Using software of your choice and the PMBOK Guide, develop a schedule and integrated-change plan for your project. Using a provided template, also develop the project cost estimate (budget).
Introduction
This assessment is the next portfolio work project in this course. You may choose to base your assessment on the Cosmo, Inc. case study or choose your own project.
Project Integration Management is “the processes and activities to identify, define, combine, unify, and coordinate the various processes and project management activities within the Project Management Process Groups” (Project Management Institute, 2017, p. 569).
Throughout a project life cycle, processes and activities involved in project integration management include identifying, defining, combining, and unifying processes and activities that are implemented throughout the entirety of the project. Project schedule, costs, and change control are components of an integrated approach to successful project outcome. Change management is considered integrated, because it considers the impact of any change in cost, schedule, scope, quality, risk, resources, or customer satisfaction on all the other factors.
Reference
Project Management Institute. Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) — Sixth Edition and Agile Practice Guide. Newtown Square. PA. 2017.
Scenario
For this assessment, choose either Option A or Option B. You do not need to do both. Faculty will grade both options using the same scoring guide.
Option A: Based on the analysis completed by a task force at Cosmo, Inc., the marketing department must develop, implement, and test a new marketing campaign focused on maintaining current customer levels and increasing their customer base through the utilization of new technology. Refer to the Cosmo, Inc. Case Study [DOC] document for more information.
Option B: You may choose a business of your own. It must include (but is not limited to) the following criteria:
Clear business objective and a specific completion outcome.
Project team with at least three members in addition to yourself. Each member must have defined roles and responsibilities
Completion window of 180 days.
Cost estimates that serve as the basis for a budget used as part of the plan development process.
Your Role
For both Options A and B, you are the project manager.
Requirements
Microsoft Project is the recommended software tool for this course due to its wide industry acceptance and its use in many project management professional roles. If you have not already done so, follow the instructions provided through the links below to download and install software or register for an account, as required.
If you have a Capella MS Imagine account, go to Step 2. Otherwise, see the instructions for registering an account at MS Imagine – Registration.
Log into the Capella Microsoft Imagine WebStore.
Identify the version of MS Project that is compatible with your operating system.
Download and install.
If you encounter any difficulties in the download and installation process, post a detailed question in the Ask Your Faculty Discussion in the menu dropdown when you click the image of your faculty. They should be able to help you or point you in the right direction for the answers you need.
Using Project in this course helps prepare you for future professional PM roles and responsibilities. Please use Project for tasks the software supports. If you have access to other tools such as Microsoft Visio, PowerPoint, and Word, or other project management software you believe may still meet the requirements of this course, please discuss your selected alternative with faculty.
Create a diagram using software of your choice that shows the logical relationships among the schedule activities that your project involves. Note that finish-to-start is the most commonly used precedence relationship in activity sequencing.
In your activity-sequencing diagram, show logical relationships and consider the following types:
Finish-to-start – The predecessor activity needs to finish before the successor can start.
Finish-to-finish – The predecessor activity needs to finish before the successor can finish.
Start-to-start – The predecessor activity needs to start before the successor can start.
Start-to-finish – The predecessor activity needs to start before the successor can finish.
Part 2: Project Cost Estimate
Prepare a cost estimate or budget for your selected project:
Identify the costs of each task and create categories (Labor, Materials, Contractor, Equipment, Misc., et cetera) to prioritize project expenditures.
Identify and quantify:
Constraints: Activities or elements that affect the execution of a project and impact time, costs, or performance.
Dependencies: Activities or elements that have either a negative or positive dependency on costs, time, or performance.
Sample Solution
