Project Scope
Definition
Walmart POS-system implementation plan is a system of interventions aimed at purchasing and installing Clover sale system station that enables enhancing customer service quality, updating inventory, and managing staff (“Our largest, fastest point of sale system,” 2019). Competitive benefits are based on constant innovation in different manifestations of business (Larson & Grey, 2014). Thus a new POS-system implementation is a necessary step to increase customer satisfaction and ensure competitiveness in the market.
Exclusions
The project does not introduce any changes to staffing because the training will be guided by the vendor and only currently employed people will be trained to use a new software system. The project will be applied to one Walmart supermarket only with the probable introduction of the same actions to other stores in case of successful completion. No expenses apart from software purchasing and training charges are anticipated.
Assumptions
The currently used system is insufficient for all needs and requirements of the customers since it does not allow reading cards in all possible ways, such as reading chip cards and pin cards. The operational capabilities of the existing system are limited to payment processing only. The procedures aimed at new software implementation will increase the level of customer trust, improve quality of work, and productivity (Larson & Grey, 2014). Deliverables should be completed according to the plan. The successful project management process in one Walmart store will provide the potential to upgrade software in other entities in the chain. The opportunities provided by the Clover POS-system station include managing payment procedures with customers, accounting, and staff management (“Our largest, fastest point of sale system,” 2019). These features are relevant to implementation in the Walmart store because they embrace multi-faceted characteristics available from one program.
Opportunity to Be Realized by This Project
The project will increase customer satisfaction by providing more opportunities to read cards and make more transactions possible for customers’ convenience.
Project Purpose
The project is aimed at the facilitation of card-reading opportunities for electronic transactions that will provide multiple business advantages. These benefits are increasing competitiveness, customer service improvement, and contribution to productivity. Additional features of the software enable eliminating expenses on staff management and inventory update programs.
Measurable Project Objectives and Related Success Criteria Including Metrics
The main project objectives will be achieved upon project stages completion and will ultimately result in new software utilization by all cashier staff of the store. The primary goal of the project is to enhance the scope of electronic transactions through the implementation of multi-faceted card-reading devices within the Clover POS system. This objective should be achieved initially to enable further advancement of the software utilization possible while the customer services will be carried out properly. The first objective should be accomplished within one month from the beginning of the project life cycle. The second objective addresses the adjustment of cash payments accounting to the requirements of the new system. It will provide more productivity and efficiency to the accounting work due to the multiple opportunities of the Clover system. The business will be able to minimize financial expenses on additional updates of accounting software. The third objective is staff managing with the help of Clover software capabilities. In case of successful program implementation, it will be possible to utilize one software system to run the business inside the store and save finances. Once the software is installed and the staff is trained to use it properly, the objectives will be regarded as completed. The anticipated finalization period of all project objectives is three months.
High-Level Requirements
The success of the project depends on the capabilities of the enterprise to meet the high-level requirements. These requirements embrace stakeholders’ needs for the project to be carried out (Bassett, 2018). Firstly, the supermarket needs to renew the POS software due to the limitation of the operational capabilities of the existing one. Secondly, the analysis of the available software systems provides more opportunities to increase the efficiency of the new software by its application to staff managing processes and accounting of both cash and electronic payments. There will be only one system to manage operations throughout the selling process. In terms of technical requirements, the vendor will supply software and hardware for the project objectives completion. The training staff and necessary materials will be provided by the vendor as well. Precise planning of the interventions and procedures is required to ensure the smooth flow of the project stages. The ultimate requirement of the project is to achieve customer convenience when being serviced at the Walmart store. The enlisted conditions contribute to the understanding of the goals the project sets.
High-Level Risks
The identification of project risks increases awareness of possible loses and hazards in the process of project completion. The project team should carry out an unbiased analysis of the potential risks before the start of the initial stage of the intervention (Project Management Institute, 2017). The Walmart Clover POS-system implementation project is exposed to quality, organizational, and project-management risks. The risks related to quality embrace the possibility of being delivered devices of poor techni9cal characteristics that would be impossible to use correctly. This risk might result in cost and time loss due to the additional actions for problem resolution. The organizational group of risks includes a low level of staff inclusion in the training process. Possible interruptions in funding and pauses of the introduced project by other company interventions might contribute to time loss and will diminish the success of Clover POS-system implementation. Finally, possible drawbacks in project planning could severely undermine the efficiency of the carried out operations.
Summary of Milestones Schedule
The project will be completed within five main stages embracing the most important deliverables and subtasks.
- Software purchasing for Clover company (will be completed within two weeks from the start of the project).
- Clover POS-system installation and testing (will be carried out within one week). This stage includes close cooperation with the specialists sent in by the vendor. Project managers and IT specialists within Walmart will be involved in the process.
- Card reading and cash accounting procedures training (will be completed within one month). This stage will require the presence of training staff who will guide and control the software utilization procedures.
- Managers’ training for staff managing software utilization (will be carried out in two weeks). The training staff and technical support from the vendor will be necessary throughout this stage.
- Accounting training with appropriate department specialists (will be carried out within two weeks). This final stage will address the advantages of the software system and will result in the complete utilization of Clover POS for all customer-related operations within the store.
Summary of the High-Level Budget Including Expense Dollars, Capital Dollars, and Headcount
The costs for the deliverables identified in the previous section include expenses for software, hardware, and training. Firstly, the number of necessary Clover POS stations is 40 with a price of $1.199 each. Overall, capital expense equals $48.000. Additional expenses will be needed for training procedures. Ten employees who will be involved in the training for all skills related to Clover stations will be working for two months. The general expenses spent on the training staff will be $80.000. Overall, the successful implementation of the project will contribute to further growth of the company’s income, high compatibility, and customer satisfaction.
References
Bassett, D. A. (2018). Projects begin before they start: Defining project requirements. Littleton, CO: Long International.
Larson, E. & Gray, C. (2014). Project management: The managerial process (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Our largest, fastest point of sale system. (2019). Web.
Project Management Institute. (2017). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.