Scope of Work: A company wants to seek customer opinion on a new product, they have launched in the market. They want to carry out a survey to get the information from customers.
Objective: the objective of the project is to understand customer feed back on their new product. This will help in understanding the problems if any and areas of improvement to make the product more consumers friendly and also to improve upon the negative aspects to be highlighted at the end of project [ CITATION pro11 \l 1033 ].
Target Market: Customers who are using the product, company’s management who was involved in designing the strategy for making and launching the product, and sales staff will be the targeted respondents. A total of 150 respondents will be covered from five major areas of the city. Five in-depth interviews with company’s management and one focus group discussion will be carried out to gather the information. Customer data base from retail stores will be collected and equal respondents from all five major locations will be shortlisted for interview.
Time Frame: the project is to be completed in five weeks. First week will be for secondary research and for designing the research tools. Second week will be for selection of researchers, training of researchers, pilot testing of research tools and to make necessary changes. Third and fourth week will be used for collection of data and information. and last week will be used for data analysis report presentation, finalization and recommendations [ CITATION pro111 \l 1033].
Human Resource Requirement: the project will require involvement of manpower from various levels. The planning and over all management of the project will be done by project manager. For designing of various data collection tools, collection of secondary information, implementation of project, monitoring and report writing and analysis, two managers will be involved. One executive will also be required for data cleaning and punching. Depending upon the sample size researcher will be hired. Keeping in mind the requirement of the project, qualification of both managers is master degree in management and 3+ years experience. Project manager is an expert in this field and having ten years of experience. All the researchers and executives will be graduates.
Costing of the Project: project costing will be based on the sample size need to be covered, and target area of the respondents. The number of customers need to be interviewed will decided how many manpower/ researcher need to be deployed in the field work. The area need to be covered will help in estimating cost of transportation. Cost of two managers who will be deployed in the project one for formulation of questionnaire, data analysis and report writing other for training, monitoring field work and quality control. Cost of one executive for data cleaning and punching will be hired. Cost of project manager who will be monitoring overall project.
To reduce the cost of survey we may adopt other methodology for data collection. We can ask customers to fill the questionnaire over the mail. The risk involved in the process is that, this methodology will reduce the cost but quality of data can not be controlled.
Overall Planning and Execution of the Project: the planning will start from collection of information by reviewing literature and cases available with company who want to carry out the study. After gathering all the secondary information, in-depth interview of management who was involved in strategy for making and launching the product will be conducted. Through in-depth interview we will understand the need, objective and sub-objectives of the project. What are expectation and outcome they want from the study. After understanding each and every aspects of the study, data collection tools will be designed. A pilot testing of tools will be done in order to avoid any confusion in the research tools. Based on the findings of pilot testing, tools will be modified accordingly. Simultaneously Hiring and training of the researchers will be carried out. Research and sampling methodology will be worked out. After completing all the pre-survey requirements, field work will start. During the field work monitoring of all the researcher will be done by manager. A cross checks of questionnaire and surprise visits to the researchers will be made so that the quality of data does not get affected. Collected data will be cleaned to reduce the chances of various type of error. Once data/ information is collected and cleaned, analysis of data will be carried out and final report will be developed [ CITATION ben11 \l 1033 ].
Progress Report: periodicity of progress report is to be weekly. A weekly progress report will be submitted to the client. The report will have detail about the project status, what all stages have been completed, issues and risk handled in that week, if any and future planning and important dates. If client want to add any other information we will add that [ CITATION Dun11 \l 1033 ].
Flow Chart of Activities:
- Consumer Feedback Study
- Time and Action Calendar
- Time
- Activity
- Sub-Activities
- Manpower involved
- Estimated Cost
Week 1
Initiation of Project
1. Defining project objectives
2. Collection of secondary information
3. Development of Research tools (questionnaire, FGD guidelines)
4. Progress review
Two managers
Project manager
$ 4000
Week 2 - planning and designing
1. Selection of researchers
2. Pilot testing
3. Training to researchers
4. Field work set-up
5. Progress review
Two managers
Project manager
2 Researchers
$ 6500
Week 3 - Execution and monitoring
1. Start of field work
2. Cross check, surprise visits
3. Data cleaning and punching
4. Progress review
Two managers
Project manager
2 Researchers
1 Executive
Week 4 - Execution and monitoring
1. Field work completion
2. Cross check, surprise visits
3. Data cleaning and punching
4. Data Analysis
5. Progress review
Two managers
Project manager
2 Researchers
1 Executive
$ 7000
Week 5 - Report finalization and closure
1. Formulation of Report and presentation
2. Recommendation
3. Review and finalization of Report
4. Disbursement of Human Resource
One manager
Project manager
$ 3000
Total estimated cost of project is $ 20,500
Recommendation: based on the findings of the survey a report will be developed keeping in mind the requirement of customer and over all the objective of research. If client will ask any changes to be made in the report, shall be done accordingly.
Once report will be approved all the manpower involved in the project will be released.
Bibliography
benchoi. (n.d.). planning and managing the project. Retrieved may 22, 2011, from www.benchoi.info: benchoi.info/Bens/Teaching/Development/Software/.../CH03.ppt
Duncan. (n.d.). progress-reporting. Retrieved may 21, 2011, from www.projectsmart.co.uk: http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/progress-reporting.html
project-life-cycle. (n.d.). Retrieved may 21, 2011, from www.visitask.com: http://www.visitask.com/project-life-cycle.asp
project-management-methodology. (n.d.). Retrieved may 21, 2011, from www.mpmm.com: http://www.mpmm.com/project-management-methodology.php
