KULJEET MGT4104- Midterm Assessment

Algonquin College MGT4104: Project Management Fundamentals Midterm Exam Page 2 of 6 Read the following case study and answer the questions in the spaces following the questions below. The following text is the same as what was distributed earlier. Disney’s Expedition Everest One of the newest thrill rides to open in the Walt Disney World Resort may just be the most impressive. As Disney approached its 50th anniversary, the company wanted to celebrate in a truly special way. What was its idea? Create a park attraction that would in many ways serve as the link between Disney’s amazing past and its promising future. Disney showed that it was ready to pull out all stops in order to get everything just right. In 2006, The Walt Disney Company introduced Expedition Everest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park at Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Expedition Everest is more than just a roller coaster. It is the embodiment of the Disney spirit: a ride that combines Disney’s trademark thrills, unexpected twists and turns, incredible attention to detail, and impressive project management skills. First, let’s consider some of the technical details of Expedition Everest: With a peak of just under 200 feet, the ride is contained within the tallest of 18 mountains created by Disney’s Imagineers at Disney parks worldwide. The ride contains nearly a mile of track, with twists, tight turns, and sudden drops. The Disney team created a Yeti: an enormous, fur covered, Audio Animatronics monster powered by ‐ ‐ a set of hydraulic cylinders whose combined thrust equals that of a Boeing 747 airliner. Through a series of sketches, computer animated drawings, sculptures, and ‐ tests that took more than two years to perfect , Disney created and programmed its Abominable Snowman to stand over 10 feet tall and serve as the focal point of the ride. More than 900 bamboo plants, 10 species of trees, and 110 species of shrubs were planted to re create ‐ the feeling of the Himalayan lowlands surrounding Mount Everest. More than 1,800 tons of steel were used to construct the mountain. The covering of the framework was done using more than 3,000 prefabricated chips created from 25,000 individual computer molded ‐ pieces of steel. To create the proper color schemes, 2,000 gallons of stain and paint were used on rockwork and throughout the village Disney designed to serve as a backdrop for the ride. More than 2,000 handcrafted items from Asia are used as props, cabinetry, and architectural ornamentation. Building an attraction does not come easily or quickly for Disney’s Imagineers. Expedition Everest was several years in development while Disney sent teams, including Walt Disney Imagineering’s Creative Executive Joe Rohde, on repeated trips to the Himalayas in Nepal to study the lands, architecture, colors, ecology, and culture in order to create the most authentic setting for the new attraction. Disney’s efforts reflect a desire to do much more than provide a world class ride experience; they demonstrate ‐ the Imagineers’ eagerness to tell a story—a story that combines the mythology of the Yeti figure with the unique history of the Nepalese living in the shadow of the world’s tallest mountain. Ultimately the attraction, with all its background and thematic elements, took nearly five years to complete.

Algonquin College MGT4104: Project Management Fundamentals Midterm Exam Page 5 of 6 related to labor, materials, technology, and other resources required for project completion. Cost is another constraint that is often fixed or has a limited budget, as companies need to control their expenses. 3. Scope: scope means all the work which is needed to be done. It defines the specific deliverables, features, and objectives of the project. The scope can be variable and negotiable to some extent, allowing for adjustments to project objectives and features during the project's lifecycle. In the case of Disney's Expedition Everest, based on the information provided, variables which are fixed and which are more variable/negotiable are mentioned below: -  Time :more variable/negotiable  In the business case given it says that the attraction, with all its background and thematic elements, took nearly five years to complete. This suggests that the time variable was not strictly fixed, and. The company wanted to open the new ride on its 50th anniversary, and Disney was willing to invest a significant amount of time in development to ensure the attraction's quality.  Cost: more variable/negotiable  it can be seen that more than 1,800 tons of steel were used, 2000 gallons of stain and paint were applied, and over 2,000 handcrafted items from Asia were used as props including More than 900 bamboo plants, 10 species of trees, and 110 species of shrubs. This demonstrates a significant financial investment. There is no specific cost figure mentioned which means the cost variable was likely not strictly fixed, but rather a variable that Disney was willing to invest in to achieve their vision.  Scope: fixed  Disney wants to create some of the most innovative and enjoyable rides in the world Disney which gave authentic and immersive experiences to the guests, as it was the replication of Nepalese culture to the Yeti monster. The scope was carefully defined and detailed in this case, and it is an essential aspect of the project that was probably not highly negotiable. Each and every step was taken with full consideration and perfection. Question #2: Describe the organizational influences that you would need to take into consideration if you were managing this project? Provide supporting information that was learned from the PMBOK, class discussion and jigsaw exercise. (2 points) ANSWER- If I were managing this project than I would consider, the following organization influences. These influences are crucial to ensure successful project management. Here are some of the organizational influences that I will taking into consideration:- 1. Organizational Culture: As in this case , the most important thing is the imagination, on the basis of the imagination they were able to create this project. Including the storytelling and exceptional guest experiences. For Disney’s Imagineers, it was very difficult to do it and they had to be very creative. Its is main part so Project manager(I) must understand and align with this culture to ensure that the project meets Disney's high standards. 2. 2. Expectations of Stakeholders: Disney has many stakeholders, including shareholders, consumers, workers, Imagineers, technicians, guests, and the local community. Each of these groups has different expectations for the project. To preserve stakeholder satisfaction, project manager(i) must identify and manage these expectations.

Algonquin College MGT4104: Project Management Fundamentals Midterm Exam Page 8 of 6 Question #5: Imagine that you were hired as the project manager of the Disney Expedition Everest project and it is your first day on the job. Describe what steps you would take first. (2 points) On my first day as the project manager of the Disney Expedition Everest project, I would take the following steps to ensure a successful start: 1. Project details : I will Review all available project documentation, including the project charter, scope statement, and any historical project data. This will provide a comprehensive understanding of the project's objectives, scope, constraints, and requirements. 2Team Introduction: I will eet with the project team and important stakeholders to introduce myself, build rapport, and learn about their roles and responsibilities. From the start, this will foster a sense of togetherness and teamwork. 3. Project Kickoff Meeting: I will Organise a project kickoff meeting to gather the team and ensure everyone is on the same page with the project's aims and objectives. I would outline the project's goal, scope, and expectations during this discussion, as well as any first queries or concerns. 4. Stakeholder Engagement : i will identify and prioritise internal and external project stakeholders. Begin creating a stakeholder engagement strategy outlining how I will manage and interact with each stakeholder group throughout the project. 5. Risk Assessment: I will start a preliminary risk assessment to identify possible risks and uncertainties that might jeopardise the project's success. This will serve as the foundation for a more complete risk management strategy. 6. Project Planning: I will make planning process, which includes identifying the project scope, objectives, and limitations. This will entail working with the team to create a clear project strategy, timeline, and budget 7 Resource Allocation: I will begin the process of assigning needed resources, including labor and supplies. This involves determining the availability of resources and ensuring that the team have the necessary skills and competences. 8 Communication Plan: I will create an outline of how project information will be gathered, shared, and archived. This strategy will take into account the individual demands of various stakeholders as well as the frequency of communication. 9 Quality Assurance : I will start discussing and outlining the project's quality standards and expectations. Determine the critical quality control methods and inspections that will be necessary throughout project execution. 10 Documentation Management: I will make early project control methods for tracking project progress, performance, and budget. This might entail putting in place project management software and tools.

Algonquin College MGT4104: Project Management Fundamentals Midterm Exam Page 11 of 6 Question #8: Using the following task list, calculate the critical path of the Disney Expedition Everest project. Show your work by providing your network diagram. You may use a drawing application to produce your network diagram, draw it on paper and paste a photo of your drawing here, or use PowerPoint or Visio. Ensure that you explicitly state the critical path of your project and show your work. (4 points) Task ID Task Duration Predecessor 1 Plan Expedition Everest project 10 months 2 Research Nepal Environment and Artifacts 8 months 1 3 Design Mountain 6 months 1 4 Design Roller Coaster 10 months 3 5 Design Yeti 8 months 4 6 Design Village 4 months 2 7 Approve Design 1 month 3, 4, 5, 6 8 Construct Mountain 14 months 7 9 Construct Roller Coaster 12 months 8 10 Construct Yeti 12 months 9