- Learning Outcomes to be Assessed:
- Critically analyze project management methodologies and tools for implementing a successful project.
- Evaluate approaches to human resource management for a successful project noting cultural, social, and economic influences.
- Assess the role of quality and risk management in the delivery of successful projects.
- Evaluate the usefulness of current tools and software, such as Prince II as a methodology.
- Rationale:
The Project Management Institute defines project management as the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. This assignment will help the students to apply these skills by investigating real-world issues associated with project management. Allowing them to improve their ability to understand, analyze and synthesize complex scenarios and apply them to a case study. Within the discipline of initiating, planning, executing, and managing resources with the goal of completing specific deliverables within budget and time. The student will have an opportunity at the end of the module to monitor their project management knowledge, by an online quiz.
- Description:
Tesla Inc is an American electric car and clean energy company based in California, USA.
Tesla’s future project is to build another Gigafactory in Austin, Texas. (Please note, the assumption will be made about the new upcoming Gigafactoryin this case study, but only for the purpose of this assignment).
The new Gigafactory project will start on January 1, 2022, and will be completed in time for the start of the 2024 season (project duration of 2 years). If the project is delayed past the completion date, the company will start to occur a cost of $1,000,000 per day, against the initial budget set aside for the project. Elon Musk, the CEO of the company revealed the cost of the project could be as much as $1 Billion
- Phase one
(infrastructure) of the project will start by sourcing the appropriate site to construct the new Gigafactory. Activity is known as site selection; this will last for 30 days. Once the land is sourced in Austin, Texas after careful consideration, work will begin for land preparation which will take around 35 days to complete. The design and planning for the facilities will start simultaneously. The design activity will last for 35 days and planning will take 55 days to complete. Next will come to the built phase, the actual construction of the building. One of the longest activities of the project, lasting about 150 days. To complete the construction and to make the building watertight, a roof must be constructed, which will add another 60 days to the project. Only once it becomes watertight, the plumbing and the electrics will be allowed to be installed simultaneously. Plumbing will take around 30 days and electrics a little longer than 40 days. Finally, to complete the first stage of the project a final inspection of work will be carried out, this can take up to 10 days to inspect.
- Phase two
(internal assembly and support systems) is the construction and integration of the internal manufacturing assembly system. An assembly system is a robotic manufacturing process in which parts are added as the product (vehicle) moves from work area to work area, where the parts are added in sequence until the final product is produced. The integration of all the systems represents the most significant technical challenge to the project. In order of production, the first area to be fitted out will be the battery and drivetrain assembly area, a 70 days activity. This is followed by a seat assembly area of 50 days and a final vehicle assembly area of 80 days. To finalise the production stage, a paint and ventilation area will be completed in 90 days. Eventually, to support the production a central supply building needs to be constructed (100 Days) and finally, a test track outside the building (80 days) to test out the final product before it leaves the Gigafactory.
- Tasks
- To ensure the success of the project, you need to identify and discuss the methods of project planning and project control that can be used.
- Will the project be able to be completed by the January 2024 deadline? Construct a network schedule for the project.
- How long will it take and what is the critical path for the project?
- What steps might be taken to improve the timing schedule if the project were required to be completed 100 days earlier? Include a Gantt chart for the project plan.
Higher marks are awarded if done using appropriate project planning software and correct with no errors.
- Develop a proper project budget, justifying your choices and estimates.
What are the estimated costs of the deliverables?
What weaknesses exist in the estimation approach? - What project management methodologies can be used for implementing this project successfully?
