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The current project involves the development and implementation of a comprehensive COVID-19 management system for Tesla Inc. The pandemic has forced the closure of many businesses across the United States and the world. Firms and government face the dilemma of working or not, as explained by Xia (2020). Tesla is one of those companies which are keen on resuming operation at full capacity. The current COVID-19 safety measures include the deployment of ventilators (Ohnsman, 2020). Such efforts may prove inadequate because new spreads of the virus can take place.
The new project is an information technology (IT) system developed to monitor workers and their health conditions. The term ‘comprehensive’ has been used because the system deploys multiple functionalities, including some of the current initiatives for COVID-19 management. Temperature checks and COVID-19 tracking are already available, which means that a decision-making platform in the form of a database combined with the right data analytics can be implemented. The new platform will help determine the health and risk conditions of each employee to help management decide the safety implications of having individual workers at the workplace.
The COVID-19 management system project follows the guidelines provided by the Project Management Institute (PMI) through the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). According to Xue et al. (2017), the PMBOK 2013 is the edition which added a chapter about stakeholders, meaning this is the best version to use. PMBOK can be defined as a project management guide for executives. The project lifecycle in this guideline comprises five stages, each of which will feature in the proposed project.
The first phase is project initiation, which broadly defines the project. As explained in the project goals and objectives, the COVID-19 system can be described as software for supporting administrative decisions regarding the COVID-19 safety risks in the workplace. Additionally, the project scope entails utilizing data from multiple points, including temperature checks, travel logs, and other tracking applications, currently in use. An analytics tool is integrated into the system to help in the analysis of the data.
The second phase is the project planning, where a roadmap for the project is developed. Additionally, all the features of the system, individual tasks, and key resources are outlined. The project execution phase will involve the actualization of the specific tasks. The development and implementation of a COVID-19 management system will involve such tasks as program feature specification, feasibility analysis, prototype development and testing, program implementation, and monitoring and maintenance. The last two activities will also form part of the fourth phase in the project cycle, which is the project performance or monitoring. In this stage, any changes needed are implemented before project closure. The last phase is the project closure where the completed project is handed over to the sponsor.
Project Goals
- To implement a COVID-19 management system to monitor new symptoms
- To maintain an employee health record to facilitate workplace safety
- To actively prevent a new spread of COVID-19 among the employees.
Project Objectives
With the current pandemic, businesses have found it hard to resume normal operations. However, the situation can be changed if firms can implement effective safety measures, which can be used for both monitoring and controlling the spread. The primary objective of this project, therefore, is to allow the company to resume normal operations by having a system in place that can monitor the health situation of all employees. The three objectives of the new COVID-19 management system are:
- Providing a safe environment for all workers to resume their jobs and to allow the company to operate in full capacity
- Providing management with a decision-making framework regarding wellbeing and other key management decisions, including operational and staffing levels
- Supporting economic reforms during and after the crisis by facilitating the re-employment of workers.
Key Customers
The key customer for the COVID-19 management system project is Tesla, Inc. The electric car manufacturer is one of the businesses which have resumed operations in the company’s factories. The presence of employees in such facilities presents Tesla with the risk of exposing them to COVID-19. The worst-case scenario for Tesla’s management would be a new spread of the virus, which could have critical implications for the company and the staff. Most importantly, the company relies heavily on its top talent for its innovativeness and success. Loss of skillful workers can threaten the resumption of business for the Tesla, in addition to suffering huge costs of replacing them.
Tesla’s employees can also be considered to be key customers for the project. The argument is that the COVID-19 management system is intended for their safety. Employees’ travel logs and other health data will help the company make sure they are protected by ensuring minimal risk of contracting the deadly virus. Additionally, the personnel will become the main users of the system because they will provide all the input in terms of individual health and risk data by logging into the system. Travel logs, temperature checks, recent contacts, and health status are the basic information entered by the individuals at Tesla.
Key Stakeholders
In addition to the project customers, there are several other groups with vested interests in the project. The government is a major stakeholder due to the nature of the project. Many IT-related ventures have multiple legal implications, which include data and privacy protection. Bradford et al. (2020) help illustrate this point by examining privacy and data protection regimes affecting the application of the contact tracing apps for the COVID-19. The management system being implemented at Tesla faces the same issue. The government will be keen to ensure the project and the company comply with the current laws.
The second key stakeholder group for the COVID-19 management system is the project team. The vested interests of these individuals include the success and functionality of the project. Considering that Tesla will be investing significant funds into the system, the project team has a responsibility to deliver a functional project within the timeframe provided. Delivery delays will affect the cost of the project, which might be incurred by the management. Other consequences might include project cancellation at the cost of the team. The failed performance also ruins the reputation, which affects future projects. Most importantly, it is essential to emphasize that due to the contractual terms, the people responsible for management will be the ones most likely to suffer the consequences of a failed project.
Key Milestones
The COVID-19 management system project has three major milestones or deliverables. First, the project provides for COVID-19 checks and data collection feature, which allows Tesla to collect all the relevant data regarding the COVID-19 status of each employee, including contact tracking. Second, a centralized data storage framework is created to make it possible for the company to store the data from multiple sources in s single location where it can be easily accessible.
A large database will, therefore, be created as part of the system. Third, an analytics framework is embedded in the storage system. The role of the analytics is to assess the data and generate reports regarding the condition and risk factors of the employees. The outcomes of the analysis will be used to make decisions on whether to isolate specific individuals either due to suspicions of having the virus or posing a higher risk of spreading it.
Project Timeline
The COVID-19 management system project involves the development of software for gathering, storing and analyzing COVID-19 data. Therefore, the software development life cycle (SDLC) framework becomes the best way to structure the project timeline. However, there are additional project activities as outlined in the five phases of project management phases, which will be included in the timeline. The tasks and deadlines involved in this project are summarized in Table 1 below:
Table 1: A Summary of the Project Timeline (developed using MS Word).
Project Cost
The project has an allocated budget of $100,000, which involves the amount of money Tesla would pay upon the delivery of the project. It is hard to break down the costs of the projects because most of the finances are used to fund software development and other experts employed in different phases of the project. However, there are key cost centers that can be broken down as illustrated in Table 2 below. A key point to note is that these estimated costs will be adjusted as the project progresses. The project costs cannot exceed the budget by over 25%, which is the maximum deviation allowed by Tesla. Increases in cost beyond this limit will be incurred by the project team.
Table 2: Project cost estimates (developed using MS Word).
Staffing and Non-Staffing Resources
The proposed project is a small-scale undertaking, which does not require heavy investment in resources. The staffing resources needed include the project manager, who fills one position, and a software development team comprising three IT designers and developers. Two positions are left open for any supporting personnel who might be needed in various project phases, including outsourced expertise. The two extra positions are employed on a part-time basis while the rest are full time. The rationale for the additional positions is that the project manager may need to fast-track certain aspects of the project, which could mean hiring more workers.
Additionally, there are several non-staffing resources needed for this project. As outlined in the cost structure, the internet will be a key resource considering the nature of the project. Additionally, computers and other relevant hardware will be a key requirement. However, it is assumed that the project personnel will provide these resources, which explains why they have not been included in the cost Table 2.
Project Risks
The project faced three major risks which threaten its success. First, the project could exceed the budget, which exposed management to heavy losses. The small allowance for deviation means that the costs have to be strictly managed to mitigate the losses. Second, the time is limited and the project team risks late delivery. Measures taken to handle this risk include recruiting extra personnel. Lastly, there is the risk of project failure because the idea is novel and has never been implemented before. Comprehensive planning is used to handle this risk by clarifying all aspects before the project starts.
Keeping Project on Track
One of the best ways to keep the project on track is by observing the deadlines set in the timelines. The accomplishment of each task before the due date will ensure that the project is completed within the set time. Additionally, the project manager seeks to utilize external experts or assistance whenever the project deliverables are not accomplished within the deadlines. The outside help is also used in the instances the full-time personnel encounter any challenges that might derail the work. Strict adherence to the timeline, however, remains the best way to keep the project on track.
Proposed Plan for Project Completion
The proposed plan for project completion involves sending an email updating the project owner, the employees, and the project team that all deliverables have been achieved. At this stage, it is important to emphasize that testing is successful. A handover appointment is made where all the project documentation is provided to the company. All payments for the project will also be made by the company upon verifying that all the aspects requested are delivered. All project closure activities are then performed, including a review and confirmation of all contract documents. A simple celebration is performed with the key customers and the project team in attendance.
References
Bradford, L., Aboy, M., & Liddell, K. (2020). COVID-19 contact tracing apps: A stress test for privacy, the GDPR, and data protection regimes. Journal of Law and the Biosciences, 7(1), 1-21. Web.
Ohnsman, A. (2020). Tesla shows off prototype ventilator for COVID-19 patients made out of electric car parts. Forbes. Web.
Xia, Y. (2020). Workforce survival: Tracking potential COVID-19 exposure amid socioeconomic activities using automatic log-keeping apps. Population Health Management, Advnce Online Publication. Web.
Xue, R., Baron, C., & Esteban, P. (2017). Optimizing product development in industry by alignment of the ISO/IEC 15288 Systems Engineering Standard and the PMBoK Guide. International Journal of Product Development, Inderscience, 22(1), 65-80. Web.
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