Project Mangaement

Scenario Background:

DORF Industries was founded in the USA over a century ago. It is a major company
employing 5,000 staff in the heavy engineering sector. Twenty years ago the company
decided to diversify and expand its operations from its US base. One venture was to
acquire a light engineering firm in the UK, which became DORF (UK).

In the midst of a major recession, DORF Industries has decided to refocus on its core
business in heavy engineering. It decided to accept a management buy-out for DORF
(UK) . The management team that has just purchased DORF (UK) consists of the
Operations Manager, Finance Manager and Sales Manager. These are the directors of the
new company NEWDAWN. As part of the purchase agreement, NEWDAWN has retained
the rights to use the SAD system for two years. This is the computer system developed by
DORF Industries and used in all their factories worldwide to manage every aspect of the
business. NEWDAWN has limited funds available, but sufficient to embark on a modest
re-equipping and refurbishment program. The NEWDAWN directors believe that they have
held back over the years by the tight control exercised of DORF was in the heavy
engineering sector and did not necessarily suit a light engineering environment.

Your are the IT specialist in NEWDAWN. Your responsibilities DORF (UK) were to
develop minor modifications for the SAD system-investigating business requirements ;
agreeing solutions; coding modules in SAD Lingo (a language specifically for
developingadd-on modules to the main SAD system). You are also responsible for the three
IT support staff who maintain the networked PCs-used as terminals for the SAD system
and running MS Office applications.

None of the directors has any great knowledge of IT so, as IT specialist, you are
approached by the NEWDAWN directors to come up with a plan for the development of IT
in the company. The course you are pursuing at Northumbria university should provide you
with the necessary skills and understanding to impress the directors with your grasp on the
issues that need addressing and your plan for the future. You see tat there is a major
opportunity here for your career progression- improving your status within NEWDAWN to
become IT manager, or even IT Director.

Detail:
1.NEWDAWN operates on a single site. IT has 240 employees: 100 carrying out ‘office’
jobs-each having their own PC;20 non-office support staff; the remainder working on the
factory floor.
2. Each PC is connected to a LAN. The severs are in a special room for which you are
responsible. Your IT support staff carry out the backups. The PCs servers and network
have all been recently upgraded.
3.You carry out all systems development work, documented using the standards set out in
the DORF Blue Book ( these are very close to IBM documentation standards [1970s]. None
of the IT support staff can program in SAD Lingo, which is a language unique to the SAD
system.
4.There is no recognized quality assurance system.
5.Your are aware that the SAD system is not suitable for the light sector. I has required
many add-on modules over the years, but many user requirements cannot be met by these
additions.
6.DORF (UK) is well respected in its sector for the good quality of its product, but has
started to lose out to cheaper imports.
7.Your are not certain about the financial resources available to NEWDAWN. This is
information only known to the Directors, but you believe it is about ₤5 million which is to
cover all re-equipping and refurbishment throughout the factory

Note: You may make any reasonable assumptions-including these with the work you had-
in . It is more important tat you demonstrate your understanding of project management a,
and your ability to carry out further research, than to produce a ‘correct’ solution for
NEWDAWN

3.The Task

Prepare a detailed Project Plan to be submitted to the directories of NEWDAWN covering

the creation of an enchanced IT Department, with the capability of implementing a
replacement for SAD within 2 years.

Marking Scheme

1. Discussion of the issues affecting NEWDAWN 10 marks

2. Development of a plan covering the next 2 years, including: 20 marks
a)Task List and /or Work Breakdown Structure
b)Gantt chart and /or PERT network
c)Resource Histogram
3.Discussio of the risks asscociated with the project and suitable risk management 10marks
approaches.
4.Discussion and recommendations for systems development approach to replace 10marks
DORF Blue Book, and inclusion of suitable Quality control measure for systems
development.
5.Discussio and recommendations for e-sourcing issuses affecting the project 10marks
6.Discussion and recommendations on issues affecting the organization and 10marks
staffing of the enhanced IT Department, including:
a) Job Descriptions and Person Specifications for new posts to be created

Total 70 marks
Note 1: A full financial justification and strategy is not requited
Note2: Marks may be deducted for poor presentiaton
Note3:Your target word length be 3000-excluding diagrams and appendices . You will not
penalized for exceeding this figure
ANOTHER LITERATURE SURVEY REPORT REQUIREMENTS AND MARIKIN

The report should consists of a maximum of 2,500 words and should contain the following
sections, for which the arks available are shown.

1.Topic introduction and contextualization based on a concept map 20%

2. Discussion of key questions and primary focus of the research 10%
3.Review of literature sources consulted 40%
Breath and depth of reporting (20%)
Style, summarizing and referencing(20%)
4.Conclusions (including answers to key questions) and
Recommendations for further research required. 20%

5.Referencing technique and style 10%

Total 100%