Case Study: Phase 4

Video Transcription

Hi, I'm Jeff. And in this lesson, we'll continue our discussion of the case study for a real world project. We're going through all four phases of the project life cycle, covering each in a single lesson. This lesson will cover phase four, closing the project. So let's get started.

A reminder that the case study that we'll use today is the development and construction of an energy efficient house for a couple. Once all scheduled tasks are complete, and the deliverable, the home for our couple has been created, the managing phase is complete. Then it's time for the project manager to close the project.

The first step in the closing process is verifying the project is ready to close. In our case, the project manager can facilitate the final inspections that must occur before a house is considered ready for occupancy. The project manager schedules these walkthroughs, and once the final inspection is given, the project closing process can continue. All contracts must be paid in full, and marked closed during this process. Each subcontractor must be paid, and the amounts tallied in the actual budget numbers.

In our case, the budget for our energy efficient house finished within the homeowner's target value of 15% above an average house. The project manager then completes the final documentation required by the project governance. For this project, a final status report is given to the architect and the homeowners, detailing the final schedule and budget numbers, and noting any changes made to the house from the original plans. If you recall, in a previous lesson a tile floor was substituted for a wood floor, and this is noted in the final report.

The project must then be approved by the stakeholders. The project manager arranges a meeting at the home with the architect and the homeowners. They walk through each room of the house, discussing any changes.

During this time, the knowledge of the project, and the operation of the home is explained in full to the homeowners. For example, this house is equipped with a system to monitor all energy usage. So the project manager arranges a demonstration of the various features of the system. The homeowners are pleased, the architect is satisfied, and the project is approved.

In other projects, this is the stage when the operation of the deliverable is transferred to the person handling the implementation, or at the operation of the project. In our project, the keys are handed over to the homeowners, who can then move into their place. The project manager then make sure to warehouse any project information that will be helpful for future projects.

The project manager hopes to work on more energy efficient houses in the future. So the project manager makes sure any ideas and decisions related to the house's operation are electronically saved on the company's servers.

Final meetings are arranged with each of the team leads, and the architect, to document the lessons learned on the project. Any information gained from the project that can be used to improve quality in future projects, or by other project managers, is documented. For example, from the insulation contractor, the project manager learns the various issues encountered with the roofing insulation for the high, cathedral ceilings in the project. This is recorded so these issues can be avoided in the future.

The project manager thanks each team lead, and releases them from the project. He also provides each of the team leads with an evaluation of their performance. Both individual and team performances are evaluated. In the case of other projects, these performance evaluations might be used in annual performance reviews.

And our project is closed. Congratulate yourself on a job well done. In this lesson, we discussed phase four, closing the project, using an actual case study. Thanks for all the effort you've put into these lessons, and have a great day.