move into the new building and commissioning the new operations centre, then providing support over a four months post occupancy period. The occupancy date is reasonably flexible but should be no later than October 2012. The requirement is to produce a new building and its new service operation which will fit the image of a modern hi-tech business with a flawless sales operation. One essential requirement is a limit on the total downtime which must not to exceed four days.
Funding for the project management TEAM is limited to RMB 5,500,000 which must also include the cost of any consultants and other necessary planning resources (hard and soft systems). The project team may seek at no cost the secondment from BAB’s in-house specialists for some specialist’s aspects of the work. Three directors are allocated to project governance which is based upon a two week reporting cycle.
The project team are also required to produce a cost estimate for the project to include a contingency sum, plus all of the relocation costs.
Questions to be attempted by students for modules
PRODUCE A BUSINESS REPORT BASED UPON THE QUESTIONS SHOWN BELOW, YOU MUST WHEREVER POSSIBLE USE PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGIES IN YOUR ANSWER:
1. DEFINE THE BUSINESS RELOCATION PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND WRITE THE PROJECT SCOPE STATEMENT WHICH SHOULD INCLUDE PROJECT SUCCESS STANDARDS.
2. APPOINT THE STAKEHOLDERS OF THE PROJECT. THE RESPONSIBILITIES SHOULD BE INTRODUCED.
3. PRODUCE A PROJECT PLAN TO COVER THE PROJECT, WHICH INCLUDE TIME MANAGEMENT AND COST MANAGEMENT.
4. GENERATE THE DOCUMENTS FROM SOFTWARE PACKAGE (Microsoft Project):
? A CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES.
? AN ACTIVITIES LIST SHOWING RESOURCE(S) REQUIRED AND DEPENDENCIES.
? A RESOURCES LIST SHOWING THE RESPECTIVE ACTIVITIES WHERE THEY WILL BE UTILIZED.
? A GANTT DIAGRAM OF THE PROJECT.
? A PERT DIAGRAM OF THE PROJECT.
? IDENTIFY THE CRITICAL PATH IN THE PROJECT AND ALSO STATE ITS LENGTH.
This is a 2000 word assessment (excluding diagrams in the appendices); each of the four questions is weighted at 20%, with 20% allocated for the use of project management tools, and the structure of the submitted work.
Learning Outcome
1. DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES INCLUDING HOW TO DEFINE THE PROJECT
2. EVALUATE THE STRATEGIES, AND UNDERSTAND THE CONSTRAINTS NECESSARY WHEN DESIGNING THE PROJECT PROCESS
3. BE ABLE TO DEPLOY THE NECESSARY TECHNIQUES, AND USE OBJECTIVE DECISION MAKING TO DELIVER THE PROJECT WITHIN THE PRE-DEFINED RESOURCE BASE
Administrative Note: the project data should ONLY be used to hold the project plan and similar documents which will usually be in the form of flowcharts, tables and Gantt charts. Please note the marking of this assignment is based upon your planning ability, hence precise accuracy in budgeting is not expected.
use the Gantt chart
Appendix:
Project Data
ESTIMATED Project Timescales
Activity Time
Monitoring the construction of the new building shell over the period of – (no evaluation need be undertaken of the construction process, only monitoring and reporting).
7 to 9 months
Internal fitting out of the building shell. Including the partition walls and toilets to both the warehouse, and offices 4 to 8 months
Services – includes telecommunications, power, water and drainage to inside of the building (external already in place). 3 to 4 months
Computerised network covering the sales order processing and purchase order processing system, work stations, stock monitoring, fetch and dispatch system 2 to 4 months.
External works 3 to 5 months
Commissioning systems, pre-occupancy 6 to 8 weeks
Note: if any time scales and costs are not shown, you may use your own values. The building is basically a box (shell) which will house the warehouse, and administrative offices, therefore the cost will relate to a warehouse with an upgraded part of the building which will be used as the office space. Also within the warehouse there is a requirement to provide a small operational office which will be used by the warehouse manager and workers.
Use the information shown below or if you wish, provide your own unit rates and values.
Costs for Estimate
Element Unit rate
Basic Building RMB 4,890/m2
External works (roads, access for HGV and soft landscaping) RMB 900/m2
Fitting out the offices, an all in price to include floors, ceilings, decoration, partition walls(costs as part of the floor area)
RMB 3,250/m2
Services to offices RMB 550/m2
Services to warehouse RMB 200/m2
Computer networking, cost per workstation RMB 4,550
Warehouse network connections RMB 3,000
Computerised order and fetch system RMB 750,000
Office toilets (10 units male 10 units female) cost includes constructional elements. Cost per unit inclusive of disabled facilities.
RMB 35,000
Warehouse toilets (15 units male, 15 units female) cost includes construction elements per unit inclusive of disabled facilities
RMB 25,000
Other necessary information
Space Use/Description Single Unit of Floor Workspace, m2 Unit Rate (RMB)
After sales service desks -workstations 6 29,000
Accounts workers; workstations; 6 29,000
Ordering and goods in – workstations 6 29,000
Technical staff; workstations 6 29,000
Administration staff and workstations 6 29,000
Six Managers each with their own office. 25 40,000
Four Senior managers each with their own office. 36 100,000
Meeting room 40 50,000
Warehouse offices in total 25 40,000
Internal Circulation Space – percentage of office floor area 25%
External circulation roads and landscaping. 250m2 900/m2
