• 1. Are the triple constraints of this project clear? List each of them with examples from the case. 2. Is the $100 million “smart-grid” electrical system a project, if so what characteristics are identified in the case? 3. Identify the stakeholders established in case 4. What conflicts do you suspect might have occurred between all the different stakeholders in this project? 5. Explain in terms of business value why do you imagine Xcel agreed to invest $100 million in this risky experiment? What might their ancillary goals have been?

Project Management in Practice The Smart-Grid Revolution Starts in Boulder, Colorado Boulder's utility company, Xcel Energy, decided that it was time to create a roadmap for a 3-year, $100 million "smart-grid" electrical system that would span the entire city. There were no standards, bench- marks, or tested procedures for converting a city from a conventional electric-grid system to a fully integrated smart one, though it was known that if customers can monitor the true cost of their energy, they will automatically reduce their usage, by up to 30 percent in some cases. Of course, the smart grid would also allow Xcel to reroute power around bot- tlenecked lines, detect power outages, identify ser- vice risks, cut its use of road crews, read customer meters remotely, reduce outages, and identify false alarms more quickly.