This one assignment within the module will address all of the module’s learning outcomes. Your task is to develop a systems development project plan for a small car sales company, Dawson’s Automobiles. Dawson’s market is the ‘entry-level’ luxury cars. This segment mostly includes the bottom vehicles in the line-up of luxury brands as well as the top-of-the-line models of some nonluxury brands. The company operates from one site housing the Managing Director, ten Sales Executives, two Administrators and one Receptionist. Dawson’s Automobiles sells a range of small-medium sized cars to private buyers. On any day, there are an average of approximately 120 cars waiting to be sold. During peak periods each Sales Executive can expect to sell up to five cars a week. Currently, all the staff have stand-alone PCs with standard packages with Word Processing and Spreadsheet software. Potential customers are directed, by the receptionist, to the Sales Executive, who then takes the customers through the range of cars that may be suitable to them. Each sales executive logs the sales he has made that day on his spreadsheet. At the end of the day a hardcopy of the records are passed to the administrators who update the central system. A number of difficulties have been identified in the current system, including; • Information is not up-to-date as the main records are updated once a day. • Different selling price passed on to customers by different sales executives. • Customer details kept on multiple PCs. • Sales executives have created their own spreadsheets which are not compatible with each other or the system used by the Administrators. • Hardcopy information has been lost a number of times. The MD has decided to invest in an integrated system to manage administration functions and management reports. A number of packages are available on the market; however, the MD wants to develop a specific bespoke package for the business. The Sales Executives are reluctant to share their sales information with each other and are therefore sceptical of any new proposed system. Additionally, many of them have developed their own systems they do not want to relinquish as they envisage their system being much superior to any proposed system. The Administrators are concerned the new system may result in one of them losing their job. An IT consulting firm has been employed to carry out the initial stages of the project; feasibility study, analysis of the requirements, development of the prototype. Your role, as a Project Manager of the IT consulting firm, is to produce a detailed project plan and a supporting report. A budget of $80,000 has been allocated for the system. The MD is expecting the initial report to be completed in three weeks and the prototype to be in place for demonstration within eight weeks. You can make any other assumptions, but these must be made clear in your report. Additionally, the report must address the following Tasks: Task 1 – 15 Marks Task Context Identify the project aims and objectives. For each of these identify the constraints within which they are specified (e.g. time, costs, quality). Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Business IT Task Management Task Managements September 2008 & amp;#169;NCC Education 2008 Task 2 – 25 Marks Task Management Using Resource Management Techniques, develop a task plan for the project. The plan should include all appropriate stages from feasibility study, analysis to development of the prototype. For each stage of the plan produce a short critique. Task 3 – 20 Marks Leadership The MD has advised you that there may be strong resistance to the implementation of the system by the staff. Identify possible reasons why staff may resist the change from current to a new system. Describe how these can be overcome and what leadership/management style would be appropriate. Task 4 – 25 Marks Communication Many studies have shown that poor communication methods can result in potential problems. Identify any such problems your plan may encounter and discuss how these can be overcome with differing communication methods. Task 5 – 15 Marks Mentoring and Coaching In some cases the Project Manager may be required to take a role of a mentor or coach. In your plan, identify where such roles may be appropriate. Critique advantages and disadvantages of mentoring and coaching for both mentor and those assigned to them.