Project Management

– Case Study Based on the following scenario create a project plan using the Project Plan template included?.? Please label any reasonable assumptions made in the Project Plan. Provide a bibliographic list of sources of information used in producing this project plan and citations to information sources following the QUT Cite guide. Scenario – A local metal working business called ‘The Brisbane Foundry’ (TBF) provides metal working services including sand blasting large metal parts. The building construction industry is the main customers of TBF, and sand blasting large metal parts provides 40% of TBF’s annual income. Typically, a customer will arrange to have one or more metal parts to be sand blasted. The customer arranges for one or more trucks to deliver and then later collect the large metal pieces. As an example, a customer requires a girder to be sandblasted and painted. The girder (approx. 2 000 kg and 20 m in length) arrives on a semi-trailer truck (18 wheeler). A crane is needed to lift the girder off the truck and into a sand blasting area. The sand blasting machine is automated and blasts the girder removing all surface materials and rust. The crane immediately moves the girder to a nearby painting area. The spray painting machine is automated and paints the bare metal of the girder with rapid drying paint. The painting area has heat lamps that are turned on after spray painting. After 15 minutes under the heat lights, the paint is dry. The crane removes the painted girder from the paint area and loads it on to a semi-trailer truck for transport. TBF’s fee is calculated from the processing time of sand blasting time plus the painting time plus the paint drying time. TBF is located on a very busy road, and trucks are not able to park or queue. TBF’s yard has room for only one semi-trailer at a time. The yard includes two large sand blasting areas, one crane, and one painting area. Anytime when the sand blasting or painting areas are empty TBF is not generating any income. Some manual scheduling is used for customer jobs and transport semi-trailer truck arrival and departures. However, the sand blasting and painting areas utilisation is only 65% of the working day, which is below the industry standard of 75 to 80%. The owners of TBF want the sand blasting and painting areas utilisation improved to of 75% as soon as possible. You as a Project Manager are to present the plan for a solution. The objective of the project is to use existing infrastructure to improve the utilisation of the sand blasting and painting areas. The utilisation can be improved using Information and Communication technology. Long standing relationships with customers and truck transport companies should mean they are motivated as all parties will benefit.