Writing Homework Help

Option #1: Silver Fiddle Construction Case Study

You are the president of Silver Fiddle Construction (SFC), which specializes in building high-quality, customized homes in the Grand Junction, Colorado, area. You have just been hired by the Czopeks to build their dream home. You operate as a general contractor and employ only a part-time bookkeeper. You subcontract work to local trade professionals. Housing construction in Grand Junction is booming, and you are tentatively scheduled to complete 11 houses this year. You have promised the Czopeks that the final costs will range from $450,000 to $500,000, and that it will take five months to complete the house once groundbreaking has begun. The Czopeks are willing to have the project delayed in order to save costs.

You have just finished a preliminary scope statement for the project (see below). You are now brainstorming potential risks associated with the project.

1. Identify potential risks associated with this project. Try to come up with at least five different risks.2. Use a risk assessment form similar to the example in Figure 1 below to analyze identified risks.3. Develop a risk response matrix similar to the example in Figure 2 below to outline how you would deal with each of these risks.

PROJECT SCOPE STATEMENT

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

Construct a high-quality, custom home within five months at a cost not to exceed $500,000.

DELIVERABLES

• A 2,500-square-foot, 2½-bath, 3-bedroom, finished home
• A finished garage, insulated and sheet-rocked
• Kitchen appliances to include range, oven, microwave, and dishwasher
• High-efficiency gas furnace with programmable thermostat

MILESTONES

1. Permits approved July 5
2. Foundation poured July 12
3. “Dry in” (including framing, sheathing, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical inspections) passed September 25
4. Final inspection November 7

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Home must meet local building codes.
2. All windows and doors must pass NFRC class 40 energy ratings.
3. Exterior wall insulation must meet an “R” factor of 21.
4. Ceiling insulation must meet an “R” factor of 38.
5. Floor insulation must meet an “R” factor of 25.
6. Garage will accommodate two cars and one 28-foot-long Winnebago.
7. Structure must pass seismic stability codes.

LIMITS AND EXCLUSIONS

1. The home will be built to the specifications and design of the original blueprints provided by the customer.
2. Owner is responsible for landscaping.
3. Refrigerator is not included among kitchen appliances.
4. Air conditioning is not included, but the house is prewired for it.
5. SFC reserves the right to contract out services.

CUSTOMER REVIEW

“Bolo” and Izabella Czopek

Figure 1:

Risk Event	Likelihood	Impact	Detection Difficulty	When
Interface problems	4	4	4	Conversion
System freezing	2	5	5	Start-up
User backlash	4	3	3	Post-installation
Hardware malfunctioning	1	5	5	Installation

(Source: Larson Gray, 2017, Figure 7.6, p. 212)

Figure 2:

Risk Event	Response	Contingency Plan	Trigger	Who Is Responsible
Interface problems	Mitigate: Test prototype	Work around until help comes	Not solved within 24 hours	Nils
System freezing	Mitigate: Test prototype	Reinstall OS	Still frozen after one hour	Emmylou
User backlash	Mitigate: Prototype demonstration	Increase staff support	Call from top management	Eddie
Equipment malfunctions	Mitigate: Select reliable vendorTransfer: Warranty	Order replacement	Equipment fails	Jim

(Source: Larson Gray, 2017, Figure 7.8, p. 217)

Be sure to properly organize your writing and include a cover page, an introduction, headings / subheadings for the body of your work, analysis and recommendations, a conclusion, an appendix, and a list of references. Consult this assignment template for a more complete list of requirements: https://csuglobal.libguides.com/writingcenter/apa7_writing_templates/papers (Links to an external site.).

Your paper should be 3-4 pages (900-1200 words) in length (not including the title and references pages) and conform to the CSU Global Writing Center (Links to an external site.). Include at least three scholarly references in addition to the course textbook. The CSU Global Library is a good place to find these references.

Refer to the Critical Thinking Assignment grading rubric below for more information on assignment expectations and grading.

Reference

Larson, E. W. Gray, C. F. (2018). Case Study 7.2. In Project management the managerial process (5th ed., pp. 255-256). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Option #2: Peak LAN Case Study

Trans Systems is a small information system consulting firm located in Meridian, Louisiana. Trans has just been hired to design and install a Local Area Network (LAN) for the city of Meridian’s social welfare agency. You are the manager for the project, which includes one Trans professional and two interns from a local university. You have just finished a preliminary scope statement for the project (see below). You are now brainstorming potential risks associated with the project.

1. Identify potential risks associated with this project. Try to come up with at least five different risks.
2. Use a risk assessment form similar to the example in Figure 1 below to analyze identified risks.
3. Develop a risk response matrix similar to the example in Figure 2 below to outline how you would deal with each of the risks.

PROJECT SCOPE STATEMENT

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

Design and install a new Local Area Network (LAN) for the Meridian Social Service Agency within one month, with a budget not to exceed $90,000 and with minimum disruption to ongoing operations.

DELIVERABLES

• Twenty workstations and twenty laptop computers
• Server with dual-core processors
• Two color laser printers
• Windows R2 server and workstation operating system (Windows 10)
• Migration of existing databases and programs to new system
• Four hours of introductory training for client’s personnel
• Sixteen hours of training for client network administrator
• Fully operational LAN system

MILESTONES

1. Hardware January 22
2. Setting users’ priority and authorization January 26
3. In-house whole network test completed February 1
4. Client site test completed February 2
5. Training completed February 16

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Workstations with 17-inch flat panel monitors, dual-core processors, 4 GB RAM, 8X DVD+RW, wireless card, Ethernet card, and 500 GB hard drive.
2. Laptops with 12-inch display monitor, dual-core processors, 2GB RAM, 8X DVD+RW, wireless card, Ethernet card, 500 GB hard drive, and weighing less than 4½ lbs.
3. Wireless network interface cards and Ethernet connections.
4. System must support Windows 11 platforms.
5. System must provide secure external access for field workers.

LIMITS AND EXCLUSIONS

1. Onsite work to be done after 8:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday.
2. System maintenance and repair only up to one month after final inspection.
3. Warranties transferred to client.
4. Only responsible for installing software designated by the client two weeks before the start of the project.
5. Client will be billed for additional training beyond that prescribed in the contract.

CUSTOMER REVIEW

Director of the City of Meridian’s Social Service Agency

Figure 1:

Risk Event	Likelihood	Impact	Detection Difficulty	When
Interface problems	4	4	4	Conversion
System freezing	2	5	5	Start-up
User backlash	4	3	3	Post-installation
Hardware malfunctioning	1	5	5	Installation

(Source: Larson Gray, 2017, Figure 7.6, p. 212)

Figure 2:

Risk Event	Response	Contingency Plan	Trigger	Who Is Responsible
Interface problems	Mitigate: Test prototype	Work around until help comes	Not solved within 24 hours	Nils
System freezing	Mitigate: Test prototype	Reinstall OS	Still frozen after one hour	Emmylou
User backlash	Mitigate: Prototype demonstration	Increase staff support	Call from top management	Eddie
Equipment malfunctions	Mitigate: Select reliable vendorTransfer: Warranty	Order replacement	Equipment fails	Jim

(Source: Larson Gray, 2017, Figure 7.8, p. 217)

Be sure to properly organize your writing and include a cover page, an introduction, headings / subheadings for the body of your work, analysis and recommendations, a conclusion, an appendix, and a list of references. Consult this assignment template for a more complete list of requirements: https://csuglobal.libguides.com/writingcenter/apa7_writing_templates/papers (Links to an external site.).

Your paper should be 3-4 pages (900-1200 words) in length (not including the title and references pages) and conform to the CSU Global Writing Center (Links to an external site.). Include at least three scholarly references in addition to the course textbook. The CSU Global Library is a good place to find these references.

Refer to the Critical Thinking Assignment grading rubric below for more information on assignment expectations and grading.

Reference

Larson, E. W. Gray, C. F. (2018). Case Study 7.3. In Project management the managerial process (5th ed., pp. 256-257). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.