Project Management Plan: Lotus Electric Vehicle Launch

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Project Management
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Project Initiating Document.............................................................................................................4
Risk Register....................................................................................................................................7
WBS...............................................................................................................................................13
Short Report...................................................................................................................................15
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................20
Reference List................................................................................................................................21
Appendix........................................................................................................................................23
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Introduction
Project management mainly involves the organising and planning part of the resources of an
organisation so that they can perform a specific task. In the exact study, a project plan will be
illustrated that will describe pre and post planning stages of a launch event. The project will
focus towards a launch event that will serve the purpose of Lotus launching their first electric car
at their current market place. The project initiating part will inherit some budgetary information
as well as the timescale and stakeholders of the following launch event. Moreover, objectives of
that specific launch event will also be described at the project-initiating document. Lastly, a risk
registers and work breakdown structure for successfully completing the launch event will be
delivered at the project management.
Lotus is a UK based car-manufacturing organisation that mainly manufactures racing and sport
related cars. It was founded back at 1948 and they earn more than €11 million at the end of 2018
financial year. The organisation has more than 1400 employees and they are conducting
international business in recent context.
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Project Initiating Document
Budgetary information
In order to conduct the launch event of electric car, budget is the primary thing that needs to be
taken into consideration since it is the backbone of any launch event. The launch event is
programmed for two days. Having a full prove and reliable budget can increase the success ratio
of launch event. Estimated value of budget that has been gained from calculation is €50,000.
Details of the budget about the launch event have been described at the later part of the study.
(Refer to the appendix)
Timescales
A timescale is needed to be maintained for completing the overall product launch event
successfully. Timescale is much needed since it will deliver a perfect road map of completing the
launch event. The launch event will be 2 days long as in the first day the electric car will be
launched. At the second day, there will be some private arrangement for the shareholders of
Locus and at few registered people will have the chance of making a test drive. A small
timescale has been described below that highlights the projected start date as well as duration of
the entire launch event.
Activity Start Date End Date
Arrangement of meeting 20.7.19 30.7.19
Market analysis 30.7.19 14.8.19
Arranging the venue and location
of launch event
14.8.19 26.8.19
Promotional activity 26.8.19 5.9.19
Sending invitation and waiting for
reply
5.9.19 15.9.19
Arrangement of foods and drinks 15.9.19 21.9.19
Report submission 21.9.19 23.9.19
Table 1: Timescale of the project
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(Source: Created by the learner)
Objectives
Project objectives mainly consist of the key deliverables that is trying to be achieved after the
completion of the product launch program. The main objective of conducting the project launch
program has been described below:
 To increase the brand value of Lotus by entering at the market sector of electric vehicle
 To analyse the recent trends and facts of electric vehicle market sector
 To make a good connection with the stakeholders and shareholders
 To launch electric car at the existing market sector
Approach
Entering into the market sector of electric vehicle has the possibility of increasing the overall
brand value and brand recognition rate of Lotus. Therefore, a separate team is needed to be
formulated inside of the organisation that will examine the initial planning phase of the
launching event. In addition to that, that specialist team will supervise the meeting phase and
other associated programs for completing the product launch program at certain extension.
Moreover, a separate team will also be formulated for conducting the overall market research
about the electric cars and vehicles. The current brand value of Lotus can also be examined
through the help of this market research. The second day of the launch event will be quite helpful
for making a good connection and relationship with the major shareholders and stakeholders of
the organisation. Moreover, by letting normal people have a trial of electric vehicle can surely
increase overall public interest about the device.
Key Stuff
The organisation needs to employ a range of different stuffs for successfully completing the
product launch event. As an instance, the employees belonging from the marketing department
of Lotus can be considered as the key stuff of completing the program regarding product launch.
People of marketing department is responsible for making subsequent advertisement regarding
the product launch program so that normal people get a clear idea regarding that launch program.
Moreover, employees of finance department belonging from the organisation are solely
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responsible for controlling the budgetary part of the product launch program. Lastly, employees
of production department are also key stuff of this launch program as it they need to incorporate
the production of electric vehicle in accordance with the launch program.
Stakeholder analysis
The stakeholders of Lotus itself are the stakeholders of the product launch program. Significance
as well as analysis of stakeholders has been done below:
Stakeholders Significance and Attribute
Customers They are the main stakeholder for the project
management as well as for Lotus itself as the
key purpose of the exact electric car-launching
event is surrounded for attracting consumers at
a large scale. The sales figure of electric
vehicle and the success rate of the launch
program are correspondent towards the
consumers. Consumers who are willing to buy
an electric car in future context will be invited.
Dealers Since the electric vehicles are going to be sold
by the car dealers, dealers are an important
stakeholder of the launch program. The dealers
are needed to invite especially so that they can
access that they are crucial for the success
criteria of the product launch event.
Suppliers Suppliers are also a significant stakeholder of
the project as it has been observed that without
suppliers it is quite impossible to make an
electric car. The suppliers will directly
participate at the launch event as they are
always opted to observe the final products of
their supplied raw materials.
Employees Employees are the most significant stakeholder
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in context of the project management and
product launching idea as they are responsible
for making the successfully marketing as well
as the production part of electric vehicle. The
employees will take active part at the product
launch event, as they will be responsible for
arranging it.
Local Community The significance of local community in context
to the exact project management as well as the
product-launching event is huge as
involvement of local community at the
launching event will deliver the fact that they
have some keen interest regarding the
launching program of electric cars.
Government The basic rules as well as regulations of
government is needed to taken into
consideration while conducting the launch
event, therefore they are a strong stakeholder
of the product-launching event. Some
government officials will be invited at the
launching event so that they can measure the
government guidelines of making electric car.
Table 2: Stakeholder Analysis
(Source: Created by the learner)
Risk Register
Risk register covers all of pre and post project risk that might disrupt the product-launching
event. The list of all of these risks has been identified and analysed below:
Seria
l No
Risks Occurrence
of risk
Chance of
Occurren
Level of
Impact
Mitigation
technique
Chance
of
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ce mitigatio
n after
the
occurren
ce of risk
(out of
10)
1 Financial loss The risk
should be
identified at
the initial part
of the product-
launching
event. This
might cause
due to the
inability of
financial
department as
they might fail
as presuming
the expected
cost (Mace et
al., 2015).
Moderate High In order to
mitigate the
financial related
risk, the
financial
department of
Lotus need to
allocate
required
resources
effectively and
they also need
to make a initial
budgetary plan.
6/10
2 Damage
towards the
facility
The attendants
of the launch
event might
damage the
facilities of
the event
location due to
Moderate Moderate The attendants
of the product-
launching event
need to be
careful about
the facility.
Additionally, a
7/10
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some
accidents.
separate team is
needed who
will supervise
different
facilities of the
location and
venue
(Mansfield et
al., 2015).
3 Confliction
among the
stakeholders
This might
occur if the
organisation
falls at
providing
equal and
adequate
importance
towards every
stakeholder. It
might hamper
the actual
cause of
launch event
(Barnett and
Weyman,
2016).
Low High For mitigating
the risk, an
effective
communication
is needed to be
maintained with
the stakeholders
so that they
never fell that
downsized.
7/10
4 Communicatio
n related risk
The risk might
occur when
there are some
gaps at the
communicatio
High Moderate The risk can be
mitigated while
making a
perfect
communication
9/10
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n between
different
personals of
the launching
project.
channel that
can connect the
different
personals who
are associated
with the
launching event
(Waldenström
et al., 2017).
5 Few active
members for
completing the
launching
event
It is not
possible for
Lotus to
allocate many
people from
different
functional
departments,
as they need to
manage their
organisation
as well with
the launching
event
(Hiscock and
Jones, 2017).
High Low The risk might
slower the
process of
event planning
and conducting
phase. In order
to mitigate the
risk, temporary
workers can be
hired.
6/10
6 Insufficient
experience of
project
planners
Actual
planners of the
event might
not have
adequate
experience
Moderate High The members
of the project
planning team
can use training
programs for
mitigating the
8/10
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regarding how
to manage and
complete a
launch event.
problem.
7 Absence of
tracking the
success rate of
this launch
event
The success
rate of the
launch event
might not be
gauzed due to
absence of
tracking and it
might result
towards
conflicted
situation.
High Low A personal is
needed to be
employed by
the event team
who will
supervise and
track different
steps of the
event (Mercer
et al., 2017).
6/10
8 Problem from
rearranging the
parking lot at
the time of
launch event
This might
occur at the
day of
launching
event and it
might occur
due to
unexpected
guests.
Low Low Arrangement of
a secondary
parking slot
will be helpful
for mitigating
the problem.
9/10
9 The project
planner might
put heavy
emphasis into
a single
objective while
not
The risk might
occur if the
project
planner put
less emphasis
on a particular
objective
Moderate High Different steps
that has been
formulated by
the project
planner need to
be analysed by
the
7/10
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emphasizing at
other
objectives of
the launching
event
while making
heavy
emphasis on
other
objectives. It
might disrupt
the success
rate of entire
product
launching idea
(Mubanga et
al., 2019).
management of
Lotus for
comprehending
the risk.
10 Loss of brand
value and
overall
reputation
It is possible
that the
organisation
Lotus will fail
at successfully
completing the
launching
event that will
cause them to
lose their
overall brand
value as well
as market
reputation.
Moderate High Different risks
that has been
covered at the
project
management
part is needed
to be mitigated
for
comprehending
the risk (Basias
and Pollalis,
2018).
8/10
Table 3: Risk Register of the car-launching event
(Source: Created by the learner)
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