Overall Experience with Scenario:

I did this simulation 10 times with the intent of obtaining the best score possible and
completing the exercise successfully on time and within budget. I used every scenario’s
alerts and challenges to improve on the next simulation. My initial impression was that
this scenario would be easier to manage as it has $10,000 extra budget. In my previous
simulations I struggled meeting budget requirements so extra money looked promising.
This simulation however was true rollercoaster of problems and challenges. I used
several prototypes before the problems usually arrived and was able to tackle the
challenges pretty well, but there were also unexpected setbacks such as the care
accident, technology disappointment and material shortages. Some of these
interruptions pushed the project back by reducing the completed tasks by as many as
50. Then on week 11 the scope was changed with additional 30 tasks which is typically
two weeks worth of tasks. It was a tall order to keep everything in balance keeping the
stress under control, building the correct skill level team, the right amount of meetings,
status reviews, and one-on-one meetings. I used medium-high skilled team just like I did
in the previous simulations and they turned out to be handling pressure and stress well.
In my best run I was able to deliver the project in 16 weeks with a few hundred dollars
over the budget. The biggest challenge was to react correctly to the curveballs that the
simulation presented.

Cause and Effect Relationships

This week’s cause and effect relationship was twofold. The rst was between the
timeline and resources for the project. In previous simulations there were no material
shortages or other unexpected resource changes. The resource alterations lead to
serious delays in the project’s deadline. This in turn required more money to get the
project done on time. This caused more stress and lowered morale despite best efforts.
The second one was related to the effectiveness of the prototypes and the progress of
the project. The earlier my team was able to work through the prototypes and gure out
the technology disappointments before they happened. Upon successful prototype
execution the project moved along better. Preventive measures can be effective in the
success of a project.

Tensions between Top Down versus Bottom Up Objectives

At the beginning of the project everything looked balanced and reasonable. The budget
looked suf cient for the size of the project. The tensions started after the accident
happened and the material shortages occurred. The technology setback was also a
major stress factor. When these unexpected events changed the course of the project
and additional tasks were added the tensions rose on both sides. The team was
overwhelmed with all extra tasks and the redos. The management wanted the project
completed within the 15 week timeline despite the major changes. It was a dif cult
project to manage.
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Managing Risk and Uncertainty

When it comes to managing risk and uncertainty I worked with a balanced team, well
planned prototypes and smart scheduling of the team. I built a team that responds well
to setbacks and challenges and stays on schedule as much as possible. I followed their
feedback and made the requested changes to offer them optimal support. I kept the
team’s composition intact throughout the project so when the accident happened the
team didn’t feel overwhelmed due to the lack of inexperienced team members. The
prototypes helped alleviate technological hiccups to a great extent although the
shortage of materials did ended up causing a delay. I worked with the team schedule
and support options to the best of my ability to relieve some pressure with general tasks
so that the pro team could get the main moving parts done with precision. This
simulation was full with unexpected events that needed serious risk management.