Signature Assignment: Create a Technology Innovation Project Plan

Read the short case shown below, respond to the questions, or complete the stated tasks.

Case

The technology innovation and strategy that you have created has been approved by the executive committee and now requires a Project Proposal for funding approval by the company’s steering committee. You estimate the project, in its entirety, will cost approximately $5 million. The funds are to be used for all aspects of the project, including the research and development, product design, development, market research, marketing, personnel, and training. The project, which includes the implementation of the innovative “product”, the business processes to support it, and its entry into market, must be clearly defined to ensure the massive undertaking is successful.

Task

The project management phases cover project initiation, planning, execution, controlling, and closing. This assignment will cover the basics of project management, the planning phase; from the perspective of an innovative software development project or the technological innovation previously defined (your choice). It entails creating a preliminary project proposal for review and approval by the project stakeholders, which include the executive committee and all involved parties.

Complete the following tasks for the Project Proposal:

Initialization Phase
Define the business goals and objectives of the project.
Define the business (or consumer) problem and how the project should solve (or address) it.
Clearly articulate what currently exists (e.g. business processes, product, or service).
Define the project objectives in terms of the business (or consumer) value in a quantifiable way.
Identify the success criteria that are measurable (before and after should be identified).

Planning Phase
Prepare a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) of at least 25 tasks.
Identify the project activities. Divide them into support (upon project completion and prior to closing), operations (on going after project closing), and project work items (during the project).
Estimate the duration (how much effort is required, typically in work hours), timeframe (in days, weeks, or months), and resources (human, technological, or otherwise) required for the task’s completion.
Create a project schedule using Microsoft Word (Click “Insert” à “SmartArt” à “Hierarchy”). Include this project schedule in the Project Proposal document and describe how you prioritized these items and identified risks.
Compile all elements into a Microsoft Word document with appropriate section headings. Ensure that all elements are justified and supported with academic references. These can include those used in previous assignments.

Support your paper with at least two (2) academic peer-reviewed references to support your claims and arguments.

Length: 6 – 8 pages (not including cover page or references)