Purpose
The purpose of this case study is to get you used to incorporating Microsoft Project charts and reports directly into your project’s progress reports. By now you should be able to work through the mechanics of loading tasks, predecessors, resources, and costs into MS Project. But the real challenge facing project managers is how to interpret the data in MS Project and how to make it “useful” for you and your stakeholders.
In this case study you will be given a scenario and asked to load the project information into Microsoft Project. However, the purpose of this case study is bigger than just properly loading the Microsoft Project file. This case study requires you to interpret the MS Project results and incorporate the issues and results in your communication with key stakeholders. Your output of this case study explores the “softer” side of project management, including how to communicate your results to your key stakeholders in a clear and concise manner and to include MS Project views directly in the document to illustrate your points for your reader.
[NOTE: Please read carefully and plan ahead.Get am early start on this important assignment. It constitutes 20% of your entire grade for the course. It is very important that you understand that while the case study is broken into three sections, you will not be submitting your answer to each section separately, and you will not receive feedback from your instructor after each section. Rather, you will work through and submit your responses to all of the sections at one time–in a single MS Word document.] Also, take time to practice capturing images from the MS Project reports and pasting them as graphics into your single Word document (!!!) so that you submit just one self-contained document that contains everything your “manager” needs to know. Background
NutroBalance produces a line of weight loss supplements and nutritional snacks. A couple of years ago it introduced Ultra, a weight loss supplement geared primarily towards men who lift weights and do cardiovascular exercises. The Ultra pills have been a big success. Part of NutroBalance’s strategic goals is to build off of that success by formulating the Ultra pills to target other segments of the work-out population. NutroBalance’s board of directors has decided to invest in a pill called UltraMAX geared toward women who also lift weights and do cardiovascular exercises. Since the core of the product has already been produced, the project to introduce UltraMAX to the work-out world really boils down to seeing if UltraMAX produces as good of results in women as Ultra does in men.
You have been chosen to be the project manager of this weight-loss drug study. The board of directors has fast-tracked this project and have given you 175 WORKING days (NOT calendar days) to identify your target consumers, have them test the product, and then analyze and report on the results. Your project (i.e., Task #1) will commence on January 30, 2012. (NOTE: This 2012 date MUST be the start date for your project in this Case Study!)
You have been given a team of four individuals:
Leontyne, an analyst who is new to NutroBalance but who can help you recruit and screen test subjects Tristan, a senior level analyst who has conducted drug studies for NutroBalance before Rinaldo, an IT programmer Norma, a statistician who is highly competent at analyzing and interpreting results.
