Project Manager: balance client and team priorities
AnthroposThe European Central Bank has requested a last-minute AI feature, jeopardizing your project timeline and resources.
Balancing the client’s urgent request with internal priorities risks delays, budget overruns, and team burnout.
Your goal is to negotiate a feasible solution that satisfies both the client and your internal stakeholders.
You are a Project Manager at Innova, a leading IT consulting firm specializing in custom software solutions.
Simulation Description
Company Overview
Innova is an IT consulting firm that specializes in creating customized software solutions for high-profile clients such as the European Central Bank and ENI. Founded in 2010 by engineers with experience in Silicon Valley companies, Innova has become a leader in the field, winning awards like "Best IT Consultancy" in 2015 and 2018. With over 200 completed projects and a 95% satisfaction rate, Innova is known for its excellent post-implementation support and its ability to quickly respond to client needs. The company uses advanced tools like JIRA, Python, Java, and AWS to ensure project excellence. Innova's culture promotes innovation and continuous training, with a high certification rate among employees. Recently, Innova has faced challenges such as adapting to GDPR regulations, demonstrating a high degree of adaptability and advanced technical skills.
Challenge
The simulation involves managing a last-minute change request from the European Central Bank, which conflicts with the internal priorities of the bank process digitization project. The request includes adding a predictive analysis feature based on artificial intelligence, which involves significant changes to the existing code and could delay the project by two weeks. The team is already operating at full capacity and internal pressure is high, with limited resources and imminent deadlines. Balancing client requests with business needs is crucial for the project's success.
Mission
As the Project Manager, you will be responsible for managing client requests and business priorities. You will interact with various stakeholders, including the client team, internal management, and the project team. You will need to analyze the client's requests, evaluate internal priorities, and propose a balanced solution. Each step will require effective communication and strategic negotiation. You must determine if the client's requests are feasible without compromising deadlines and project quality, decide which resources can be reassigned, and find a compromise that satisfies both parties.
Expected Outcomes
To complete the simulation, you must create a negotiation strategy document that includes:
- Analysis of the client's requests.
- Evaluation of internal priorities.
- Proposal of a balanced solution.
Once completed, send it to Chloe De Vis, Project Team Leader.