green computing

ADDITIONAL CASE 2: GREEN COMPUTING RESEARCH PROJECT Note: This case was based on the seventh edition of Information Technology Project Management. References to figure numbers may vary from the eighth edition. Part 1: Project Integration Management You work for We Are Big, Inc., an international firm with more than 100,000 employees in several countries. A strategic goal is to help improve the environment while increasing revenues and reducing costs. The Environmental Technologies Program just started, and the VP of Operations, Natalie, is the program sponsor. Ito is the program manager, and there is a steering committee made up of 10 senior executives, including Natalie, who oversees the program. Several projects operate within this program, including the Green Computing Research Project. The CIO and project sponsor, Ben, has given this project high priority and plans to hold special interviews to hand-pick the project manager and team. Ben is also a member of the program steering committee. Before coming to We Are Big, Ben sponsored a project at a large computer firm to improve data center efficiency. This project, however, is much broader. The main purpose of the Green Computing Research Project is to research possible applications of green computing, including the following:

 Data center and overall energy efficiency

 Disposal of electronic waste and recycling

 Telecommuting

 Virtualization of server resources

 Thin client solutions

 Use of open source software

 Development of new software to address green computing for internal use and potential sale to other organizations

The budget for the project is $500,000, and the goal is to provide an extensive report, including detailed financial analysis and recommendations for which green computing technologies to implement. Official project request forms for the recommended solutions will also be created as part of the project.

Ben decided to have five people working full-time on this six-month project and to call on people in other areas as needed. He wanted to be personally involved in selecting the project manager and to have that person help him select the rest of the project team. Ben wanted to find people already working inside the company, but he was also open to reviewing applications for potential new employees to work specifically on his project as long as they could start quickly. Because many good people were located in different parts of the world, Ben thought it made sense to select the best people he could find and allow them to work virtually on the project. Ben also wanted the project manager to do more than just manage the project. The project manager would also do some of the research, writing, and editing required to produce the desired results. Ben was also open to paying expert consultants for their advice and to purchasing books and related articles as needed. Tasks

1. Research green computing and green projects performed by large organizations such as IBM, Dell, HP, and Google. See www.greenercomputing.com and similar sites provided on the companion Web site, or find sites yourself. Include your definition of green computing to incorporate all of the topics listed in the background scenario. Describe each area of green computing, including a detailed example of how at least one organization has implemented each area, and investigate the return on investment. Summarize your results in a short paper, and cite at least three references.

2. Prepare a weighted decision matrix using the template named wtd_decision_matrix.xls from the companion Web site. Ben will use this matrix to evaluate applicants for project manager for this important project. Develop at least five criteria, assign weights to each criterion, assign scores, and then calculate the weighted scores for four fictitious applicants. Print the spreadsheet and bar chart with the results. Write a one-page paper that describes the weighted decision matrix and summarizes the results.

3. Prepare the financial section of a business case for the Green Computing Research Project. Assume that this project will take six months to complete (in Year 0) and will cost $500,000. The costs to implement some of the technologies will be $2 million for year one and $600,000 for years two and three. Estimated benefits are $500,000 in the first year after implementation and $2.5 million in the following two years. Use the business case spreadsheet template (business_case_financials.xls) from the companion Web site to help calculate the NPV, ROI, and the year in which payback occurs. Assume a 7 percent discount rate, but make sure the rate is an input that is easy to change.

4. Prepare a project charter for the Green Computing Research Project. Again, assume that the project will take six months to complete and that the budget is $500,000. Use the project charter template (charter.doc) and examples of the project charters in Chapters 3 and 4 as guidelines. Assume that part of the approach is to select the project team as quickly as possible.

5. Because people will request changes to the project, make sure that you have a good integrated change control process in place. You also want to address change requests as quickly as possible. Review the template for a change request form (change_request.doc) provided on the companion Web site. Write a short paper that describes how you plan to manage changes on this project in a timely manner. Explain who will be involved in making change control decisions, what paperwork or electronic systems will be used to collect and respond to changes, and other related issues.