i) Reflect on the decisions you made in the face of changes caused by each uncertainty.

You
don’t have to explain each decision though.
Ans: Uncertainties faced:
a. Team Change (Scenario B and G):
i. In both scenarios due to unexpected turnover only 2 members of the team were
available to complete the work. This was causing the target deadline for completion
to extend as the workload was distributed on only 2 members.
ii. To tackle this we increased the skill level of the team members from medium to
High, as this would allow two members to complete more amount of work in the
same amount of time.
iii. With only 2 members at hand we also increased their working hours by
encouraging over time so that even though we are short of people we try to
complete the work under the given target deadline.
iv. Since less number of employees were working, we reduced the number of
meetings as we thought that they would require less meetings as when compared to
larger number of employees were working.
b. Schedule Change (Scenario C):
i. When the project timeline was suddenly reduced to 12 weeks from 17 weeks in
order to complete the project deadline we were required to change our entire strategy
so as to deliver the outcomes within the new deadline.
ii. To deal with the reduction in timeline, we increased the team size to 5 members,
as beyond 5 members we were facing increasing issues
iii. Increasing the Team size resulted in huge amount of cost, so in order to bring the
cost under control, we extensively outsourced but also conducted enough
meetings so as to maintain good coordination amongst all the team members and
maintain the team dynamics so that no time is wasted due to team conflict or
miscoordination
iv. However, we realised that the stress level of the team was growing due to
increased pressure of the new deadline and this was bringing the team morale down.
We hence decided to extend the timeline by a week to reduce the stress level of the
team.
c. Scope Creep(Scenario C):
i. When we realised the enhanced management expectations in terms of product
features, we decided to take a number of steps to complete the project with wider
scope in the same amount of time.
ii. In order to do so, we increased the number of members in the team and also
increased the skill level, so as to expedite the process in the project and cater to
the increasing scope.
iii. We encouraged overtime to reach our target but at the same time also
increased the number of status review meetings so that everyone is on the same
page and the team is coordinated with each other to work on the increased scope.
d. Technology Failure(Scenario G):
i. One of the uncertainty observed was difficulty in communication amongst team
members which was resulting in ineffieincy and thus was causing lag in the project.
ii. The first step we took was reduce the amount of outsourcing as it was affecting
the team dynamics according to us.
Iii. We increased the number of standups so that they can discuss their plans for
the day and everyone would know what other members are working on. Along with
 this we also increased the number of status review meetings to build the team
coordination and to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
ii) Consider how your team sensed the change. Which graphs/tables you looked at?
Answer:

To detect changes in simulation, the following graphs/tables were evaluated:

Hours Worked per Person: This was used to assess team productivity and select how
many individuals to recruit.

Team Morale & Stress Level: This was verified in order to monitor team morale and
arrange meetings accordingly.

Pie chart of Time Spent on Activities: This chart was used to analyse the time spent on
various activities and to make appropriate decisions.

Budget graph- Cumulative cost: This graph was used to assess the weekly expense and
make adjustments to the budget.

Problems discovered per person: This was used weekly to assess quality of the
Work that was completed and efforts were made to reduce common problems by adjusting
skills level, by increasing the number of prototypes and doing more 1v1 training,
When there are many problems per person.

Tasks done vs. Time Graph: This graph is tracked to see if we are meeting our deadlines.

iii) Think back on how you came to what to do. What policy and the rationale (mental model)
you depend on. How your study of the Dashboard and graphs help?
Answer:
Before beginning the project, the main goal was to prioritise completing the level 4 product
within scheduled time ,as well as prioritising team morale, as low morale might impact the
quantity of work done. We did not evaluate the cumulative cost since optimising all three
factors - scope, cost, and timeline - is challenging.

Uncertainty - 1: Technology Failure-Virtual meeting software failure: During week 4, the

virtual meeting software broke, cutting off the communication line. We reduced stand-up
meetings since they are useless without a communication platform and enhanced employee
expertise by allowing them to work more autonomously. We produced prototypes based on
what we think was information.

Uncertainty - 2: Technology failure- home office transfer and internet connectivity problem:
The rationale we had throughout this period of uncertainty was that expanding the team size
helps us achieve our main aim of delivering the product ahead of schedule by reducing the
number of productive hours by reviewing the Hours Worked per Person graph.

Uncertainty - 3: Schedule Change - unexpected shift in delivery time

Management encouraged us to finish ahead of time during week 5. However, because our
primary objective was to complete ahead of schedule for the extra points, we employed
additional individuals from the start and taught them to become adept and complete ahead
of schedule. As a result, the timetable uncertainty had little impact on our project's
development.

Uncertainty - 4: Team Change- Unexpected Departure: During week 10, we had

unexpected staff turnover, reducing our team size to eight. Due to this dramatic decrease,
we boosted the competence level of present team members because the number of issues
detected per person graph will decrease if employees are highly competent, resulting in an
increase in the number of jobs done. We also assumed that highly talented individuals could
handle the additional stress caused by fewer team members and a tight deadline.

iv) Add appropriate cause links and draw the causal loops relevant for this uncertainty only.
v) Paste your diagram in Word document (no pdf please). Also, write a few lines explaining
your process/rationale. This would help me understand your work.
a. Team Change (Scenario B and G):
When team size is constrained or severely affected because of attrition, the number
of tasks to be completed per day increases to keep the project on schedule,
increasing the stress on the team. We encouraged overtime, increased the extent of
outsourcing, and upskilled the team members. All this led to increased overall team
productivity.

b. Schedule Change (Scenario C):

As the expected project schedule reduces drastically, tasks per day increase. We
counter this by changing the extent of outsourcing and the size of team. We
increased both of these to match the updated schedule.
c. Scope Creep(Scenario C):
When the scope is changed by management, the total number of tasks to be
completed increases. This adds stress to the team, reducing productivity and the
number of new tasks completed.
To tackle this, we increase the team size which compensates for productivity. We
also increase the number of meetings to enhance coordination and reduce rework.

d. Technology Failure(Scenario G):

In case of technology failure, the team faced issues because of work-from-home
setting and tech issues with connectivity. This greatly affected the team coordination
and increased the amount of rework. The number of tasks increased and added load
on the team members increasing stress. We increased the number of meetings
extensively and also reduced some outsourcing. Status review meetings, one-on-one
meetings and stand-ups were conducted to make sure team was well-informed.