Essential tasks of project management is risk management.

One of the essential tasks of project management is risk management. In this assignment, you will identify potential risks for a given scenario and propose appropriate mitigation strategies for the risks.

Elite Burger: New Product Launch Case Scenario

Part I
David Smith, a project manager at Elite Burger, is called into an executive meeting on short notice. During the meeting, the executive team discusses the increased demand for vegetarian and vegan products in the industry. So, they decide that a new burger called the “Veggie Time Burger” will be launched in six months. They want the burger to stand out from the other similar products by using fresh local ingredients and toppings. Since David has successfully launched other products in the past, he has been tasked with being the project manager for this new project.

After the meeting with executives, David schedules a meeting with his team to discuss the project. Based on the executive team’s directions, they decide to experiment with ingredients such as black beans, chickpeas, quinoa, and wild rice for creating the new burger. They also discuss introducing some unusual and more “exotic” toppings, such as guacamole and sun-dried tomatoes. Apart from discussing the project requirements, the team also expresses some concerns, such as the fact that upper management has a history of significantly revising the scope at various points throughout the project.

Unfortunately, the meeting is cut short, and David tasks his team with identifying additional risks that should be considered and accounted for.

Part II
A few months into the project, the culinary team tests several recipes and narrows them down to the three burgers they think work best. The project team is now in the process of setting up a taste test to choose which burger should go on the menu. The product launch team has also been brainstorming marketing and promotional strategies.

As the team works on finalizing the recipe and marketing strategies, David receives a change request from the executive team. In addition to testing burgers with fresh ingredients, they want the team to create and test at least one burger using plant-based meat substitutes.

David has also learned of another risk the team is facing. The quality and cost of avocados haven't been consistent in the recipe-testing phase. The supplier has assured him that this is temporary and that they will fix these issues before the project deadline is up.

How should David address the scope of change and risk?

Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:

Part I

Identify and explain at least three potential risks of the project
Include the probability and impact of the risk.
Describe appropriate mitigation strategies based on identified project risks.
Part II

Describe at least three areas impacted by this change request from the executive team.
Consider how the scope change will affect the project.
Recommend strategies to manage the scope. Explain how implementing these strategies will affect these areas of the project.
Perform a risk analysis and recommend strategies to mitigate or manage this risk.

Sample Answer

isk management is essential for the successful launch of the "Veggie Time Burger." David must systematically identify potential threats and develop proactive strategies to manage both existing and newly introduced risks and scope changes.

Image of project risk matrix Shutterstock

Part I: Initial Risk Identification and Mitigation

David and his team need to document risks based on the project's unique requirements (fresh local, exotic ingredients) and the organizational culture (scope changes).

1. Potential Risks, Probability, and Impact

Risk Identified	Explanation	Probability	Impact
R1: Ingredient Sourcing Volatility	Reliance on fresh local and seasonal ingredients (like sun-dried tomatoes, high-quality chickpeas, etc.) makes the supply chain vulnerable to poor weather, local supplier capacity issues, or harvest failures.

Part II: Addressing Scope Change and New Risk

David must address the new change request and the emerging risk regarding avocado consistency using project management principles.

1. Areas Impacted by the Change Request

The executive request to create and test at least one burger using plant-based meat substitutes constitutes a significant scope change, impacting several project areas:

Impacted Area	Description of Impact
1. Schedule/Timeline	The team must now dedicate time to sourcing, testing, and incorporating a new category of ingredients that was not in the original plan (six months). This adds time to the culinary phase and potentially pushes back the taste test date, threatening the launch timeline.
2. Budget/Cost	Plant-based meat substitutes are often expensive premium ingredients. This requires a new budget allocation for procurement, R&D testing hours, and likely increases the final ingredient cost of the burger, potentially affecting the target profit margin.
3. Risk Profile	This introduces new technical risks, such as supplier dependency (often limited suppliers for proprietary substitutes) and customer perception risk (the new recipe might alienate the original target who preferred "fresh local" ingredients).

2. Strategy to Manage the Scope Change

David should use the Formal Change Control Process (R2 mitigation strategy) to manage this request.

Strategy: David must document the change request and require the executives to formally approve the required adjustments to the project baseline (schedule, budget).

Action: Present the executive team with three options for the change:

Option A (Full Scope): Add the plant-based option, require X weeks extension, and a Y% increase in budget.