PRM701: R&D Investment in Drone Monitoring for Australian Tree Corp

This report details a project focused on investing in the Research and Development (R&D) department of Australian Tree Corporation (ATC) through the introduction of drone-based monitoring systems for crop harvesting and growth operations. The project aims to address issues faced by ATC, such as accountability and supply chain management, by implementing drone technology to improve accuracy in measuring tree volumes and overall efficiency. The report outlines the project's goals, objectives, strategic alignment with ATC's vision, mission, and organizational goals, project schedule, risk management strategies, budget considerations, and communication management plan. Key milestones, project requirements, limitations, and exclusions are defined, along with a work breakdown schedule. The report also includes recommendations for ATC to maximize the benefits of the drone monitoring system and improve business process management.

Running head: INVESTING IN R&D DEPARTMENT
Investing in R&D Department
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Table of Contents
1. Project Background.....................................................................................................................3
1.1 Project Background...............................................................................................................3
1.2 Project Goal...........................................................................................................................4
1.3 Project Objective...................................................................................................................5
1.4 Project Deliverable................................................................................................................5
1.5 Strategic Alignment of Project and Goals of ATC................................................................5
2. Project Schedule..........................................................................................................................8
2.1 Milestones..............................................................................................................................8
2.2 Project Requirements.............................................................................................................8
2.3 Limits and Exclusions............................................................................................................9
2.4 Work or Process Breakdown Schedule................................................................................11
3. Risk Management......................................................................................................................12
4. Project Budget...........................................................................................................................13
5. Communication Management Plan............................................................................................14
5.1 Purpose of Communication Strategy...................................................................................14
5.2 Communications Strategy....................................................................................................15
5.2.1 Internal Information Management................................................................................15
5.2.2 Internal Stakeholders....................................................................................................16
5.2.3 External Stakeholders...................................................................................................16

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6. Recommendations......................................................................................................................16
Bibliography..................................................................................................................................19

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1. Project Background
1.1 Project Background
The project is based on the introduction of drone based monitoring systems for the
purpose of monitoring of harvest and growth operations of crops. The Forest Department forms a
major section of the Australian Economy. The project is based on providing consulting services
to the Australian Tree Corporation (ATC). The company is responsible for growing and selling
of different kind of trees. The company is also responsible for growing of trees, providing a
varied elements over impacting the supply chain of the business based on logistics. it also helps
in manufacturing of different kind of products. ATC is a company that has their primary roots
within the farming industry of America.
The project based on introducing the facility of drones is mainly helpful for bringing in
better forms of impacts towards the business of the sector. There is a certain percentage of
individuals who have an income of approximately $23 billion and they mainly serve for the
Australian Department of Agriculture. Various problems have been listed in the case study based
on which a particular viable solution could be chosen. There are different kind of projects that
are suggested by different consultants based on which ATC could address the several issues that
are being faced by them in the recent years. In the concerned report, the introduction of drones
for the monitoring of crops have been identified to have a major form of impact over the
business growth of ATC. The wood supply chain mostly views ATC as being the major supplier
of wood and thus makes it extremely hard for negotiating different new contracts for the
business.

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One of the most vital issue faced by the organisation is based on the factor of
accountability. A most certain problem based on accountability and which is being viewed by the
company is to determine the volume of trees that have been grown by them and the total number
of trees that are being sold by them. This can be further understood as to reconcile the current
growth estimates versus their actual log volumes. In order to construct such kind of systems, the
company does not have a proper form of infrastructure that would help them in monitoring the
different activities that are performed, which makes it difficult to determine their present status
of the business. High amount of competencies would be required for impacting the global
structure of the business. Hence, new systems should be brought in that would be helpful for
managing the entire processes of the business.
1.2 Project Goal
The goals of the project according to the procedures followed by SMART could be
defined as follows:
Specific – The goals of the company is to design a drone based monitoring system for the
purpose of harvesting over crops.
Measure – With the introduction of drones, the company would be able to measure the
quality of trees that are grown.
Achieve – The introduction of drones would help the company to achieve the necessary
parameters of success.
Realistic – The goals of the company would be realistic for bringing the best kind of
changes.

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Timely – The investments made by the company and the changes made would be based
within a certain time period.
1.3 Project Objective
The primary objective of the project includes:
1. To monitor the growing and upbringing of crops.
2. To increase the efficiency of work within the farming sector of ATC.
3. To improve the factor of accuracy and bringing accountability.
4. To improve the concepts based on farming and harvesting of crops based within the
agricultural sector.
1.4 Project Deliverable
The project is based on the introduction of drone facility within ATC for the major
purpose of measuring, observing and thus responding with the viability factors that are found in
various kind of crops. With the upcoming facility based on bringing of drones for the purpose of
monitoring and harvesting of crops, it would be discussed that the primary deliverables that
would be linked with the project are: drone equipment, technical documentation and manual for
the use of the employees. The use of manuals could be useful for employees to properly make
use of the drones.
1.5 Strategic Alignment of Project and Goals of ATC
Vision – The primary vision of the project is to deliver an efficient system for the
purpose of monitoring and harvesting of crops that would be useful for meeting withy the

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objectives set by ATC. With the help of such kind of systems, it would highly help the company
in meeting with the strategic objectives of the company.
Mission – The primary form of mission for the project is to provide a certain direction
that would help them to meet with the previously set objectives of the company. With the help of
such kind of objectives, there would be a wide form of minimization of risks for the project.

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Organisational Goals of ATC
1. To bring in some form of transparency within the business of ATC.
2. To maximize the benefits of the company with the incurring of the best form of
business practices.
3. To achieve the different kind of intended outcomes based within the processes of the
business.
Based on the understanding of the different kind of strategies that have been set for the
business of ATC, it could be confirmed that with the introduction of drone based facility, it
would be helpful for the organisation. The drone facility would help the company in bringing
better kind of business process management systems for the betterment of the organisational
perspectives. ATC has defined some kind of strategies based on meeting with the issues based on
accountability of their business procedures. The impact of drones within ATC could help in
proving a greater boon for the corporation. The employees would also be able to transform the
industry and would be able to monitor the number of trees that are grown by them.

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2. Project Schedule
2.1 Milestones
The different milestones for the project are defined as:
Milestones
Approval of the project plan
Approval of the financial plan
Completion of the Initial Planning Phase
Completion of the Procurement Phase
Completion of Implementation Phase of Project
Completion of field tests
Project Sign-off Phase
Making of payments
2.2 Project Requirements
The requirements for the better kind of development for the project based on introducing
the drones are:
1. Developing a project plan – A project plan would be highly required for bringing in
the best kind of factors for the growth of the business. With the help of a project plan, ATC
would be able to develop the entire project according to a planned manner. Each of the defined
phases in the project plan would be followed accordingly based on producing the best kind of
business impacts for the organisation. The project manager would be able to guide the different
experts working over the project and thus incur better kind of results for the project.
2. Developing a financial plan – A financial plan would be highly necessary for
understanding the financial conditions of the project. The project manager would define each of
the aspects that would need to be procured for the project. This includes the hiring of technical
experts for the project. Technical equipment would also be needed to be procured for the project.

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All these requirements would incur some cost factors that need to be highly considered. The
project sponsor would thus define an entire plan that would list out each of the requirements
along with the consideration of the costs. Based on this plan, the owners of the business would
invest within the project.
3. Defining technical plan – A technical plan would be highly required for
understanding the exact requirements of the project and the necessary outcomes from the project.
The technical plan would be prepared by the technical development team who would be working
over the project. Each of the technical reports and the supported diagrams would be included
within the technical plan for the project. The technical plan would be designed based on the
aligning with the business functions of the organisation. Hence, the technical plan would be
prepared according to the requirements that would be defined for the project manager.
2.3 Limits and Exclusions
Some of the primary limitations based on implementing the project are:
1. Expensive cameras that are fitted within drones would not be used for the project.
Hence a medium budgeted camera would be used
2. The budget for the project would be limited to a certain extent that might be helpful for
the project manager and project sponsors to arrange the items accordingly.
3. The drones would only be limited for performing operations based on impacting the
harvest operations of the organisation. It would not serve the other functionalities that are
performed within the sector.
The exclusions based on designing the project for the introduction of drones are defined
as follows:

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1. Management of the expectation of every stakeholders could be discusses as out of
scope.
2. The arrangement for the inclusion of instruction manuals for the use of drones could be
discussed as to be out of scope for the project.
3. Defining the area under which the drones would function could be defined as to be out
of scope.

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2.4 Work or Process Breakdown Schedule
Introduction of Drones
Start project Initial Planning Phase
Meeting with the owners
Conducting a feasibility
study
Understanding the drone
based techniques
Preparing a project plan
Approval of the project
plan
Preparing a financial plan
Approval of the financial
plan
Completion of the phase
Procurement Phase of
Technical Equipments
Choosing the appropriate
technical service provider
Purchasing the necessary
equipment
Completion of the phase
Implementing the Project
Hiring the technical staff
Preparing a technical plan
Approval of the technical
plan
Start of the project
development
Testing of the equipment
Completion of the phase
Conducting field tests
Bringing the instruments
to the live farms
Performing of live farm
tests
Discussion over any kind
of problems
Problem solving
periodCompletion of the phase
Project Closure Phase
Preparing of
documentation
Project Sign-off phase
Making of payments
End project
(Figure 1: Work or Process Breakdown Schedule)
(Source: Created by author)