Scenario
Imagine that you are employed as an IT project manager by a fast-food organization. This organization operates many fast-food shops within the region and would like to promote its brand by creating a mobile application that will provide its customers with the ability to view the nearest fast-food shop location within their geographical area.
As a member of the software development team, you estimate a total project cost of $175,000. You have designated control points to measure project progress. At control point 2, the following data is available:
Budget Cost of Work Performed: $34,000.
Actual Cost of Work Performed: $37,500.
There are various stakeholders that are interested in the progress of the project. These stakeholders include the marketing management team (internal customers), software designers, programmers, testers, and upper management. The software development team has attempted to release a mobile application of this magnitude in the past; however, lack of sponsorship, mobile development expertise, and technical infrastructure has limited the team’s success.
Instructions
Write a 4-6 page paper in which you:
Identify at least four attributes of the mobile application development project that can be measured and controlled and evaluate how each is a critical factor for the success of the project.
Generate a project plan summary of the various project milestones. Develop a WBS that details work packages required to complete the project scope.
Develop a workflow model that can be used to inspect and detect defects during the acceptance of this mobile product through the use of graphical tools in Microsoft Word or Visio or an open-source alternative such as Dia. Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length.
Describe how the defects detected during the acceptance of the mobile application should be reported and explain the circumstances in which a defect may not require reporting.
Analyze the communication needs of the different project stakeholders. Explain the types of project status reports that would be useful to each.
Compute the cost variance, schedule variance, cost performance index, schedule performance index, and estimated actual cost using the information presented at control point 2. Interpret the project schedule and budget status from the calculations.
Explain how the work package, binary tracking, and earned valued reporting can be used effectively during the maintenance phase of the software life cycle if various change requests may be assigned to individuals and processed on an individual basis.
Develop a risk register that will document all of the estimated risks. Assign one risk management technique for each risk and explain the basis for your selection.
Sample Answer
The modern fast-food landscape demands innovative approaches to customer engagement, and a mobile application offering location-based services is a strategic move to boost brand promotion and customer convenience. As an IT Project Manager at this organization, my role is to ensure the successful delivery of this crucial project, learning from past challenges. This paper will outline key measurable attributes, a project plan summary, a defect detection workflow, communication strategies, earned value analysis, and a risk register for this mobile application development.
Attributes for Measurement and Control in Mobile Application Development
Successful mobile application development hinges on meticulous tracking of several critical attributes. For this project, at least four attributes can be measured and controlled, each directly impacting success:
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Scope: The scope defines what features and functionalities will be included in the mobile application. For instance, the core scope is to “view the nearest fast-food shop location within their geographical area,” which implies mapping integration, a location detection service, and a database of shop locations. Measurable aspects include the number of agreed-upon features, the complexity of each feature, and any changes requested.
Full Answer Section
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Time (Schedule): This attribute tracks the duration of various tasks and phases against the planned timeline. Key milestones (e.g., UI/UX design completion, beta testing start, app store submission) and the overall project deadline are critical time-based metrics. Measurable elements include task completion dates, milestone achievement, and deviation from the baseline schedule.
- Critical Factor for Success: Time is directly linked to cost and market opportunity. Delays mean higher labor costs and a missed window to capture market share or respond to competitor initiatives. A well-managed schedule ensures the project progresses efficiently, allowing for timely release and maximizing the promotional impact of the app. Earned Value Management (EVM), discussed later, is a powerful tool for time control.
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Cost (Budget): This attribute monitors the financial resources consumed by the project against the allocated budget. It includes labor costs (developers, designers, testers, PM), software licenses, hardware (if any), third-party API costs (e.g., mapping services), and marketing expenses related to the launch. Measurable elements include actual expenditures against planned expenditures for specific work packages.
- Critical Factor for Success: Cost overruns can cripple a project, deplete organizational resources, and damage credibility. Effective cost control ensures the project remains financially viable and delivers value for money. Careful tracking, forecasting, and adherence to the budget prevent financial distress and allow the organization to allocate resources efficiently across its portfolio of initiatives.
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Quality: This refers to the mobile application’s adherence to functional and non-functional requirements, user experience (UX), and overall performance. Measurable aspects include the number of defects found per testing phase, user satisfaction ratings, app store reviews, crash rates, load times, and adherence to design specifications.
- Critical Factor for Success: A low-quality mobile app will fail to achieve its brand promotion objective. Customers will quickly uninstall an app that is slow, buggy, or difficult to use, leading to negative brand perception rather than positive. High quality ensures customer satisfaction, positive reviews, and sustained engagement, directly contributing to brand promotion and customer loyalty. Quality assurance (QA) processes, automated testing, and user acceptance testing (UAT) are crucial for controlling quality.
Project Plan Summary and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Project Goal: To create a mobile application for a fast-food organization that allows customers to view the nearest fast-food shop location within their geographical area, thereby promoting the brand.
Overall Project Milestones:
- M1: Project Initiation & Planning Complete (Week 2): Project charter signed, core team assembled, detailed project plan approved.
- M2: UI/UX Design & Prototyping Complete (Week 6): User flows, wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototype approved by marketing and management.
- M3: Core Backend Development Complete (Week 12): API for location services, shop database integration, and user authentication developed and tested.
- M4: Mobile App Frontend Development Complete (Week 18): iOS and Android native app development for core features complete.
- M5: Internal QA & Integration Testing Complete (Week 21): All features tested internally, backend-frontend integration verified.
- M6: User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Complete (Week 23): Beta testing with internal and select external users complete, feedback incorporated.
- M7: App Store Submission & Approval (Week 24): App submitted to Google Play Store and Apple App Store, awaiting approval.
- M8: Launch & Post-Launch Monitoring (Week 25 onwards): App officially launched, initial performance monitoring, and bug fixes.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):
The WBS hierarchically decomposes the project scope into manageable work packages.
1. Project Management 1.1. Project Planning 1.1.1. Define Project Scope & Objectives 1.1.2. Stakeholder Identification & Analysis 1.1.3. Develop Project Schedule (Gantt Chart) 1.1.4. Create Budget & Resource Plan 1.1.5. Establish Communication Plan 1.1.6. Develop Risk Management Plan 1.2. Project Monitoring & Control 1.2.1. Progress Tracking & Reporting 1.2.2. Change Management 1.2.3. Risk Monitoring & Mitigation 1.2.4. Quality Assurance Planning 1.3. Project Closure 1.3.1. Post-Mortem Analysis 1.3.2. Lessons Learned Documentation 1.3.3. Project Handover to Operations
2. Requirements & UI/UX Design 2.1. Detailed Requirements Gathering 2.1.1. Functional Requirements Definition 2.1.2. Non-Functional Requirements Definition (Performance, Security) 2.1.3. User Stories/Use Cases Development 2.2. UI/UX Research & Analysis 2.2.1. Competitor Analysis 2.2.2. User Persona Development 2.2.3. User Flow Mapping 2.3. Wireframing & Mockups 2.3.1. Low-Fidelity Wireframes 2.3.2. High-Fidelity Mockups 2.4. Interactive Prototyping 2.4.1. Prototype Development 2.4.2. User Testing on Prototype 2.5. Design Approval
3. Backend Development 3.1. Database Design & Setup 3.1.1. Shop Location Database Schema 3.1.2. User Database Schema 3.2. API Development (Location Services) 3.2.1. Nearest Shop Logic Implementation 3.2.2. Geocoding & Reverse Geocoding Integration 3.3. User Authentication Module 3.3.1. User Registration/Login 3.3.2. Session Management 3.4. Server Setup & Deployment 3.5. Backend API Testing
4. Mobile Application Frontend Development (iOS & Android) 4.1. Core Location Features Development 4.1.1. Map Integration & Display 4.1.2. User Location Detection 4.1.3. Display Nearest Shop Info 4.2. User Interface Implementation 4.2.1. Design System Adherence 4.2.2. Responsive Layouts 4.3. User Profile Management 4.3.1. User Account Creation/Management 4.4. Push Notification Integration (e.g., for promotions) 4.5. App Store Integration (Pre-submission prep)
5. Testing & Quality Assurance 5.1. Unit Testing 5.2. Integration Testing (Frontend-Backend) 5.3. System Testing (End-to-End Scenarios) 5.4. Performance Testing (Load, Stress) 5.5. Security Testing 5.6. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) 5.6.1. Beta User Recruitment 5.6.2. UAT Test Case Execution 5.6.3. Feedback Collection & Analysis
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