Project Management Plan

Virtual Shopping Assistant at AG Grocery

November 10, 2020

PMAN 634, Section 9040, Fall Semester

Holly Wellington

Tiffany Moore

Cynthia Saale

Adrian John

Tolu Adedeji

Jess George

Change History

Date Changed	Change Details	Reason for Change(if applicable)	Responsible for Change
September 17, 2020	Initial Document Created	Initial Document Created	All Team Members
September 17, 2020	Broke up project into 4 phases, 25 stores per phase, to roll out the project	Feedback from professor on viable timeline of the project	All Team Members
September 18, 2020	Develop the Work Breakdown Structure	Edited with additional feedback as MSP file was being developed	Jess George
September 19, 2020	Adjusted assumptions on MSP file	Feedback from team	Holly Wellington
September 20, 2020	Adjust responsibility assignment matrix	Feedback from team	Tolu Adedeji
September 24, 2020	Second phase of additions, including detailed estimation techniques, a cost table, and a table to illustrate project phase duration	Assigned additions to the development of the Project Management Plan	All Team Members
September 25, 2020	Information compiled from Business Case, Project Charter, and discussion post feedback incorporated into document	Project Management Plan must be a self-contained document	Jess George
October 1, 2020	Added a positive risk to the Project Assumptions, Constraints, Risks and Concerns section	A requirement for the Risk Management Section. Adding it to the beginning section makes it a more cohesive plan	Jess George
October 7, 2020	Developed Project Risk Management Section	Required for the development of the project	All Team Members
October 9, 2020	Edited for formatting. Adjusted wording to provide clarity.	Feedback from classmates	Holly Wellington

Table of Contents

Virtual Shopping Assistant 6 Project Scope Statement 7 Project Objectives 7 Project Deliverables 8 Project Requirements 9 Project Milestones 10 Project Assumptions, Constraints, Risks and Concerns 12 Project Organization 15 Work Breakdown Structure 18 Responsibility Assignment Matrix 21 Project Schedule 22 Project Gantt Chart 25 Project Budget 28 Project Risk Management 32 Risk Identification 32 Risk Assessment 34 Risk Response 36 Response to Negative Risks 36 Response to Positive Risks 37 Risk Monitor and Control 37 Risks Monitor 37 Risks Control 38 Project Evaluation – To be addressed in Week 10 38 Project Close-out – To be addressed in Week 11 39 References 40 Appendix A – Project Charter 42 Aqua Group Grocery (AG Grocery) 42 Purpose for the project 42 Project Scope Statement 42 Project objectives and success criteria 43 Project requirements 43 Overall project risks 44 Milestone schedule (summary) 44 Budget or pre-approved financial resources (summary) 45 Criteria for project approval 46 Project Authority 47 Project manager and authority level 47 Project sponsor or customer and authority level 49 Appendix B – Risk Register 50 Appendix C – Project Close-out Checklist 51

Aqua Group Grocery Inc. (AG Grocery)

Virtual Shopping Assistant

Aqua Group Grocery Inc. (AG Grocery) is a grocery store chain of 100 stores in the DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) region of the United States that is attempting to mitigate COVID-19 consumer difficulties by creating a virtual shopping assistant (VSA) service . AG Grocery is focused on adapting to the changing nature of the purchasing process used by customers. The grocery sector has had to rapidly adapt to changing conditions. Many stores have reduced hours to allow time for store cleaning, required customers to keep 6 feet of distance from one another, instituted one-way only aisles inside their stores, set maximum occupancy limits, and closed salad bars and deli counters to attempt to limit potential customer exposure (Martin-Neuninger & Ruby, 2020). The current pandemic calls for businesses to be innovative in establishing different ways in which customers can use to make their purchases. Adoption of virtual shopping assistants eases customers buying process, helps in decision making, creates interpersonal relationships, and builds customer loyalty.

Project Overview and Purpose

The project was triggered by the need for efficiency and safety in business during the COVID-19 era and the increased use of online shopping. Our company is looking to develop a Virtual Shopping Assistant platform to assist consumers in viewing and shopping online from their homes, while also ensuring that the firm conforms to the Covid-19 restrictions. This additional service offers efficiency in shopping for customers, and provides essential services from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Online shopping services have been on the rise for the past six months, therefore more VSA users are expected in the coming months. Customer retention is the key purpose of this project, as AG Grocery hopes to capitalize on the increased demand for virtual shopping experiences due to the pandemic. By making the process as efficient, personal, and customer-centric as possible, AG Grocery hopes to continue to have a demand for this service even after the pandemic passes.

Project Scope Statement

The project will help the company to develop good customer relations by ensuring an efficient ordering system where consumers will be able to acquire their products at their home comfort without endangering their health and those of the company employees. Just as before, customers will still view the product options and select their desired brands. This service will allow us to both continue our business during the pandemic, but also serve the needs of our communities. It will aid us in nurturing our relationship with stakeholders beyond our shareholders, creating a person to person connections between our employees and community during a time of great isolation. Past research has shown that this model of generating goodwill within the community surrounding the business generates increased success over the long term rather than simply focusing on short term gains (Sheth, 2020). VSA will establish a strong level of confidence and trust between customers and AG Grocery by developing a reliable platform for ordering, reviewing, and paying for ordered goods.

Project Objectives

The objectives of the VSA service are as follows:

· Ensure the health and safety of employees and customers by following the CDC guidelines for PPE. Distribute PPE equipment and implement procedures such as placing signage to indicate flow of foot traffic and marking distanced spots for VSA grocery pick-up in order to accomodate COVID-19 restrictions.

· Develop a website platform that enables customers to schedule a time for their VSA experience at their convenience with ease.

· Foster positive customer relationships through the customer feedback collected from the system. Numerous feedback forms will be instituted so that customers have the ability at multiple points in the VSA experience in order to have their opinions heard. The website platform will have a customer feedback form that the customer can have access to at any time. Zoom has a polling and feedback option at the end of every Zoom meeting that the customer can be prompted to submit at the end of their VSA experience. All feedback will be reviewed by the project team and considered for future implementation. This ensures that the customer feels as though their opinions are valued by the organization, and that AG Grocery is focused on the customer’s experience, thus strengthening customer satisfaction.

· Ensure customer trust through ease of purchasing at Virtual Shopping grocery stores by training all grocery staff with solid customer service skills so that customers have a positive and enjoyable experience. In order to have effective retention of customer confidence, VSA staff must foster trust in their relationships with the customers.

Project Deliverables

Project deliverables are the results of a project that is being worked on and entails the entire process of the project itself. In this case, the project deliverables include:

· Efficient in-store technology for VSA staff members installed in every store, including tablets and tablet holders, label-printing produce scales, charging stations, and wireless barcode scanners.

· VSA appointment booking addition to the AG Grocery website, complete with a scheduling tool, input screen for credit card/banking information, and customer feedback form.

· Phone communication option for customers to schedule appointments in the event that they do not have access to the webpage.

· Expanded grocery pick-up area within the AG Grocery stores to include VSA order pick-up.

Project Requirements

The project requirements for the VSA service implementation are as follows:

· A number of financials are required for both materials and labor in order to execute the VSA service. Each of the 100 stores will need to be stocked with materials such as tablets (8 per store), wireless barcode scanners (8 per store), and label-printing produce scales (3 per store), Enterprise Zoom accounts (4 per store), power strips (2 per store), and WiFi boosters (5 per store). As far as labor financials, web development specialists who worked on the original AG Grocery site need to be contracted to build out the additional scheduling functionality. For staffing, employees will be pulled from other areas that are less busy, allowing us to utilize current staff and forgo additional expense. A detailed breakdown of project financials can be found in the project budget section.

· The second project requirement is building out the AG Grocery website to include the VSA scheduling service. Necessary components to the website addition include the ability to pick appointment time slots, schedule grocery pick up time, and securely input credit card info. Developers must include an option to bypass and pay in store during grocery pick up. In the event that the credit card is declined, the developers will include a functionality that will trigger the site to send an email to reschedule. In the event that a customer is taking advantage of the service by abandoning the video sessions after seeing product options in the store, the web developers will include a functionality that will block users if they abandon carts more than 4 times in the middle of a shop. A customer feedback form must be included on the site as well for customers to access at any time.

· The third requirement is having the grocery pick-up area so that customers have a designated location to pick up their VSA-shopped goods. The regular AG Grocery online order pick-up area will be updated to include information that VSA pick-up will be there as well. This requirement involves updating signage for the regular online order pick up area to state that VSA pick up is included in that area as well. Additional cubby and storage space will be designated to separate grocery orders by customer, and distanced waiting spots will be added to the infrastructure that is already in place in order to account for increased foot-traffic at the pick-up counter.

Project Milestones

The milestones for the VSA project can be broken up into five phases. Amongst the stores, the process will be phased in 25 stores at a time. Milestones are integral to the success of a project because they allow for the project team to have specific, designated points in time during the project that allow for progress to be monitored. By breaking up a large new service roll-out into manageable groupings, the project team is able to closely monitor the progress and success of each store’s execution of the VSA project. The designated start date for initiation for this project is October 5th, 2020.

Milestones for this project include the following:

· Milestone one: Ordering of all physical materials needed as well as securing the necessary Zoom accounts and website development needs. The anticipated completion date of milestone one is October 12th, 2020

· Milestone two: phase one of the rollout completed. Phase one entails receiving equipment and installing into the first 25 stores. During this phase, managers and staff are trained on the new program procedures and technology. Once all equipment has been installed and staff training programs have been conducted, phase one has been completed. The anticipated completion date of milestone two is November 26th, 2020

· Milestone three: phase two of the rollout completed. Phase two is the roll-out of the next 25 stores installing equipment and training staff. Once this phase has been completed, a total of 50 AG Grocery stores will have the VSA service ready for operation. The anticipated completion date of milestone three is January 12th, 2021

· Milestone four: phase three of the rollout completed. Phase three brings the installation and training procedures to the next section of 25 stores in the region, bringing the total up to 75 of the total 100 AG Grocery stores having received VSA implementation upon completion of this milestone. The anticipated completion date of milestone four is February 26th, 2021.

· Milestone five: phase four of the rollout completed. Upon completion of phase four, all 100 AG Grocery stores will have the proper equipment and staff training in order to implement the VSA service. The anticipated completion date of milestone five is April 13th, 2021.

Project Assumptions, Constraints, Risks and Concerns

There are a number of assumptions that were made in the structuring and planning process of this VSA project. Assumptions are as follows:

· This project operates under the assumption that pre-existing grocery staff in every location is capable of taking on additional training in order to provide excellent customer service with this new, technology-driven service. The main goal of this project is customer retention therefore it relies heavily on the VSA staff being exceptional at customer service.

· This project also assumes that there are people who are interested in an additional service outside of just standard online ordering. This is a specialty service so the customer has to pay extra in order to use it. There is a minimum convenience fee of $5, and then an additional $20 after the first hour of shopping. $20 will be charged for every additional hour of shopping. The goal of the lower convenience fees relative to other premium services is that more people will be interested in trying it out, and the hope is that we continue to create more revenue by having an increased number of VSA sales per store in our chain.

· It is assumed that AG Grocery will be able to obtain large orders of materials, such as tablets and label-printing produce scales, by the designated time frame. The hope is that by staggering the store implementation into phases of 25 stores at a time, some of the risk of material delay is mitigated.

Constraints are an important piece of a project to consider as well. Constraints for the VSA project include:

· Budget constraints. Because AG Grocery is already an established grocery chain with consistent revenue, there is room for the project team to establish a contingency budget if needed. However, the goal is to still keep financials within the budget constraints in order for this service to be financially profitable.

· Time constraints. This new VSA service needs to be implemented across the chain of 100 VSA stores. Therefore, there are time constraints for how long each of the four phases needs to take in order for the project roll-out to stay on track.

· Customer satisfaction. Because this project purpose is centralized around customer retention, customer satisfaction is a significant constraint. Through completed feedback form information and Zoom post-call polling information, the project team needs to make sure that customer satisfaction is staying relatively high. This will be an ongoing constraint that will continue to be revisited. As criticism is sent through these feedback mediums, the project team will review it and determine its validity and need for change in order to make sure that customer satisfaction is staying within a positive range (75% of feedback should be positive).

As with any project, there are risks to consider throughout the planning and execution of the project. The risks and concerns are as follows:

· The VSA service is highly reliant on having reliable video signals throughout the store. As mentioned in the financials, extra money will be spent to boost WiFi signal throughout the store in order to mitigate this issue.

· The video signal presents an additional risk of ending the call entirely. In the event that the call is dropped due to technological issues, the staff will be trained to try to reconnect up to five times. If the internet and/or technology still is not cooperating at that time, the booking fee will not be charged and the customer will be prompted to reschedule at a later date.

· Due to the nature of the VSA service, there is the possibility of a customer seeing available products in the store and then ending the video conference to go pick up the product themselves. To mitigate this, during booking, the customer’s card number will be required information so that even if they end the call mid-shopping session, the customer will still be charged the booking fee. Customers who abandon 4 carts mid-shop will be blocked from using the service in the future.

· As with any situation in which banking information is involved, there is the risk of customers’ financial information being hacked and taken. In order to lower the chances of this risk, the web developers will build out a secure system for the VSA addition to the site in order to prevent hacking.

· There is the positive risk of exploiting technology developments that might occur as a result of nearly everything going virtual. Zoom and other virtual platforms have taken off due to COVID-19. Current VSA plans on using the regular Zoom options that are available. Because of significant efforts being put into improving virtual experiences, there is the potential positive risk of having more technology options to enhance the VSA experience.

Project Organization

At AG Grocery, our organization is made up of a very selective group of people that have been together over 18 years. We have delivered numerous projects together and with our latest program we plan to achieve another phenomenally successful service for the organization. Below is the team that will allow our customers to enjoy the pleasure of shopping from their couch with an eye on their groceries like if they are in our store!

Meet the team:

Adrian John – (The Sponsor) As the Managing Director of Marketing for AG Grocery, Adrian is responsible for directing all project management services within the local market area. He is responsible to ensure that AG Grocery continues to provide superb shopping experience to our customers. The Virtual Shopping Assistant service has been created to meet our current environment, and will be sustainable in servicing our customers for years to come. Adrian will be responsible for updating the Board of Directors on the progress of this investment while getting updates from the project management team on the status of the 100 stores we plan on turning over throughout the year. Adrian will also make sure that this new product is advertised properly to our customers.

Cynthia Saale – (Project Management Lead) As Vice President of Project Management, Cynthia is responsible for project management at AG Grocery throughout Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. In this role, she brings almost 18 years of project management experience. Cynthia works hand in hand with General Contractors to ensure the successful build-out of projects ranging in size from 1,000 Rentable Square Footage (RSF) to 130,000 RSF. It is that experience that will ensure that VSA becomes a success under her leadership. Cynthia will be providing overall budget and schedule updates to the sponsor on the projects. She will also be reporting anything that will not allow us to meet our goal of delivering VSA to all 100 stores. Cynthia will hold bi-weekly regional meetings with Holly and Jess to go over any new implementation or scope changes on all VSA projects.

Jess George – (PM) Is the Senior Project Manager for the Virtual Shopping Assistant project. Her role is to manage all the projects up to permits and VSA implementation in the Maryland and Virginia area. She will be managing the vendors and making sure communication is clear with each of the store managers. As project manager, Jess will be reviewing shop drawings, change orders and invoices from the vendors. Jess will be provided appropriate level of on-site supervision to ensure project performance criteria are being met. During the project Jess will identify and address areas of concern regarding potential liabilities and risk. Jess will be reporting to Cynthia and will provide weekly updates to her. At times, she will meet with the sponsor as well. Jess will also be working with Holly Wellington on identifying resources and budget for these projects. Jess will have weekly project meetings for her projects.

Holly Wellington – (APM) Is the Assistant Project Manager on the Virtual Shopping Assistant project and will be working with Jess. Interacting with other project managers helps to create a positive influence for fulfilling the various needs of the project (PMBOK, 2017). Holly’s role is to work on schedules and budget with the general contractor and Jess. She will be responsible for managing the implementation in grocery stores in the Washington DC area. Holly will also hold weekly construction meetings with the vendor, contractors and consultants for each of her stores. Holly will report to Jess and Cynthia.

Tolu Adedeji – (Operations) As the Vice President of Operations, Tolu will be responsible for overseeing the operational policies and guidelines for the organization. She will be meeting with all store managers throughout this program to make sure that each grocery store continues to function properly during the construction phase. If additional staff are needed, Tolu will be responsible to make sure these needs are met. As the stores go through their renovations, the store managers will be communicating with her on any problems that may impact the day to day business. Tolu will make sure that enough notifications are sent out to customers letting them know of the new services and will provide authorization to the store managers when to release keys and codes to the construction vendors providing Virtual Shopping Assistance in store upgrades. Tolu will also be responsible for Training. Tolu will be reporting directly to the Managing Director.

Tiffany Moore – (Project Coordinator) Tiffany’s role is to make sure that all budgets are entered and tracked in our project management system. She will be the point of contact for any vendor payments. Tiffany will help with the contracts being created and work with procurement to get them signed and back to the vendors so purchase orders can be processed. Tiffany will input all the purchase orders and change orders from the project managers. This will help free up some time for the project managers to be in the field working on the projects. Tiffany will also be reaching out to the vendors on completion of each project to make sure all payments are processed. This will allow the projects closing out in 60-90 days after completion. Tiffany will be reporting to Tolu.

AGG is a mid-size grocery store company that serves only the Mid-Atlantic region, making this hierarchy effective given the company size. Each department will have their own role to play with our CEO making all final decisions.

Work Breakdown Structure

· Project Management

· Appoint a Project Manager and an Assistant Project Manager

· Outline financials

· Clear expenses with finance

· Hold a charter tollgate meeting with the sponsor to approve budget, financials, and timeframe

· Project sponsor updates executive management on project status throughout

· Break into phases of rolling out at 25 stores at a time, total of 100 stores

· Weekly meetings with grocery store managers to go over project schedule and check in on progress

· Hold a sponsor change control meeting any time a change arises in order to ask for approval from sponsor

· Website

· Outline needs to our current web designers

· Appointment time slot booking

· Schedule grocery pick up time

· Secure credit card info input on site

· Option to bypass and pay in store during grocery pick up

· Send an email to reschedule if credit card is declined

· Customer feedback form on site

· Block users if they abandon carts more than 4 times in the middle of a shop

· Ongoing tech support enlisted as needed, per sponsor approval

· Phone appointments

· Over-the-phone schedule option if customer doesn’t have internet

· At appointment time, customer can call the VSA over the phone and use the service without video

· Equipment

· WiFi boosters

· Tablets

· Tablet stands

· Scanners

· Label-printing produce scales

· Ongoing repair and replacement of parts, per approval of sponsor

· Charging Stations

· Designate location in every store

· Set up power strips, chargers, and tablets

· Installation

· Mount tablet stands onto designated shopping carts

· Place scales in produce section

· Distribute WiFi boosters throughout each store

· Beta test software

· Purchase and distribute Zoom accounts

· Train managers

· Incorporate feedback from managers about software and capability

· Grocery Pick-Up

· Update signage for the online order pick up area to include that VSA pick up is included in that area as well

· Designate additional cubby and storage space to place separate grocery orders

· Mark additional distanced waiting spots on the route to the pick-up counter to account for increased traffic

· Grocery Staff

· HR meet with all customer-facing grocery staff to reiterate customer service practices

· Train staff on Zoom and VSA services and practices

· Launch

· Weekly check-in meetings with grocery store managers

· Project Manager handles material aspects of the project launch

· Assistant Project Manager handles IT aspects of the project launch

· Customer feedback

· View Zoom poll feedback, customer feedback form on website

· Analyze rebooking percentage analytics

· Ongoing analysis of feedback to make adjustments as needed

Responsibility Assignment Matrix

Activity	Training Team/ Project Manager	VP Operations	Site Coordinators	HR Director
Develop training objectives	R	A	A	A
Create materials production process	R	A		C
Schedule classes instructors	R	I	R
Identify training participants		R	R
Administer site training logistics	I		R

R: responsible for implementation

A: final authority approval

C: must be consulted

I : must be informed

Project Communications

Communication	Frequency	Method	Audience	Responsibility
Team meeting	Daily	Zoom meeting	Project team	PM
Stakeholder update	Monthly	Email/Zoom	Stakeholders	PM
Board meeting	Twice monthly	Office meeting	Project board	PM

Project Schedule

The project schedule was developed using the deliverables and milestones in previous sections. The duration of activities is based on past experience of team members and our subcontractors. Estimates were then used to create a Gantt chart and to determine the critical path. VSA materials will be installed and service implemented in four phases.All needed supplies and materials are to be ordered prior to Phase 1 rollout to the stores. Each phase will end with full implementation of VSA at 25 stores. Successful rollout of all 4 phases will complete implementation at all 100 AG Grocery locations.

Task Name	Duration	Start	Finish
Virtual Shopping Assistant Establishment of Service	190 days	10/5/2020	4/13/2021
Initiation Phase	1 Day	10/5/2020	10/5/2020
Appoint PM & APM	1 Day	10/5/2020	10/5/2020
Project Sponsor Approval Meeting	1 Day	10/5/2020	10/5/2020
Outline Financials	1 Day	10/5/2020	10/5/2020
Acquisition Phase	5 days	10/6/2020	10/12/2020
Order Wifi Boosters	5 days	10/6/2020	10/12/2020
Order Tablets	5 days	10/6/2020	10/12/2020
Order Tablet Holders	5 days	10/6/2020	10/12/2020
Order Scanners	5 days	10/6/2020	10/12/2020
Order Charging Stations	5 days	10/6/2020	10/12/2020
Order label producing scales	5 days	10/6/2020	10/12/2020
Shipment of items begins	3 days	10/13/2020	10/15/2020
Web Design	39 days	10/6/2020	11/13/2020
Outline Needs to Web Designers	5 days	10/6/2020	10/12/2020
Design team to create new pages	15 days	10/13/2020	11/2/2020
Test new pages	7 days	11/3/2020	11/11/2020
Roll out new website with coming soon page	1 day	11/13/2020	11/13/2020
Phase 1 Rollout	42 days	10/16/2020	11/26/2020
Kick-off meeting	1 day	10/16/2020	11/26/2020
Equipment	28 days	10/16/2020	10/22/2020
receive equipment	1 wk	10/16/2020	10/22/2020
install equipment	15 days	10/23/2020	11/12/2020
Training	10 days	11/13/2020	11/12/2020
Train managers	5 days	11/13/2020	11/19/2020
Train staff	10 days	11/13/2020	11/26/2020
Activate new website with Phase 1 locations accessible	1 days	11/26/2020	11/26/2020
Phase 1 complete	0 days	11/26/2020	11/26/2020
Phase 2 Rollout	43 days	12/1/2020	1/12/2020
Kick-off meeting	1 day	12/1/2020	12/1/2020
Equipment	28 days	12/1/2020	12/28/2020
receive equipment	1 wk	12/1/2020	12/7/2020
install equipment	15 days	12/8/2020	12/28/2020
Training	10 days	12/29/2020	1/12/2021
Train managers	5 days	12/29/2020	1/4/2021
Train staff	10 days	12/29/2020	1/11/2021
Make Phase 2 sites accessible on website	1 days	1/12/2021	1/12/2021
Phase 2 complete	0 days	1/12/2021	1/12/2021
Phase 3 Rollout	40 days	1/18/2021	2/26/2021
Kick-off meeting	1 day	1/18/2021	1/18/2021
Equipment	28 days	1/18/2021	1/22/2021
receive equipment	1 wk	1/18/2021	1/22/2021
install equipment	15 days	1/25/2021	2/12/2021
Training	10 days	2/15/2021	2/26/2021
Train managers	5 days	2/15/2021	2/19/2021
Train staff	10 days	2/15/2121	2/26/2021
Make Phase 3 sites accessible on website	1 days	2/26/2021	2/26/2021
Phase 3 complete	0 days	2/16/2021	2/26/2021
Phase 4 Rollout	42 days	3/3/2021	4/13/2021
Kick-off meeting	1 day	3/3/2021	3/3/2021
Equipment	27 days	3/3/2021	3/30/2021
receive equipment	1 wk	3/3/2021	3/9/2021
install equipment	15 days	3/10/2021	3/30/2021
Training	10 days	3/31/2021	4/13/2021
Train managers	5 days	3/31/2021	4/6/2021
Train staff	10 days	3/31/2021	4/13/2021
Make Phase 4 sites accessible on website	1 days	4/13/2021	4/13/2021
Phase 4 complete	0 days	4/13/2021	4/13/2021

Project Gantt Chart

The Gantt chart will be our guiding source of monitoring the progress and performance on our project. It will be used to track all movements on the project and will let us know when a task slips so that adjustments can be made. For the Virtual Shopping Assistant, we are tasked with completing implementation of the service at AG Grocery’s 100 stores that will provide our customers with an opportunity to shop virtually. The Gantt chart as created will guide the process of getting all the steps needed completed in the timeline outlined. There are milestones in place that will be our checks in making sure that the outcome is a successful project.

In communications, the Gantt chart will be an additional source of information for the stakeholders, the vendors, the store managers, and the project managers. The stakeholders can be informed of all movements so that plans can be made around the milestones. The vendors will know when to plan their deliverables for each rollout on the appropriate timeline. The store managers can use the chart to know when their store will be having the equipment of the VSA delivered and installed and plan on when they will be trained. Below is the Gantt Chart that we will be following so that the VSA can be installed and available in our grocery stores.

Project Critical Path – To be addressed in Week 9

[Describe the project’s critical path and how your team will monitor and control the schedule to protect the project duration using the critical path. Insert a portion of the network diagram here that captures some of the activities on the critical path.]

Over-allocated Resources – To be addressed in Week 9

Project Crashing – To be addressed in Week 9

Project Budget

Bottom-up estimating is an extremely helpful technique in this VSA project because it allows Project managers at AG Grocery to get improved estimates. At AG Grocery, the bottom-up estimating technique is strictly used as each task is broken down into smaller components.

The techniques used to estimate the time and cost of work packages in VSA project comprises of the following:

· Task planning: This strategy was adopted so that the AG employees who are actively involved in projects will have the competency to better estimate what needs to be done and how long it will take.

· Bottom up strategy facilitates clearer communication at AG Grocery. AG Grocery employees will be able to attain a successful execution of the bottom up method. A strong and open communication amongst team member(s) is an outright necessity. Clear, open communication entails high levels of trust and comfort. Not every team member may be self-confident to be outspoken in front of the entire group therefore it is imperative that those concerned need to be able to participate in the project plan.

· A Bottom-up strategy affords unique insights into projects. One of the major advantages of the bottom-up strategy at AG Grocery is that it allows you to make decisions with a much wider pool of knowledge. Thus, the overall VSA project plan will have a much higher degree of accuracy for the individual elements of each task strand.

· AG Grocery constantly makes its employees feel more appreciated, leads to greater loyalty and feelings of ownership among team members, as well as the advantages for the project itself.

· AG Grocery allows employees to maximize their potential. This enables the VSA project manager to tap resources which they may not have been fully aware of before and thus maximize the productivity of their team.

In adopting this technique at AG, the estimate(s) for any task is typically far more accurate as it allows for careful consideration of each of the smaller parts of the task and then combining these carefully considered estimates rather than merely making one large estimate which typically will not as thoroughly consider all of the individual components of a task. In general, the smaller the scope, the greater the accuracy.

PHASE ONE: EQUIPMENT, MATERIAL, LABOR (1ST 25 STORES)
EQUIPMENT	AMOUNT NEEDED/ PRICE EACH	TOTAL COST
Zoom installation	100 / $19.99	$1,999
Software development	1 / $25,000	$25,000
Tablets	200 / $100	$20,000
Tablet Stands	100 / $10	$1,000
Scanner	200 / $42	$8,400
Power Strips	50 / $20	$1,000
Label printing produce scales	75 / $40	$3,000
Wi-Fi boosters	125 / $50	$6,250
Equipment installation	$37,500	$37,500
Parts repair & replacement	$1,250	$1,250
Ongoing tech support	$2,500	$2,500
PHASE TOTAL:		$107,899

PHASE TWO: EQUIPMENT, MATERIAL, LABOR (2ND 25 STORES)
EQUIPMENT	AMOUNT NEEDED/PRICE EACH	TOTAL COST
Zoom installation	100 / $19.99	$1,999
Software development	1 / $25,000	$25,000
Tablets	200 / $100	$20,000
Tablet Stands	100 / $10	$1,000
Scanner	200 / $42	$8,400
Power Strips	50 / $20	$1,000
Label printing produce scales	75 / $40	$3,000
Wi-Fi boosters	125 / $50	$6,250
Equipment installation	$37,500	$37,500
Parts repair & replacement	$1,250	$1,250
Ongoing tech support	$2,500	$2,500
PHASE TOTAL:		$107,899

PHASE THREE: EQUIPMENT, MATERIAL, LABOR (3RD 25 STORES)
EQUIPMENT	AMOUNT NEEDED/PRICE EACH	TOTAL COST
Zoom installation	100 / $19.99	$1,999
Software development	1 / $25,000	$25,000
Tablets	200 / $100	$20,000
Tablet Stands	100 / $10	$1,000
Scanner	200 / $42	$8,400
Power Strips	50 / $20	$1,000
Label printing produce scales	75 / $40	$3,000
Wi-Fi boosters	125 / $50	$6,250
Equipment installation	$37,500	$37,500
Parts repair & replacement	$1,250	$1,250
Ongoing tech support	$2,500	$2,500
PHASE TOTAL:		$107,899

PHASE FOUR: EQUIPMENT, MATERIAL, LABOR (4TH 25 STORES)
EQUIPMENT	AMOUNT NEEDED/PRICE EACH	TOTAL COST
Zoom installation	100 / $19.99	$1,999
Software development	1 / $25,000	$25,000
Tablets	200 / $100	$20,000
Tablet Stands	100 / $10	$1,000
Scanner	200 / $42	$8,400
Power Strips	50 / $20	$1,000
Label printing produce scales	75 / $40	$3,000
Wi-Fi boosters	125 / $50	$6,250
Equipment installation	$37,500	$37,500
Parts repair & replacement	$1,250	$1,250
Ongoing tech support	$2,500	$2,500
PHASE TOTAL:		$107,899

TOTAL PROJECT COST BY PHASE
PHASE ONE TOTAL	$107,899
PHASE TWO TOTAL	$107,899
PHASE THREE TOTAL	$107,899
PHASE FOUR TOTAL	$107,899
PROJECT TOTAL	$431,596

Project Risk Management

Risk Identification

Virtual Shopping Assistants at AG Grocery have developed two ways of dealing with risk for our new service. They are by brainstorming and by keeping a checklist.

Through brainstorming, we were able to identify both positive and negative risks that could have an impact on how successful our turnover is and our acceptance into the communities. We have been engaging with our customers to get their feedback on our concept as well as our stakeholder and the marketing team.

With the use of a checklist, we have taken all of the feedback and we will keep track of our risk impact and monitor them throughout each phase of the project and continuing afterwards. Through brainstorming and a checklist we were able to identify three negative and three positive risks.

Three (3) negative risks that were identified are:

· Technology – This will play a major impact with what we are trying to do. We need Wi-Fi throughout our store and boosters to interact with the virtual concept cameras inside the stores. We also need to have enough bandwidth for our website as we do not want it crashing with our online traffic.

· Customers Participation – Customer participation is crucial to our Virtual Shopping Assistant concept. Messaging will play an important role in getting customers excited for this new service.

· Integrating too many stores – We must be careful not to saturate the market with too many of our Virtual Shopping Assistant services. We currently have a cap of 100 stores throughout three states and will be prepared to make adjustments if this is too many.

Three (3) positive risks we identified are:

· New Customers and Customers safety – This will be huge for us. Brainstorming allowed us to have early conversations with the community and feedback is great. We are expecting that older customers and others who fall into ‘high-risk’ categories will enjoy the comfort of shopping from home while maintaining safety. Our younger parents will also benefit from not needing to bring the kids into the store during these times.

· No Competition – Currently there is no competition therefore we would be providing something that is currently not in this market. This would also mean more name recognition due to providing a unique service.

· Profitability – There is so much to gain here. For the amount that we will be spending to implement these stores, we foreseen our profit margin to double the input amount. This will be a great investment.

Risk Assessment

Our organization will assess risks using a qualitative method, which is appropriate given that individual assessment of risks is the focus of developing this project risk management plan. A qualitative approach allows for the project team to use expert judgement and informed opinions in order to make educated plans about how to deal with the possibility of these risks (“Risk Techniques,” n.d.). The probability and impact matrix will be used as a tool to rate each individual identified risk in order to assess the probability and potential level of impact on the VSA project as a whole.

Below is a probability and impact risk assessment matrix that is used to rate the risks described in Appendix C.

	Risk Impact
	Minor	Moderate	Major	Volatile
Probability	Rare
	Unlikely
	Moderate
	Likely
	Very likely

Risks in red should be addressed as soon as possible as they might call for the immediate termination of the project. Risks in yellow should be addressed within 24 hours. Risks in green should be addressed within 3 days.

The scale used to classify risks will be as follows:

· Risk Impact

· Volatile Risks = has the potential to have a detrimental impact on the project schedule or cost. Calls for the need to abandon the project.

· Major Risks = has the potential to significantly impact the project schedule or cost (50% increase to overall project cost or 50% delay to the project schedule).

· Moderate Risks = has the potential to mildly impact the project schedule or cost (25% increase to overall project cost or 25% delay to project schedule).

· Minor Risks = has the potential to slightly impact the project schedule or cost (up to 10% increase in overall project cost or up to 10% delay to project schedule). Can be mitigated through minor activity tweaks as these risks arise.

· Probability

· Very Likely = greater than 85% chance of occurring

· Likely = 60% – 85% chance of occurring

· Moderate =30% – 60% chance of occuring

· Unlikely = 5% – 30% chance of occuring

· Rare = less than 5% chance of occurring

Risk Response

Following the identification and analysis of the risks, the risk response will involve assigning, evaluating, selecting, avoiding, transfer, mitigate, exploit, and enhance as outlined below.

Response to Negative Risks

· Technology: The Company will respond by mitigating this risk through avoidance by installing WIFI Routers throughout its stores and boosters to interact with the stores’ virtual cameras. The company will also avoid the risk of crashing on online traffic by providing a strong and enough bandwidth for its website.

· Customer Participation: To respond to the risk of missing customer participation, the company will avoid the risk by installing a messaging platform to get customers excited and feedback. Customer participation is crucial for any business success.

· Integrating Too Many Stores: While the company faces the risk of having too many virtual shopping assistant services, the company will avoid this risk by carefully evaluating the currently available shops to prevent market saturation.

Response to Positive Risks

· New Customers and Customers Safety: Customer Safety is crucial for the success of any business. To respond to this risk, the company will provide additional technical training to personnel and its customers in case of the risk.

· No Competition: While there is no competition in the market, the company will respond by monitoring and preparing for the occurrence of the risk. Additionally, the company will build an action plan to respond to any changes in the competition.

· Profitability: Since there is much to gain from a VSA service, the company will accept the profitability risk and plan it into the project. However, the firm will incorporate contingency, including cost, time, and resources, to assume the project’s profitability risk.

Risk Monitor and Control

Risks Monitor

Our organization will monitor risks by adhering to four respective steps that the team has developed to ensure that any risks are monitored. The first step entails the monitoring of the agreed-upon risk response plans, as they need to be adequately planned to ensure that order is enhanced. For each risk, a response would be planned. Tracking of the identified risks is the other progressive measure that would be considered as a way of monitoring. The application of tracking tools would be put in place to ensure that it takes place in an effective way. The identification and analysis of new risks would take place in the project (Phillips, 2018). It is a regular activity that needs to be carried out in a controlled way. Lastly, the evaluation of the risk process effectiveness would occur in the project after the risk management procedures would be implemented.

Risks Control

Our organization controls the project risk by adhering to the nine steps involved in the practice to ensure that order is generated in a positive way. The activity entails the creation of a risk register that enables one to control the risks involved. The identification of the risks is a clear factor of concern that needs to be positively addressed. The identification of opportunities involved in the process is a clear practice of concern that needs to be clearly addressed. The determination of the impact and likelihood is the other step that is vital to the process (Roberts, 2017). The determination of the response involved is a control measure that would facilitate the project to be a success. Factors such as estimation and assigning owners are a clear point of concern that is positively addressed. Other productive factors such as the reviewing of risks involved are important and effective in controlling the project risk.

Project Evaluation – To be addressed in Week 10

[Describe how your organization will evaluate project progress/performance. This section of the plan indicates the methods the project team will use to regularly update the project status, including methods for tracking the project progress and evaluating project performance. See assigned readings for information on project status evaluation and reporting.]

Project Close-out – To be addressed in Week 11

[Describe how your organization will terminate/close a project. This section will include the necessary information needed to close out a project. Discuss the major activities required to close out the project as part of the natural termination process. Include a discussion of financial and administrative close out and project retrospectives/lessons learned. Insert your project close out checklist at Appendix C of this document.]

References

Akhter, S., Rahman, N., & Ullah, M. (2019). Development of a customer information database

system. In handbook of research on technology integration in the global world (pp. 166-188). IGI Global.

Friday, T., & Clarizen, T. (2020, June 18). Five Things to Know About the Bottom Up Strategy.

Retrieved September 26, 2020, from https://www.clarizen.com/fivethings-to-know-about-the-bottom-up-strategy/

Kendrick, T. (2012). Results without authority: Controlling a project when the team doesn’t

report to you: Vol. 2nd ed. AMACOM. APA (American Psychological Assoc.).

Martin-Neuninger, R., & Ruby, M. (2020). What does food retail research tell us about the

implications of coronavirus (COVID-19) for grocery purchasing habits? Frontiers in

Psychology, 11. Retrieved from https://doi-org.ezproxy.umgc.edu/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01448

Phillips, J. (2018). PMP project management professional study guide.

Risk Techniques. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.praxisframework.org/en/knowledge/risk-techniques

Roberts, P. (2017). Effective project management. London, UK: Kogan Page.

Sheth, J. (2020). Business of business is more than business: Managing during the covid crisis.

Industrial Marketing Management, 88, 261-264. Retrieved from

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2020.05.028

Appendix A – Project Charter

Aqua Group Grocery (AG Grocery)

Aqua Group Grocery Inc. (AG Grocery) is a grocery store chain of 100 stores in the DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) region of the United States that is attempting to mitigate some of these COVID-19 difficulties by creating a virtual shopping assistant service. AG Grocery is focused on adapting to the changing nature of the purchasing process used by customers. The stability of the existing modern in-store technology is unforeseen and this calls for businesses to be innovative in establishing different ways, which customers can use to make their purchases. Adoption of virtual shopping assistants (VSAs) eases customers buying process, helps in decision making, creating interpersonal relationships, and building customer loyalty.

Purpose for the project

The project is focused on transforming business operations, specifically on purchasing by adapting virtual shopping assistant technology which will give customers new shopping experience.

Project Scope Statement

Virtual shopping assistants will create a new relationship between customers and the business by establishing a reliable platform for ordering, reviewing, and paying for ordered goods. This will allow the firm to deliver a customer-centric experience, without compromising staff or customer safety. Permitting customers to walk a shopper through the store will help us to maintain consumers’ trust and confidence. They will be able to see for themselves in real-time what is in stock in the store, what the quality of produce looks like, and choose alternate brands and products when something is unavailable.

Project objectives and success criteria

The objectives of the Virtual Shopping Assistant Service at AG Grocery comprise of the following:

· Accommodate COVID-19 restrictions by following the CDC guidelines for PPE and marking distanced spaces around the grocery store

· Create a website to schedule virtual shopping appointments so that customers can book a specific time slot for their virtual shopping experience

· Improved overall customer-buying experience by gauging customer satisfaction through the feedback form on our website

· Effective retention of customer confidence. Ensure customers trust and ease of purchasing at Virtual Shopping grocery stores by training all grocery staff with solid customer service skills so that customers have a positive and enjoyable experience

Project requirements

One of the project requirements is the various financials that make it a practical proposition. An example of these is enterprise video Zoom accounts, which enable customers to identify their characteristics. The second project requirement is customer information, which helps dispense services to grocery customers with the advent of a virtual shopping assistant. Akter, Rahmann & Ullah (2019) describe the necessity of having a customer information database in dispensing services to them. The customer card number, for instance, will be required during booking to facilitate the delivery of the product they have ordered. The third requirement is the technological infrastructure. These include established websites, on-line payment methods, and technologies allowing for the dispensation of supplemental nutrition assistance to the customers. Finally, the project will also require planning. When customers of the grocery staff are working on order delivery to the customers, it will be imperative that they observe social distancing, which is one aspect of the need for planning.

Overall project risks

Several project risks have been identified. One of these is communication risks because the service is heavily reliant on video. Customers bereft of video services will be unable to look at product characteristics, making them inconclusive about buying a specific product. The installation of Wifi boosters throughout the store has been established to mitigate this risk. The second risk is the possibility that a customer will terminate a video call when they see the grocery store items and go for the items themselves instead of continuing with the use of the virtual assistant. During booking, their card number will be required information so that even if they end the call mid-shopping session, the customer will still be charged the booking fee. The third risk is that the project is bereft of foundational elements that other businesses have an establishment, thus yielding a development risk factor. These three risks could derail the project’s advancement through interruption of communication and from conventional shopping methods, which are not in tandem with the developed virtual assistant.

Milestone schedule (summary)

Phase	Activity	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6	Week 7	Week 8
Initiation	Clear expenses with Finance	X
	Outline needs to our Web Designers	X
Acquisition	Purchase WiFi Boosters		X
	Purchase Tablets		X
	Purchase Tablet stand		X
	Purchase Scanners		X
	Purchase Scales		X
Installation	Equipment Installed on sites			X	X	X	X
	Beta test software				X	X
	Purchase & distribute Zoom accounts					X	X
	Training of managers						X	X
Roll-out	Training of employees							X	X

Budget or pre-approved financial resources (summary)

	Total for 100 Stores
Item	Total # needed	One time costs	Annual Costs
Zoom Account	400	$0.00	$79,996.00
Software development	1	$100,000.00	$0.00
Tablets	800	$80,000.00	$0.00
Tablet Stands	400	$4,000.00	$0.00
scanner	800	$134,400.00	$0.00
Power strips	200	$4,000.00	$0.00
label printing produce scales	300	$120,000.00	$0.00
Wifi boosters	500	$25,000.00	$0.00
Equipment Installation		$150,000.00	$0.00
Ongoing Tech support			$10,000.00
Repair & Replacement of parts			$20,000.00
Expense Sub totals		$467,400.00	$259,996.00
Expense Grand Total			$727,396.00

Anticipated Revenue:

Minimum
revenue source	customers per day	over 360 days	Per store Revenue	Total for 100 stores
booking fee	$5.00	5	1800	$9,000.00	$900,000.00
hourly fee	$20.00	5	1800	$36,000.00	$3,600,000.00
Total					$4,500,000.00

Maximum
revenue source	customers per day	over 360 days	Per store Revenue	Total for 100 stores
booking fee	$5.00	30	17280	$86,400.00	$8,640,000.00
hourly fee	$20.00	24	7200	$144,000.00	$14,400,000.00
Total					$23,040,000.00

Anticipated Profit Margins

	Year 1	Years 2+
Expenses	$727,396.00	$109,996.00
Minimum Revenue	$4,500,000.00	$4,500,000.00
Maximum Revenue	$23,040,000.00	$23,040,000.00
Profit on Minimum	$2,422,604.00	$4,390,004.00
Profit on Maximum	$22,312,604.00	$22,930,004.00

Criteria for project approval

Criteria for approval for this project is that it will have a positive anticipated revenue stream and be able to be fully implemented within 2 months of initiation. The first 2 weeks will be spent arranging finances and purchasing the equipment along with updating our web design company, WebCo, with the changes we would like to have made. Online schedulers are readily available as applications that they can purchase and rebrand to match the overall look and feel of our current site. Once equipment begins arriving we will install the equipment in stores. During the installation phase we can proceed with testing the software and training our managers. Once we have incorporated feedback from the managers about the software and capability, we can train customer-facing employees and will be ready to launch the VSA service to customers.

Time is of the essence with this project and keeping on top of the timelines in order to deliver the VSA service as quickly as possible is paramount.

Project Authority

Project Authority is set up so that the project has a line of people making decisions on the project. This is an important step for a smooth and successful project. Many projects fail because the project leader lacks sufficient control to keep things moving toward a successful conclusion (Kendrick, 2012). While there will be many people looking at how the project ends up on completion, the head or lead of the project is the Project Manager. On ours, the Project Manager oversees the project and the Project Sponsor/customer oversees the Project Manager and eventually will report the project to the executive management.

Project manager and authority level

For the Virtual Shopping Assistant (VSA) project, our project manager will be Jess George and Holly Wellington will be our Assistant Project Manager. Since this will be across the DMV area (DC, Maryland, and Virginia) it is wise to have a PM and APM on the project. Both people will be responsible for making sure that the project remains on track and to facilitate the roles of some planning, all execution and closing out the projects. Successfully managing a project involves at least three separate activities: achieving project objectives, managing the project processes, and leading the team (Kendrick. (2012). The Project Manager will work with the architect/engineer and come up with existing and proposed test fit drawings for the changes needed at each of the grocery stores that will be converting to VSA. This will be shared with the project sponsor/customer for approval. Once it is approved; and the scope of the work is outlined, the project manager will then be responsible for getting together with vendors and start working on proposed pricing and schedules. These vendors will be managed by the project manager throughout the project once selected. It is the responsibility of the PM to then put all of the information, project schedule, budget, lease information and rendering into a package and present to the project sponsor for review and approval by way of a charter tollgate meeting. Each store will be its own project therefore tollgate review will need to be presented per store.

Once a project is approved via tollgate, it is the Project Manager’s responsibility to work with the architect on 100% drawings and get them out to vendors for final price or bid the project. This will depend on the store size. While the process may take a few weeks on the design, our project manager will start working on long lead items so that we have those materials at the beginning of the projects.

The project manager will facilitate getting a final price based on the 100% drawings and present this along with scheduling at a Pre-Construction tollgate to the project sponsor. If approved, both pricing and schedule will be locked in and it is the PM to manage the project base on schedule and budget. The PM will have authority over communication, risk management and milestones on our project. As a requirement, the PM is to prepare the vendor’s contract and route them to the sponsor for signature. The PM also is responsible for setting up a meeting with each grocery store manager to go over the project schedule. At project kickoff/start of the execution, the PM will manage the project per schedule and have weekly meetings with the grocery store manager, all vendors, including the sponsor and facilities.

Project sponsor or customer and authority level

The project sponsor for our project will be Adrian John. As sponsor, he will be responsible for setting project guardrail for each project. The sponsor will decide if it’s a small, medium or larger project and have a guardrail budget in place for each size.

Only the project sponsor can decide if it’s ok to go over these set guardrails during the charter tollgate meeting as the project sponsor has authority over the budget. Once the final budget and schedule is approved at the Pre-Construction tollgate, those items are considered locked and will need the sponsor approval to change the completion date or if the project required additional funds.

Any change in scope or budget will have to be presented at the sponsor weekly change control meeting. The Project Manager is responsible for making this presentation with a valid reason for the change. The project sponsor will check if the change is a controllable or uncontrollable change when decided to approve or disapprove the change.

Any issues that cannot be resolved by the project manager, the project sponsor will step in and make the final decision. The project sponsor will make sure that any obstacles are removed to make the project run smoothly. Finally, the project sponsor will provide updates to the executives’ management on all ongoing project status.

Appendix B – Risk Register

RISK REGISTER

RISK DESCRIPTION	RISK PROBABILITY	RISK IMPACT	SEVERITY	OWNER (Who will manage the risk)	MITIGATING ACTION
Technology crashing due to not having enough bandwidth for its website	Moderate	Volatile	High	Project Manager	Installation of Wi-Fi routers and boosters throughout the store, also have a strong bandwidth for its website
Customers not getting excited about the new product	Unlikely	Major	High	Project Manager	Installation of messaging platform for customers feedback and review
Integrating too many stores	Unlikely	Moderate	Medium	Project Sponsor	Evaluation of current available stores to prevent market saturation

Appendix C – Project Close-out Checklist