Conclusion

The team succeeded in managing their project more or less according to the time and cost constraints. However, they had not foreseen the more comprehensive scope, which demanded more resources. In addition, they did not have a “plan B” when it was not possible to do the safari. Hence, they failed to satisfy some of the customers, and caused dissatisfaction among both internal and external stakeholders. A consequence, for example, was that the travel agency did not return with more orders. Understanding the customers’ needs is fundamental in this service-oriented project, where value creation has to be collaborative between the service provider and the customer.

Projects are a way of working when going for a goal in an uncertainty environment, and project planning is in general an important success factor. However, project management knowledge and skills were applied poorly, and a more professional project plan and planning would most probably have helped the team to foresee and manage risks.

Even though they made many mistakes, a great thing was the initiative of a project evaluation. In general, projects are closed and project teams disbanded without any evaluation. The team members in NATURE learnt what went well and what went poorly, as well as why, which improves their chances for project success in the future.

Next up is another case that follows the same format as the one you have just completed.