Scenario 1: Research Paper (White Paper) for the PMO Director

Scenario 1: Research Paper (White Paper) for the PMO Director
1 Instructor/Developer: Williams The XYZ Corporation Agile Project Management C ourse Main Case UMUC IFSM 441 Introduction to Main Case and Scenario Assignments This is the Agile Project Management (IFSM 441) course main case . Th is case focuses on the XYZ Corporation, a fictitious but life -like corporation , and its project management environment. In conjunction with this case, s tudents are assigned five assignment scenarios over the course of UMUC’s 8-week semester that extend the d etails of this main case and require students to apply and demonstrate their knowledge of Agile project management concepts. The five scenarios themselves are independent of each other, though each links back to the details of this main case. Each scenari o requires students to perform one or more work tasks as if they are employees of the XYZ Corporation, according to the context and details specified in each scenario. Overview of XYZ Corporation and its Project Management Environment The XYZ Corporation is a large private -sector company headquartered in Adelphi, MD that focuses on government contracting. Approximately 80% of annual revenues stem from the federal government sector, 14 % from the state government sector, 5% from the loca l government sector, and 1% from the private sector. 2011 annual revenues for the corporation were close to $100M. XYZ has approximately 700 employees. XYZ Corporation focuses on three main service delivery areas: 1) emergency management, 2) health crisis prevention/response management, and 3) related logistical , coordination , and collaboration services. The corporation derives approximately 80% of its revenues from services and 20% from products (hardware, software, etc.) . Approximately, 60% of delivered services are information technology services, 30% management consulting services, and the remaining 10% an assortment of training and other support services. Approximately, 90% of the revenue fr om products is Internet related, and the other 10% is a wide assortment of other products. The XYZ Corporation is made up of the following four divisions: 1) Information Technology and Processes (IT management, Project Management Office (PMO) , etc. ; 2) Administration (Human Resources, Payroll, etc.); 3) Emergency M anagement Service/Product Delivery (Marketing, Sales, Client Relations, Strategic Planning, Product/Service Development, Product/ Service Delivery , etc. ); and 4) Health Crisis Prevention and Response Management Service/Product Deliver y (Marketing, Sales, C lient Relations, Strategic Planning, Product/Service Development, Product/Service Delivery, etc. ). An organizational chart follows that illustrates how XYZ’s Project Management Office (PMO) provides project governance : 2 Instructor/Developer: Williams XYZ Corporation’s Project Management Office (PMO) promotes, develops, and maintains project methodologies and standards , and , as well , oversees all aspects of project implementation and governance for specified projects . The PMO at XYZ routinely supports 3 approved project management methodologies: 1) PMBOK -compliant Methodology (per PMI’s PMBOK and related best practices); 2) Agile Methodology (per the Agile PM (APM) Framework and Agile best practices); and 3) PMBOK/Agile Hybrid Methodology ( a combination of PMBOK and Agile PM best practices). Most projects are hybrid. The PMO is responsible for determining not only which projects are approved, but, as well, which project management methodology will be employed for each approved project . The PMO routinely consi ders two main factors in pairing a methodology with a project: 1) internal unit fit for efficiency/effectiveness based on the use of methodologies in past projects, requests by unit managers, skills of available PMO/unit project managers, and other factors ; and 2) external business environment factors, such as business/technical sector, uncertainty, complexity, competition/opportunity, timeframe, technologies/processes/staff involved, etc. This is the organization’s customized methodology adaption approach based on Agile PM best practices. By mandate of corporate policy, the PMO must be involved in all projects with over a $ 10 0,000 annual budget. All business units are encouraged to involve the PMO in projects as may be beneficial and per polices are required to involve PMO oversight in projects with over $100,000 annual budget. Internally, XYZ uses the PeopleSoft ERP across all divisions and an assortment of other Intranet and Internet applications built either on a Java or .NET platform. Additional XYZ Corporation PMO and Project Management Approaches Information The XYZ Corporation’s approaches to project management have been greatly influenced by PMI’s PMBOK approaches and, more recently, by 1) Agile PM and Agile approaches , 2) ScrumSense’s approaches , and 3) concepts, best practice s, and approaches of various Agile Manifesto signers and Agile PM luminaries. For key Agile PM approaches, see the assigned readings and lectures. For key ScrumSense approaches, see the t wo featured documents, Do Better Scrum and What Every Product Owner Should Know , which are included in the assigned readings and available at the following URL link on the Web : www.scrumsense.com/resources . Do Better Scrum is authored by Peter Hundermark , and What Every Owner Should Know is authored by Carlo Kruger. For more background information on the related best practice concepts and approaches of Agile PM luminaries , see the assigned readings or search th e web. XYZ Corporation’s Agile project governance str uctures , methodologies, standards, and practices are greatly influenced by these three sources and, as implemented, are centrally driven by the XYZ PMO in close collaboration with the Administration Division and the two Line of Business (LOB) Divisions . Fo r the purposes of this case study and related scenarios (parts), you should co nsider the company ScrumSense ( a real company) as a preferred contractor to XYZ Corporation’s PMO relating to Agile service delivery. Therefore, the two referred to Agile PM documents by ScrumSense can be applied to XYZ Corporation as needed in general or as otherwise specified. Summary This document has introduced the XYZ Corporation and its technology platforms and project management approaches of choice. Since you will be an “employ ee” of XYZ Corporation this semester, it is important that you look back from time to time to this profile of XYZ Corporation when planning and executing related scenarios as assignments for this course. While this profile on XYZ Corporation is helpful, yo u may need to check with your instructor or classmates from time to time for clarification and/or extension of this information. Feel free to contact your instructor any time if you have XYZ Corporation questions or related case or scenario questions relat ing to your work activities.