Turning Levi Jeans into Success: Project Management Plan using IPECC

This report presents a comprehensive project management plan designed to transform the market failure of Levi's Type 1 jeans into a success story. It meticulously analyzes the five stages of the IPECC framework: Initiation, Planning, Execution, Controlling, and Closing. The report begins by examining the initiation phase, emphasizing business analysis, stakeholder identification, and defining project scope, objectives, and deliverables. The planning phase delves into requirement planning, risk assessment, and budget and schedule creation. The execution phase focuses on product development, task assignment, and fostering collaboration. The controlling phase stresses the importance of monitoring and measuring project progress to identify and address variances, while the closing phase highlights the need for efficient project closure and documentation of lessons learned. The report also identifies success criteria, including project management methodology, procurement, risk management, and quality management, with MS Project recommended as the most suitable software for managing the project. The report concludes by emphasizing the distinct importance of each project stage in contributing to the overall project success.

Running head: INDIVUDUAL REPORT
Project Initiation, Planning and Execution
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................2
2. Five stages of IPECC..........................................................................................................2
2.1 Analysis of initiating...................................................................................................2
2.2 Analysis of planning....................................................................................................3
2.3 Analysis of executing..................................................................................................5
2.4 Analysis of controlling................................................................................................6
2.5 Analysis of closing......................................................................................................7
3. Success criteria for project and software best fitted for the project....................................7
4. Conclusion..........................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................10

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1. Introduction
In the year 2000, Levis introduced its type 1 jeans in the market which contained
exaggerated features such as buttons, rivets stitches. The business ran super bowl
advertisements to confuse the customers as well as style not ever fixed on. As the project
management processes of Levis are not known, therefore a way to avoid project failure is
improving over internal communication, such that the final product is clear to the customers
through messages and understood by the end users (Meredith, Mantel Jr and Shafer 2017).
The company should avoid email as well as spreadsheets, instead they should try the
operational records for interaction, and get updates on status along with track the document
versions.
The project management report is reflected on five stages of IPECC such as project
initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing phases to make success to Levis Jeans.
In early 2000s, the jeans were facing market failure and by using the project management
plan, it is seen that the business can turn into market success.
2. Five stages of IPECC
The project management comes in the fashion industry to identify business challenges
lead to failure, identify constraints, and perform good planning as well as well-organized
implementation.
2.1 Analysis of initiating
In the project initiation stage, the management of Levis jeans business conducted a
business analysis by understand behavior of their customers. The project manager should
explain the business plan to the key stakeholders and discuss on its scope, objectives, purpose
and deliverables (Harrison and Lock 2017). At the project initiation phase, the manager

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identifies the project scope and objectives. The scope of Levis jeans is to respond to changes
of customer trends and make their manufacturing developments more sustainable. The main
project objectives are to address sustainability deprived of cooperating authenticity of the
customers expect from the business. The project deliverables are market research, feasibility
study, gap analysis, design presentation and project documents. The market research is
performed on clothing items, color, styles and materials used to design the jeans, and
feasibility study is conducted to examine feasibility of economical and timeline (Kerzner
2017). Due to low rate of satisfaction rate, this project delivers gap analysis to identify root
causes of customer dissatisfaction. In this project, the design presentation provides design
concepts of the jeans.
In the initiation phase, there is identification of project stakeholders involved in
project success are designer, supplier, sponsor, service provider, staffs, customers,
operational and project manager, business analyst, business partners and financial
community. The project constraints identified as scope, time and cost. The project success
measurements of Levis jeans should be done through judging success of the pricing and
marketing strategy (Fleming and Koppelman 2016). There should expand in new customer
base through evaluating percentage of the customers visited the store and measure conversion
rate of the customers. The company should evaluate period to market to understand how they
can decode jeans designs in sellable products. After measuring the project success, the
manager should go to next stage i.e. planning.
2.2 Analysis of planning
In the planning phase, the business analyst develops a requirement plan to include
schedule, resources as well as cost required to conduct the market analysis of Levis Jeans.
There is also an analysis of project risks, plan a budget and schedule required for planning
analysis phase (Kerzner 2019). The business requirement of the Levis jeans is to improve its

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internal collaboration, control the customer insights as well as start to digitize value chains. A
project plan is created to guide the project team through its execution to closure stage of
project success. All the project works are supervised by project manager and operational
manager to make sure that there is timely completion of project work and ensure quality of
the products. Schedule of the project work is to be monitored with adequate project resources
(Fuller et al. 2017). Monthly project progress report is prepared for covering cost and
schedule of the project work.

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Figure 1: Project Schedule
(Source: Created by author)

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The cost plan for the project includes:
Cost items Budget
Direct labor $75,900
Direct materials $200,000
Sales salaries $250,000
Advertising expenses $150,000
Office expenses $78,000
Selling expenses $25,000
Total: $778,900
Levis jeans faces many risks and changes in their business, as each one is striving
towards starting a new market trend. Levis identifies change in market as well as consumer
demand. The company should need to identify possible project risks like production failures,
errors in the supply chain, change in customer demand, regulatory changes in addition ethical
failures. After identification of project risks, the project as well as operational manager
should require to mitigate the risks by using risk management plan (Turner 2017). The
project plan requires to factor all required steps to research the project goals. In order to make
project success of Levis jeans, the operation manager decides on product pricing along with
sales budget. The plan is included market research along with marketing measures.
2.3 Analysis of executing
In the project execution phase, there is developing of products and services to deliver
the final product to the customers. Through this project management plan, the Levis market
success project should strict to the project budget as well as deadline. The project tasks are
assigned to the employees based on their skills as well as knowledge (Marchewka 2016).

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Communication as well as collaboration with the project stakeholders are required to grow in
the market and compete with other fashion industry. The main goal of Levis jeans is to sell
the products and increase in sales. There is also increase in value of the company along with
result in high sales (Binder 2016). The project execution phase is mainly focused on
coordinating people as well as resources, along with integration and performance of project
activities in accordance with proposed project planning. It is required that Levis jeans fosters
collaborative as well as creative cultures. There is avoiding of misunderstandings among the
project team by communicating of the project related information. Regular meetings are
conducted to discuss market and business decisions (Heldman 2018). Communication and
team collaboration is required in Levis jeans business for meetings with project goal to
produce a clothing line of jeans.
Waterfall project management methodology benefits the fashion industry to get
project success. Waterfall will allow the retailer to be more flexible and help in supply chain,
sales and customer management processes. It also leads to high and fast turnover of the jeans
products provide with a leading position in the market (Papke-Shields and Boyer-Wright
2017). The quality assurance manager is involved to audit as well as monitor all project needs
in the project plan. The goal of this project is to make sure that all project standards are meet
while the project is executed. During the project management process, there is assessment of
marketing activities to make sure that there is achievement of project goals (Boyle 2017).
There is supply of required tools to finish project activities.
2.4 Analysis of controlling
This phase of the project management ensures that objectives of the project plan are
met by monitoring as well as measuring of project progress for identifying variances from
plan. At the time of project running, the project manager is required to keep control over both
schedule as well as cost (Young 2017). It is achieved by regular reporting of the project

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issues, risks as well as constant checking of the business case. It ensures that expected project
benefits are to be delivered and also valid. The project manager measures if the project is on
planned schedule time as well as budget and if the project meets with the project objectives.
It determines if the project deliverables are meet or not. The project manager is accounted for
project efforts as well as resource cost to review if the project is on track or not (Radujković
and Sjekavica 2017). The project tracking helps to determine if the project is meet with
completion date based on existing performance.
2.5 Analysis of closing
After completion of all project stages, it is required to ensure that the project planning
on success management of Levis Jeans is to be closed efficiently. The project is not having
clear as well as end point as there is no such formal sign off of the project documents (Kivilä,
Martinsuo and Vuorinen 2017). It is required to take agreements from the customers that the
project has ended and there is no work carried out. After closing of the project plan, the
project manager is required to review the project plan as well as record the bad points of the
work so that it is not repeated in the future. The project plan which is not closed continue to
consume the project resources.
3. Success criteria for project and software best fitted for the project
Following are success criteria for the project which can drive the project planning of
Levis Jeans towards project success:
Project Management Methodology: In this particular project, waterfall project method
is being used from starting to end of project work. Based on this selected method, proper
actions are to be taken such that the project can pass throughout all stages of project
management lifecycle (Muller 2017).

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Project procurement: This project plan is critical in nature and it involves amount of
material resources for the marketing purposes (Kerzner 2017). The procurement is to be
performed on contract basis with reasonable prices as well as suitable quality of project work.
Project risk management: While performing the project work, it is required to
recognize the project risks linked with the Levis jeans project success. After identification of
risks, mitigation actions are taken to make sure that there is removal of the risks from the
project (Fleming and Koppelman 2016). It faces serious negative impacts over project
lifecycle.
Project quality management: In order to achieve the end goal of this plan, it is
required to ensure that the project and operation manager meets with the quality standards at
starting of this project work (Marchewka2016). The project plan is involves to develop
quality needs included quality of materials used for the project success of Levis Jeans.
Among the project management software mentioned in the previous assignment, MS
Project is suitable for the project work as it helps the project manager to properly schedule
the entire marketing plan work of Levis Jeans. It helps to make as well as perform the project
activities in project work. It has extensive project options to handle the project resources. It is
selected as best software as it can define the project schedule as well as track budget of
project planning (Boyle 2017). This platform helps the manager to create detailed reports on
marketing activities and goals of Levis Jeans for measuring project progress. It can
communicate about project related information with the project team along with the project
stakeholders. It offers online approaches to control project portfolio along with regular
project activities. MS Project helps Levis Jeans to prioritize the project resources along with
achieve expected business values from anywhere (Young 2016). It is provided to the project
manager with tools as well as techniques for executing the project plan. It also assists the

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project manager to track project progress at different stages and review criteria needed to
develop the product components.
4. Conclusion
It is concluded that each of the project stages consist distinct set of project activities
take from the initial project idea to the project conclusion. Each of the project stages have
distinct importance as well as contributed to entire project success. It is also determined that
the project elements will take help the project manager to determine all project factors
required to make project success. It is provided with systematic as well as controlled project
process that can benefit the project stakeholders. It helps the project manager to accomplish
the project phases to next phase of project planning. The project manager selects MS project
as software to schedule the time as well as allocate resources to the project activities. There is
collaboration of project plan with communicate with the project team members.

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References
Binder, J., 2016. Global project management: communication, collaboration and
management across borders. Routledge.
Boyle, G., 2017. Design project management. Routledge.
Fleming, Q.W. and Koppelman, J.M., 2016, December. Earned value project management.
Project Management Institute.
Fuller, M.A., Valacich, J.S., George, J.F. and Schneider, C., 2017. Information Systems
Project Management: A Process and Team Approach, Edition 1.1. Prospect Press.
Harrison, F. and Lock, D., 2017. Advanced project management: a structured approach.
Routledge.
Heldman, K., 2018. PMP: project management professional exam study guide. John Wiley &
Sons.
Kerzner, H., 2017. Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and
controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Kerzner, H., 2019. Using the project management maturity model: strategic planning for
project management. John Wiley & Sons.
Kivilä, J., Martinsuo, M. and Vuorinen, L., 2017. Sustainable project management through
project control in infrastructure projects. International Journal of Project
Management, 35(6), pp.1167-1183.
Marchewka, J.T., 2016. Information technology project management: Providing measurable
organizational value. John Wiley & Sons.

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Meredith, J.R., Mantel Jr, S.J. and Shafer, S.M., 2017. Project management: a managerial
approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Muller, R., 2017. Project governance. Routledge.
Papke-Shields, K.E. and Boyer-Wright, K.M., 2017. Strategic planning characteristics
applied to project management. International Journal of Project Management, 35(2), pp.169-
179.
Radujković, M. and Sjekavica, M., 2017. Project management success factors. Procedia
engineering, 196, pp.607-615.
Turner, R., 2016. Gower handbook of project management. Routledge.
Young, T.L., 2016. Successful project management. Kogan Page Publishers.