Description

Your final project for the course consists of two parts: a mastery assignment and a mastery presentation, both due in Unit 6. In the first part, you will complete a free Project Management simulation created by MIT. In the second part, you will prepare a narrated video presentation about your experience with the simulation. The simulation is worth 150 points, and the presentation is worth 150 points.

Final Project, Part 1: MIT Project Management Simulation (130 pts) For the first part of your final project, you are required to complete a Project management Simulation. The simulation is created by MIT and can be accessed here. Make sure you select Play as an Individual, create your username, and then select the Software project option.

Before you begin, please read the background information and review the sections you are responsible for the entire project. You need to make several key decisions for each round of the simulation:

Project schedule: How long will each phase last? When will high-level design (Phase A) end and when will detail design (Phase B) begin? You can set the target completion date to be the project deadline youve been given, or earlier, to provide a margin against contingencies. You also have the option of starting detailed design before the high-level design phase is completed. Overlapping these phases is known as concurrent engineering. The goal of concurrent engineering is to reduce the time required to complete the project by overlapping some tasks that are typically done sequentially. For example, in a project like yours, some detailed design work, such as designing back-end data management or aspects of the user interface, might be done before the full set of functional specifications for the product is finalized. Your schedule decisions will determine your target completion date.

Desired workforce: You will set the staffing level for each phase. You can change your staffing levels at any time, but of course it takes time to find, hire, and train qualified people. Your decisions affect how fast work can be completed and have a significant impact on your costs.

Pressure for progress and quality: As the project proceeds, you have the option to put pressure on your staff for faster progress. You can also put pressure on your staff to pay more attention to quality than normal. Your staff may respond to this pressure by working faster and more effectively and increasing work hours.

Additional features: The technology and market are constantly evolving. Your companys R&D and marketing groups may propose adding new features to the scope of the project to remain competitive. These changes may arise from changes in the technology or the needs of prospective customers. You decide if, when, and how many of the proposed new features to add to the project scope. Adding features increases the time required and cost of the project, and your boss may extend your deadline and increase your budget accordingly if you add new features to the project scope. Failing to add features may reduce the competitiveness of the product in the marketplace and harm its commercial success.

Scope reduction: You can also decide to reduce project scope by eliminating some features. Doing so may reduce customer satisfaction and the success of the product in the market but might cut costs and save enough time to be worthwhile. Launching the product before the competition is important, and some features can be added later via upgrades or in the next generation. You decide if, when, and how much to reduce scope.

Work acceleration: If you fall behind schedule, you can authorize your staff to do more work concurrently than specified in the original project plan. Doing more work in parallel within each phase can save time but might lead to additional rework later. You can decide how much to increase concurrency and speed up progress at any time.

When the project starts, you will see the decisions you can make under Manage Your Project on the left side of the screen. The Planning tab in the upper right will help you make decisions about the project schedule and staffing, including the start and end times for each phase and the staffing levels needed to complete the work on time, given the project scope and estimated worker productivity. You will also see a Cost and Budget tab to help you monitor your cost performance. Refer back to these tabs throughout your project to decide whether you should: (1) Change the schedule or staffing levels; (2) Apply pressure for faster progress and higher quality work; (3) Make changes to the projects scope; and, (4) Accelerate work by increasing the degree of concurrency within each phase. The Dashboard provides an overview of your project. Click on the Reports tabs, or on any graph in the dashboard, to access more detailed data on project scope and progress, human resources, and your financials.

Finally, be sure to check your email. Members of the simulated team, including people from the marketing, human resources, and quality assurance departments will be sending you important updates and making recommendations throughout the game. You may also receive emails from your boss. Click on the symbols throughout the sim for information explaining each item.

You can advance week by week, several weeks at a time, or all the way to the end of the project. After each game, you should examine the results, formulate a new strategy, and then restart to see if you can make smarter decisions for a better outcome.

Document that you have completed the simulation by capturing a screen shot of your results and data points.

Requirements:

Submit a Word document containing a screenshot of your results and data points from the completed simulation.

APA formatting is not required.

Consult the Technical Assignment Grading Rubric to ensure you are meeting the assignments criteria, as it will be used along with the objectives listed above to assess your work.