Project Management Tool
The project management tool to be used is the Microsoft Project. It will enhance the development of a schedule, analysis of the workloads, tracking of the progress, and allocation of resources. It will facilitate the creation of budgets depending on the available resources, program cost, estimated assignment work, as well as project level (Yoon & Chung, 2018). Two editions are available namely professional and standard for both 32 and 64 options.
Brief Summary of Scope Management Plan
The project involves starting a food truck business and enhancing its marketing to penetrate a new market. Steps to be followed in starting the business will be researching local food trucks and laws, developing the business name and concept, registering, raising funds, and seeking permits and licenses (Yoon & Chung, 2018). The next steps will be purchasing the food truck, equipment, and supplies, and hiring of staff and business marketing. The initial product inventory cost will range between $1,500 and $2,500, insurance $2000 and $4000 per year, permits and licenses $110 and $550, and payment processing $220 and $1200.
Sequence of Activities
Identified Risks
Major risks will be fire, food spoilage, liability, and operational and vehicle hazards. They will be identified based on their probability of occurring and associated losses in case they happen. Risk evaluation will help determine their impact and possible costs. It would facilitate prioritizing of risks during the development of the mitigation plan (Keers & van Fenema, 2018). The business intends to reduce these risks by following the right protocols and seeking the right information to support effective decision-making. Vehicle drivers will be well trained and encouraged to adhere to all road and safety rules. The business will be insured to offer coverage in case of theft, fire, food spoilage, accidents, and equipment breakdown. Workers will be trained and encouraged to follow safety measures.
Supply Chain System
The business will contract Gordon Food Service (GFS) for the supply of raw food and other necessary materials for cooking, such as cooking fat, salt, and spices. Deliveries will be made depending on the market demand and preferences. The number of days for delivery will change based on the changing customer needs (Shin et al., 2019). The main challenge in the supply chain is the lack of storage space and the business will only order materials to be used on that day.
Progress Report
The Project Management tool will be used to monitor the progress of different activities in the business. It will help monitor the performance of business activities to determine their progress based on the provided timeline. It will become possible to identify activities taking too long to complete and make the necessary corrective measures (Yoon & Chung, 2018). The progress report will explain the project’s position and determine its performance. The project will be considered complete when everything required is available, including the track, permits, licenses, equipment, and staff. This would mean that the project is fully completed and it could be closed.
Lesson Learned
The project helped me realize that more work was required than what was imagined and additional time and effort were necessary. I noted that it was important to write everything down to avoid omitting important factors. The identification of the project management tool, scope management plan, organizing activities, and identification of risks worked well and they should be copied for future projects. Methods that might yield better results are the use of emerging technology and consulting business experts for guidance. The recruitment of workers was not comprehensive enough and failed to support the identification of specific talents. The mistake will be avoided in the future by developing guidelines to be followed and questions to be asked.
References
Keers, B. B., & van Fenema, P. C. (2018). Managing risks in public-private partnership formation projects. International Journal of Project Management, 36(6), 861-875. Web.
Shin, Y. H., Kim, H., & Severt, K. (2019). Consumer values and service quality perceptions of food truck experiences. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 79, 11-20. Web.
Yoon, B., & Chung, Y. (2018). Consumer attitude and visit intention toward food trucks: Targeting Millennials. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 21(2), 187-199. Web.