Project Cost and Operational Analysis - Essay Example

?Part I The use of timelines can help organize the trajectory of a project. A timeline can be defined as a schedule of activities and events (Thefreedictionary, 2011).The timeline of the project is as follows: 1) Outline and design layout and equipment requirements for final trailer prototype. 1 week 5/1/11-5/8/11 (Project Manager and Owner-President) 2) Finalize enclosure design for the three modular ovens to be used in the chosen trailer model. 1 week 5/1/11-5/8/11 (Owner-President) 3) Investigate and compare available suppliers for equipment and raw materials requirements. 2 weeks 5/1/11-5/15/11 (Project Manager and Owner) 4) Acquire bids from chosen suppliers for the unmodified trailers, equipment, food and general staples. 2 weeks 5/15/11-5/29/11( Project Manager and Owner-President) 5) Sign a contract with one supplier for the trailer and equipment and two suppliers for food and operational supplies.1 week 5/29/11-6/5/11(Owner-President) 6) Order trailer, equipment and materials from chosen suppliers for leasehold improvements and final trailer prototype.1 week 5/29/11-6/5/11(Project Manager) 7) Acquire bids and choose one fabrication shop for custom sub assemblies to be used in the trailer.1 week 5/29/11-6/5/11(Project Manager) 8) Choose and lease suitable commercial building for the warehouse and manufacturing area and corporate facilities for D'Angelo Pizzeria corporate headquarters. 2 weeks 5/29/11-6/12/11(Project Manager) 9) Incorporate D'Angelo Pizzeria Co. and franchise division. 2 weeks 5/29/11-6/12/11 10) Interview and hire personnel for D’Angelo Pizzeria manufacturing and corporate operations. 4 weeks 5/29/11-6/26/11( Project Manager and Owner-President) 11) Assemble final trailer prototype and perform testing and debugging. 2 weeks 6/12/11-6/26/11( 2 x Assembly technicians ,Project Manager, Owner) 12) Choose and document final design parameters for trailer after prototype testing. 1 week 6/26/11-7/3/11 (Project Manager) 13) Research and secure two locations for the first corporate owned D'Angelo Pizzeria. 2 weeks 6/26/11-7/10/11 (Project Manager, Owner-President) 14) Establish and document all operational, training and franchisee procedures and develop the final draft for operational, franchisee, training, and employee manuals for review. 4 weeks 6/26/11-7/24/11 (Project Manager, Owner-President) 15) Develop the Strategic Marketing plan. 2 weeks 7/10/11-7/24/11 (Project Manager) 16) Assemble two ready to run D'Angelo Pizzeria trailer units to be used for the corporate owned pilot stores for the D'Angelo Pizzeria franchise. 3 weeks 7/3/11-7/24/11(2x Assembly technicians, Project Manager) 17) Finish corporate infrastructure for the launch of the D’Angelo private franchises within 6 months. 1 week 7/24/11-7/31/11(Project Manager) 18) Grand Opening of the first two corporate owned D'Angelo Franchises on 8/1/11 Project Cost and Operational Analysis As reviewed in the Time Phased Budget the project is divided in 18 tasks or deliverables which will be completed from 5/1/11 to 8/1/11, an 18 week period or 3.5 months (Kanodia, 2011). The total project cost has been streamlined to minimize project risks and maximize return of investment for the initial phase for the D'Angelo Pizzeria project launch. By limiting project scope to just building the company infrastructure and launching just the first two corporate owned D'Angelo Pizzerias; we are implementing a strategy that serves to maximize project speed, efficiency and ensures the best possibility to achieve timely completion of the project goals and within the allocated budget structure (Haughey, 2011). Although we originally underestimated trailer size and equipment requirements we were able to achieve significant cost savings in other project areas. By streamlining project requirements and limiting project scope to a working minimum we were able to minimize project costs and expenses and maximize the chances of a successful project completion (Projectstreamline, 2010). The total cost for the project has been revised to a total cumulative project cost of $290,810. The Project Cost breakdown is as follows: 1) Project manager (direct cost) - $14,000 ($4,000a month x 3.5 months) 2) Purchase three trailers for prototype and initial two D'Angelo Pizzerias ($13,000 per trailer, direct costs) - $39,000 3) Total direct labor for trailer construction (2 employees for 6 weeks):240 hours x $9.00 per hour = $2,160 Equipment breakdown per trailer (direct costs): Trailer modules for oven enclosure $500, Diesel generator and enclosure $2,500 Preparation tables $750, storage racks and shelves $500, refrigeration unit $1,500 Soda dispenser, tanks and installation $2,500, prep containers and instruments $500 Professional mixer $2,000, custom pizza ovens construction and enclosure $2,500 Flat grill, stove, and gas oven $1,500, installation of gas, gas, electrical and plumbing $1,500 A/C console and installation $1,800 Total Equipment and installation cost per trailer: $18,050 per trailer x 3 = $56,150 4) D'Angelo Pizzeria incorporation costs, insurance and legal fees (direct costs) - $2,500 5) Building lease and improvements (overhead) - $49,000 ($14,000 rent, $35,000 leasehold improvements) 6) Utilities, insurance and administrative expenses (administrative)-$13,000 7) Initial food inventory and supplies ($25,000), labor ($9,600), fixed costs for 2 months of operations(direct costs) of both corporate D'Angelo Pizzeria franchises- $40,000 8) Marketing costs (direct)-$75,000 Total Direct labor- $25,760 Total Direct Materials- $120,150 Total Direct expenses- $82,900 Total Direct Costs- $ 228,810 Indirect costs- $62,000 Total Project Costs- $290,810 (Nebiu). After analyzing the project scope and operational requirements we have modified the design of the trailer in order to incorporate all the requirements for comfort and efficient production. The trailer has been expanded to an 8'x16' trailer compared with a 8'x12' trailer in our initial estimates. The extra size was incorporated to accommodate all the required storage space, equipment and prep areas and we sectioned off a section of the trailer for a separate insulated compartment the ovens. This increases cabin comfort and lowers ventilation and cooling costs. As far as personnel we will hire 4 individual employees which will be trained to work as front desk cashiers and pizza cooks as two man teams for the first two corporate D'Angelo Pizzerias. These four employees will also work as assembly technicians for the two D’Angelo mobile trailer units. A store manager will be hired for quality control and managing the performance of the first two D'Angelo Pizzerias, he will split his time between the two sites. There are areas where additional cost savings can be realized since we actually budgeted $75,000 for marketing, if initial public acceptance and sales volumes meet expectations; we could decrease the marketing budget by 45% or around $33,000. Additionally we could choose to further limit project scope and initially open just one D'Angelo Pizzeria restaurant location for the initial project launch. This will decrease the total project costs significantly; conceivably we could save around $56,000 by foregoing opening a second location. Its’ is the opinion of management that we should not eliminate the second location since our long term success depends on getting our brand and company known by having a market presence in key locations on the that will help create customer awareness and build consumer loyalty. Part II In order to write an effective project plan there is a level of background research and preparations that must be completed. The proposal should provide the user with detailed information concerning; justifications for the project, activities and project time-line implementation details and methodology, and resources required for the project completion (Blurit, 2011). Determining project scope or what is going to be included as project goals needs to be determined in order to minimize errors or unnecessary work and expenses. After the project goals are determined a list of project tasks or deliverables are outlined .In order to complete the projected tasks or goals in an efficient manner scheduling plays a most important role in enhancing project performance and ensure timely project completion. In order to prevent unnecessary delays a time-budget with timeline serves to better allocate time and resources efficiently and ensures that all the materials and resources for the project are available at the right time. This time budget helps organize the project into phases and for all the individual tasks and the total project duration is calculated. All the individual expenses and resource requirements are outlined and a total project cost budget is finalized. Finally a risk management plan should be outlined in order to better handle project contingencies, minimize budget overruns, and maximize project success. Outsourcing certain tasks for complex projects helps the project manager maximize project performance by using experts for critical or complex project tasks. In short by ensuring that only experienced experts deal with mission critical tasks or deliverables the project risks can be minimized. References Blurit.com (2011). What Are The Main Parts of Business Proposal? Retrieved April 8, 2011 from http://www.blurtit.com/q263401.html Haughey, D. (2011). Project Planning a Step by Step Guide. Retrieved April 7, 2011 from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/project-planning-step-by-step.html Kanodia, S. (2011). How to write an effective proposal. Retrieved April 8, 2011 from http://www.chillibreeze.com/articles/project-proposal.asp Nebui, B. Developing Skill of NGOS: Project Proposal Writing. Retrieved April 8, 2011 from http://documents.rec.org/publications/ProposalWriting.pdf Projectstreamline.org (2010). Guide to streamlining. Retrieved April 7, 2011 from http://www.projectstreamline.org/guide_to_streamlining Thefreedictionary.com (2011). Timeline. Retrieved April 8, 2011 from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/timeline Read More