Project Management Report: CRM System for Australian Hardware Store

This project report details the implementation of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system for the Australian Hardware Store. The report outlines the project's scope, which focuses on integrating customer service, sales, and marketing departments to overcome operational challenges. It includes a milestone list, a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) with a 260-day schedule, and a change management plan to integrate manual operations with the new CRM system. The report also presents a cost management plan, a procurement management plan, a schedule management plan, and a risk management plan, detailing potential risks and mitigation strategies. Furthermore, the report discusses staff management, resource allocation, and communication strategies, including stakeholder meetings and debates on project management integration mechanisms like forecasting. The project aims to improve customer relationships and operational efficiency through effective CRM implementation, adhering to key project management knowledge areas such as scope, time, cost, and quality.

Running head: AUSTRALIA HARDWARE STORE CRM
Project Management: Australia Hardware Store CRM
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:

1AUSTRALIA HARDWARE STORE CRM
Introduction
In this new era of technology most of the businesses are becoming completely dependent
on technology. This report depicts the essential importance of one such technical aspect
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. In order to establish an effective and
efficient relationship between the customers and the service providers the CRM is implemented
by most of the large organizations these days. The company nominated for this report is
Australian Hardware store.
The products of the hardware store are supplied in many locations. However, due to lack
of integration among customer service, sales and marketing department they are facing major
operational challenges. In order to overcome these issues the assigned project manager has
planned to install a new CRM system for managing the operations. In order to implement the
CRM system the different project management prcatices those are essential to implement are
elaborated in below.
Project management approach
Project scope
The scope of the project is to install a CRM system to establish good relationship
between the product and service providers and the buyers in other words between the service
providers and the customers of Australian hardware store.
Milestone list
Milestone 1: Submit SOW

2AUSTRALIA HARDWARE STORE CRM
Milestone 2: Project planning phase completion
Milestone 3: Project development and execution completion
Milestone 4: Project testing and closed
Schedule baseline and WBS
WBS Task Name Duratio
n Start Finish
0 Australian Hardware store's CRM implementation project
schedule 260 days 12/10/09 08/10/10
1 Initiation phase 60 days 12/10/09 01/01/10
1.1 Analyzing current issues 20 days 12/10/09 06/11/09
1.2 Scope statement design 20 days 09/11/09 04/12/09
1.3 Developing project team 10 days 07/12/09 18/12/09
1.4 Appointing technical experts 20 days 07/12/09 01/01/10
1.5 Milestone 1: Submit SOW 0 days 01/01/10 01/01/10
2 Planning phase 60 days 04/01/10 26/03/10
2.1 Risk and quality management plan 10 days 04/01/10 15/01/10
2.2 Procurement plan 20 days 18/01/10 12/02/10
2.3 Time and schedule management plan 20 days 15/02/10 12/03/10
2.4 Staff and resource management plan 10 days 15/03/10 26/03/10
2.5 Milestone 2: Project planning phase completion 0 days 26/03/10 26/03/10
3 Execution CRM 120 days 29/03/10 10/09/10
3.1 Installing CRM 90 days 29/03/10 30/07/10
3.2 License for supporting software 30 days 02/08/10 10/09/10
3.3 Milestone 3: Project development and execution
completion 0 days 10/09/10 10/09/10
4 Testing and closure 20 days 13/09/10 08/10/10
4.1 Stakeholders signoff 10 days 13/09/10 24/09/10
4.2 Project delivered 10 days 27/09/10 08/10/10
5 Milestone 4: Project testing and closed 0 days 08/10/10 08/10/10

3AUSTRALIA HARDWARE STORE CRM
Australian Hardware
store's CRM
implementation project
schedule
Initiation phase
Analyzing current
issues
Scope statement
design
Developing project
team
Appointing technical
experts
Milestone 1: Submit
SOW
Planning phase
Risk and quality
management plan
Procurement plan
Time and schedule
management plan
Staff and resource
management plan
Milestone 2: Project
planning phase
completion
Execution CRM
Installing CRM
License for
supporting software
Milestone 3: Project
development and
execution completion
Testing and closure
Stakeholders signoff
Project delivered
Milestone 4: Project
testing and closed
Figure 1: Project WBS
(Source: created by author)
Change management plan
The sales department, marketing and customer service department of Australian
Hardware Store was not integrated thus facing issues. In order to overcome the operational
challenges, and integrate the operations of there of the department CRM software will be
installed and manual management operation will be changed.
Communication management plan
Throughout the development life cycle open communication approach will be followed
for allowing all the project associates sharing their ideas and creativity as well.

4AUSTRALIA HARDWARE STORE CRM
Cost management plan
The budget estimated for the project is as follows:
WBS Task Name Resource Names Cost
0
Australian Hardware store's
CRM implementation project
schedule
$470,000.00
1 Initiation phase $50,000.00
1.1 Analyzing current issues Project manager $12,800.00
1.2 Scope statement design Project manager, Resource
manager $20,320.00
1.3 Developing project team Business analyst $6,000.00
1.4 Appointing technical experts Solution architect $10,880.00
1.5 Milestone 1: Submit SOW $0.00
2 Planning phase $100,000.00
2.1 Risk and quality management
plan $0.00
2.2 Procurement plan $0.00
2.3 Time and schedule
management plan $0.00
2.4 Staff and resource
management plan Planning budget [1] $100,000.00
2.5 Milestone 2: Project planning
phase completion $0.00
3 Execution CRM $300,000.00
3.1 Installing CRM CRM cost[1] $200,000.00
3.2 License for supporting
software Software license[1] $100,000.00
3.3
Milestone 3: Project
development and execution
completion
$0.00
4 Testing and closure $20,000.00
4.1 Stakeholders signoff Stakeholder signoff cost[1] $20,000.00
4.2 Project delivered $0.00
5 Milestone 4: Project testing and
closed $0.00

5AUSTRALIA HARDWARE STORE CRM
Procurement management plan
At first the enterprise environment factors will be analyzed followed by the
organizational process assets. Then the assigned project manager will allocate the project team.
Then the scope baseline, WBS and project scope will be developed and shared among the team.
Schedule management plan
The project schedule is developed followed by the activities and their individual
complexity. For this project the total time estimated is 260 days.
Risk management plan
Probable risk impact likelihood management strategy
Over allocation of
resource
High Possible Proper resource management plan at the project
initiation stage
Overrunning budget
and time
High Unlikely Feasibility analysis report
Lack of technical
experts
High Most
likely
Hiring technical experts after performance
analysis
Staff management plan
In order to manage the staffs for the project the stages to be followed are:
 Reward and recognition in terms of incentives, prize etc
 Resource histogram presentation
 Acquiring project team
 Pre-assignment and negotiation

6AUSTRALIA HARDWARE STORE CRM
Resource calendar
Project manager Resource manager Business analyst Solution architect
0 hrs
50 hrs
100 hrs
150 hrs
200 hrs
250 hrs
300 hrs
350 hrs
Actual Work Remaining Work Baseline Work
Cost baseline
Initiation
phase Planning
phase Execution
CRM Testing and
closure Milestone 4:
Project
testing and
closed
$0.00
$50,000.00
$100,000.00
$150,000.00
$200,000.00
$250,000.00
$300,000.00
$350,000.00
Actual Cost Remaining Cost Baseline Cost

7AUSTRALIA HARDWARE STORE CRM
2. Project life cycle
Gantt chart
Figure 2: Project Gantt chart
(Source: created by author)
The success or failure of a project cannot be measured without the help of project
management knowledge areas. Each of the 10 knowledge areas is interdependent on each other.
According to project management institute if any one of the knowledge area is not served
accurately then the project would not be able to meet the expected benefit set at the early stage of
commence. For the CRM system implementation project also if the above mentioned knowledge
areas are not properly maintained then the project would not be able to completed in assigned
time and cost. A project cannot be initiated without a schedule and time management plan

8AUSTRALIA HARDWARE STORE CRM
because schedule determines the net time that the project supervisor is going to take for
implementing the project. On the other hand, it is dependent on the cost as well As much time
the project will take the budget will either decrease or increase based on that. Resource
management is also dependent on time and cost management plan. The amount of physical and
human resources to be allocated for a project are also dependent on time and schedule planned.
Over the project life cycle each of the project knowledge areas will be integrated. The
total budget estimated for the project and time allocate are planned at the project initiation stage.
After that how the project manager and other associates will communicate among each other will
be planned. In order to keep the conversation conflict free the best communication approach has
to be selected and all the activities are needed to be according to scope documented at the very
early project initiation phase. The quality of a project is dependent of performance of the project
supervisor and other team members. Therefore, the project manager needs to make sure that the
team members understand their individual’s role clearly. After understanding the roles they are
required to contribute as expected. In order to manage the project staffs and resources
appreciating engagement strategies will be developed it will motivate the team and assist them to
work for the assigned project. Apart from stakeholders and staffs management plan, risk
management plan is another very essential knowledge area that has to be prepared and developed
at the very project beginning phase. For this project, during the planning stage risk management
will be developed. The risk management plan is comprises of potential risks whose consequences
can hamper the project streamline.
The four leading constraints that are needed to be complied to the project to evaluate the
CRM system successfully are scope, time cost and quality. Project scope is the very first activity
and essential activity to be accomplished and approved by the project manager. The project

9AUSTRALIA HARDWARE STORE CRM
scope document must be shared among project team members to let them realize the project
objectives. Time and cost are the two other knowledge areas played important role in developing
the project. If time and cost are not properly managed then issues of over allocation of budget
and over running time will occur.
3. Meeting with internal and external stakeholders
Purpose who Medium Frequency
Sharing objectives Project manager and
sponsor
Initiation stage Once
Roles and responbilities
distribution
Project manager and
team
Initiation stage Weekly
Possible risks
management planning
Project manager and
team
Initiation stage Weekly
4. Debate
Different project management integration mechanisms are there such as pulse meeting,
variance reporting, program review, project forecasting, management review, dashboard, change
management log etc.
Group 1- Businesses employs a completely different forecasting array method for
evaluating the result from decisions. We think that, in order to evaluate and execute any project
successfully forecasting plays essential role because it helps to gain valuable insight. Not only
this but also, people would be able to learn from their past mistakes and they can also make sure
that these issues will not occur further. We also think that it can decrease operation cost as well.

10AUSTRALIA HARDWARE STORE CRM
Group 2- However, we feel that project forecasting is not at all beneficial for project
success. It takes a lot of time as well it is resource intensive also. Some time the process become
much costlier again it never ensures that, forecast will be cent percent appropriate.

11AUSTRALIA HARDWARE STORE CRM
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