Background
As part of the Project Management Professional Google Certificate, I executed a capstone project for the fictional restaurant chain, Sauce & Spoon. The company was looking to expand its business by launching a pilot program of new tabletop menu tablets. The goal was to streamline operations, allowing the restaurant to serve more guests in less time. The tablets were also designed to collect valuable data, providing key insights to support Sauce & Spoon's broader business objectives. My role, as the simulated project manager, Peta, was to oversee all project documentation and guide the project to a successful launch.
Project Highlights
Defined project goals and scope by analyzing documents, identifying requirements, and creating a project charter.
Developed a detailed project plan using existing documentation, online research, and conversations with stakeholders and vendors to identify, document, and prioritize all necessary tasks and milestones.
Focused on communication and reporting, demonstrating effective techniques for making time estimates. Learned to escalate project problems to stakeholders and show project impact through detailed reports.
Managed project quality and data by defining quality management standards and evaluating the project against them. Also, created evaluation questions from survey data and learned to effectively share qualitative findings.
Facilitated productive meetings by learning and applying strategies for leading retrospectives that encouraged participation, accountability, and a positive environment.
Project Initiation: Setting the Stage
I started by defining the project's purpose: to test a new menu tablet system to help Sauce & Spoon grow. I created the Project Charter, which became my go-to guide for getting everyone on the same page. I also used a Stakeholder Analysis to understand who I needed to work with and how best to communicate with them, which was crucial for making our goals SMART and getting buy-in.
Project Planning: Building the Roadmap
This phase was all about turning ideas into a solid plan. I built a detailed Project Plan by looking at past projects, doing online research, and really listening to what stakeholders and vendors were saying. This helped me identify every task and milestone we needed to hit. I focused on making sure our time estimates were accurate so the plan was realistic and achievable.
Project Execution & Monitoring: Overcoming Challenges
As we executed the plan, I constantly monitored our progress. I set up quality management standards to ensure everything we did met our goals. When issues came up, I learned to effectively escalate them, as shown in my Email Coalition to senior stakeholders. I presented Tablet Pilot Findings to track our initial results and share them with the team.
Project Closeout: Celebrating Success and Learning
At the end, I focused on learning from the experience. I used surveys to gather qualitative data and created an Impact Report to show how our project helped the business. I also prepared a Closeout Report that summarized our journey and results. Finally, I facilitated a Retrospective Review to celebrate our wins and talk about what we could do better next time.
What I Learned
I discovered the value of customer feedback and how it can drive iterative improvements and ultimately lead to a more successful project. This experience also highlighted the critical role of stakeholder management. Navigating unexpected challenges taught me the importance of flexibility and clear communication with everyone involved. I realized that a solid plan is essential, but it's only a starting point and being able to adapt to new information or changing needs is what truly makes a project thrive. Most importantly, I learned that thorough documentation is a critical tool for guiding the team and ensuring everyone stays on the same page, and as a valuable resource for future projects.