Scenario
Project Revive LLC is a consulting firm of highly charged and accomplished project managers whose main stream of revenue comes from managing the turnaround of failing projects. As a consultant with Project Revive LLC, you will study, analyze, and manage a failed project from NearlyFree.com.
NearlyFree.com is a fictitious company and the project documents for this project scenario are located below. The NearlyFree.com project was originally scoped to develop and deploy an automated web-based training system for new employees to reduce the workload and cut down personnel resources required to complete the new employee orientation (NEO) training.
Use the NearlyFree.com project work breakdown structure to help identify deliverables and processes that need resources. It is important to know historical information regarding what types of resources were required for similar work. You can do research using the Internet to find similar projects. You will find the project justification and objectives in the project scope statement, which is listed among the resources below.
Option A Resources (use these artifacts for completing the activities in this course):
• NearlyFree.com Organizational Background and IT Governance [DOCX]. https://courserooma.capella.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/PM-FPX/PM-FPX5333/230100/Course_Files/cf_nearlyfree_governance.docx
• Project Charter [PDF]. https://courserooma.capella.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/PM-FPX/PM-FPX5333/230100/Course_Files/cf_project_charter.pdf
• Project Schedule [MPP]. https://courserooma.capella.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/PM-FPX/PM-FPX5333/230100/Course_Files/cf_schedule.mpp
• Project Scope Statement [PDF]. https://courserooma.capella.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/PM-FPX/PM-FPX5333/230100/Course_Files/cf_scope.pdf
• Quality Statement [PDF].https://courserooma.capella.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/PM-FPX/PM-FPX5333/230100/Course_Files/cf_quality.pdf
• Task Costs [XLS]. https://courserooma.capella.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/PM-FPX/PM-FPX5333/230100/Course_Files/cf_task_cost.xls
• Work Breakdown Structure [DOC]. https://courserooma.capella.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/PM-FPX/PM-FPX5333/230100/Course_Files/cf_task_cost.xls
• Work Breakdown Structure [VSD]. https://courserooma.capella.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/PM-FPX/PM-FPX5333/230100/Course_Files/cf_wbs.vsd
Requirements
Part 1: Budget Analysis Report
Deliverable: Create a budget analysis report of the current failed project.
Use the MS Project functionality (or other, approved software of your choice) to:
• Display project summary information and report.
• Create project reports.
• Export project plan cost data into Excel.
• Develop an analysis report including the following:
• Analyze the current financial state using cost estimating techniques.
• Estimate costs of individual schedule activities or work packages by reviewing WBS and associated project costs.
• Identify failure points that occurred throughout the project.
Part 2: Cost Estimating Forecast Analysis
Deliverable: Create a project estimation report for the turnaround project.
At this point in the process you have been asked to report back to NearlyFree.com on your findings and recommendations with respect to project costs. Review the information you gathered and prepare a report for your client. This will be a what-if scenario or plan that you will propose to NearlyFree.com management for the project turnaround to succeed. In the report, do the following:
• Copy the original NEO project schedule baseline and create a custom table to add your changes and modifications.
• Display your proposed cost estimates and newly established cost baseline for the turnaround project, based on the Project Schedule [MPP].

As part of this report, address the following topics or questions, and where necessary, define assumptions you made:
• Total cost of ownership—what it means to the project and to the business, how it is calculated, its role in the failed project, and your estimates for the turnaround project.
• Return on investment—what it means to the project and to the business, how it is calculated, and your estimates for the turnaround project.
• Project budget—an analysis of the failed project budget, techniques used to prepare your proposed project budget, and the proposed project budget.
• Develop a new project budget with a more detailed assessment of the resources.
 Establish a total cost baseline for measuring project performance.
• Explain and justify the cost estimating techniques used.
• Estimate contingency reserves.
Applicable Microsoft Project Functions
• Create a custom table.
• Updating a project plan.
• Set a baseline.
• Save an interim project plan.
• Display project summary information and report.
• Export project plan cost data into Excel.
• Create Project “Current State” Analysis report.
Preparation
Use the software of your choice to develop the deliverables for this assessment.
This assessment has two parts and two deliverables:

1. Develop a comprehensive “current state” budget analysis report.
2. Develop a comprehensive cost estimating forecasting analysis report.

Sample Solution

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