Sustainable Architecture: Design Green with the Client in Mind.pdf
Project Management Final
1. 11/9/14
X Music Studio Construction Project
MGT380: Prof. Cynthia Ann Baker
Muhammad Danish Azad
Ayman Ali Bukair
Khaled Ahmed Amer
Khalid Yaqoob Baker
2. 11/9/14
Table of Contents
Introduction/Executive Summary ........................................................................................................3
Project Purpose:.................................................................................................................................4
Project Objectives (SMART):................................................................................................................4
Project Overview:...............................................................................................................................6
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):......................................................................................................6
Risk management plan:.......................................................................................................................8
Risk Register.......................................................................................................................................8
Risk Response Planning.....................................................................................................................13
Strategies for negative risks or threats:..........................................................................................13
Strategies for positive risks or opportunities...................................................................................14
Cost Estimates..................................................................................................................................15
Project Plan......................................................................................................................................18
Network Diagram:.........................................................................................................................18
Specific details in WBS such as Early Start and Early Finish:..............................................................21
Gantt Chart: .................................................................................................................................23
Resource/Personnel Schedule: ......................................................................................................25
Discussion on Resources:...............................................................................................................26
Expert Contact Information...............................................................................................................26
3. 11/9/14
Introduction/Executive Summary
The following report illustrates the vital aspects of undergoing a project in the American
University of Sharjah. The project is about constructing a Music Studio in the “Performing Arts”
building which is a part of “College of Arts & Sciences”. The team believes that this project will
be beneficial for the AUS community as it will enhance the music experience among interested
students.
Currently, AUS provides the option for students to minor in music and is moving to offer
a major in near future. This music studio will be very helpful in the coursework throughout the
length of finishing the material required. After getting an approval (from the board of directors)
to proceed with the construction of the studio, the team is expecting to begin construction after
Spring 2015 semester, up until Fall 2015 semester, so we will be occupying the site during the
summer period. In this report, the team have included the project charter that includes the project
purpose, and an overview of the SMART objectives regarding the project and a long list of the
Work Breakdown Structure that has been projected on MS Project.
The Risk Management Strategy includes a long list of risks that the team believes would
be encountered from start to finish, along with the Risk Register, and a Risk Response Planning.
The most crucial risk lies at the beginning of the project that is the risk of not receiving a
confirmation from the Board of Trustees of the American University of Sharjah to go ahead with
the project. Financial Risks are also likely when complications of budget allocation or
overspending may occur. Furthermore, there are many risks that are a possibility after approval
that are listed in the risk register.
Our personnel requirements are minimal. The only needed personnel are the, construction
workers who will partition the wall, the supervisor and the experts who will do the sound
checking to approve of the final result. Finally, the team has included all the projections of the
work breakdown structure, along with Gantt chart, and network diagram.
4. 11/9/14
Project Purpose:
To provide the AUS community with a music production studio by professionalizing the existing
“music studio room” that is, at this point a standard room being used for music related activities,
such as rehearsals. We will equip the room with state of the art software, hardware, equipment
and instruments. We plan to construct the studio in the Performing Arts Department.
Project Objectives (SMART):
The develop meaningful and clear-cut objectives we follow the SMART template as provided by
the National Academy of Sciences (2015) to ensure specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and
time-based objectives.
S (Specific) – To execute and successfully complete the project of creating a full-fledged music
recording studio in the American University of Sharjah
M (Measurable) –set to benchmark standards of a high-quality recording studio that fulfills the
growth needs of the Music and Performing Arts department
(Attainable) – built on the available space on the ground floor of the Performing Arts building
and within the financial and managerial parameters of the AUS PMO
R (Relevant) – to the scope that fulfills the requirements of Music department
T (Time-Based) – starting from 13th January 2015 to 7th September 2015
1) To execute and successfully complete the project of creating a full-fledged music
recording studio in the American University of Sharjah set to benchmark standards of a
high-quality recording studio that fulfills the growth needs of the Music and Performing
Arts department, built on the available space on the ground floor of the Performing Arts
building and within the financial and managerial parameters of the AUS PMO, limited to
the scope that fulfills the requirements of Music department starting from 13th January
2015 to 7th September 2015.
S (Specific) – Carry out construction for a recording studio including relevant demolition, tiling,
painting, soundproofing, electrical and carpentry tasks
M (Measurable) – which leaves the constructed studio space ready to proceed into the equipment
and software installation phase
A (Attainable) - in the space available in the Performing Arts building keeping in consideration
the budget allotted by the University
R (Relevant) - to achieve the construction part of the music studio project required by the
Performing Arts and Music program
T (Time-Based) - within the time frame of the summer break, after classes end till before they
begin again (73 days)
5. 11/9/14
2) “Carry out construction for a recording studio including relevant demolition, tiling,
painting, soundproofing, electrical and carpentry tasks which leaves the constructed
studio space ready to proceed into the equipment and software installation phase, in the
space available in the Performing Arts building keeping in consideration the budget
allotted by the University to contribute to this critical aspect of the music studio project
in order for the growth of the Performing Arts and Music program within the time frame
of the summer break, after classes end till before they begin again (73 days).”
S (Specific) – To order and install all equipment, instruments and software required in the music
studio
M (Measurable) – which completely fulfills the requirements checklist provided by the sound
engineer/expert set to worldwide standards of a high quality recording studio
A (Attainable) - , falls in line with the budget allotted to equipment purchase and realistically
takes into consideration the accountant’s assumption about the peak in budget
R (Relevant) – and readies the music studio project to go into the final testing phase
T (Time-Based) – within the time frame of 9 days starting right after the end of the construction
phase
3) “To order and install all equipment, instruments and software required in the music
studio which completely fulfills the requirements checklist provided by the sound
engineer/expert set to worldwide standards of a high quality recording studio, falls in line
with the budget allotted to equipment purchase and realistically takes into consideration
the accountant’s assumption about the peak in budget and readies the music studio
project to go into the final testing phase within the time frame of 9 days starting right
after the end of the construction phase.”
S (Specific) – To test all equipment, instrument and software for full functionality of all
recording, playback, mixing and standard computer processes
M (Measurable) – with 100% functionality in line with a testing benchmark checklist set by the
sound engineer
A (Attainable) – accounting for the time constraints and penalties that may occur in case of
testing failure
R (Relevant) – to ensure a level of satisfaction appropriate for the final handover of the project to
the university
T (Time-Based) – within the time frame of 2 days starting right after installation phase
considering all testing is successful
4) “To test all equipment, instrument and software for full functionality of all recording,
playback, mixing and standard computer processes with 100% functionality in line with
6. 11/9/14
a testing benchmark checklist set by the sound engineer, accounting for the time
constraints and penalties that may occur in case of testing failure to ensure a level of
satisfaction appropriate for the final handover of the project to the university within the
time frame of 2 days starting right after installation phase considering all testing is
successful.”
Project Overview:
The project that the team has taken on consists of the planning, construction, installation and
testing of a music production studio. This studio will provide the American University of
Sharjah’s Performing Arts department with the resources needed for their students in the
concentration of music to excel. Thus, reaffirming the vision of the American University of
Sharjah that is to strive for excellence and equip the students with the tools necessary to become
exceptional.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):
8. 11/9/14
Risk management plan:
In this section, we discuss the various risks that may appear in our way during the life of
the project implementation. Firstly we believe that the most crucial risk lies at the very beginning
of the project, that is, to receive a confirmation from the board of trustees of AUS to give the
project team the green light to go ahead with the project. Also, we believe there would be a
financial risk, where the top management of AUS may consider the investment in constructing a
music studio is expensive. Moreover, the financial risk would also cover all the costs and
expenses needed to cover the entire project, and what parties other than AUS can be approached
as sponsors for the project funding.
Moving on, we also face a construction and scheduling risks. As our project gets
approved, we need to manage the time and schedules of constructing the music studio efficiently
so that we avoid any disturbance to the faculty or students available in the building. We believe
that it’s best to finish the construction during the summer, where no one is there, and then the
setup of the music studio with the entire equipment take place during the course of fall semester.
However this time period during the summer will have many critical paths because it is the only
time slot available to carry out construction and installation activities so even slight delays will
have an effect on the finish date by pushing it back.
Furthermore, the risk associated in this area may be the complaints about the noise during
construction, and the late delivery and setup of equipment, and actually becoming behind
schedule for bad resource/supply management. Also, there may be risks associated with failure
of expert checks in meeting the standard expected of them, or more generally, any employees
showing under par performance. With regards, to the expert checks risk mitigation strategies will
be in place that will ensure that more people are hired to work on the different rooms alongside
so there are no lags which will jeopardize the end date of the project. There are still several risky
variables ahead of us, all of which will be stated in a comprehensive risk register that can be
found below.
Risk Register
Risk
No
Risk Description Likelihood Impact Risk
Score
Risk
Class
1 Risk of not receiving an approval form
the AUS board of trustees.
2 5 10 High
2 The financial risk of the project being
viewed as too expensive/not profitable
enough.
2 5 10 High
3 Construction Vs. Scheduling risks due to
the constraint of having the only available
time for construction during summer.
3 5 15 High
9. 11/9/14
4 Complaints about the noise during
construction from AUS residents
3 2 6 Small
5 Failure of expert checks in meeting the
standard expected of them.
2 3 6 Small
6 Employees showing under par
performance.
2 4 8 Medium
7 Bad supply chain management e.g.
supplies/equipment arriving late.
2 3 6 Small
8 Flawed studio equipment. 2 4 8 Medium
9 Inaccurately forecasted usage of students. 2 5 10 High
10 Risk of late finish because of tasks along
the critical path.
2 5 10 High
11 Piece of equipment missing realized at
“Go Live” date.
1 5 5 Medium
12 Natural Disasters causing construction
difficulties e.g. Sandstorms.
1 5 5 Medium
13 Contractor company inaccurately states
price of collaboration which would lead
to budgeting complications.
2 5 10 High
14 Professionals under or over state time
required to complete a job.
2 4 8 Medium
15 Workers suffer due to exhaustion from
fasting and intense heat so productivity is
much lower than expected.
2 4 8 Medium
16 Top of the line equipment purchased may
be beyond what instructors/producers are
used to.
1 4 4 Low
17 The room assigned for the studio may not
be able to accommodate the complexity
of wiring needed.
2 5 10 High
18 Illegal activity in construction premises
which could lead to damaged equipment
e.g. Drinking and eating.
1 5 5 Medium
19 Theft of equipment. 2 4 8 Medium
20 AUS and Board of Trustees decide to pull
back and cancel the project,
2 5 10 High
21 A flu or passing of one of the members
involved in the project.
1 5 5 Medium
22 Misunderstandings of job descriptions. 2 3 6 Medium
23 Conflicts or overlaps in stated job
descriptions.
2 3 6 Medium
24 Room provided is too small to
accommodate the equipment purchased.
1 5 5 Medium
25 Contractor decides to pull out in the
middle of the project which would
require the election of a new contractor.
2 5 10 High
10. 11/9/14
26 AUS and Board of Trustees change the
scope of the project.
2 5 10 High
27 AUS Board of Trustees change the
deadline of the project.
2 5 10 High
28 AUS and Board of Trustees change the
budget of the project.
2 5 10 High
29 Wildlife interference affects quality of
equipment.
1 2 2 Low
30 Suppliers have criminal records and
engaging with business with them has
legal consequences that could set back
the project.
2 5 10 High
31 Project manager complains about lack of
authority due to false expectations.
2 3 6 Medium
32 Workers hired display tardiness so
productivity is lowered which leads to
time constraint being insufficient.
2 3 6 Medium
33 Power outage occurs in AUS which
prevents tools being used in University.
1 5 5 Medium
34 Political factors occur which slows down
international activities such as importing
equipment from overseas.
1 5 5 Medium
35 Detrimental impact on the economy that
would lead to a sudden need for an
increase in budget.
1 5 5 Medium
36 Another department succeeds in making a
bid to AUS to use the space we plan to
occupy. For the reason that the new bid
could make more short-term sense in
terms of profit and one that is less
dependent on future forecasts. This is
because the music department is still in
its infancy.
1 5 5 Medium
37 The space occupied does not provide the
electrical output required to support such
a cutting edge studio.
1 4 4 Low
38 Equipment arrives earlier than expected 1 3 3 Low
39 Suppliers offer discounts due to large
purchases.
1 3 3 Low
40 The interior designer is burdened with a
dilemma caused by the equipment failing
to comply with good interior design, so
studio ends up looking disorganized and
cluttered.
2 4 8 Medium
41 The government decides to give a
national holiday that coincides with the
1 4 4 Low
11. 11/9/14
time of construction of the studio, which
implies that we would have more
freedom from the time constraint
previously assumed.
42 Sheikh Al-Qassimi visits to monitor
progress and decides to call the whole
project off.
2 2 4 Low
43 Sheikh Al-Qassimi visits to monitor
progress and decides to invest more
because he likes the direction we are
going.
2 3 6 Medium
44 An AUS event is being held which
requires a sudden need in man power so
the studio project Is put on hold.
2 4 8 Medium
45 A new piece of technology is released
which makes the equipment bought
obsolete, so an increase in budget is
necessary and possibly even time.
3 4 12 High
46 The studio does not provide the correct
acoustics necessary for audio perfection.
2 4 8 Medium
47 The studio is not given the “green light”
before go live date by experts for one
reason or another.
2 5 10 High
48 The studio equipment ordered from
overseas is not compatible with UAE
electrical standards i.e. incorrect voltages.
1 5 5 Medium
49 Students requesting the use equipment
before Go Live date.
1 3 3 Low
50 Project manager needed for other
important projects, which leads to
juggling of projects and lower attention
and concentration on the Studio project.
This could result in inefficient
management and longer time required.
2 4 8 Medium
51 New law put in place that prohibits music
production studios from operating on
university campuses in Sharjah.
1 5 5 Medium
52 Breakdown of specialized equipment and
lack of administrative infrastructure.
2 4 8 Medium
53 Different standards put in place that
dictate what is and what is not a
legitimate studio. In other words, it is a
change in resources needed.
2 4 8 Medium
54 The risk of not accounting for all risks
that are possible.
2 5 10 High
12. 11/9/14
55 The risk of understating the importance
of a risk and assuming that is has low
impact or low likeliness.
2 5 10 High
56 The risk of an unexpected electricity
shutdown in university city.
2 3 6 Medium
57 Risk of having an accident on site, so
medics should be available or a plan of
action should be in place.
2 4 8 Medium
58 Risk of fire due to one of the electrical
discharges, open wiring or highly
flammable equipment being used.
2 3 6 Medium
59 Expansion must be put in place to aid the
unexpected increase in forecasted
students in next semester.
3 4 12 High
60 Unexpected rain happens which causes
leakage that affects the wiring.
1 4 4 Low
61 “Complicated court case”; We are
accused of being liable for an accident
caused on the construction site.
2 3 6 Medium
62 Inconsistent feedback: mixed results from
experts that would lead to further
evaluation on progress.
2 5 10 High
63 Sponsors want to get on board. 2 3 6 Medium
64 Risk of emergency equipment not being
functional in the case of an emergency.
1 5 5 Medium
65 Becoming too lenient with lag time can
result in laidback performance that could
affect output and chances of completing
project on time.
2 2 4 Low
66 Inconsistent reports in Microsoft project
occur as a result of system malfunction,
which leads to confusion amongst team.
1 4 4 Low
67 Construction workers misunderstand our
vision.
3 4 12 High
68 Assumptions made by construction
workers or contracting company without
PM consent. E.g. walls get painted a
color that does not comply with AUS’
color scheme.
2 2 4 Low
69 The risk of using perceived similar past
projects as a reference point when in
reality they bear no similarities.
2 3 6 Medium
70 Studio becomes unpredictably cluttered. 2 2 4 Low
13. 11/9/14
Risk Response Planning:
Strategies for negative risks or threats:
The majority of the risks stated in the risk register are negative. Of these risks some of the
risks can be avoided. These types of risks mostly involve making miscalculations or overseeing a
critical aspect of a specific procedure. For example, there is a risk that the same Project manager
is needed for other important projects, which leads to juggling of projects and lower attention
and concentration on the Studio project. This could result in inefficient management and longer
time required. This would occur as a result of poor planning and allocation of human resources.
These risks would be eliminated if 100% efficient planning when all variables are taken into
account, however it is unrealistic that every single possible variable will be considered that will
lead to a risk free project.
More examples of this type of risk;
The studio equipment ordered from overseas is not compatible with UAE electrical
standards i.e. incorrect voltages.
The studio does not provide the correct acoustics necessary for audio perfection.
Through contractual agreement there are specific risks that involve the transfer of risk to a
third party. An example of this risk would be, “Complicated court case”; we are accused of being
liable for an accident caused on the construction site. This specific risk would include the
involvement of a lawyer that can speak on our behalf. Therefore in a way this risk is transferred
to a third party and contractual agreements need to be established beforehand to account for the
possibility of this risk occurring.
More examples of this type of risk;
Expansion must be put in place to aid the unexpected increase in forecasted students in
next semester.
The interior designer is burdened with a dilemma caused by the equipment failing to
comply with good interior design, so studio ends up looking disorganized and cluttered.
Some risks may be mitigating by lowering the impact or the likeliness of that risk occurring.
This can be done by accounting for “shrinkage” and having some kind of cushion, such as
“safety stock”. An example of this would be, “Risk of having an accident on site, so medics
should be available or a plan of action should be in place”. This risk directly impacts another
risk, that is, the risk of fatalities on site. Therefore organizing some kind of plan of action put in
place in case an injury/fatality occurs on site is necessary to mitigate the impact of other risks,
because if an injury does occur, its impact is lower because medics are on hand to deal with such
situations.
More examples of this type of risk;
Bad supply chain management e.g. supplies/equipment arriving late.
14. 11/9/14
Piece of equipment missing realized at “Go Live” date.
Despite accounting for all risks and having the various ways to deal with them; Avoid,
Transfer, Mitigate. There is one last plan of action that is to accept the risk. Some risks such as,
“Sheikh Al-Qassimi visits to monitor progress and decides to call the whole project off”, or
“New law put in place that prohibits music production studios from operating on university
campuses in Sharjah”. Risks such as these tend to be more unlikely. However their impact on our
project is high, making these types of risks “medium” level.
More examples of this type of risk;
Risk of not receiving an approval form the AUS board of trustees.
The risk of an unexpected electricity shutdown in University City.
Strategies for positive risks or opportunities
There is a type of risk that is positive and is sought after to try and exploit the advantages
it provides. This type of risk is thus exploited to effectively reap their benefits. The team has
been unsuccessful in identifying this category of risks.
Some types of positive risks are identified and can be taken advantage of if some forms
of partnerships are set with a third party. In this case there is a positive risk of “Sheikh Al-
Qassimi visits to monitor progress and decides to invest more because he likes the direction we
are going.” There is a likelihood of this risk occurring but to further improve the chances we can
request to involve H.H. Sheikh Qassimi that would result in higher involvement therefore a
higher chance of him to invest more into our project.
Some risks may be enhanced by influencing the factors needed to make the
risk/opportunity happen. The team may be able to focus on the cause of positive risks to improve
the chances of these risks occurring. For example, the Team identified positive risks of
“Suppliers offer discounts due to large purchases”. There is a chance that the team might be able
to increase the chances of getting a supplier discount by ordering in bulk, or identifying areas
outside of the project where related products are needed which would result in increased
purchases from that same supplier. In general supply chain intimacy techniques may be adopted
as such as developing the ability to collaborate both externally and internally and
strategic/tactical planning for efficient execution of transactions along supply chain.
There are risks that are assumed that cannot be influenced, shared or enhanced, therefore
they can only be accepted if they occur. There was a risk identified that states that there is a
possibility that the equipment can arrive earlier than anticipated. This risk may very well give the
team extra time if it occurs at a convenient time. The factors that encourage this risk to happen
are beyond the Project Management Team because an unlikely and random event would have
had to occur from the supplier’s side which somehow enabled them to deliver our supplies early,
such as the cancellation of an order from a different customer.
15. 11/9/14
Cost Estimates
The preliminary costs consists of both variable, and fixed costs. The variable costs would
include wages/hour for the personnel, etc. The fixed costs factor will be the equipment costs as
well as the contractor’s payment. The average startup cost range for building a record studio,
AED 428,301, according to our projections on MS Project. Also as mentioned in the entry on
Entrepreneur, cost could essentially exceed AED 365,000 (Over time). (Entrepreneur, 2014) The
onetime payment costs would be procuring equipment such as laptop, keyboards and software
packages, microphones, screens, wires, etc. (Build A Recording Studio, 2014)
As mentioned in the table below, we have sorted the types and amount of equipment that
will be needed. The total costs of equipment came to be AED 96333.1.There is a certain cost that
has to be discussed in order to know whether it is a single or onetime payment or a variable cost
and the cost is with the contractor. In our MS Project, the contractor payment will be AED
300,000. The deal with the contractor could be to pay monthly installments over a certain period
of time within the duration of the project or it could be to have a single payment in the beginning
of the project.
The situation that we have does requires competitive bidding on our behalf since we are
the only planners working on such a project in university, thus we would need to have a bilateral
agreement or contract. In the contract we can specify the type of payment method and the
duration of the construction. There ways in which contractors charge as well. For example, cost
with addition of fixed percentage or cost with addition of variable percentage. (Hendrickson,
2008). However, keeping in mind that any payment to the contractor, would remove our
responsibility from handling the variable costs of the workers, such as payment to carpenters,
electricians, cleaning teams, etc.
STUDIO EQUIPMENT COSTS
Equipment Unit Cost Quantity Total
Cost
50 Inch Full
HD LCD
Screen Video
Wall Monitor
2920 1 2920
The Digital
Audio
Workstation
(DAW)
1456.35 1 1456.35
The Audio
Interface
9106.75 1 9106.75
26. 11/9/14
Discussion on Resources:
If resources are over located, than there are solutions. If it occurs than we can hire additional
resources. This solution is unlikely as the university would not invest more in a project and
project planners are expected to perfect the budget. Another solution would be postponing or
splitting tasks. This would work if there is slack time available and it would not postpone the
project. In the case given, there is no over allocation of resources and the resources are not under
located. In terms of optimization, the resources are allocated efficiently in a sense that task are
going to be completed on time without penalties. The only concern is if the project is slightly
postponed by the contractor due to their firm’s performance.
Expert Contact Information
Dr. StephenAustin,(M.M.,PhD.)
Chair,Divisionof Vocal Studies
Professorof Voice andVocal Pedagogy
College of Music
Universityof NorthTexas
27. 11/9/14
stephen.austin@unt.edu
Cari Earnhart
Instructorof Choral Music andVoice
College of ArtsandSciences
cearnhart@aus.edu
Conclusion
This project has proven to be a relevant pursuit within the context of AUS’ vision, which
is to run a fully equipped University that facilitates the learning process of the leaders of
tomorrow. The music production studio represents the equipment necessary to provide the
platform for music majors to excel. Therefore the project management team has reason to believe
this project will become successful in the long run.
Our planning will take place from (13/1/15 – 16/3/15). Throughout this period the team
has clearly defined the resource needs, evaluated every possible risk with assessment of impact,
and also plans for schedule, risk, cost and schedule have been completed to provide the inputs
necessary to carry out the project.
The team was most limited by the time constraint during the construction phase. This is
because construction is limited to the period of time that coincides with the duration between the
end of the Spring Semester to the beginning of the Fall Semester (4/6/15 – 7/8/15). However this
is accounted for, and there is enough time for the Installation phase (24/8/15– 3/9/15), and also
“Testing Phase” (4/9/15 – 7/9/15) to be carried out before the beginning of the following Fall
Semester.
The Project team believes all the relevant factors needed to consider in order to
successfully execute such a project have been studied and considered. Ultimately, the project
would have been completed by the finish date to provide the students of AUS with the musical
equipment required to fulfill the needs of the music department for the growth of the Performing
Arts program.
28. 11/9/14
References
Build A Recording Studio. (2014). Build A Recording Studio. Retrieved from Build A Recording
Studio: http://www.buildarecordingstudio.com
Entrepreneur. (2014). Business Idea Center: Recording Studio. Entrepreneur .
Hendrickson, C. (2008). Construction Pricing and Contracting. PM Book .
National Academy of Sciences. (2015). SMART objectives. Retrieved from
http://www.iom.edu/About-IOM/Making-a-Difference/Community-Outreach/Smart-
Bites-Toolkit/~/media/17F1CD0E451449538025EBFE5B1441D3.pdf
