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Synthesys Informatics is a medium sized company that develops and manufactures mobile data collection devices. You are an employee of Synthesys and work as project

Synthesys Informatics is a medium sized company that develops and manufactures mobile data collection devices. You are an employee of Synthesys and work as project manager in the product development department. The people involved in this case are:

  • You as the project manager.
  • Mr. Product - Director of Product Development.
  • Ms. Marketing - Director of Marketing and Portfolio Management.
  • Ms. HR - Human Resource Manager.
  • Mr. Customer - Point of contact at Environmental Management Pty Ltd.
  • Ms. Operations - Direction of Operations.
  • Functional line managers in the research and development department.
  • Engineers and members of your project team.

You have been leading a small team of experienced engineers conducting a technical feasibility study to investigate if it is possible to modify one of its standard products to makea product variant to satisfy the needs of a local organisation involved in environmental management. That organisation has appointed Mr. Customer as their contact with Synthesys Informatics. You are planning to hold a M1 Milestone Concept Review on Friday, 10hJune 2022. The concept review is one of the milestones in the company's product development process.

The need for the new product has been identified by the marketing department lead by Ms. Marketing, Director of Marketing and Portfolio Management. Ms. Marketing provided your small project team with a product brief, outlining the special end user, sales and service requirements to supplement the requirements already established for the standard product. She also developed the business case for the product and believes that there is a market for this variant of the product beyond the customer with the original requirement.

Even though Synthesys Informatics' CEO, Mr. Product and Ms. Marketing have approved the project and are providing the necessary leadership.However, Ms. Operations is firmly of the view that the project is a waste of resources that would be better deployed elsewhere. Ms. Operations is not hiding her opinion and has told you in a meeting that she would like to see the project cancelled. Unfortunately for you, some of your project team formally report to Ms. Operations.

SynthesysInformatics's CFO really doesn't care whether the project succeeds or fails, as it is unlikely to impact the company's results in the short to medium term. Notwithstanding this position, the CFO wants to be included on status reports in order to keep track of costs.

To further complicate the project, the research and development team - with the support of Ms. Operations - have decided to trial a new robotic assembly machine to build the prototypes. The research and development team are not entirely convinced that the robotic assembly machine will work on its first attempt.

Schedule and Budget

Project Milestones

The milestones your team will use are:

  1. M1 Concept review complete (At this point the feasibility study will be complete. A goo-go decision for the project will be made at this milestone).
  2. M2 Designs Complete and Reviewed (At this point the overall design will be complete and reviewed. A goo-go decision for procurement will be made at this milestone. For the purposes of this assignment assume that this goo-go decision is made at the design review meeting, so you are not required to add any additional tasks for this decision making process).
  3. P1 prototype-build start (Everything is ready so that the product "prototype 1" is able to be manufactured with the quality level expected).
  4. P2 prototype-build start (Everything is ready so that the product "prototype 2" is able to be manufactured with the quality level expected).
  5. M3 Final Design review (At this point the product quality is verified based on the product validation testing carried out on the last prototype. A goo-go decision for production of required number of units for customer is made).
  6. M4 Launch review (A goo-go decision depending on if all business areas are ready for market launch and required number of devices are in stock. For the purposes of this assignment this is the milestone marking the end of the project. You are not required to add a task to make the decision - it will be made by senior management at this point. This milestone is the end of your schedule).

At the M1 concept review it was decided to go ahead with the project. M1 milestone is to be the start of the project. Make the start of the project Monday, 13th June 2022. This is M1 - the first milestone.

On Monday, 13/06/2022 (after M1) you have a workshop led by Mr. Software, Mr. Mechanics, Mr. Electronics, Mr. Production and Mr. Validation to plan the product development activities. They are members of your project team and very experienced managers and engineers.

From the team workshop you have obtained the following information:

  1. A work break down structure (WBS), resource estimates and some dependencies provided in Table 1 below.

Note that the following abbreviations are used:

  • Electronic Engineer (EE)
  • Software Engineer (SW)
  • Mechanical Engineer (ME)
  • Test Engineer (TE)
  • Production Engineer (PE)
  • Technical Writer (TW)
  • Printed Wire Board (circuit board) (PWB)
  • Electromagnetic Compliance (EMC)
  • Planning Workshop (PW)

Table 1- Work Breakdown Structure

ActivityDescriptionPredecessor(s)Person days/weeks of effort 1(and type of resource required.)To be completed at the following milestone
The Mobi Data Project
PW: Planning WorkshopPlanning workshopM13 days fixed duration. 1SE, 1TE, 1ME, 1 PE, 1EE, 1TW will be in attendance.
1. Electronics
1.1 PWB outline modificationsPlanning workshop (PW)

1 EE for 2 weeks.

(Fixed duration)

1.2 Component selectionSelection of electronic components. Must be started together with 1.3.1.11 EE for 2 weeks (fixed duration)

1.3 P1 circuit design and PWB

layout

Creation of circuit diagram and PWB layout. Breadboard solution created. Must be started together with 1.2.1.1

1 EE for 3 weeks

(Fixed duration).

1.4 P1 electronics verification

tests

Electronic verification tests with the use of the P1 prototypes.P1 build complete (5.5)1 person-week of EE.

1.5 P2 circuit design

improvements

Electronic improvements to circuit diagram, component selection and layout.1.41 person-week of EE.

1.6 P2 electronics verification

tests

Electronic verification tests with the use of the P2 prototypes.P2 build complete (6.5)1 person-week of EE.M3
1.7 Thermal verification testsVerification that electronic heat generation and heat transmission through covers is acceptable.P2 build complete2 person-days of EE.
1.8 EMC verification testsVerification of compliance with electromagnetic compliance regulations.1.72 person-days of EE.M3
2. Software
2.1 Software specificationSpecification of the software functionality based on user requirements.PW1 person-week of SE.
2.2 User interface specificationDetailed specifications of the user interface2.12 person-weeks of SE.
2.3 Database specifications2.12 person-weeks of SE.
2.4 Software test plans2.2,2.33 person-weeks of SE
2.5 Software design2.11 person-week of SE.
2.6 User interface design2.21 person-week of SE.
2.7 Database design2.31 person-week of SE.

2.8 Review of designs and test plans

1.2,1.3, 2.4, 2.5,2.6,2.7, 4.1, 3.44 days fixed duration. 3SE, 1TE, 2ME, 1 PE, 2EE, 1TW will be in attendance.M2
2.9 Software developmentYou can assume that there are three modules of approximately similar effort and if there are 3 SEs available for this task it could be reduced to duration of 4 weeks (this is still 12 person-weeks of SE effort). For this assignment, you can also assume that individual modules will be tested during development2.8 (i.e. M2)14 person-weeks of SE. In your initial schedule assign 2 SEs to this task, so it should take 6 weeks.

2.10 User interface

development

Assume this includes interface development and testing2.85 person-weeks of SE.
2.11 Database developmentAssume this includes development and testing2.83 person-weeks of SE.
2.12 R1 release creationCreation of the R1 software release used for testing with the P1 prototype (in 4.4)2.9,2.10,2.114 person-days of SE.
2.13 R1 error correction and user interface improvements4.31 person-week of SE.
2.14 R2 release creationCreation of the R2 software release to be used for testing with the P2 prototype2.132 person-days of SE.
2.15 R2 release testsTesting of the R2 release with the P2 prototype2.14,6.5 (prototype 2 build completed)1 person-week of SE.
2.16 R2 error correctionsCorrection of errors2.151 person-week of SE.
2.17 R2 interoperability testsTesting of interoperability with 3rd party accessory devices.2.161 person-week of SE.

2.18 R2 interoperability error

correction

Correction of errors2.171 person-week of SE.
2.19 R3 sales release creationCreation of the software sales release2.183 days of SE.M3
3. Mechanics
3.1 Industrial designDesign of the industrial design for the device. Must be started in parallel with 1.1 and 2.1PW3 weeks of a ME/industrial designer.
3.2 PWB outline modificationsModifications of the PWB to fit the industrial design, new components and usability requirements. Must be done in parallel with 1.13.11 person-week of ME.
3.3 P1 mechanical CAD designCAD design of mechanical plastic parts and metal parts for the device.3.22 person-weeks of ME.
3.4 Tolerance stack analysisAnalysis of the mechanical tolerance stacks compared to part tooling and moulding capabilities.3.31 person-week of ME.
3.5 P1 mechanical part analysisPhysical analysis of moulded plastic parts and sheet metal parts used in the first prototype5.51 person-week of ME.

3.6 P2 mechanical part

modifications

Modification of moulding and sheet metal tools used for P2 parts.3.52 person-weeks of ME.
3.7 Mechanical tool approvalEvaluation of P2 mechanical parts and approval of moulding and sheet metal tools used in part manufacture.6.53 weeks of ME.M3
4. Verification
4.1 Test plan creationCreation of a plan documenting what is to be tested.PW

3 person-weeks of TE

M2
4.2 Component tests

Test of key hardware component reliability to various standard tests like drop and humidity.

After delivery of components for P1 i.e. 5.1,5.2,5.3 and also 4.1)1 person-week of TEP1
4.3 Module testsTest of module functionality after assembly.5.5, 4.21 person-week of TE.
4.4 System integration testsTest of integration of modules and R1 software - i.e. testing of P1 prototype4.3 ,2.121 person-week of TE and 1 person-week of SEP2
4.5 Product validation testsTest of product against reliability to various standard tests like drop and humidity and end user requirements.4.4, P2 build complete (6.5)1 person-week of TE

4.6 Technical Construction File

compilation

Creation of documentation for regulatory approvals.4.51 person-week of TE.

4.7 Type approval and regulatory

approval tests

Approvals from regulatory authorities.4.62 weeks by regulatory authorities.M3
5. prototype 1 build
5.1 P1 Component lead-timeComponents from SuppliersM23 weeks by SuppliersP1

5.2 P1 PWB manufacture and

delivery

PWB manufacture and deliveryM23 weeks by SuppliersP1
5.3 P1 mechanical part lead-timeP1 mechanical part lead-timeM23 weeks by SuppliersP1

5.4P1 assembly and production

test preparation

Assembling and production test preparation by PEM23 person-weeks of 1 PEP1
5.5 P1 prototype buildBuilding prototypeP1 prototype build start4 person-days of 1 PE
6. prototype 2 build
6.1 P2 Component lead-timeComponents from Suppliers1.53 weeks by SuppliersP2

6.2 P2 PWB manufacture and

delivery

PWB manufacture and delivery1.53 weeks by SuppliersP2

6.3P2 assembly and production

test preparation

Assembling and production test preparation by PE1.53 person-weeks of 1 PEP2

6.4 P2 mechanical part lead-time

P2 mechanical part lead-time3.63 weeks by SuppliersP2
6.5 P2 prototype buildBuilding prototypeP2 prototype build start4 person-days of 1 PE
7. Documentation
7.1 documentation planTable of contents etc.2.81 person-week of TW and 1 person-week of SE

7.2 development of

documentation

TW writes documentation7.13 person-weeks of TW
7.3 review of documentationReview by SE and corrections by TW7.21 person-week of TW and 1 person-week of SEM3
8. Production of devices for customers/market

8.1 assembly and production

preparation

M34 person-weeks of PE
8.2 Production of devicesBulk production of required number of devices for customers and market launch8.13 weeks fixed duration. Requires 1 PE.M4

Notes:

As the project manager you have accepted the tasks of creating the compiled project schedule and allocating resources.

  1. One "person-day" is a "unit of work" representing the work done by one person in one day. It means that the task will normally take one person one day to complete. You can assume that a week refers to a normal working week of 5 days (Mon-Fri) with people working 8 hours per day. This is the default in Project Libre. Unless otherwise stated you can also assume a linear relationship, i.e. 3 person-weeks will take one person 3 weeks or 3 people one week.
  2. For the purposes of this assignment (to reduce variability in solutions and complications for the markers) build your Part A1 schedule by assuming that you allocate one resource (i.e. one person with the required skills) to each task. In that case, if the task required 2 person-weeks of a SE, you would assign one SE to the task and give it duration of 2 weeks.

Available Resources

The maximum full time resources available for your project are:

Resource$/hourNumber Available
Electronics Engineer$100.002
Software Engineer$90.003
Mechanical Engineer$85.002
Test Engineer$70.001
Production Engineer$90.001
Technical Writer$75.001
Project Manager (You)$110.001

Your team is committed to producing only two prototype iterations to develop and validate the design.

General Information

In addition to the work breakdown structure, you have collected the following information.

  • The project booking of the prototype builds (treat the bookings as B1 and B2 milestones for task 5.5 and 6.5) will have to be done at the latest four (4) weeks in advance of the build. This is the lead time required to include builds in the manufacturing's master production schedule.
  • The booking of the Type Approval (TA) test house (B3 milestone) has to be done 6 weeks prior to type approval (task 4.7).
  • The engineers work a 40 hour week from Monday to Friday (i.e. a 5 day week with 8 hour days). There are no differences among the abilities of all engineers.
  • Enter the following public holidays

  • AFL Grand Finale - Friday, 30 September 2022
  • Melbourne Cup - Tuesday, 1 November 2022
  • Christmas holidays - 26 December - 2 January 2023
  • Australia Day - 26 January 2023

Part A- Developing the schedule

The schedule is to be developed in an appropriately named Project Libre file (see the name specified below) and the questions are to be answered in a word document. Any assumptions must also be listed at the beginning of the Word document (after the coversheet).

Use Project Libre to develop the project schedule according to the instructions below.

For this assignment, unless the specification states otherwise, you must initially allocate onlyone of each required resourceto a task. Note that Ms. Marketing has also asked you to include the milestones at the top of the task list in your schedule.

Include the following in your schedule:

  1. Project information (start date, Author etc.) and Holidays listed in 'General Information'.
  2. All tasks correctly indented in accordance with the WBS (above).
  3. Task durations added in accordance with the WBS (above).
  4. A project title of "The Mobi Data Project". This is also to appear as the overall project summary at the top of your "WBS" in the pod file. It must appear as task 1 with WBS number 0. All tasks should be "indented" according to the WBS structure described in the case study (see Table 1).

[See the Project Libre practicals for details about how to add the project title and how to make it the overall project summary]

  1. A WBS column before the "Task Name" column and a WBS Predecessors column after the "Task Name" column as shown below:

Task Number

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