Project Plan

Introduction

Writing the project plan provides a structured framework for thinking about how the project will be conducted. A significant value of writing a project plan is the process rather than the outcome. It forces the players to think through their approach and make decisions about how to proceed. A project plan can be formal, as stakeholders and supporters approve documents and procedures used to guide both project execution and project control. Overall, project plans create a system of document forecast assumptions and decisions, push communication amongst stakeholders, substantiate approved scope, cost and schedule baselines.

In this paper, we will observe a project plan in its entirety. Of how each structure is dependent on the other to keep activities on path. A marketing project manager takes an in-depth look into processes and methods commonly used among project management to meet successful outcomes - in this case the launch of an intranet.

Intranet project management differs slightly from traditional management tasks in that it contains both technical and non-technical users, managers, information technologists, and sometimes, users of the project. Traditional, hierarchical command structures and permanent staffing patterns are not found in project teams. Instead, the team members are given responsibility and assigned to the project. Team members are often juggling their regular duties with multiple projects.

In this scenario, the CVO Marketing department is heading the CVO Intranet Project. As most projects only exist for an arranged duration of the project, coming into commencement as described in the closure plan, this project differs. The CVO Intranet Project is a launch phase of an informational portal. From here, it is most likely that the Marketing team will continue with phases and forever changing the make-up, information and tools.

Basis for CVO Intranet

One of the most modern and most potent tools used by fortune 500 technology-based companies motivated to achieve the seemingly contradictory goals of ever-greater productivity and ever-lower costs is the intranet. Affiliated Computer Services Incorporated (ACS), a premier provider of diversified business process outsourcing and information technology outsourcing solutions to commercial and government clients worldwide, has implemented many intranet sites among its 50 divisions globally and as a result, adds much success to their operations. Commercial Vehicles Operations (CVO), a division of ACS, is embarking on an intranet project to bring about the same organizational efficiencies.

Much of ACS' success in the outsourcing industry is the use of internal information portals (intranets) that provide its business divisions a powerful one-stop shop informational tool to improve cross-department communication, cut costs and ultimately shrink time to market. These are key factors when engaging market competition, global expansion into diverse cultural environments and meeting customer demands efficiently (Guengerich, 1997). In this age of high-speed technologies, soft documents and expedient business processes, CVO needs an information infrastructure and productivity tool that its employees can access updated data documents and information at the same quick pace. With the over usage of emails that takes away the employee's productivity time, an intranet will allow employees access to up-to-date information they need exactly when they need it.

Aligning CVO Intranet with ACS' Corporate Vision

ACS' vision is to offer innovative and effective outsourcing solutions for clients around the world; delivering higher quality, increased productivity and lower costs as the premise for value. For business process and information technology outsourcing, ACS is not a product it's a service; were people are making technology work. This type of service offering is aligned with the CVO intranet's objective. As it leads to internal cross-department communication, cutting costs and ultimately shrink time to market. It thus allows its people 'employees' the means to meet the outsource offerings including: applications solutions; data center management; disaster recovery; end-user computing; network management; security services; storage solutions; technology review, assessment, and planning; and transition services for human resources. By delivering high quality, more efficient and lower cost solutions.

CVO Intranet Scope / Project Plan Overview

Objective

At the CVO division of ACS, the goal of the CVO intranet is to enable better communication with its employees. Provide application systems and services that employees need to perform their jobs. Promote collaboration across departments and different locations (Wagner, 2000). In all, focal points for a proactive communications strategy to help CVO employees understand the business and strengthen employee productivity.

The CVO Intranet Project will be headed by the Marketing department and reviewed by leadership (e.g., directors, vice-president of operations). In charge of project layout, strategy and assignments will be the marketing project manager, with assistance in development and design by the marketing graphic designer and web master. Responsible of server hosting, testing and meeting IT requirements will be the marketing IT analyst. The CVO Intranet Project will work with internal departments and managers to meet site and operations necessities. As this project is built and maintained in house, funding will be accessed from the web budget. The CVO Intranet Project's deadline will be a four-month venture, to launch the first month of the second fiscal quarter.

Stage 1 - Information Gathering and Analysis

During this stage, the three main tasks are to analyze the current communication services of ACS, intranet web sites and information available from other sources. Next, is to analyze the audience for the intranet and work with audience representatives to identify and define their needs, and based on the data gathered, to formulate the basic tenets of the new intranet site.

In part, the reviewing of existing ACS intranet sites and noting the types of information presented, the services offered, the variety and purpose of sites and navigation/organization of the sites is key. Because the focus was on one ACS division, it's determined that our primary audience consisted of that division. To determine what the employees' need from an intranet, conducted are a series of Employee Focus Groups and Surveys. The conclusions from the focus groups and surveys data are to be grouped into four categories: Clear