Case Study – Boutique Build Australia

 

For the purpose of this assessment, you are to assume you are a Senior Project Manager of IT Biz Solutions, which offers a wide range of Information and Computer Technology services to businesses of all sizes. The company often manages projects for clients, following its Project Management Policy and Procedures at all times.

You have been assigned a new client, Judith Lee, who is the CEO of Boutique Build Australia, based in Sydney.

Established in 2010, Boutique Build Australia is a small building company specialising in the design and building of high-quality designer homes for the Sydney metropolitan and surrounding areas.

The company’s overall business objectives for the next three years are to expand into Queensland and to set up and operate a permanent model home.

The company is currently quite small in size and everyone except for the site managers work in the same building. At this stage the business is using an old server which often has problems. Management have preferred not to upgrade their systems as they did not believe it was worth the expense and everyone just ‘got on’ with any software of hardware issues. Anything ‘dramatic’ required a tech from IT Biz Solutions to come and address.

Staff have been saving their documentation on their hard drives, which is against procedure. This process has in some cases led to data loss and file corruption. Recently there was a situation in which data in a client’s directory was corrupted. This information was being held on one of the Customer Service Officer’s laptops and had not been copied to the server. The client was not impressed at the loss of data that they needed to resend to Boutique Build, and they questioned the organisation’s IT processes. It took some days to obtain information from suppliers and other sources to replace what was corrupt.

Management realised that this mistake was quite costly in terms of their reputation and the time that was wasted in gathering all the required information. They decided to contract IT Biz Solutions to implement new hardware and software, with a focus on applications that will allow the team to work remotely – as they are looking to expand interstate, they will need effective systems to keep the business running and keep all staff connected.

 

Information required to complete Section 1 of your Portfolio

Email from Operations Manager

Re: IT project initiation

Judith has requested that I present to you a range of issues and concerns that have been raised by the Boutique Build team (and myself) in regards to our current systems and hardware.

Customer Service

There has been some absenteeism in customer service due to issues related to poor workstation ergonomics. Workstations have been replaced recently. However, the team are using monitors of around 21 inches or less, which has led to eyestrain and headaches. Ben’s screen is larger than the other two and this has been some cause of contention between the trio. All three screens need to be replaced as the displays are poor quality.

Computers are slow and team cannot access information quickly. There have been embarrassing incidents with customers and suppliers that have led to loss of business in one case.

Accounts

The Accounts Manager has requested installation of MYOB for several months. Data loss led to this change request.

I personally agree that a cloud-based system would be best for finances but I do not believe that Xero, as preferred by Judith, is the best option.

Site Managers

Even though Site Managers have Internet access, they cannot connect to our information and data when out of the office. They do not have capability to upload information received when out of the office. They have to prepare prior to site visits and make sure they have downloaded the required information from the server before they leave.

If they forget a file, they have to contact customer service and request the file to be sent via email.

This is a wasteful process and interrupts the customer service staff from their own duties. It also goes against our policy of efficient and timely customer service.

Software

I have noted that all machines have Windows 10 installed. One of our customer service staff tells me that this is one of the many reasons why our computers are so slow – many struggle to process the operating system’s requirements.

Dropbox or similar would be the best program to implement so that everyone can easily access files both on and off site. This is particularly important with the expansion into Queensland and the model that is to be constructed.

Miscellaneous

We would like one person from our staff to be involved in the project in some regard. We believe this will assist with staff training in future. Ben Nguyen can potentially assist with data migration or other software-related aspects of the project. Judith believes he is very proficient with software. Furthermore, Ben has been quite vocal about the IT issues for some time and as our informal IT ‘help desk’ person, is fully aware of how programs can be set up for the customer service team.

Kind regards

Ishtar Kahn

Operations Manager

Boutique Build Australia

Email from Site Manager

Re: Site Manager feedback

Please find below feedback from the three Site Managers of Boutique Build in regards to this potential project. Most feedback relates to the fact that we are all out of the office for long periods of the day and must plan ahead in regards to our documentation needs. This is a tedious process and needs to be ceased.

• All Site Managers are able to communicate effectively with clients, suppliers and colleagues when out of the office.
• Site Managers are using a mixture of iPads and Android tablets that are painfully slow and at least several years old.
• One tablet (Android) is no longer supported by operating system updates.
• It’s not clear whether the iPads are still receiving updates.
• Site Managers cannot access to client files and other required documentation when offsite.
• The current process to obtain files when out of the office is time consuming and unfair to customer service.
• A project management system is needed urgently, as we need to be able to input data as we receive it.
• All information is currently saved in a database and spreadsheet. This cannot be accessed outside of the office.

With thanks

Ingrid Kowalski

Site Manager

Boutique Build Australia

 

 

Information provided by Judith Lee (remember it is important to understand that, as often occurs with clients, there may be some disconnect or incompatibility with her expectations or needs and what is best for optimal performance).

Background information to the company:

• Boutique Build Australia was established as a very small business with five staff.
• Very few of the original staff were technically minded.
• Purchasing good quality IT resources was not a priority.
• Budget constraints at start up prevented them from spending much money in this area.
• Over time and as the business became more successful, staff in management roles received new hardware.
• The old hardware was handed down to other staff.
• Customer service are working on slow and outdated machines that often give error messages, take a long time to start up and shut down.

Business needs are:

• An IT system is required that will take into consideration the interstate expansion and the permanent model home – at this point remote working for staff is not possible due to lack of cloud-based systems and hardware that is running slowly
• A Sales Manager will be working out of the model home location. This may be three days a week, has yet to been confirmed
• The Sales Manager has not been hired but this will occur within the next six months to assist with business expansion
• You do not want staff to be impacted by migration activities, although you are agreeable to staff finishing early by two hours once a week if it speeds up project work.
• At least one potential client has been lost this quarter and she believes it is due to the poor service provided due to outdated systems and hardware.

Hardware:

• You want all customer service staff to have new desktop computers, preferably all in ones but will consider those with a ‘tower’
• All managers (except for the Customer Service Manager) are to have new laptops – this includes the future Sales Manager and yourself
• You like the idea of Surface Pros because they look smart and professional and look lightweight and practical, but you are open to other options if they do not meet requirements or there are better options re cost
• All three customer service officers will need new monitors – they have been given ‘hand-me-downs’ – you are not fussed on brand but you would rather screen sizes larger than 23 inches as these staff are on 21 inch screens.

Phones:

• You know the personal phone usage is an issue and will be personally organising business mobile phone plans for all managers, so this aspect is not part of the project scope

Network:

• A technician from IT Biz Solutions technician came to update the hardware and networking capability six months ago when they moved into the building, there is no change required
• NBN Internet connection is stable and fast (confirmed by the technician)

Software:

• MYOB is the current system for accounting
• It is installed on the Account Manager’s desktop
• It is an old version as they have not upgraded in a number of years
• You like the look of Xero and have heard it is easier to use
• The Accounts Manager does not want to change from MYOB as they believe it has better options for overall business finances
• A project management system is required – you have limited understanding of these applications and would simply like one that works ‘on the Internet’
• The company requires Microsoft Office and does not wish to use any other office applications
• Everyone is still using Office 2010
• The anti-virus system is okay and does its job (Norton)
• If a cheaper option can be recommended that is as secure or better than Norton, you are happy to change

There is a budget of $40,000. This figure is not negotiable to a higher amount.

 

 

 

 

Organisation Chart

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roles and responsibilities

Role	Name	Responsibilities
CEO	Judith Lee	Company success
Operations Manager	Ishtar Kahn	Plan and direct operations and improve productivity and efficiency
HR Manager	Erin Close	Co-ordinate human resources activities
Marketing and Sales Manager	Susan Morgan	Oversee marketing, advertising and sales activities
Customer Service Manager	Lucas Ngan	Team coordination and training
Customer Service Officers	Ben Nguyen Sasha Quinn Salma Vallin	Liaise with customers and suppliers
Site Manager	Ingrid Kowalski	Coordinate employees and subcontractors
Site Manager	Anwar Chen	Coordinate employees and subcontractors
Site Manager	Manuel Hermes	Coordinate employees and subcontractors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Executive Summary

Established in 2010, Boutique Build Australia is a building company specialising in the design and building of high-quality designer homes for the Sydney metropolitan and surrounding areas.

Our vision – to be the best home builder in Australia – drives everything we do, from the friendly greeting we give to customers at our display centre, to our supplier relationships and to our employees’ professional development.

Vision

To be the best quality home builder in Australia.

Our values are:

The core values underpinning our activities are:

• Quality
• Innovation
• Leadership
• Respect
• Honesty and reliability

Our policies:

In order to meet our core values, we have policies in these areas:

• Quality control
• High-quality and timely customer service
• Continuous improvement
• Customer complaints and feedback
• Respectful, sensitive and transparent work practices
• Work health and safety, to protect our staff and our customers
• Compliance against relevant Australian Standards, state and federal legislation and regulations

Strategic Goals

To be well led, high performing, profitable and accountable

• Ensure that all financial operations, performance indicators and results support the strategic policies
• Identify new and expand existing sources of revenue
• Achieve profits of at least 10% per annum
• Increase sales of homes in current Sydney market by 10% per annum over the next three years
• Establish a presence in Queensland and build at least 100 new homes in Brisbane and its surrounding areas during the period of the Strategic Plan, beginning 2020
• Plan expansion into other Australian states and territories during the second half of 2021.

Set up and operate a permanent model home

• Give potential customers the experience of being in a high-quality home
• Demonstrate new environmentally friendly building techniques
• Provide a point of reference for customers
• Improve brand recognition.

Attract, engage and develop the best staff

• Continuing the drive to a customer centred, high performance workforce and culture
• Strengthening the skills of our people, to better support customer needs
• Continuing to enhance the diversity of our workforce.

Situation Analysis

Strengths	Weaknesses
·           Value and quality ·           Strong management ·           Customer loyalty ·           Friendly organisational culture ·           Level of available finance for investment	·           Focus on Sydney market only ·           Brand name not developed as yet ·           High turnover of casual workforce ·           Poor IT infrastructure ·           Lack of diversity in workforce
Opportunities	Threats
·           Housing sector experiencing growth ·           Potential for growth in Brisbane and Sunshine Coast market ·           Innovation in environmental housing ·           Many advertising channels unexplored	·           Environmental effects ·           Changes in Industry/ Government legislation affecting construction industry ·           Possible adverse effects of government policy formulation ·           High level of competition ·           Predicted uncertainties in the world economy impacting level of demand for housing ·           Low price competitors ·           Failing to satisfy client demands

Marketing Strategies

Our marketing strategies aim to:

• build trust
• generate leads now and convert those leads quickly
• demonstrate our commitment to deeper customer engagement.

We plan to develop our market share by:

• Improving our marketing and advertising
• Setting up a permanent model home near a popular shopping centre to increase interaction with potential customers.
• Placing brand recognition advertisements in the Sydney Domain Magazine
• Continually improving communication channels with all our stakeholders, ensuring a flow of timely and accurate information to facilitate effective planning and decision making
• Targeting identified growth markets with planned, market appropriate campaigns employing a variety of promotional strategies and advertising mediums
• Offering attractive fee structures to our clients
• Continually improving the skills, knowledge and effectiveness of Boutique Build Australia through our commitment to training and development
• Regularly reviewing the effectiveness of all our operations and making improvements when and where necessary.

 

 

Business Case Template

Boutique Build Business Case

• Executive Summary

Summarise the purpose of this document; provide a brief outline of the issue/s and how the project will help Boutique Build meet its goals and objectives; document the values, policies and processes of Boutique Build that relate to this project.

• Key stakeholders

Document the key stakeholders who were consulted with.

• Stakeholder needs

Document the needs identified.      

• Problem statement

Document the problem statement.

• Solutions approach
  • Options

Identify at least two other options and address benefits, disadvantages/risks and costs; include the core technology required for each option with consideration of current digital trends.

• Comparisons

Compare each option.

• Recommended option

Document the recommended option.

• Project overview
  • Project description

Describe the approach used to address the problem; explain project methodology to be implemented, core technology required of the project.

• Project commencement date

To be determined.

• Goals and objectives

Document goals and objectives of the project and how they will be achieved.

• Impact on organisation

Document how the project will change the organisation’s processes and its benefits.

 

• Project budget

Document the total budget.

• Project performance

Document how project performance will be monitored.

• Project assumptions

Identify at least two assumptions.

• Project constraints

Identify at least three constraints.

• Major milestones

Identify the major milestones for the project.

• Technology and data migration

Document the approach to technology and data migration.

• Cost–benefit analysis

Document the cost–benefit analysis of each of the two options.

• Outcomes

Document the outcomes once the Business Case has been communicated to the CEO.

• Sign off

The signature/s below indicate that this Business Case has been reviewed by the relevant personnel and approval has been given to proceed to develop the project.

 

 

Approved by:

 

Title:

 

Signature:

 

Date:

Information required to complete Section 2 of your Portfolio

Review the IT Biz Solutions Team document and choose three people to join your team.

Remember that a good team is one that complements each other yet ensures a range of skills and knowledge, both technical and non-technical. Also consider group dynamics when choosing your team.

You will need:

• One Assistant Project Manager
• One Hardware Specialist
• One Software Specialist

Also note that Judith and Ishtar have requested that Ben is able to support the team with software installation and account set up. They would also like to see him involved in administrative activities, including:

• Documenting meeting minutes
• Documenting serial numbers and product keys and of all Boutique Build hardware and software
• Helping to liaise with suppliers (to establish a relationship between Boutique Build and the suppliers)

IT Biz Solutions Team

Project Team Managers are to select from the following project team staff.

Where project team needs exceed the number of internal staff, IT Biz Solutions will take necessary steps to employ suitable temporary staff.

This document is confidential and must be distributed among staff other than the Leadership Team and the Senior IT Project Managers.

For this project there must be at least:

• One Assistant Project Manager
• One Hardware Specialist
• One Software Specialist

Name	Area of speciality	Strengths	Considerations
Roy Belk	Software	Team player, always supports others Happy to share knowledge Broad knowledge of different applications, however specialises in project management software	May often be distracting to other team members Will need following up to ensure documentation and schedules are kept current May forget to impart specific details
Dani Chen	Software	Team player Specialises in databases and website development Recent graduate	New to the company Has met all requirements of their job role so far
Maurice Berry	Software	Excellent knowledge of most office apps Highly efficient Fast learner	Very structured Can be difficult when working with others especially during high stress periods Best working alone Despite being structured, can miss timeframes due to perfectionist traits
Zakary Pineda	Hardware	Has established good relationships with vendors Appears to be easy going nature Good relationship established with Roy and Dani	New to company, replacing Martha Has missed one milestone however this was determined to be due to poor project communication and planning Feedback thus far is positive
Martha Johannsson	Hardware	Long-term employee Efficient Respected by all team members	Retiring from company in [two weeks after project start date]
Jen Moss	Networking		Vibrant Can come across as overbearing or bossy
Roland Morris	Project management	Excellent at time management Excellent at managing budgets Effective communicator	Assistant project management roles only Has been with company for 7 months Has clashed with Maurice in the past
Muhammad Patel	Client support/ help desk	Excellent at understanding client needs Great communicator	Lacks time management skills May be found to be too overbearing for some quieter or more aloof personalities
Ali Reynholm	Project administration	Proficient in many applications Note taker Keeps team organised Excellent at documenting financial information	Does not work well with those who are disorganised Comes across as abrupt to newcomers Takes time to warm up to new people May not be required for small projects