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Project Planning Group Assignment BPP2113

This document outlines a group assignment for a Project Planning and Control course. It consists of two parts. For Part A, students must work in groups to analyze three potential new car project options for an automobile company in Oman and recommend the best option based on the Oman market. They must also recommend whether to use net present value or return on investment for project selection and explain their choice. For Part B, students must discuss whether a telecommunications company made the right decision to postpone adopting Microsoft Project software for project management and explain the implications. They must also analyze the effectiveness of using earned value analysis to assess project progress. Each group must then develop a PowerPoint presentation on the topics and will be graded individually based on presentation

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Mahnoor Rehman
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
29 views3 pages

Project Planning Group Assignment BPP2113

This document outlines a group assignment for a Project Planning and Control course. It consists of two parts. For Part A, students must work in groups to analyze three potential new car project options for an automobile company in Oman and recommend the best option based on the Oman market. They must also recommend whether to use net present value or return on investment for project selection and explain their choice. For Part B, students must discuss whether a telecommunications company made the right decision to postpone adopting Microsoft Project software for project management and explain the implications. They must also analyze the effectiveness of using earned value analysis to assess project progress. Each group must then develop a PowerPoint presentation on the topics and will be graded individually based on presentation

Uploaded by

Mahnoor Rehman
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Department of Business and Accounting

COURSE: Project Planning and Control


COURSE CODE: BPP2113 DOC
SEMESTER: 1 (2020-21) MARKS:
TOPIC:
TYPE OF ASSESSMENT: Group Assignment /40
ASSESSMENT NO: 3
TIME / DEADLINE: December 16, 2020
STUDENT NAME STUDENT ID Pres. Marks (20) Total (60)

FEEDBACK (If Any):

LECTURER NAME: KHURAM SHAHZAD SIGNATURE:

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1. Following guidelines should be followed related to formatting of this assignment.


Font Style: Times New Roman
Font Size: 12
Line and Paragraph Spacing: 1.5
Margin: 1” (Top & Bottom), 1.17 (Left & Right)
References: APA Referencing
2. Penalty for late submission: 5% deduction from total marks for each day after due date.
3. Cover page and declaration of original work form must be attached (scanned copy).
4. Online submission on Turnitin stays mandatory, in accordance with policy of MC.
Assessment Type: GROUP ASSIGNMENT

Assignment Requirements:

The assignment consists of two parts. Students will work in groups for this assignment, consisting
of 3-5 members in each. Every group will collect the required information, brainstorm with team
members and compile a report in line with the given formatting guidelines.

PART A
Assume that an automobile company based in Muscat is planning to produce and launch a new car in
Oman. For this purpose, the top management of the company is considering following three options but
one will be selected out of these to undertake a new project.
1. A Sports car
2. An Environment friendly car
3. A Fuel efficient family car

Question1: Based on the market dynamics of Oman, which ONE of the above projects should be
selected? Explain your choice with reasoning in minimum 300 words. [10 Marks]
Question 2: In order to foresee the viability of the projects, which technique should be used here for
project selection; Net Present Value or Return on Investment? Explain the selected technique in support
of your answer in minimum 300 words. (Reference Chapter 2) [10 Marks]

PART B
A telecommunication company was undertaking several new projects in the country. For planning
and managing the database of all projects, company was relying heavily on Excel spreadsheets. Due
to the growing number of large scale projects, the use of Excel was not meeting the requirements
and the pace of work. Earlier they were comfortable in using traditional methods of planning and
maintaining the data of telecommunication projects in spreadsheets and were not expecting that the
company would win several new projects. With more projects in pipeline, developing timelines,
resource calendars, keeping a record of completed work, maintaining suppliers’ data and other
planning stuff was getting difficult particular for large scale projects.
Eventually the administration of this telecommunication company decided to use Microsoft Project
to meet the complex and increased requirements of new projects. After the decision, the biggest
constraints identified were the cost of purchasing the license of this software, tight deadlines of
ongoing projects and time required to train the employees on this new software. The administration
hesitated in finalizing a decision due to these constraints and therefore continued to work on Excel
spreadsheets by postponing the decision to incorporate Microsoft Project. Beside this, the company
in several projects was using Earned Value Analysis to collect information about the progress of
ongoing projects in terms of schedule and cost.

Question 1: Do you agree with the decision of company’s administration to postpone the use of
Microsoft Project at that crucial time? Explain the implications of this decision according to your
viewpoint in minimum 300 words. [10 Marks]
Question 2: Elaborate the effectiveness of using Earned Value Analysis to assess the progress of
ongoing projects in minimum 300 words. [10 Marks]

Note: Be original in stating your concepts explicitly and reflect subject knowledge in your answers.

Course Code: BPP2113 Page 2 of 3


Assessment Type: GROUP ASSIGNMENT

Assessment of presentation:
Each group is required to develop a presentation on MS Power Point. Individual assessment based
on online presentation will be done according to the following criteria.

Clarity of concept and understanding (5 Marks)


Knowledge of material in slides (5 Marks)
Delivery of the presentation (5 Marks)
Questions & Answers (5 Marks)

Individual Marks for Presentation: 20 Marks

Total: 60 Marks

Course Code: BPP2113 Page 3 of 3

Common questions

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Extended reliance on traditional techniques such as spreadsheets can lead to inefficiencies and limited visibility into project status. As markets evolve, faster decision-making and adaptability are crucial, which traditional methods may not support effectively. The capacity for error increases with manual data handling, potentially leading to resource misallocations. Additionally, lack of real-time data access can impede responsiveness to market changes, impacting competitive edge and strategic agility .

Net Present Value (NPV) is advantageous over Return on Investment (ROI) in this context as it accounts for the time value of money, providing a more accurate reflection of a project's profitability over time. NPV considers cash flow throughout the project's life, allowing the company to understand future return potentials in present-day values. This is particularly useful for long-term projects like car production, where initial investments are high and returns are realized over several years. ROI, while simpler, does not consider the time value of money, which may lead to less informed decision-making .

The company should consider selecting the environment-friendly car due to Oman’s growing emphasis on sustainability and environmental protection. Oman’s market dynamics are shifting towards eco-friendly solutions, supported by government initiatives aimed at reducing carbon footprints. Additionally, as consumers become more environmentally conscious, demand for sustainable transportation options will likely increase. Choosing an environment-friendly car can enhance the company's brand reputation and align with local and global trends in sustainable development, potentially capturing a significant portion of the market .

Earned Value Analysis (EVA) enhances project management by providing a quantifiable measure of project performance against the planned schedule and budget. It merges costs and schedules to give a clear picture of how the project is progressing in real terms, allowing managers to identify variances and forecast future trends. EVA facilitates proactive decision-making by highlighting areas of concern early on, thus assisting in resource adjustments and ensuring better adherence to deadlines and budget constraints .

Key considerations should include the software's ability to handle increased project volume, enhance real-time data visibility, and improve resource allocation. The company should evaluate if the software supports long-term objectives such as scalability and integration with current systems. Additionally, assessing training requirements, potential disruption during transition, and cost-benefit analysis can guide whether the short-term investment will yield significant productivity gains and competitive advantage in the longer term .

A company should prioritize features like real-time collaboration tools, robust scheduling capabilities, advanced reporting and analytics, and integration with existing corporate systems. Additionally, ease of use, scalability, and customization options are important to adapt the tool to specific project needs. Access to a comprehensive support network and training resources can facilitate smoother adoption and maximize tool utilization for successful project execution .

Relying on Excel can hinder scalability due to its limitations in handling large, complex datasets and lack of advanced project management features, such as real-time data sharing and automated scheduling. As project volume increases, maintaining up-to-date records relies on manual input, which is prone to errors and can lead to inefficiencies. These challenges can slow down project delivery and impact overall organizational responsiveness and competitiveness .

Beyond immediate cost and training concerns, companies should consider the software's alignment with long-term strategic objectives, scalability, integration with existing systems, and potential to enhance collaboration and data accuracy. Evaluating competitor practices can also inform the decision by benchmarking efficiency gains achievable through such technologies. Companies should assess whether the technology can future-proof operations against evolving industry standards and enable better risk management and efficiency improvements .

The hesitation stems from constraints such as high costs of licenses, tight project deadlines, and time required to train employees. These challenges may cause short-term disruptions impacting project timelines and budgets. Long-term impacts include continued inefficiency due to scalability issues with Excel, potential data inaccuracies, and lack of real-time collaboration features that Microsoft Project could offer. Over time, maintaining older systems might become costlier and impact competitive advantage, as they fail to support strategic project management effectively .

Implementing Microsoft Project can alleviate issues such as data mismanagement and inefficient scheduling. It offers centralized data management, real-time updates, and collaborative tools that enhance communication among team members. Automated scheduling and resource allocation reduce errors and improve project tracking. Moreover, its robust reporting features facilitate better oversight and strategic decision-making, leading to improved project outcomes and increased efficiency .

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