What should be the milestones for this international project? Details below

PROJECT GOAL

The project is designed to meticulously open a new home improvement retail store in Brazil that could be the catalyst for future international expansion for the client, TCS. There are three essential goals for the project. Those goals consist of successfully opening the Brazil-based retail store and ensure it is fully operational within the allocated timeline of 10 months. Secondly, ensuring the retail store includes the five major product groups that are standard across each TCS store (plumbing and electrical supplies; building materials; hardware and tools; seasonal, garden, and yard items; and paint, flooring, and wall coverings). The third goal is to consider and implement the appropriate staffing/personnel required to properly operate a TCS store to meet the needs of customers and stakeholders.

PROJECT SCOPE- WHAT TO BE DONE

The scope of the project is detailed in the project charter with seven explicit requirements/tasks. The scope consists of requirements associated with the general design of the interior and exterior of the building, parking, and landscape, as well as the necessary licenses and permits needed for business operations. Beyond the exterior and interior design of the building, the scope of this project also includes stocking the store with inventory and the hiring and training of store personnel.

Design

In the design phase, the store building, garage, and parking lot & landscaping will be designed and the floor plans and layouts will be created. Although all phases of this project are important, the design phase is critical because a carefully designed plan will increase the likelihood of effective implementation and execution of the subsequent phases of the project. Poor designs usually result in delays that will require more planning and also add extra costs to the project, such as: increased labor, overtime paid to contractors, and supplies/materials.

Construction

In the construction phase, licenses and permits are first obtained. Once the appropriate licenses and permits are acquired, the store building, garden center, garage, and parking lot are prepared for construction which is driven by the interior and exterior design of the store. Also, landscaping is completed. The construction phase is the most time consuming phase of the project as it involves preparation to ensure that the structures being built are safe and adhere to all building codes and regulations. In addition, some steps of the building process require the laying of foundation and the curing and drying of materials, which requires time.

Outfitting & Stocking

Outfitting and stocking involves the installation of shelves and fixtures in the store building and garden center, the installation of IT systems, including point of sale systems and communications systems, and the stocking of inventory in each of the five major departments of the store. This phase may seem like the least important, but it is important that shelves and fixtures are installed properly so the store is presentable and merchandisers are able to display the products as they wish. Stocking is equally as important because customers can't buy what they can't see. Additionally, displaying the products in the store in an organized fashion will enable consumers to efficiently find the products they need.

Staffing

Finally, staffing includes conducting interviews, hiring employees, and training those employees. There are several employees that need to be hired to work on site. These employees include: the store manager and the assistant store manager, the bookkeeper, an information systems manager, a manager for each department, sales assistants, cashiers, stockroom employees, and maintenance & janitorial employees. Each of these employees are crucial in ensuring the successful operation of Terrapin Construction Supply.

4. Schedule/Time Management

[Provide estimated start and end dates for the project and include any other important dates from your Gantt chart. Provide the Gantt chart in the same MS Project file (.mpp) as the WBS. Be sure to identify the critical path in the Gantt chart. Discuss how you will minimize or avoid delays for tasks on the critical path.]

• Milestones

The table below lists the key milestones for this project, along with their estimated completion timeframe. [If the list of milestones is too long to insert here in the document, include them as an appendix.]

Milestone	Estimated completion timeframe
[Provide milestone benchmarks, for example: project approved to proceed.]	[Provide timeframe for completion, for example: one week after project is authorized.]
[Add as many rows as needed.]

5. Cost/Budget Management

[Provide a summary of the project's total cost, referencing factors that could influence that estimate. Include the project cost estimate as an appendix.]