TripAdvisor's Employee Training Project Plan for Business Growth

This project outlines a comprehensive training program initiated by TripAdvisor to enhance its business operations and improve customer service. In collaboration with Thomas Cook, TripAdvisor aims to train ten of its employees in survey methodologies for identifying top destinations, hotels, and dining options. The project scope includes defining objectives, deliverables, milestones, technical requirements, and limitations. A detailed project plan incorporates a work breakdown structure, time-phased budget, cost estimation, and a responsibility matrix to ensure successful execution. Key priorities emphasize timeline adherence and budget management, with customer feedback playing a crucial role in assessing the program's effectiveness. The ultimate goal is to equip TripAdvisor's employees with the skills necessary to provide superior service and meet customer needs effectively.

Project Management
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................3
1.1. TripAdvisor’s Background..............................................................................................3
1.2. Project Description – Brief Overview.............................................................................3
2. Project Scope..........................................................................................................................3
2.1. Project Objective.............................................................................................................3
2.2. Deliverables.....................................................................................................................3
2.3. Milestones........................................................................................................................3
2.4. Technical Requirements..................................................................................................3
2.5. Limits and Exclusions.....................................................................................................4
2.6. Review with Customers...................................................................................................4
3. Project Priorities.....................................................................................................................4
3.1. Matrix Table....................................................................................................................5
3.2. Matrix Justification..........................................................................................................6
4. Project Plan............................................................................................................................7
4.1. Work Break down Structure using Bottom-Up Approach..............................................9
4.2. Time-Phase Budget.......................................................................................................10
5. Project Milestone.................................................................................................................11
6. Project Cost Estimation........................................................................................................11
7. Responsibility Matrix...........................................................................................................13
8. References............................................................................................................................14

1. Introduction
1.1. TripAdvisor’s Background
TripAdvisor is one of the travelling consultancy companies located in India. They provide
details of the best destinations all over the world including all the attractive tourists’ spots of
India. The travellers or the tourists can get information about the best hotels, best sight
scenes, best hotels and the best meals available on a particular destination. TripAdvisor
checks over 200 websites, and then it searches for the best deals and packages to facilitate the
tourists. The travellers can get information about low airfares, travel guides and popular
forums. It also provides details to the users via a mobile app.
1.2. Project Description – Brief Overview
TripAdvisor wants to enhance their business operations and want to satisfy customers. That is
why they require professional assistance. The top management decides to seek help from
Thomas Cook, the Travel Consultancy Giant. Thomas Cook will conduct a training program.
The Trainer will impart knowledge on how TripAdvisor can survey the best destinations, best
hotels and best meals. In this way, they can provide quality service to the customers.
TripAdvisor will send ten of their best employees for the training program.
2. Project Scope
2.1. Project Objective
TripAdvisor wants to improve their business activities, want to better customer service, so
they want to train from Thomas Cook. Thomas Cook is one of the giant travelling
consultancy companies located in Singapore. The training program has been scheduled for
one day. Thomas Cook Trainer will impart knowledge on survey methodologies. TripAdvisor
will send ten of their best employees for 1-Day Training to Thomas Cook.
2.2. Deliverables
TripAdvisor appoints a Project Manager. The Project Manager prepares a project plan, and
the stakeholders associated with the project will have to follow the plan to complete the one-
day training successfully. The project plan contains the summary tasks- Training Project
Initiation, Project Commencement, Training Program Gap Analysis, Setting Out for Training,
and finally 1-Day Training Programme. The stakeholders will follow the tasks in sequential
order to complete the training session successfully.
2.3. Milestones
The project manager and the stakeholders will need around 26 days to arrange for 1-Day
Training. The Project is expected to start by 9 April 2018. The project Manager has
scheduled the 1-Day event on 11 May 2018 at Thomas Cook, Singapore Training Campus.

2.4. Technical Requirements
TripAdvisor will send ten of their best employees for 1-Day Training at Thomas Cook. They
will have to carry laptops. The laptops must have Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel,
Microsoft Powerpoint installed. They will have to take important notes which the trainer will
impart during the training sessions.
2.5. Limits and Exclusions
Thomas Cook has some internal policies. The training session will be limited to the only
survey of best destinations, best hotels and the best meals. They will not disclose company’s
other business activities.
2.6. Review with Customers
TripAdvisor believes that after the training is conducted, they can be able to serve customers
better. The customer will give reviews. The reviews will help them to now that the positive
impact of training on TripAdvisor.
3. Project Priorities
The project priorities help to acknowledge the constraints that need to be enhanced and must
be accepted.
Constrain: Thomas Cook Director agrees with 1–Day Training Program. The project
manager will have to prepare the project plan in such a way that the training program
completes within one day on 11 May 2018.
Enhance: The ten employees must be proficient in English. They must have the technical
skills. They must be hardworking, must act proactively and must have the willingness to learn
more. They can make use of the training program most effectively and can contribute well to
TripAdvisor.
Accept: Thomas Cook trainer will impart knowledge to a certain extent. TripAdvisor must
accept it and must give value to Thomas Cook’s policies.

3.1. Matrix Table
Project Priority Matrix
Time Performance Cost Remarks
Constrain All the project
activities
associated with
one-day training
program must be
completed
within the
scheduled
timeline
Enhance The ten
employees must
be skilled
enough to take
part in the
training program
Accept Thomas Cook
trainer will
impart
knowledge to a
certain limit, and
they must give
value to the
company’s
policies.

3.2. Matrix Justification
Priority
Order
Priority Justification
1 Timeline The whole event has been planned for just one day. The
one-day event will fail if any mishaps occur during the
project tasks. Thus the project manager must consider the
timeline and must ensure all the project activities get
completed in time
2 Budget The project budget is $17,868.00. If the cost of any of the
project activity gets increased, project risks can erupt, and
the project can eventually fail. Thus it is important to
complete the project within fixed budget
3 Customer
Feedback
Customer feedback must be considered as both positive
and negative feedback can help them to serve customers
better. TripAdvisor can be able to fulfil the needs of the
customer. The feedback ensures that the project is fruitful

4. Project Plan
Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors
TripAdvisor Training 26 days Mon 09-04-18 Mon 14-05-18
Training Project Initiation 17 days Mon 09-04-18 Tue 01-05-18
Feasibility Study 4 days Mon 09-04-18 Thu 12-04-18
Preliminary Planning 4 days Fri 13-04-18 Wed 18-04-18 3
TripAdvisor Top Management
Meeting among Members for
Training Set Up
5 days Thu 19-04-18 Wed 25-04-18 4
Meeting with Thomas Cook
Singapore Director 4 days Fri 13-04-18 Wed 18-04-18 3
TripAdvisor 1-Day Training
Proposal 4 days Thu 19-04-18 Tue 24-04-18 6
Thomas Cook Singapore
Director 1-Day Training Approval 5 days Wed 25-04-18 Tue 01-05-18 6,7
Project Commencement 8 days Wed 02-05-18 Fri 11-05-18
TripAdvisor Manager Meeting
with the TripAdvisor Team Leader 3 days Wed 02-05-18 Fri 04-05-18 8
Selection of 10 Best
Employees for the Training
Session
5 days Mon 07-05-18 Fri 11-05-18 10
Training Program Gap
Analysis 3 days Mon 07-05-18 Wed 09-05-18
Identification of Training Gaps
and Team adaptability capability 3 days Mon 07-05-18 Wed 09-05-18 8,10
Set Out for Training 6 days Mon 07-05-18 Mon 14-05-18
Hiring Transport facility to
Travel to Thomas Cook from
TripAdvisor Office
4 days Mon 07-05-18 Thu 10-05-18 8,10
Booking Hotel for Stay 2 days Fri 11-05-18 Mon 14-05-18 15
Project Closure 24.38 days Mon 09-04-18 Fri 11-05-18
1-Day Training 24.38 days Mon 09-04-18 Fri 11-05-18
Set Out for Thomas Cook
Seminar Hall 1 hr Fri 11-05-18 Fri 11-05-18 15
Training for National and
International Destination 1 hr Fri 11-05-18 Fri 11-05-18 19
Training for Best Hotels
Survey 1 hr Fri 11-05-18 Fri 11-05-18 20
Training for Best Meals
Survey 1 hr Mon 09-04-18 Mon 09-04-18
Training for Demonstrating
the Best Packages to the
Customers
1 hr Mon 09-04-18 Mon 09-04-18 22
Training for Managing and 1 hr Mon 09-04-18 Mon 09-04-18 23

Updating Database's Data
Refreshment 1 hr Mon 09-04-18 Mon 09-04-18 24
Project Plan Handover to
TripAdvisor and Thomas Cook 4 days Mon 09-04-18 Fri 13-04-18 25
TripAdvisor and Thomas Cook
Agreement 5 days Fri 13-04-18 Fri 20-04-18 26
Preparing Documentation 3 days Fri 20-04-18 Wed 25-04-18 27
Resource Release 3 days Fri 20-04-18 Wed 25-04-18 27

4.1. Work Break down Structure using Bottom-Up Approach
The Work Breakdown Structure shows the timeline, the start date and the finish date of every
activity along with the summary tasks. The Work Breakdown Structure will help the project manager
as well as the stakeholders to acknowledge the project dependencies. The Work Breakdown
Structure shows the critical path of the project as well.
WBS Task Name Duration Start Finish
1 TripAdvisor Training 26 days Mon 09-04-18 Mon 14-05-18
1.1 Training Project Initiation 17 days Mon 09-04-18 Tue 01-05-18
1.2 Project Commencement 8 days Wed 02-05-18 Fri 11-05-18
1.3 Training Program Gap
Analysis 3 days Mon 07-05-18 Wed 09-05-18
1.4 Set Out for Training 6 days Mon 07-05-18 Mon 14-05-18
1.5 Project Closure 24.38 days Mon 09-04-18 Fri 11-05-18

4.2. Time-Phase Budget
Task Name Fixed
Cost
Fixed
Cost
Accrual
Total Cost Baseline Variance Actual Remaining
TripAdvisor Training $0.00 Prorated $17,868.00 $17,868.00 $0.00 $0.00 $17,868.00
Training Project
Initiation $0.00 Prorated $8,224.00 $8,224.00 $0.00 $0.00 $8,224.00
Project
Commencement $0.00 Prorated $3,928.00 $3,928.00 $0.00 $0.00 $3,928.00
Training Program
Gap Analysis $0.00 Prorated $1,128.00 $1,128.00 $0.00 $0.00 $1,128.00
Set Out for Training $0.00 Prorated $1,688.00 $1,688.00 $0.00 $0.00 $1,688.00
Project Closure $0.00 Prorated $2,900.00 $2,900.00 $0.00 $0.00 $2,900.00

5. Project Milestone
Task Name Expected Start
TripAdvisor Training Mon 09-04-18
Milestone 1: Completion of Project Initiation Tue 01-05-18
Milestone 2: Completion of Project Commencement Fri 11-05-18
Milestone 3: Completion of Training Gap Analysis Wed 09-05-18
Milestone 4: Completion of Set Out for Training Mon 14-05-18
Milestone 5: Completion of 1-Day Training Program Wed 25-04-18
6. Project Cost Estimation
Task Name Resource Names Cost
TripAdvisor Training $17,868.00
Training Project Initiation $8,224.00
Feasibility Study Project Manager,TripAdvisor
Director $1,760.00
Preliminary Planning TripAdvisor Director,Project
Manager $1,760.00
TripAdvisor Top Management Meeting
among Members for Training Set Up
TripAdvisor
Director,TripAdvisor Team
Leader
$2,080.00
Meeting with Thomas Cook Singapore
Director
Thomas Cook Singapore
Director,TripAdvisor Director $960.00
TripAdvisor 1-Day Training Proposal
TripAdvisor
Director,TripAdvisor Team
Leader
$1,664.00
Thomas Cook Singapore Director 1-
Day Training Approval
Thomas Cook Singapore
Director $0.00
Milestone 1: Completion of Project
Initiation $0.00
Project Commencement $3,928.00
TripAdvisor Manager Meeting with the
TripAdvisor Team Leader
TripAdvisor
Director,TripAdvisor Team
Leader
$1,248.00
Selection of 10 Best Employees for the
Training Session
TripAdvisor Team
Leader,TripAdvisor Team
Members,Project Manager
$2,680.00
Milestone 2: Completion of Project
Commencement $0.00
Training Program Gap Analysis $1,128.00
Identification of Training Gaps and
Team adaptability capability
Project Manager,TripAdvisor
Team Leader $1,128.00
Milestone 3: Completion of Training $0.00

Gap Analysis
Set Out for Training $1,688.00
Hiring Transport facility to Travel to
Thomas Cook from TripAdvisor Office
Transport Fare[1],Project
Manager $1,000.00
Booking Hotel for Stay Project Manager,Hotel Manager $688.00
Milestone 4: Completion of Set Out for
Training $0.00
Project Closure $2,900.00
1-Day Training $252.00
Set Out for Thomas Cook Seminar
Hall TripAdvisor Team Members $20.00
Training for National and
International Destination
Thomas Cook
Trainer,TripAdvisor Team
Members
$40.00
Training for Best Hotels Survey
Thomas Cook
Trainer,TripAdvisor Team
Members
$40.00
Training for Best Meals Survey
Thomas Cook
Trainer,TripAdvisor Team
Members
$40.00
Training for Demonstrating the Best
Packages to the Customers
Thomas Cook
Trainer,TripAdvisor Team
Members
$40.00
Training for Managing and Updating
Database's Data
Thomas Cook
Trainer,TripAdvisor Team
Members
$40.00
Refreshment Thomas Cook
Representative,Caterer $32.00
Project Plan Handover to TripAdvisor
and Thomas Cook
Project Manager,Thomas Cook
Singapore Director,TripAdvisor
Director
$1,760.00
TripAdvisor and Thomas Cook
Agreement
Thomas Cook Singapore
Director $0.00
Preparing Documentation Content Writer $288.00
Resource Release Project Manager $600.00
Milestone 5: Completion of 1-Day
Training Program $0.00