Project Procurement Case Study

Overview

The final project for this course is the analysis of a case study through the lens of a project procurement officer. You will select one case study from a set of provided cases. You will analyze how the elements of the procurement process address all phases of the expected procurement—conduct, execute, control, and close—and discuss the considerations and analyses that inform the development of a comprehensive procurement management plan.

Every project requires some amount of procurement to support the activities of the project team. The procurement may be purchasing standard products such as computers, software, or furniture used by a website development team. Or the procurement may be more complex, such as the custom development of a new ruggedized, weatherproof, external battery smartphone case. In the former example, the procurement may be highly focused on finding the lowest-cost, compliant supplier. In the latter example, the procurement may focus on finding the most technically competent supplier. As a procurement professional, you must know the preferred methods to satisfy the requirements demanded by both types of projects.

The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Three, and Five. The final project will be submitted in Module Seven.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

• Select appropriate contract types that align with procurement requirements in maximizing value and minimizing risk for the buyer
• Differentiate procurement processes between the United States and international environments in ensuring compliance with local regulations and adherence to best practices
• Select appropriate evaluation tools for identifying vendors that best satisfy procurement requirements and provide maximum value
• Evaluate contracting decisions for the extent to which they satisfy key procurement principles of value for money, ethics, competition, transparency, and accountability
• Assess the components of a procurement management plan for their ability to satisfy the requirements of the project

Prompt

The development of a procurement management plan begins by collecting and analyzing inputs from the project such as, but not limited to, the project scope statement, project schedule, project budget profile, organizational assets (company policies, standard terms and conditions), statement of work, technical specification, and verification requirements. Based on the analysis of project requirements, the type of contract, the bid process, and evaluation process are each defined.

You will analyze and discuss the considerations and choices that inform the development of a procurement management plan that satisfies the procurement scenario described in the selected case study. The analysis should be comprehensive and cover all the considerations of how an effective procurement is

executed from initiation to closure.

For this assessment, you will select one Harvard Business Review case study from those presented below, and analyze the case from the perspective of the project’s procurement officer. Ensure the procurement analysis considers all phases of the expected procurement: conduct, execute, control, and close.

Review the description for each of the four choices of case studies available through the links below.

• GlaxoSmithKline: Sourcing Complex Professional Services
• Harley-Davidson Motor Co.: Enterprise Software Selection
• Sher-Wood Hockey Sticks: Global Sourcing
• Timberjack Parts: Packaged Software Selection Project

Once you have decided which case to work with, use the links in the Harvard Business Review area of the course to access the case study.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed in your analysis:

1. Overview of Procurement Management Plans
   1. Discuss the purpose of a procurement management plan.
   1. Define the basic components of a procurement management plan.
   1. Explain how each major component of a procurement management plan satisfies the project or organizational requirements in the case study.

II. Contract Types

1. Define each type of contract.
   1. Assess contract types for their suitability for different types of projects (construction, design, services, products, etc.).
   1. Assess contract types for their ability to maximize value and minimize risk for the buyer.
   1. Select the most appropriate contract type(s) for the procurement plan in the case study. Be sure to justify your rationale with research.

1. Procurement Regulations in United States and Abroad
   1. Discuss procurement regulations required by local, regional, and federal governments with regard to specific types of procurements executed in the United States (e.g., Manchester, New Hampshire).
   1. Discuss procurement regulations required by local, regional, and federal governments with regard to specific types of procurements executed

internationally (e.g., Manchester, United Kingdom).

• Summarize the differences between the domestic and international procurement regulations discussed above.

• Determine which procurement regulations would apply to the procurement plan in the case study, and explain your reasoning. In other words, will you be required to follow domestic or international regulations, or both? Why?

IV. Source Selection

1. Describe common source selection criteria used to evaluate vendor proposals.
   1. Select an appropriate vendor evaluation tool suitable for identifying vendors for the procurement plan in the case study. The tool you select should employ appropriate selection criteria and be capable of producing a summary evaluation score.
   1. Assess the vendor evaluation tool produced for its effectiveness in satisfying the project requirements and providing maximum value to the buyer in the case study.

V. Procurement in Practice

1. Summarize the key principles of value for money, ethics, competition, transparency, and accountability.
   1. Discuss the importance of the key principles in effective procurement.
   1. Evaluate the contracting decisions described in the case study for the extent to which they satisfy key procurement principles of value for money, ethics, competition, transparency, and accountability (i.e., the field situations, situational decision making, etc.).

Milestone One: Analysis Overview and Contract Selection

Milestones

In Module Two, you will submit a document that identifies the case study you selected for analysis from the provided options and begins the first parts of your analysis. Your document should provide an overview meeting all critical elements in Section I of the final project, discussing why and how a procurement management plan would be useful in the procurement scenario selected. Then, considering all critical elements in Section II of the final project, discuss the contract types that could be used to execute the scenario. Select an appropriate contract type for your case study and justify your selection of the chosen contract type. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.

Milestone Two: Procurement Regulations & Source Selection

In Module Three, you will submit a document with more of your analysis for the case study that you selected. First, consider the critical elements in Section III of the final project. Then discuss the impact of government regulations on procurement, the regulatory differences for procurements between the United States and another country, and potential regulatory effects for your selected procurement scenario. Second, consider the critical elements in Section IV of the final project, analyze and choose a set of parameters that you feel are useful for evaluating vendor proposals, develop a vendor evaluation tool, and assess its

usefulness for proposal evaluation and selection in your scenario. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.

Milestone Three: Summary of Procurement Principles

In Module Five, you will submit a document with a summary of the key principles of value for money, ethics, competition, transparency, and accountability, and discuss how a professional procurement process satisfies those principles. You will then apply this knowledge to evaluate the contracting decisions made in the selected case study, following the critical elements in Section V of the final project. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.

Final Submission: Procurement Analysis

In Module Seven, you will submit a comprehensive analysis of the case study from the perspective of the project’s procurement officer. It should be a complete, polished artifact analyzing all of the critical elements of a procurement management plan as outlined above. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.

Final Project Rubric

Guidelines for Submission: our procurement analysis must be 10–12 pages in length (plus a cover page, table of contents, and references) and must be written in APA format. Use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins.