Simulation Learning Case Study

MECH 896 Winter 2015 Workshop 9: Lessons Learned (rev2)

Queen’s University

MECH 896

Queen’s University

MECH 896

Simulation Learning Objectives:
1) Explore trade-offs among the 3 major project management levers: scope, budget, and schedule.
2) Understand how team skill level, team morale, deadlines, and work quality are interrelated and affected by a project manager's decisions.
3) Recognize the effect of poor-quality work on project outcomes. 4) Understand the importance of appropriately timed changes in allocating resources.
5) React to unanticipated (?) events.
6) Set realistic project objectives.

Simulation Workshop
MECH 896: Week 9 (Mar 19)
Delphi Printer Project Review
Lessons Learned

From the Harvard Business website.

1

Queen’s
Optimize number of meetings, just enough to keep everyone informed, not too many such that they become a waste of time.
Account for temporary drop in productivity when new team members come on board (more coaching)
Keep team size small.
Minimize outsourcing.

Queen’s University

MECH 896

5.0 Important Relationships

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MECH 896

5.0 Important Relationships
1) Possible to be under budget, possible to be ahead of

3)
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Queen’s University

MECH 896

Table 1: Weekly cost per team member

schedule, but rarely can you do both, decide which one is the most important and act accordingly
Weekly budget dictated by: a) team size, b) outsourcing and c) skill level (see chart)
Team’s completion date strongly linked to productivity
Number of mistakes strongly linked to number of project overview and daily standups
Productivity of new members strongly linked to coaching

Queen’s University

2)

Unexpected events:
1) Loss of team members (or team size frozen)
2) Material shortages
3) Mid-project changes in scope
4) Mid-project changes in schedule
5) Technology