Manage Your Health Inc - Work Breakdown Structure - Case Study Example

Manage Your Health Inc - Work Breakdown Structure Strategic plan update 1.0 introduction 1.1 Projects Justification 1.2 Summary of project deliverables 1.2.1 Project management-related deliverable 1.2.2 Product management-related deliverable 2.0 Project success criteria 2.1 Goals and Objectives 2.1.1 Reduction of internal costs 2.1.2 Increasing cross-selling of products 2.1.3 Exploitation of new Web-based technologies 3.0 Testing and Training 3.1 Testing 3.2 Training Executive summary Manage Your Health, Inc. (MYH) is an international company that specializes in the provision of various health services in the world. The company has come up with various projects of updating its strategic plan with the intention of reducing costs, increasing cross-selling of products, and exploit new Web-based technologies. Adoption of a reasonable project will significantly contribute to reduction of cost maintain health of employees. Health is tremendously vital in any organization since it directly affects production of a company. For a company to be productive, it has to ensure that the health of all the employees is satisfactory. This is a project that aims at applying various concepts that one has learned in the course of study. I have considered various, several methods when selecting this project to ensure that it is sufficient and reliable. One criterion that has enabled led to selection of this project is financial analysis of various projects. One must consider the one that is most beneficial and valuable. Project scope management has also been tremendously useful in its development. The weighted scoring model presents the weighted scores that each project earns when implemented using various different criteria. There are several criteria Manage Your Health can use in implementation and running of the projects. The company has emerged with the desired results by adopting the average weighted score that each project makes by taking the average score. This will ensure that the company adopts a reasonable project that will derive high benefits for the company. Analysis of this project clearly indicates that the company can reduce its operating costs, increase its cross-selling of product, and advance new web-based technologies. The project is, therefore, viable to implement since it will ensure that the organization derives reasonable benefits from it. The company can achieve this with the introduction of this project that will ensure that it will improve its interaction with customers and employees and thus achieve exemplary results. The project demands cooperation from workers and administration for it to be successful. Health Coverage Costs Business Model project emerges as the best project that the management should consider implementing. This is because it registers the highest weighted project score of 76.1. The project, therefore, emerges as the best the company should consider implementing to ensure that the organization meets the given targets. Despite the efforts of the company in changing insurance carriers several times, health care premiums continue to increase. The management has observed this situation for the past ten years and hence decided to come with a measure of solving this problem. The objective of this project is to reduce the operating costs of the company. When the management reduces the costs, the company will have a high turnover that will enable it to venture into other areas where it does not have branches. This will enable it to reach a greater number of customers within and out of its environs. This expansion will demand the management of the company to invest capital sufficiently. This project will enable the company to accrue various advantages, which includes reduction, of internal costs. The management can use the amount it saves to venture in other business activities that will ensure that it generates additional profits. Manage Your Health will incur various benefits in adopting this project. The most important of all is that new web-based technology will ensure smooth communication between employees, customers and various suppliers of the company. The company will, therefore, acquire various products from the suppliers promptly and avail them to the customers. This will ensure that the company meets the needs of customers by availing all the products that they demand. Communication is extremely essential in the operation of a company. It will enable the management of the company to plan for its activities efficiently. The customers will feel satisfied with the operations of the company. Through these web-technology methods, the company is going to acquire pertinent information regarding its services. The management will become aware of various areas that need improvement through the feedback that the customers give. Task 1: Health Coverage Costs Business Model Business objective Weighted Scoring Model The weighted scoring model presents the weighted scores that each project earns when implemented using various different criteria. There are seven criteria that management can use in implementation and running of the projects. They can emerge with the desired results by adopting the average weighted score that each project makes by taking the average score. The following is a weighted decision matrix which enables to calculate the weighted scores of the four projects (Kay, 2009, p. 109). The seven criteria that are available for this case should ensure that they have a total weight of 100%. The following are the criteria that were used to arrive at weighted average results;- 1) The initial cost of the project 2) The maintenance cost of the projects 3) The time required to attain the Return on Investment 4) The Net Present Value of the Project 5) The personnel to run the project 6) The technicality of setting and running the project 7) The short and long term effect on the employees and customers The second project emerges as the best project that the management should consider implementing since it registers the highest weighted project score of 76.1. The project, therefore, emerges as the best the company should consider implementing to ensure that the organization meets the given targets. Depending on the weight of every criterion, the second project has emerged as the best and hence having the best overall weight. Health Coverage Costs Business Model is, therefore, the project that should be implemented by Manage Your Health Inc. It will enable the company to track employee health care expenses and costs. This enable the company to determine the expenses that incur. It is favorable since the management runs it on the intranet where various managers and analysts can access data for further analysis. This will ensure that the management determines the various leakages that would exist. The project has an aim of minimizing embezzlement of funds. The management budgets that the company will save AED 80/employee/year. This is a reasonable amount that Manage Your Health should concentrate on saving. The money can be used for improving other operations of the company that would yield extreme productivity of the company. Weighted decision matrix There are various criteria that the management should use to come up with reasonable results, which determine the, best project that they should adopt. Depending on the scores of each criterion, one is a position to determine the one which is most appropriate. One should ensure that they find the weighted score of each project under different criteria. One should then come up with a bar chart that contains the results. The following is the model that one achieves after plotting the weighted score of the projects that a person realizes through different criteria (Humphrey, 2010, p. 52). Weighted Averages for MYH Inc, 2012 Created by: Date: Criteria Weight Project 1 Project 2 Project 3 Project 4 A 18% 75 75 35 5 B 15% 80 95 55 25 C 22% 70 85 55 30 D 12% 35 75 45 90 E 7% 40 35 50 90 F 20% 50 70 65 65 G 6% 40 70 70 95 Weighted Project Scores 100% 60.3 76.1 52.75 47.05 Weighted Score Model Discussion The above weight scoring model is a representation of weighted scores of each project which undertaken under different criteria. For instance, the average for project 1 is 56 which the first bar in the above model indicates. Project 2 is the most advisable to implement since is compatible with many criteria and hence can be easily implemented without many problems (Billings and McGovern, 2002, p. 142). The quality of having a high weighted score indicates that it can be implemented with various criteria. Project 4 is the least viable of the four projects. Projects 1 and 3 have a close weighted average. Task 2: Business case for Recreation and Wellness Intranet Project Introduction Recreation and Wellness Intranet Project is particularly vital in Manage Your Health, Inc. The management has estimated that implementation of the project will take approximately six months. The main aim of the project is to track employee’s health care expenses and the company health care costs. From past experience the company has been incurring huge expense on health premium and changing companies has not helped reduce the cost. The main objective of the project is to allow business modeling of various scenarios. In addition, it will make it possible to track and analyse the current and past employee health care cost. With this application in place or the managers and analysts will be able to log in , access the data and even download it for further analysis. The cost of development of the application will be AED 400 and it will save the company AED 80 per employee for the next four years. The managers at Manage Your Health, Inc. (MYH) have chosen Ahmed Abdulla as the project manager to oversee the implementation of Recreation and Wellness Intranet Project. Ahmed is a person who has reasonable experience in handling such cases that require management and system analysis. Since he is an enthusiastic person in his work, he will oversee proper implementation and management of the project that will generate favorable results for the company (Skocpol and Jacobs, 2010, p. 78). Opportunity Statement The main problem that employees suffer from in this company is poor health. Health of an individual is particularly valuable and should be given considerable concentration. For the employees of an organization to be productive in their work environment, the management has to ensure that it ensures them with exemplary health facilities. This will ensure that the workers do not waste time on leaves when they are sick but concentrate of working during the working hours. It is true that the employees of Manage Your Health, Inc. experience health problems. Their health conditions of employees keep on deteriorating and hence needs improvements for them to be productive in their work environments. The problems arise due to lack of proper recreation facilities for the employees (Billings and McGovern, 2002, p. 140). Critical Assumption and Constraints The critical assumption that governs the operation of this project is that the company expects employees to coordinate in the process of implementation of this project. This is an assumption that is worth considering since a majority of the employees may not find it easy to enroll in some of these programs. The major reason behind this is due to lack of time and deteriorated age (Kryszkiewicz, Rybinski, and Ryzko, 2011, p. 131). The company might invest a lot of money that it might not realize its value due to lack of employees participating. The employees might have constraints in joining these programs and thus find it to be a bit hard to attend regularly. One might be extremely tired after working for the whole day and hence find it challenging to attend recreation programs that the company provides. One needs time to rest after working continuously for a long duration. Analysis of the option and Recommendation The most critical application that the management comes with to solve this problem of the company incurring a lot of money is Wellness and recreation project. This will sustain the health premiums of the employees is adoption of recreation and Wellness project. It is reasonable to ensure that the employees participate in sports and thus ensure physical fitness of their bodies (Goodman, 2009, p. 19). This is an exemplary strategy which will substantially contribute towards maintaining proper health. The management expects the employees to participate in company sponsored recreational programs. These programs will include soccer, bowling, and softball, walking, and jogging. These programs will ensure that the employees involve themselves in various activities that will eventually lead to considerable health in the bodies. People get sick and become weak due to lack of doing exercise (Humphrey, 2010, p. 79). One should make a habit of ensuring that they actively involved in various activities that will help maintain their legitimate health. The employees should also register for various company sponsored classes and programs that will assist them manage their weight, stop smoking, reduce stress, and manage other health-related issues. The problem of having excess weight is an enormous challenge that many employees face in their lives. They should join these classes to attain various methods of dealing with the problems. Preliminary Project Requirements The project requires all employees to join these recreation activities and adhere to their requirements. The employees should attend the recreational programs regularly and without missing so that they can gain a lot from the program. The management will ensure that the employees register for the program. Every employee must show interest in a certain field and thus should show interest in joining a certain recreational program. The project will also expect employees to attend classes to equip them with sufficient knowledge on how to control various issues like health, how to reduce stress, and how to avoid smoking (Speicher, 2010, p. 91). These will ensure that the employees do not indulge in abuse of drugs due to problems like stress. In fact, it will ensure that they will act responsibly in case they face with challenging situations. The project will also require sufficient invigilation by the company to ensure that the employees comply with these requirements. Failure to observe this will lead to the company achieving no changes. For the output of the project to be favorable, the company has the role of ensuring that the employees adhere to the laid standards that the project stipulates. The management should follow up this project to ensure that they achieve the main role of introducing it (Goodman, 2009, p. 47). Budget estimate and Financial Analysis The management expects the project to cost about AED 800,000 for it operates successfully. The amount of cash that the company invests within the short period of six months is a lot. The management should carry out a critical examination of the market to ensure that the venture is reasonable. The management expects the project to take a period of six months for it to operate successfully and start generating results (Schwalbe, 2010, p. 121). The company must, however, come up with measures of ensuring that the employees participate in the program actively for it to be successful. It is a reasonable project that will save the company up to 20% of premiums that the company incurs higher than other companies for maintenance of health of every employee. Schedule Estimate The project should be given an allowance of another six months for it to operate efficiently. The period of six months that the management allocates for the project is not enough to ensure that it is operating efficiently. The employees of the organization might not react effectively to the new programs given period of six months. This is a process which might need time for them to get used to the new strategy (Kay, 2009, p. 121). Potential Risks The risk that this project might face is a slow response by the employees to respond to the programs. The employees might be reluctant to active in participation, in programs that the management has implemented. This will lead to poor results in terms of the expectations of the management. Another potential risk is that the company takes is that the premiums that the company pays for health of employees might not reduce. Considering that the employees’ health is poor, it may take a relatively longer period for the health of the employees to improve (Kryszkiewicz, Rybinski, and Ryzko, 2011, p. 222). The company will, therefore, incur costs in the process of implementing the project and also during payment of the premiums before the situation stabilizes. The company will hence incur too many costs, which can even, deter its successive operation. If the employees do not like the programs, they can also react negatively towards them, and this may have the effect of them not working appropriately in their respective areas. This may eventually lead to poor performance of the entity. Exhibits Financial Analysis provides the best exhibit for this project. It shows that the project is viable to implement and that the company will reap benefits from it. Year 0 1 2 3 Discounted costs 200 185 171 159 Discounted benefits 0 370 343 318 One realizes that the discounted costs decrease with an increase in the number of years. The management should ensure that they implement the project early enough to ensure that the company enjoys reasonable discount on costs. The discounted benefits record a high value in the first year and start decreasing respectively. The company should ensure that they implement the project in one year to realize all the benefits while reducing costs. Task 3: Scope of Statement Project Title: Manage Your Health, Inc. (MYH) After realizing that it spends a lot of money in buying health premiums for its employees, MYH has come up with new strategies that will ensure that it reduces the cost of the health care among its employees. This will in turn lead to high profits level because of the reduced expenses. To successfully do this, the company will develop a web based application will improve delivery of both services and products to consumers. This application will give the customers and suppliers a chance to comment on the products and services that Manage Your Health offers (Skocpol and Jacobs, 2010, p. 45). The new application will also enable police makers easily access information and make any necessary amendments directed towards improving the service a provision. Further more, it will lead to the introduction discounts to customers across all the products offered because the customers’ tasks will be well documented and accessible. The new integrated electronic commerce approach will in the long run save the company an estimated AED 8 million every year for the period of three years after the period of implementation (Billings and McGovern, 2002, p. 65). Project Characteristics and Requirement 1. Template and Tools: The template and tool will enable the company to track employee health care expenses and the cost incurred by the Company to pay for the same. The intranet service will make it possible for the manager and policy makers to access and download useful information tat will enable them improve on the current scenarios. 2. Security: Given that data base will be handling sensitive information about the customers and the company. High level of security will be put in place to prevent cyber hacking and information damage or destruction. To successfully do this, every member accessing the data registry will need to log in using their security details. 3. Training centre: Physical activities are tremendously vital in a person’s life. Setting up a training centre will make it possible for the employees to participate in healthy lifestyles enabling the Company save millions on money in treating life style related diseases. The demand for high insurance premiums will greatly reduce the total cost to be incurred by the company. 4. Ask the Expert Feature: This feature will be in place to assist the visitors on the site in accomplishing the task they intended to do. It will help in such activities as retrieving as retrieving customer’s user name of pass word and executing a purchase or sale. 5. Customised Product Category section: The cross selling system will have different section for the various products and services offered by the Company. This will give the visitors ample information of the product or service being sought after. Sufficient information will drive the customers to make informed decision on a product or service. 6. FAQ section: This section will answer the customers queries in case they have any . It will be a resourceful platform where customers and visitors to the site get more information. 7. Live Chat: Live chat option will offer direct assistance to the customers on the site. This will include giving information on the mode of payment, difficulty in making a purchase and any other customer related questions. 8. Payment Options: The payment option available to the customers will be outlined on the intranet. There will e a wide choice so that the customers can have the opportunity on selecting the most reliable and affordable payment option. 9. Feedback and Suggestions: For the Company to be sensitive to the customer’s needs and preferences, there will be a feedback tab that will make it possible for the visitors to the internet to post their experience and suggest on nay improvement that are to be installed. This tool will give the Company a platform to address the changing customer needs and keep up with the market pace. 10. The intranet will be accessible at any time of the day all week long. This feature will enable customers and other users to access information or products and services at their most convenient hours. Project management-related deliverable To effectively manage the projects, project management deliverables such as the scope statement, progress reports, and lesson learnt report, final project report and any other document necessary for the successful ruining of the project should be in place. The following are the project deliverables. 1. Case studies of past technologies: The management will need to exploit various technologies that have been previously employed by similar organization and have been successful. The case studies can be accessed through the internet, libraries or by approaching other institution with similar plan. 2. Survey: The Company will need to conduct a through market research and learn of ways of reducing the general cost of implementing the program. Web Based Technology: A web based technology will be required to enable customers and policy maker’s access information online. It will enable them track their performance in terms of stock previously bought, orders being processed and make electronic purchase procedures. They will also be in a position to request for discount on the basis of their track record. All customers will be able to access information without the staff assistance thus reducing the overall expenses. 3. Quality Assurance Program: High quality products will have a substantial impact in attraction and maintaining of customers in the company. For the Company to dominate in the market, provision of high quality products is a crucial characteristic that one must meet. 4. Inventory Management Tool: The Company should also ensure that the products reach the customer in a short time and on a regular basis. This will facilitate recovery of the various patients who might be in problems. In addition, healthcare products are urgent and hence the company should supply them regularly to minimize chances of shortages. To successfully, manage inventory, there is need for the company to have an effective inventory management tool (Speicher, 2010, p. 21). 5. Pricing Strategy: This will ensure that the Company offer reasonable prices for its products. The price of a product or service plays an important role in determining the level of competition. The price level should reflect the quality of the product and service and should be comparable to other competitors in the market. Fair prices also results to high sales. 6. Cost Baseline: The main objective of this project is to reduce the operating costs of the company. When the management reduces the costs, the company will have a high turnover that will enable it to venture into other areas where it does not have branches. This expansion can only be achieved via having sufficient capital for investment (Schwalbe, 2010, p. 35). This project will enable the company to accrue various advantages, which includes reduction, of internal costs. When the management designs various methods of reducing the premiums that the company pays, it will save a significant amount which will generate into additional revenue. 7. Cross selling Application: The new application will allow customers to buy different categories of products and services on the same account. This application will enable the customers to get discounts prompting them to come back or purchase more from the company. 8. Feedback and customer suggestions platform: The Company will need a program where the customers who buy commodities can leave their comments. These comments will be tremendously vital in the running of the organization since they enable the management to access the feeling of the customers. This program will ensure smooth communication between customers and the company and thus facilitating exemplary flow of information (Kay, 2009, p. 62). 9. Web based technologies: The new web-based technology will ensure smooth communication between employees, customers and various suppliers of the company. IT will also improve the level of communication within and without the Company. The web-based technology will provide various links that will direct the customers and the management team to execute various operations on the net. 10: Customer Relationship Management: This will ensure that it has loyal customers who will always be ready to buy the products. They should ensure that the system has different products and different sale representatives depending on products and services (Humphrey, 2010, p. 34). A strong and viable CRM will attract customers and enable the company retain the existing customers for a long period (Schwalbe, 2010, p. 63). 11. Testing of the Program: The Company should test the program by allowing discounts to customers who purchase in large amounts. Allowing this practice for a reasonable period ensures that the company familiarizes with performance of the program. The company should also test the reliability of the services and products that are intended to begin. Testing of products and services will ensure that it has feedback that is tremendously essential for decision making (Kryszkiewicz, Rybinski, and Ryzko, 2011, p. 65). 12. Training Kit: The Company should provide appropriate training to its employees to equip them with skills to sell products, improve their cross-selling skills and customer care initiatives to gain on the newly introduced program. 13. Hardware: The Operations and Management team will ensure that all the hardware and other important facilities are put in place for proper functioning of the program. There should be proper maintenance on the hardware to prevent tear and wear. Project success criteria The main goal of this project is have it running within the first year of implementation. The estimated cost of maintenance is 3.2 million AED whereas the profit per annum will be 4 million AED. To ensure that it meets this target, the management team should adopt the criteria of testing various strategies that it adopts to ensure that they are operating efficiently. After testing the strategies the management should also carry out research to ensure that they will lead towards success of the organization. If the strategies that they adopt do not contribute towards success of the organization, then they are not worth implementing and hence should be discarded (Kryszkiewicz, Rybinski, and Ryzko, 2011, p. 78). The company should also consider training the employees to ensure that they are conversant with the various programs that they will work with. This will ensure that they totally comprehend the operation of the systems of the company to derive maximum utility of the proposed project. The management should adopt effective and efficient research strategies to run the company. It should consider the areas that need improvement and research on the effects of the strategies they implement. Incase the expenses in the proposed project outdo the revenue and the projects faces numerous challenges, the company should consider abandoning the project all together or looking for ways to improve the current status .If the Company may take longer in attaining the set goal but still bring in the anticipated revenue per annum, then it will be considered a success. Task 4 The following is the WBS for the project. Level WBS Code Element Name Definition 1 1 Recreation and Wellness Intranet Project Intranet program that will enable employees live healthy lives 2 1.1 Register for recreational programs Register for selected programs. 3 1.1.1 soccer For those interested in playing soccer 3 1.1.2 Jogging For those interested in jogging 3 1.1.3 Bowling For those interested in bowling. 3 1.1.4 Softball For those interested in softball. 3 1.1.5 Walking For those interested in walking 2 1.2 Registering for company sponsored classes The employees to register for any of the classes initiated by the company. 3 1.2.1 Weight loss classes Activities related to weight loss. 3 1.2.2 Stress Reduction Activities related to stress reduction. 3 1.2.3 Stop smoking Activities related to quitting smoking 3 1.2.4 Stop Alcoholism Activities related to quitting alcohol 2 1.3 Track on Employee Involvement Track the level of employee participation in the projects initiated 2 1.4 Offer Incentives for people to join programs The employees actively participating will be given offer such as free meals, travel tickets or bonus payment. 1 2 Health Coverage Costs Business Model Starting of the health coverage business model 2 2.1. Track Employee Health Care Make updates and confirmation on services sought after by members 2 2.2 Track Employee Health care Cost The payment made towards employee premiums will be tracked 3 2.2.1 Accessibility for managers and analysts Managers will be in a position to access all the information they need 3 2.2.2 Import data from current systems Data will be moved from old system to new one 2 2.3 Revise Employee contribution policies the company will be in a position to revise all its employees contribution to insurance firms 2 2.4 Enable company to negotiate for lower premiums The company will collect quotes and select the cheapest in the market 1 3 Web Enhanced Communication Systems The company will develop a web-enhanced system on which will operate on. 2 3.1 Develop an application to improve cross selling The application will enable customer to buy across the intranet and get discounts 2 3.2 Integrate major products and services All the products and services offered will be clearly spelt out 3 3.2.1 Increases sales High volume of sales 3 3.2.2 Increased profits High revenue collection and reduced expenses 1 4 Web Enhanced Communication system Develop a web enhanced program to allow for electronic commerce 2 4.1 Develop web based application Develop a software where all company activities will be taking place 2 4.2 Integrate delivery of products and services Ensure that the program is user friendly 3 4.2.1 Customer provides Suggestions A feedback and suggestion tab put in place 4.2.2 Use electronic capabilities Customers will be able to place electronic orders and pay online To carry out the above activities the following Gant chart represents the schedule of activities in the project References Schwalbe, K. 2010. Information Technology Project Management. Cengage Learning Kay, F. 2009. Your Health: How to Keep Fit, Prevent Illness and Manage Your Health Care Express Newspapers Non Retirement Guides. Kogan Page Publishers Speicher, E. M. 2010. Get Well, Stay Well, and Manage Your Helth. Dog Ear Publishing Skocpol, T., Jacobs, R. L. 2010. Health Care Reform and American Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press Goodman, A. J. 2009. Strategic Customer Service: Managing the Customer Experience to Increase Positive Word of Mouth, Build Loyalty, and Maximize Profits. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn Kryszkiewicz, M., Rybinski, H., and Ryzko, D. 2011. Emerging Intelligent Technologies in Industry. Springer Humphrey, D, D. 2010. 21st Century Business Customer Service. Cengage Learning Billings, M., McGovern, D. 2002. Conversations in E-Learning. Jones & Bartlett Learning Read More