Project Analysis: Uber's Latest Attempt to Rebuild Driver App

This project analyzes Uber's attempt to rebuild its driver app, examining project selection methods, PMBOK knowledge areas, and process groups. It explores project initiation, scope, schedule, cost, quality, resource, communication, risk, procurement, and stakeholder management. The analysis consi...Read More

Running head: PROJECT TO ANALYZE THE INSIDE OF UBER’S LATEST ATTEMPT
Project to analyze the inside of Uber’s latest attempt
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Author Note

1PROJECT TO ANALYZE THE INSIDE OF UBER’S LATEST ATTEMPT
Understanding project selection methods as per Uber’s latest attempt:
Uber Technologies Inc. is a multinational American transportation business company. They
have been providing services, including ridesharing, which is peer-to-peer in nature. Further, they
have to hail of ride service, bicycle-sharing system and food delivery. They are based in the area of
San Francisco with activities at 785 metropolitan sectors throughout the world ("Company
Information | Uber Newsroom India", 2019). It is seen that present three million drivers of Uber has
been receiving new boss. The following study analyzes the insides of the latest attempt of the
business in reconstructing the app for its drivers. This is considered as the greatest experiment in the
unpredictable economy. The following study attempts to evaluate the PMBOK areas of knowledge
and the method groups and roles, importance and effects of best practices that are directly related to
project management. The evaluation also tries to connect the case with the code of ethics of PMI. It
is helpful to critically contrast and compare the approaches of project management and their
suitability to manage the various types of projects. Next, suitable techniques and tools of project
management are expected to be understood from the study, along with paying specific attention to
the risk management.
Regarding the various methods to select the project, the benefits measurement method can be
considered. It is less complex than the constrained optimization methods and never need any
advanced degree in the subject of economics for understanding. The simplest of this is the cost-
benefit ratio (Young, 2016). Then, it includes the economic model demonstrating the difference
between the revenue generated and cost invested in a single number of profit. Next, there is the
payback period and the DCF or Discounted Cash flow. Apart from this, there is the NPV or the Net
Present value helping to put the entire lifecycle into viewpoints as per the earnings. Besides, the
scoring models, IRR or the essential “Internal Rate of Return” and Opportunity cost are highly vital

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measures (Heldman, 2018). Moreover, there is a vital method called the constrained optimization
also considered in the present scenario. The method of benefit measurement is been used broadly in
the present methods of project selection, the constrained optimization has different significance. The
methods are effective for huge and projects that are more complicated. Here, various intricate
mathematical calculations are required to be done. It involves the linear, non-linear programming
apart from integer, dynamic type and multiple objective ones.
In order to understand the various insights of Uber in the present case, there project initiation
step is the life cycle of project management includes the beginning of the latest and new project.
Apart from this, the project can be given start with the proper defining the deliverables, purposes,
scopes and objectives to be created. Here, the project team can be hired and the Project Office is to
be set up and reviewed (Kendrick, 2015). This is useful to gain approval for starting the upcoming
phase. This comprises of various steps like effective developing the business case. It also involves
the understanding of the feasibility study, besides the establishing project charter. This also involves
the appointing of the project team, besides the setting up a project office and performing of the phase
review.
The project management areas of knowledge involves ten sectors. Firstly, there is the
important step of project integration management. This comprises of the development of project
charter, planning of project management along with the directing and managing project tasks. Apart
from this there is the managing of project knowledge, besides the controlling and managing of
important project knowledge. Then there is the performing of the control of integrated changes
besides the closing phase (Kivilä, Martinsuo & Vuorinen, 2017). Next, the project scope
management includes the planning scope management, collecting requirements, defining scopes,
developing WBS, validating scopes and controlling scopes. Then there is the project schedule

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management that involves the planning schedule management, defining activities, sequence tasks,
estimation of the various activity durations, developing a schedule and controlling schedules.
Further, there is the project cost management, cost estimations, determining budgets and controlling
costs. Next, there are the project quality managements. It involves the planning quality management
along with the managing quality and the controlling of the quality. Further, there are the
management of project resources, estimation of the activity resources along with the acquiring of
resources. Again there are the developing of the teams, managing of the teams along with the
controlling resources. Then there is the management of the project communication. It has been
comprising of planning of the communication management, managing communications and
monitoring communications (Turner, 2016). Apart from this, there is the project risk management
that consists of the planning of risk management phase along with the determining of the risks. Apart
from this there is the performing of the qualitative risk assessment, undertaking of the quantitative
risk assessment, making the plan of the risk responses and deploying of the risk responses along with
the monitoring risks. Further, there is the project procure management that involves planning,
conducting procurement and controlling procurements. Lastly, there is a project stakeholder
management. This includes the identifying of stakeholders, planning stakeholder engagements,
managing stakeholder engagements and monitoring stakeholder engagements. Like other projects,
the current case of Uber also comprises of several process groups. They are initiating, plan,
execution, controlling, monitoring and closure. These groups are bundled (Wysocki, 2011) .ether
and can operate across the same time on the present project of Uber. Further, they may have the
same types of inputs and results. As the project with Uber gets comfortable with it turns to be the
rational way to be grouped with the elements that are present. It must be reminded by the business of
Uber is that the knowledge areas have been encompassing what is needed by project managers for
knowing. The process groups are found to be demonstrating the different activities of the project

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managers along with their teams to perform that. In other words, the knowledge areas are regarding
knowledge of topics of project management and the process group, on the other hand, fetches to
implement the knowledge. Here, they have been providing the logical sequences of various steps in
the areas of knowledge.
The relevance of project process groups lies in the fact that firstly, the project manager of
Uber requires to include the development and approval of the project charter. Then, the next step is
to develop the plan of project management helpful to execute different project activities. Next, as the
project is executed, the real task is done and most of the time and money is spent (Lock, 2017). On
the other hand, the relevance of knowledge areas is to have the common characteristics of
knowledge. Here, the quality process can be planned, the quality assurance measures can be
performed and the quality control process can be undertaken.
For the present case of Uber, the PMI Code of Ethics indicates various aspects for the project
management professionals PMPs. This refers to the fact that the PMPs have huge liabilities in
holding themselves accountable for individual success and failed decisions and activities and also
repercussions. This denotes to be respectful and demonstrate the greater regard for oneself and
resources that are entrusted with. This means to foster excellences with the help of mutual respect
cooperation, diversity and confidence. Further, it also means that other’s perspectives are to be
valued and encouraged and practicing fair means every time. The behavior should be free from the
self-gain and self-interest favoritism and prejudices ("Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct",
2019). Besides, it indicates the demonstrating of honesty with conduct and words every time. The
program management development officer of Uber’s project is to implement and develop a smart
and effective five-year plan. This is been expected for developing the various types of liabilities of
the program managers. It occurs under the federal governments. Besides, the program management

5PROJECT TO ANALYZE THE INSIDE OF UBER’S LATEST ATTEMPT
policy council is aimed to develop project and program management practices. Moreover, the
personnel management office is liable for project manager competencies and skills, programs and
personnel. This is to develop the new series for the project manager and program activities for
updates and series. This also includes the identifications of the latest career paths.
In the current project of Uber, the tools of risk management permit the uncertainties that are
to be denoted by generating and identifying metrics, prioritizing, parameterizing and developing
reactions and risk tracking. The tasks are complicated in tracking irrespective of techniques ad tools,
information systems and documentation. Here, a couple of distinct kinds of tools for risks are
determined by the approach. For instance, at the market level, there is the efficient and considerable
“CAP-M” or the smart “Capital Asset Pricing Model” is present. Then there is the PRA or
“Probabilistic Risk” that is found to be helping in various component-level tools (Schwalbe, 2015).
Further market forces are used by market-level tools for making risk decisions taking place between
the securities. The tools at the component level utilize the probability functions and effect of distinct
risks for undertaking decisions occurring between allocating resources. Lastly, the technique of risk
assessment or ISO/IEC 31010 comprises of a detailed and non-exhaustive list of tools and various
techniques that available to analyze the risks (Lloyd-Walker & Walker, 2015).
It is understood that the success of Uber’s project hinges the project that is selected. Hence,
its area of business management must not also be overlooked. It must be reminded for Uber, that
there has been no “one size fits all” measure to select the project and apart from this the business can
differ widely regarding how the task is approached. The decisions of project selections are never left
to project managers. They should be prepared for consulting and advising with other people to arrive
at those decisions. Facilitating decisions and collecting data is an essential element of the role of PM
in the present situation for Uber. More analysis, documentation and information are done before the

6PROJECT TO ANALYZE THE INSIDE OF UBER’S LATEST ATTEMPT
discussions, the much weight of the opinion of OM are held. Hence, here, one should have a
minimum of high-level understanding the common methods of project selections for meaningfully
participate in the vital processes.

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References:
Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct. (2019). Retrieved 17 July 2019, from
https://www.pmi.org/about/ethics/code
Company Information | Uber Newsroom India. (2019). Retrieved 17 July 2019, from
https://www.uber.com/en-IN/newsroom/company-info/
Government of Tasmania (n. d.). PM-902 Business Case (Small) Template & Guide. Retrieved from
http://www.egovernment.tas.gov.au/project_management/getting_started_in_project_manage
ment
Heldman, K. (2018). Project management jumpstart. John Wiley & Sons.
Herman, B., & Siegelaub, J. (2009). Is this really worth the effort? The need for a business case. In
PMI Global Congress, Orlando, FL, October.
Kendrick, T. (2015). Identifying and managing project risk: essential tools for failure-proofing your
project. Amacom.
Kivilä, J., Martinsuo, M., & Vuorinen, L. (2017). Sustainable project management through project
control in infrastructure projects. International Journal of Project Management, 35(6), 1167-
1183.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2013) The practice of project management [Video file]. Baltimore,
MD: Author.
Learning and Academic Skills Unit. (2016). Academic Writing Guide. APA 6th ed. Sydney,
Australia: Laureate Australia.

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Lloyd-Walker, B., & Walker, D. (2015, April). Collaborative project procurement arrangements.
Project Management Institute.
Lock, D. (2017). The essentials of project management. Routledge.
NSW Treasury. (2018). NSW Government Business Case Guidelines. Retrieved from
https://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-08/TPP18-06%20%20NSW
%20Government%20Business%20Case%20Guidelines.pdf
Project Management Institute. (2013). A guide to the project management body of knowledge
(PMBOK guide) (5th ed.). Newtown Square, PA: PMI.
Project Management Institute. (2017). A guide to the project management body of knowledge
(PMBOK guide) (6th ed.). Newtown Square, PA: PMI
Project Management Institute. (n.d.). Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. Retrieved from
http://www.pmi.org/About-Us/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics.aspx
Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.
Turner, R. (2016). Gower handbook of project management. Routledge.
Wysocki, R. K. (2011). Effective project management: traditional, agile, extreme. John Wiley &
Sons.
Young, T. L. (2016). Successful project management. Kogan Page Publishers.

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