The Whitbread World Sailboat race will start in 45 weeks, and Bjorn Ericksen, the master helmsman, has that much time to build a new vessel and test it, to recruit the racing crew and train it. This project is to be managed with a budget of $3.2 million.
Managing this project successfully first requires to analyze Ericksen 's strategy, including his chief design engineer and his master helmsman 's normal and crash estimates. Ericksen then needs to find a way to reduce the project duration to meet the race start date deadline. Finally, Ericksen needs to develop a plan to close the project smoothly.
Developing a structured project plan, which allows for a timely project completion and a performing sailboat are the two main elements Ericksen needs to focus on.
Bjorn Ericksen Project Strategy Analysis
As the project manager of the racing sailboat for his team, Ericksen operates in the leisure equipment business, which consists of the total revenues generated through the sale of bicycles and sporting equipment, computer & video gaming software, traditional toys & games, and photographic products (Global Leisure Equipment and Products, 2007).
The nine-month Round the World Whitbread Sailboat Race will start in 45 weeks with the traditional parade of all entries on the Thames River in the United Kingdom, so Ericksen has no choice but to ensure the project is completed by then. Conducting an in-process project audit is therefore necessary.
Project audits use performance measures and forecast data, review why the project was selected, include a reassessment of the project 's role in the organization 's priorities, include a check on the organizational culture to ensure it facilitates the type of project being implemented, assess if the project team is functioning well and is appropriately staffed, include a check on external factors that might change where the project
References: Datamonitor. (2000, June). NIKE ACG AND TREK BICYCLES ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP. Retrieved October 7, 2007, from Datamonitor. Global Leisure Equipment and Products. (2007, March). Industry Profile. Retrieved October 7, 2007, from Datamonitor. Gray, F.G. & Larson, E.W. (2006). Project management: The managerial process (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Park, M., & Peña-Mora, F. (2004, September). Reliability Buffering for Construction Projects. Journal of Construction Engineering & Management, 130(5), 626-637. Retrieved October 7, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.