...Project Management Orion Shield Project Case Study Helen Turner UMUC Executive Summary: The basic concepts of project management calls for proper planning, organization and the management of a variety of resources in order to successfully achieve a certain goal. The most important job of a project management is to deliver results within time constraints as well as according to a budget. Effective project managers strategically facilitate the entire project management process to ensure the project’s success. To do this the project manager must adequately meet the specific requirements (i.e., time, scope, quality, and cost) set forth by the project and its stakeholders. Project control is essential but if implemented incorrectly it can have devastating effects on the outcome of a project. Incorrect implementation of project control was the ultimate downfall for Gary Allison. The technical, ethical, legal, contractual and communication issues of project management will be discussed as they pertain to the Orion Shield Project. A thorough analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of Gary Allison will also be discussed. Technical Issues . Gary recognized the presence of technical issues during the initiating stage of the project. According to the request for proposal (RFP) released by Space Technologies Industries (STI), the technical specification required that the design should be able to operate at temperatures ranging...
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...handled. In the case of the Orion Shield Project, which is an R&D, 10 Month, Fixed Price Incentive Fee (FPIP), 2.2 Million contract most of those facets ended up resulting in failures completed not only by the sub-contractor, Scientific Engineering Corporation (SEC), but by the prime contractor, Space Technology Industries (STI), as well. Primarily the Orion Shield Project case follows that of Gary Allison, an inexperienced project manager with SEC who follows the corrupt advice of Henry Larson, an SEC executive. With an inexperienced project manager, and a corrupt advisor the Orion Shield Project has multiple problems to include those of technical, ethical, legal, contractual, and managerial. Introduction In order to be a well-rounded project manager one must not only have the technical, but administrative and organizational background. Another imperative characteristic a project manager, especially those in the research and development (R&D), is that they “work well under pressure and are comfortable with Change and complexity in dynamic environments (Who are Project Managers, pmi.org).” A good outline to follow in project management is known as the project management triangle, consisting of scope, cost, and time, and in the instance of the Orion Shield Project, all three areas were botched. In order to understand the points of failure, one must have a background of the project. Space Technology Industries (STI) won a contract from NASA called the Orion Shield Project, in...
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...The Orion Shield Project Robert E. King University of Maryland, University College DMBA 620 - Effective Financial and Operational Decision Making Professor Daniel Sersland 29 March, 2015 Orion Shield Project Robert King 2 Executive Summary Inside the Orion Shield project case study, varying degrees of issues are seen during every aspect of its existence. These include technical, ethical, contractual, as well as legal issues which ultimately limited the success of this project from the beginning. Gary Allison was the incorrect choice as a project manager for this project. His inexperience in this type of management jeopardized the contract, and has placed SEC under possible litigation by his actions throughout the project. Gary wasted valuable time and resources during his tenure as a project manager, and failed to provide himself with enough time to properly manage the technical design and development of the components for STI. As such, Gary was even blindsided when it was discovered that Henry Larson was testing new materials with Paula Arnold without Gary having approved or even known about the changes. This led to more scheduling, resting, and development issues down the road, and ultimately was the catalyst for going over budget on this product. Ethical issues persisted throughout this project, from Gary’s selection as an engineer which Henry could manipulate in order to allow Henry to run the project as his “Baby”, while leaving all liability...
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...Scientiic Engineering Corporation (SEC). He worked as a project engineer for the last 14 years but was given the opportunity to become a project manager from his boss Henry Larsen. The project name was Orion Shield which Gary’s boss was very excited about, as he believed the project would “take him to the top”. Gary soon would find out that even though he was a very good engineer, he was a horrible project manager almost costing the success of the project and the company as a whole. Gary could have avoided this by improving his communication and by following the five project management groups. I believe that he would have been more successful as a project manager and might have enjoyed it much more than he did. Technical In the Orion Shield Project Gary faced a lot of technical issues that was one of the causes of him not being a good project manager. He has a technical background, as he was a very successful project engineer doing mechanical work for Scientific Engineering Corporation (SEC). With a lot of effort and his excellent communication skills Gary was offered a promotion, which he accepted but later regretted his decision. I believe that one of the many mistakes he made was that he was relying too much on his previous knowledge of being an engineer. For example, the case states “Gary decided to let the other project office personnel handle the administrative work and run weekly team meetings. He asked Paula to work with him in the research lab until they got acceptable...
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...The Orion Shield Project Case Study An Analysis of What Went Wrong University of Maryland University College Author Note This paper was prepared for AMBA 640, Section 113, taught by Professor Executive Summary Project management is the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently as defined from the Project Management Institute (PMI, 2008). It is a calculated proficiency for organizations enabling them to tie project results to business goals and improve chances to compete in their respective markets. Project management processes fall into five competency groups which are initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing that ensures a project’s success. The Project Manager must possess certain skills to manage a process. A Project manager must also be able to manage time, quality and scope resourcefully. This paper will analyze the performance of Gary Allison, an engineer whose first project as a Project manager was to head up the Orion Shield Project. There were many issues that made this project a near failure. I will address the technical, ethical, legal, and contractual issues that affect his performance and critique his reactions to these matters. I will conclude my analysis with a reasonable deduction of what competencies Gary lacks that would make him a more effective project manager. Introduction The Orion Shield Project is the creation of tiles that are part of...
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...Week 2 – Individual Assignment The Orion Shield Project Case Study Executive Summary: A good project management plan takes some preparation. In the case study of The Orion Shield Project that preparation never seemed to occur. From the beginning, the project was plagued with the subcontractor, Scientific Engineering Corporation (SEC), bidding for a project that they knew their current product would not be able to do. The case study shows the actions of an inexperienced professional, his poor planning methods, unethical decision skills and inability to manage a project to completion. While the project was looked at as a success, ultimately it was doomed from the start. There was specification issues that initially concerned Gary Allison, SEC’s project manager, but he was told by the Director of Engineering, Henry Larsen, that this wasn’t a big issue. By the project manager lying to the primary contractor, Space Technology Institute (STI), this created an unethical work environment from the start. There are various issues throughout the project such as contractual, legal, technical and ethical issues. A project manager should be concerned with time and cost, however, Gary was concerned mainly about his new career and promotion. With the stakeholders waiting for a complete project and funding on the line, the project team continuously upset STI until the primary contractor made a decision to work more closely with SEC to ensure accuracy. With good project management skills,...
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...Executive Summary: The Orion Shield Project is a practical story of a newly appointed project manager whose poor leadership, unbalanced actions and unethical decision resulted in almost failing a project of manufacturing a Shuttle Launch Booster component for NASA. While the project was originally subcontracted by another company, it eventually produced a product that met most of the requirements, but the project was overwhelmed by many technical, ethical, legal, contractual and other project management challenges that caused cost overruns, strained internal relationships and customer distrust and dissatisfaction. These serious issues could be properly addressed with adequate management support, effective training, timely communication, and proper software tools which are vital for any project success. Thus the project could meet all its requirements as well as the internal and external stakeholder satisfaction. Introduction: The Orion Shield Project is a practical story of a newly appointed project manager whose poor leadership, unbalanced actions and unethical decision resulted in almost failing a project of manufacturing a Shuttle Launch Booster component for NASA. While the project was originally subcontracted by another company, it eventually produced a product that met most of the requirements, but the project was overwhelmed by many technical, ethical, legal, contractual and other project management challenges that could have resulted to fail it. However, it did result...
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...Orion Shield Project Case Study Executive Summary Scientific Engineering Corporation (SEC) is competing for the contract of the Orion Shield Project, funded by Space Technology Industries (STI). Henry Larsen, the director of engineering at SEC has insisted on having Gary, an engineer with no previous managerial skills, be the program manager. Over the last 14 years Gary had established a reputation as a respected and talented project engineer; he has never managed a project before. Henry Larsen chose Gary to be the project manager, because he thought Gary could be easily manipulated and would not challenge Larsen’s unethical ways. This case study explores the ethical, technical, legal, contractual and other project management issues faced by Gary in the execution of the project. Gary spent more time working directly on the project rather than managing the project, ignoring his new job description. There were many oversights and failures by the two of them that lead to a delay in project timelines and created cost over-runs. Trust issues between the client and SEC began to arise when Gary failed to divulge the necessary information to his stakeholders. The project was mishandled by SEC and the client is very unhappy. Gary’s first attempt at project managing isn’t what he expected. 1.) Are there any valid reasons for Henry Larsen to suggest that SEC’s proposal should state that it expected to be able to meet the specified performance standard? Yes, there are valid...
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...QUANTUM COMPUTER BY QUANTUM MATHEMATICS Research Assistant: Quantum Mathematics Research and Development Private Limited. HaritaBhargava haritabhargava@ymail.com Abstract-. India gives its greatest contribution toward Intellectual property in form of SANHKYA YOGA. We know very new name of INDIA by BHARAT IT gives us necessary clue. BHA = LIGHT + KNOWLEDGERATA = DEVOTED So BHARAT means DEVOTED to LIGHT & KNOWLEDGE. The model for which modern science search is already available in SANKHYA YOGA. Sankhya yoga like INTELLECTUALPROPERTY is unparallel in the world. Sankhya is a philosophical doctrine which counts the categories which constitute this world. Computer science gives it the name “DIGITAL DECADE”. Cosmology presents it in name of “UNCERTANITY PRINCIPLE” IT is being researched in the form of Quantum (wave & particle) in physics department. In future, it will be known as Medical compiler. [R4] Terms and condition : INNOVATION – RESPECT IT Under the WTO provision of TRIPS I. INTRODUCTION Article 8.1 - That agreement is to be put into effect by member countries through implementing laws. The provision of the agreement is addressed to member countries. It does not directly modify the legal sanction of private parties, who cannot claim rights based on the agreement until they are translated into national law. Article 9.2 - The concept of fair use seeks to balance granting authors sufficient incentives to create new works against the interest of the public and future...
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...QUANTUM COMPUTER BY QUANTUM MATHEMATICS Research Assistant: Quantum Mathematics Research and Development Private Limited. HaritaBhargava haritabhargava@ymail.com Abstract-. India gives its greatest contribution toward Intellectual property in form of SANHKYA YOGA. We know very new name of INDIA by BHARAT IT gives us necessary clue. BHA = LIGHT + KNOWLEDGERATA = DEVOTED So BHARAT means DEVOTED to LIGHT & KNOWLEDGE. The model for which modern science search is already available in SANKHYA YOGA. Sankhya yoga like INTELLECTUALPROPERTY is unparallel in the world. Sankhya is a philosophical doctrine which counts the categories which constitute this world. Computer science gives it the name “DIGITAL DECADE”. Cosmology presents it in name of “UNCERTANITY PRINCIPLE” IT is being researched in the form of Quantum (wave & particle) in physics department. In future, it will be known as Medical compiler. [R4] Terms and condition : INNOVATION – RESPECT IT Under the WTO provision of TRIPS I. INTRODUCTION Article 8.1 - That agreement is to be put into effect by member countries through implementing laws. The provision of the agreement is addressed to member countries. It does not directly modify the legal sanction of private parties, who cannot claim rights based on the agreement until they are translated into national law. Article 9.2 - The concept of fair use seeks to balance granting authors sufficient incentives to create new works against the interest of the public and future...
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...Individual Team Assignment Case Analysis of the Orion Shield Project Dennis J Paffrath April 18, 2013 AMBA 640 Professor Marsh 1 Table of Content Executive Summary…………………………………………………………….3 Technical Issues…………………………………………………………………5 Initiating Process Group…………………………………………………5 Planning Process Group…………………………………………………5 Executing Process Group………………………………………………..10 Monitoring and Controlling Process Group…………………………….11 Closing Process Group………………………………………………….14 Ethical Issues……………………………………………………………………15 Legal and Contractual…………………………………………………………..16 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………17 References………………………………………………………………………18 2 Executive Summary K. Schwalbe (2012) has provided a basic understanding of what project management is and explains that it requires planning and use and management of organizational resources in order to complete a project within the required time, scope and cost. Project managers must understand that one of the most important aspects of project management is to complete a project with a successful delivery of the product while ensuring that it is within the required timeline and within the resources allocated to the project. Therefore, it is imperative that the managing of a project makes efficient use of time, resources, cost, risk, quality and scope. By understanding these constraints, the project manager will be able to successfully complete the project. In reviewing the Orion Shield project case, it is very clear that the Scientific...
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...Orion Shield Project Analysis Emoke de Kun AMBA 640 Professor Larry Williams July 16, 2013 Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Contractual Issues 4-5 Technical Issues 5-6 Ethical and Legal Issues 6-7 Project Management Issues 8 Conclusion 9 References 10 Executive Summary The purpose of this paper is to analyze the implications that Gary Larsen was faced with as project manager in the Orion Shield Project Case Study. Gary Larsen, who was chosen as project manager was faced with many hurdles and his inexperience as the project manager definitely had negative implications on the triple constraints of the project: scope, time and cost. In this paper, I will address the problems Gary Allison faced: contractual, legal, ethical, technical and project management. Henry Larsen chose Gary Allison to be project manager, knowing full well he did not have the knowledge, nor the know-how to be a project manager, especially of such a big project. I will address Henry Larsen’s unethical behavior and poor leadership skills as well. Henry Larsen tried to put all the blame on his project manager, but he as a sponsor was practically absent and let the project get totally out of control. My recommendation would be to have a project manager with experience and proper leadership skills who...
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...early?.............................. 8 b. competition’s role understood ............... 11 c. competition, participation, and fun......... 12 d. not enough?........................................ 14 IV. WHAT CAN WE CONCLUDE?.................... 15 V. THE MICROWORLD OF PARTICIPATION...... 17 VI. APPENDIX A......................................... 19 a. Shields and Bredemeier...................... 19 a.1. moral maturity: what are psychologists looking for?............ 22 a.2. game thinking............................. 24 a.3. moral confusion........................... 25 b. Stoll, Lumpkin, Beller, and Hahm.............. 27 It has been recognized for centuries that sport can contribute to education values that make for the development of character and right social relations . . . . [Within this contribution] there are many intertwined and interwoven threads of influences, subtle and not always easy to analyze. But sportsmen who year by year have contact with the playing of amateur games do not need to be convinced by argument of the validity of . . . [sport’s contribution]. Kennedy, 19311 Sport studies scholars . . . [present sports as a] major source of . . . [social] problems . . . . [But most] athletes, coaches, parents, youth sports...
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...2012: Beginning of the End or Why the World Won't End? 12.22.11 Scenes from the motion picture "2012." Courtesy Columbia Pictures. Remember the Y2K scare? It came and went without much of a whimper because of adequate planning and analysis of the situation. Impressive movie special effects aside, Dec. 21, 2012, won't be the end of the world as we know. It will, however, be another winter solstice. Much like Y2K, 2012 has been analyzed and the science of the end of the Earth thoroughly studied. Contrary to some of the common beliefs out there, the science behind the end of the world quickly unravels when pinned down to the 2012 timeline. Below, NASA Scientists answer several questions that we're frequently asked regarding 2012. Question (Q): Are there any threats to the Earth in 2012? Many Internet websites say the world will end in December 2012. Answer (A): Nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012. Q: What is the origin of the prediction that the world will end in 2012? A: The story started with claims that Nibiru, a supposed planet discovered by the Sumerians, is headed toward Earth. This catastrophe was initially predicted for May 2003, but when nothing happened the doomsday date was moved forward to December 2012. Then these two fables were linked to the end of one of the cycles in the ancient Mayan calendar at the winter...
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...Customer Information Strategy Convergys Case 1. Convergys, a leader in contract-based business process outsourcing services, has been successful in acquiring high-profile customers (e.g. Verizon, FedEx & Starbucks, among others) across a wide variety of industries. Despite Convergys’ impressive customer list, the company has seen its operating margin decrease about 20% over the past 5 years. Key decision makers within the company believe that this decline is due, at least in part, to issues relating to client retention and acquisition strategies. At present, Convergys classifies its customer accounts into 3 tiers: A, B & C. “A” customers are considered to be of highest value, followed by “B” and “C” customers. Although the idea of internally segmenting customers to most effectively allocate company resources (to maximize profit) is sound, the segmentation strategy ought to be well designed and it must incorporate metrics that reflect specific attributes of the industries being served, while at the same time aligning with Convergys’ overall philosophy and business objectives (such as growth, for example). As evidenced by the continuous decline in Convergys’ operating margins over the past 5 years, contrasted with the high quality service it provides and the growth of the specific companies and industries it services, it is apparent that Convergys’ approach to growth is not particularly effective. In this case analysis, we will provide recommendations on strategies Convergys...
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