MGMT 462 – You have been assigned to be the project leader for a plant closure

1. You have been assigned to be the project leader for a plant closure at a company that produces medical devices for correcting circulatory ailments. Although the project is in preliminary planning stages, the company’s top-level executives have asked you to make recommendations about whether to proceed with it or not, and to suggest changes or guidelines for the project that will help to ensure its success. The company is closing its U.S. plant on the West Coast and moving production to an existing company facility in Cork, Ireland. This will require you to lay off 300 employees in the United States, document all processes, transfer processes, train operators, move equipment, gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval at the new site in Ireland, dispose of real estate, and other activities. Create a force-field analysis for this project, including at least five driving forces and five restraining forces. Make a rating for each one and calculate totals. Reflect on your analysis and recommend whether the project should proceed. What actions would increase the strength of driving forces and reduce the strength of restraining forces?2. After the project manager and team have established the goal of the project, further analysis into the causes that have driving the need helps determine other potential problems and opportunities. Experienced project managers often call this causal analysis. Identify several team-based tools used for causal analysis and explain why and how it helps teams and the project manager.3. Identify the key components used when creating a business case. Give an example of each.4. Project managers will need to evaluate options to meet the project goal. Identify at least five methods used and give an example of when the approach should be used.5. Mallard Saws produces table saws for the do-it-yourself (DIY) market and has been very successful financially. Lew Mallard, CEO, is working with his executive team, Hew, Dew, Don, and Daisy, on new-product development decisions. The group is considering the possibility of designing and launching four new products, which have been tentatively named Bubba, Butch, Brutus, and Buddy. A team of analysts has generated the following information about each product, based on market and technical studies:ProductMarket LifeCost to DevelopNet Annual Income ExpectedBubba5 years$1,000,000$300,000Butch4 years$500,000$200,000Brutus10 years$2,000,000$560,000Buddy3 years$400,000$150,000Calculate net present value (NPV) for each potential project, assuming a discount rate of 18%. Use this present value table. Discuss the results and make a recommendation. What other factors should be considered in the selection decision?