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Simulation 1 Instruction

This simulation assignment involves managing a project to develop a new printer. Students will play a simulation where they vary decision parameters like scope, resources, and schedule to see their effects on project outcomes. They will then analyze what caused the effects and relationships discovered. The assignment asks students to report their strategies, what worked and didn't, and assumptions about project management. The simulation scenario involves a project with easily achievable targets and balanced objectives where market intelligence is reliable. Students will be evaluated based on their simulation score, analysis of causes and effects, communication skills, and attention to detail.

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H43K TIM
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225 views

Simulation 1 Instruction

This simulation assignment involves managing a project to develop a new printer. Students will play a simulation where they vary decision parameters like scope, resources, and schedule to see their effects on project outcomes. They will then analyze what caused the effects and relationships discovered. The assignment asks students to report their strategies, what worked and didn't, and assumptions about project management. The simulation scenario involves a project with easily achievable targets and balanced objectives where market intelligence is reliable. Students will be evaluated based on their simulation score, analysis of causes and effects, communication skills, and attention to detail.

Uploaded by

H43K TIM
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Brief Description

Instruction for simulation assignments vary from case to case. Students will pay special
attention to information accompanying the simulation paper and use appropriately.
Your professor will build a library in Harvard Business Publishing of the course material,
use it to build a course pack and distribute this to you. When activating the course pack, the
professor will determine the payment mode and communicate this to you. The activation
process will produce a unique course pack link that will be emailed to students or posted to
gain access and for purchase of the simulation. It is important to purchase the simulation
prior to the beginning of class as the simulation begins at the start of week 3.
*The simulations is to be purchased by each student and will be done individually.

Details of simulation can be purchased from Harvard Business Publishing link:


Austin, R. D. (2013). Project management simulation: Scope, resources, schedule V2.
Product #: 4700-HTM-ENG. Harvard Business Publishing.
https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/846533
Log in Account: please contact support for log ins

Submission Instructions
This is the student’s first encounter with the simulation. After playing the simulation,
students will generate a short debrief summary that responds to the following assignment
questions:
1. As you play the simulation, try to discover how varying decision parameters (target
scope, team size, team skill level, amount of outsourcing, target completion date,
overtime, and allowed time in meetings) affect project outcomes (tasks completed, cost
incurred, productivity, new problems discovered, project completion date) and team
attributes (morale, stress level, rates of mistakes).
a. What causes each effects did you identify?
a. What might explain the causal relationships you’ve discovered?
1. What strategies did you attempt in managing your projects? What worked? What didn’t?
2. What assumptions underline your emerging ideas about managing projects in the
simulation? In other words: What change would prompt you to reconsider the approach
you’re discovering is best for managing projects?

Simulation Scenario A: Easily achievable targets, with even weighting between


objectives and low level of uncertainty.

Senior management expects you to release a new printer retaining rough parity with the
competitor's new printer. The projected schedule allows you to ramp up manufacturing and
marketing quickly enough to match the competitor's new printer profile with your own
printer. The target budget supports a cost structure that will permit profit margins at a level
roughly equivalent to those of the current printer. Market intelligence gathered on your
competitor’s plans is considered reliable, so the target specifications for your new printer,
required to retain parity with their new printer, are clearly defined, well understood, and
expected to remain stable throughout the project. Management has indicated that scope,
schedule and cost are of equal importance in a successful launch, and they have committed
to providing stable access to resources during the project.
Scenario Point Distribution of Scenario A
Target Points for Points for Exceeding Total Points
Meeting Target Target
Project Scope 200 100 300
Project Schedule 200 100 300
Project Resources 200 100 300
Team Process 100 n/a 100
Total Point 1000

Evaluation and Feedback


Scenario Session 1 will be marked in its entirety out of 100. The following rubric indicates
the criteria students are to adhere to, and their relative weights to the assignment overall.

  Activity/Competencies Demonstrated % of Final


Grade

1. Simulation Outcome as Reported in Simulation site (50%)


  a. Scenario "A" Score (1000 points and factored to 50%) 50%
2. Project Management Causes and Effects (30%)
a. Outlines the influence of each effect 10%
b. Explained the causal relations affecting the parameters 10%
c. Provide underlining assumptions emerging from project 10%
2. Communication (10%)
  a. Uses language clearly and effectively 5%
  b. Information organized intelligently and holistically 5%
3. Attention to Detail (10%)
  a. APA Referencing and formatting (title, headings, and 5%
references)
  b. Spelling and grammar checks 5%
Total 100%

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