MGT4104ProjectManagementFundamentals

Assessment 1 (20%)

Readthefollowingcasestudyandanswerthequestionsinthespacesfollowingthequestionsbelow.

Thefollowingtextisthesameaswhatwasdistributedearlier. Disney'sExpeditionEverest OneofthenewestthrillridestoopenintheWaltDisneyWorldResortmayjustbethemostimpressive. AsDisneyapproachedits50thanniversary,thecompanywantedtocelebrateinatrulyspecialway. Whatwasitsidea?CreateaparkattractionthatwouldinmanywaysserveasthelinkbetweenDisney's amazingpastanditspromisingfuture.Disneyshowedthatitwasreadytopulloutallstopsinorderto geteverythingjustright. In2006,TheWaltDisneyCompanyintroducedExpeditionEverestinDisney'sAnimalKingdomParkat LakeBuenaVista,Florida.ExpeditionEverestismorethanjustarollercoaster.Itistheembodimentof theDisneyspirit:aridethatcombinesDisney'strademarkthrills,unexpectedtwistsandturns,incredible attentiontodetail,andimpressiveprojectmanagementskills. First,let'sconsidersomeofthetechnicaldetailsofExpeditionEverest: Withapeakofjustunder200feet,therideiscontainedwithinthetallestof18mountainscreatedby Disney'sImagineersatDisneyparksworldwide. Theridecontainsnearlyamileoftrack,withtwists,tightturns,andsuddendrops. TheDisneyteamcreatedaYeti:anenormous,furcovered,AudioAnimatronicsmonsterpoweredbya setofhydrauliccylinderswhosecombinedthrustequalsthatofaBoeing747airliner.Throughaseries ofsketches,computeranimateddrawings,sculptures,andteststhattookmorethantwoyearsto perfect,DisneycreatedandprogrammeditsAbominableSnowmantostandover10feettallandserve asthefocalpointoftheride. Morethan900bambooplants,10speciesoftrees,and110speciesofshrubswereplantedtorecreate thefeelingoftheHimalayanlowlandssurroundingMountEverest. Morethan1,800tonsofsteelwereusedtoconstructthemountain.Thecoveringoftheframeworkwas doneusingmorethan3,000prefabricatedchipscreatedfrom25,000individualcomputermolded piecesofsteel. Tocreatethepropercolorschemes,2,000gallonsofstainandpaintwereusedonrockworkand throughoutthevillageDisneydesignedtoserveasabackdropfortheride. Morethan2,000handcrafteditemsfromAsiaareusedasprops,cabinetry,andarchitectural ornamentation. BuildinganattractiondoesnotcomeeasilyorquicklyforDisney'sImagineers.ExpeditionEverestwas severalyearsindevelopmentwhileDisneysentteams,includingWaltDisneyImagineering'sCreative ExecutiveJoeRohde,onrepeatedtripstotheHimalayasinNepaltostudythelands,architecture, colors,ecology,andcultureinordertocreatethemostauthenticsettingforthenewattraction.Disney's effortsreflectadesiretodomuchmorethanprovideaworldclassrideexperience;theydemonstrate theImagineers'eagernesstotellastoryastorythatcombinesthemythologyoftheYetifigurewith theuniquehistoryoftheNepaleselivingintheshadowoftheworld'stallestmountain.Ultimatelythe attraction,withallitsbackgroundandthematicelements,tooknearlyfiveyearstocomplete.

RidersonExpeditionEverestgainarealfeelfortheatmospherethatDisneyhasworkedsohardto create.Theguests'adventurestartsbyenteringthebuildingofthe"HimalayanEscape"tourcompany, completewithNorbuandBob'sbookingoffice,toobtainpermitsfortheirtrip.Overheadflutter authenticprayerflagsfrommonasteriesinNepal.Next,guestspassthroughTashi'sGeneralStoreand Bartostockuponsuppliesfortheirjourneytothepeakofthemountain.Finally,guestspassthroughan oldteawarehousethatcontainsaremarkablemuseumofartifactsreflectingNepal'sculture,ahistory oftheHimalayas,andtalesoftheYeti,whichissaidtoinhabittheslopesofMountEverest.Itisonly nowthatguestsarepermittedtoboardtheAnandapurRailServicefortheirtriptothepeak.Eachtrain ismodeledafteranagingsteamenginetrain,seating34guestspertrain. Overthenextseveralminutes,guestsaretransporteduptherollercoastertrack,throughaseriesof windingturns,untiltheirencounterwiththeYeti.Atthispointanotheruniquefeatureoftheattraction emerges:Thetrainbeginsrushingbackwarddownthetrack,asthoughitwereoutofcontrol.Through thebalanceoftheride,guestsexperiencealandscapeofsightsandsoundsculminatingina50mphfinal dashdownthemountainandbacktothesafetyoftheNepalesevillage. Disney'sapproachtothemanagementofprojectssuchasExpeditionEverestistocombinecareful planning,includingscheduleandbudgetpreparation,withtheimaginationandvisionforwhichthe companyissowellknown.CreativityisacriticalelementinthedevelopmentofnewprojectsatDisney. Thecompany'sImagineersincludesomeofthemostskilledartistsandcomputeranimationexpertsin theworld.AlthoughitiseasytobeimpressedbythetechnicalknowledgeofDisney'spersonnel,itis importanttorememberthateachnewprojectisapproachedwithanunderstandingofthecompany's underlyingbusinessandattentiontomarketprojections,costcontrol,andcarefulprojectmanagement discipline.Newattractionproposalsarecarefullyscreenedandresearched.Theresultisthecreationof someofthemostinnovativeandenjoyableridesintheworld.Disneydoesnotaddnewattractionstoits themeparksfrequently,butwhenitdoes,itdoessowithstyle!

Question#1: Explainthetripleconstrainttheory.Basedontheinformationprovidedinthecasestudy,which variablesdoyouthinkarefixedandwhicharemorevariable/negotiable.Substantiateyourresponse.

Question#2: Describetheorganizationalinfluencesthatyouwouldneedtotakeintoconsiderationifyouwere managingthisproject?ProvidesupportinginformationthatwaslearnedfromthePMBOK,class discussionandjigsawexercise.

Question#3: Ifyouweremanagingthisproject,whatcharacteristicswouldyouneedtodemonstrateasaproject managerinordertomaximizeyourchancesofbeingsuccessful.

Question #4: Oneofthefoundationalelementsofaprojectisthefactthatprojectscreatebusinessvaluefor organizations.DescribethefactorsthatyouthinkinfluencedtheinitiationoftheExpeditionEverestride projectanddescribewhatbusinessvalueisexpecteduponitscompletion.

Question#5: ImaginethatyouwerehiredastheprojectmanageroftheDisneyExpeditionEverestprojectanditis yourfirstdayonthejob.Describewhatstepsyouwouldtakefirst.

Question#6: ExpeditionEverestwasamultiyearandmulti milliondollarinitiative.Describe,usingspecific knowledgeareasandprocessescoveredinthePMBOK Guideandinthecoursematerials,whatwould beinvolvedintheinitiatingaprojectsuchasthis?

Question#7: Imaginethatyouaredraftingaprojectcharterforthisproject.Usinginformationfromthecasestudy, completethefollowingsectionsoftheprojectcharter: ProjectDescription HighLevelRequirements StakeholdersandRole/Responsibilities

Question#8: Usingthefollowingtasklist,calculatethecriticalpathoftheDisneyExpeditionEverestproject.Show yourworkbyprovidingyournetworkdiagram.Youmayuseadrawingapplicationtoproduceyour networkdiagram,drawitonpaperandpasteaphotoofyourdrawinghere,orusePowerPointorVisio. Ensurethatyouexplicitlystatethecriticalpathofyourprojectandshowyourwork.(4points) TaskID Task Duration Predecessor 1 PlanExpeditionEverestproject 10months 2 ResearchNepalEnvironmentandArtifacts 8months 1 3 DesignMountain 6months 1 4 DesignRollerCoaster 10months 3 5 DesignYeti 8months 4 6 DesignVillage 4months 2 7 ApproveDesign 1month 3,4,5,6 8 ConstructMountain 14months 7 9 ConstructRollerCoaster 12months 8 10 ConstructYeti 12months 9 Algonquin College