Reflective Essay on the Development of the Scope Management Plan

Document Type:Essay

Subject Area:Management

Document 1

The team completed the project using the agile method with Scrum, work breakdown structure (WBS), and Gantt chart as specific tools. Notably, the utilization of these tools gave the team an opportunity to understand project development in detail and the advantages and disadvantages of using different approaches. In this essay, the team reflects on the project process and compares its experience of using the three tools to what relevant literature says concerning them. Scrum, WBS, and the Gantt chart made it possible for the team to complete the project successfully. Agile Method For this project, the team used the agile method, which is a particular approach to project management. Overview of Literature Scrum is a simple framework that people can and often use to address complex adaptive problems.

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Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, the co-creators of this framework, intended it to help people deliver products of the highest possible value creatively and productively (Darwish& Megahed, 2016). The co-creators of Scrum believe that this framework is lightweight, simple to understand, and challenging to master. One can look at Scrum as a big collection of components that people have interwoven together to help in the management of projects and delivery of results. Additionally, while scrum utilizes a scientific method of empiricism, it is itself not a methodology. Over time, the uses of the Scrum framework have changed. In its formative years, people utilized Scrum for project development and management only. However, from the early 1990s, people the world over have used Scrum for many things.

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For instance, they have used Scrum to do a wide variety of research, some of which have identified viable markets, products, and technologies (Darwish& Megahed, 2016) People also use Scrum to develop new products or enhance existing ones. As times goes by, market dynamics (especially customer needs and industry competition) shift. The framework also made the Senet team understand the efficacy of its product management and work techniques, thereby helping it improve. For instance, with Scrum, the team was able to enhance the working environment and the project outcome continuously. By working on the interactive education game project, the team also realized the importance of courage, openness, focus, respect, and commitment to the successful utilization of Scrum. During the project, the team members realized the importance of courage, that is, working on the right things and not fearing tough problems.

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The team also realized the importance of being open especially about the issues affecting the project. What the team learned from this process is that there is no limit to what Scrum can do. The pieces of information about Scrum that the team gathered over time is consistent with what literature says. The team found the infinite applicability of Scrum the reason why people say this framework is difficult to master. Comparison with the Work Breakdown Structure An effective comparison of the team’s experience with what literature says about the WBS has to have two parts. The first will provide an overview of the WBS to understand what literature says about it and the second will compare the team’s experience to that information.

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Within the work breakdown structure, the top-most deliverable is the project itself (Harrison& Lock, 2017). For instance, the top-most deliverable in a work breakdown structure of constructing a house is a completed building with all the necessary elements. The project team then decomposes the projects into smaller deliverables that contribute to the project completion. Taking time to identify these smaller deliverables and define their contribution to the success of the project is the key to completing the work on time and within the budget. In this regard, the project team creates the work breakdown structure by first identifying the major functional deliverables of the project. For one, the work breakdown structure helped the team to organize its work into manageable sections. During planning for the project, the team identified functional areas that sat at the core of the project.

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Once it had identified these areas, the team assigned them to different individuals based on their skills, talents, and experience. By so doing, the team was able to work collaboratively and to complete the project following existing deadlines and resources. Had it not divided the project into different components and assigned each part to a specialized individual, the team would have compromised the quality of the output in addition to finishing the project late and out of the schedule. Overview of What Literature Says The Gant chart is a tool that project teams to display activities (project tasks) against time. The chart has two variables: a list of the activities on the left and a time scale along the top. A bar represents each activity, and the position and length of the bar is a reflection of the start date, duration, and end date (Slack, 2015).

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The nature of the Gantt chart is such that it allows users to see at a glance the various activities associated with the project, their start and finish dates, duration, and schedule. The Gantt chart also shows where different activities overlap and to what extent (Nakamura, Kaneko, Okada, Yin, & Ogata, 2015). It was by developing the Gantt chart that the team understood the time required for each project. The team then used the knowledge it had to ensure the completion of the project according to the deadlines provided. Had it not been for the Gantt chart, the team would not have understood what it takes to complete the work on time. It is likely that the team would have completed the project late if it did not have the Gantt chart because some members would have made their submissions late.

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The Gantt chart also helped the team to monitor the project progress and to ensure the appropriate utilization of resources. The team used the agile methodology for the project, with the work breakdown structure, the Gantt chart, and Scrum serving as specific tools. Existing literature says a lot of interesting things about these three tools. However, looking at the team’s experience, most of the things that literature says about Scrum, WBS, and Gantt chart are true. The tea was able to experience these tools first-hand and to confirm that they have the characteristics that literature has ascribed to them. Scrum helped the team determine proper project techniques, the WBS contributed to member accountability, and the Gantt chart ensured proper allocation of time and resources.

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