Studying Project Management - Concept Phase -?
Question:
In the concept phase, must I create a W.B.S, C.B.S. etc for each option?
Answer:
It sounds like you need 1 end-to-end project plan, with the 6 options analysed and evaluated during the Concept phase. (You can make this plan before you know which options will be evaluated, and thus chosen). Project plans need to be be designed to communicate the appropriate information to the right audience. As long as they contain this, then they are meaningful. HR might need a different cut of it to Finance or Marketing etc.
After concept evaluation, there is then a decision point. Which option, if any, is chosen to go forwards to the implementation stage? Consider who might need a specific plan for each option. The Project Manager as well as anyone involved with the decision making, upon the option to take. Most people only need a higher level plan, in order to compare the difference. Business Cases usually compare and recommend specific action, and would be accompanied by the proposed option's plan.
Eg. In the project management I have done, in business, you would drill down the plan with a full WBS etc, in outline form only, with the essential work/costs known for the generic work, common to all of the potential options. Your concept evaluation would need to consider resource availabilities, and amounts, for all options, and that's how you'd be helped to arrive at your final analysis.
Part of the concept stage work would identify the unique components of each options plan and these are likely to be critical factors leading towards the choice of the final option. Eg. Option 1 might need funding at a time when a business might not support it, so it could be a factor working against it. Option 2 might need IT department input when it is already 100% deployed, so this might mean 1 or other gets given the resource etc.
Plans are always being changed and it is typical that each plan gets more detail as things progress and outputs are made from earlier tasks that allow you to do this. Dependencies may change of course, though your critical path would ideally not vary too much. From a top level, things shouldn't change much, else heads typically start rolling. The devil is down in the detail.
Some quick thoughts. Good luck! Rob
I would, how else to choose between the options?
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