| Course | D079 Business Environment Applications II: Process, Logistics, and Operations |
|---|---|
| Task | Task 1 |
| Paper type | Project management plan |
| Length | About 1,100 words, 3 pages |
| Format | APA 7 |
| School | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Program | BS Business Management |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for D079 Task 1
On Retailers' Floors by March First: A Project Management Plan for a Composite Outdoor Furniture Maker's New Line, With Scope, Milestones, Resources, Budget and Risk Responses
Student Name
School of Business, Western Governors University
D079: Business Environment Applications II: Process, Logistics, and Operations, Task 1
Course Instructor
Month Day, Year
On Retailers' Floors by March First: A Project Management Plan for a Composite Outdoor Furniture Maker's New Line, With Scope, Milestones, Resources, Budget and Risk Responses
Project Background and Goal
Lakeshore Outdoor Living, a composite furniture maker in Grand Rapids, Michigan, sells patio furniture through 140 independent garden centers and home stores. Its best-selling line is aging, and retailers have asked for a modern, lower-maintenance collection. The company will launch the Harbor collection, eight pieces made of powder-coated aluminum with weather-resistant fabric cushions. Retailers set their spring floor displays in late February, so product must arrive by March 1. Missing that date would mean missing most of the selling season.
Project goal: deliver the eight-piece Harbor collection to at least 100 retail partners by March 1, meeting quality standards, at a total project cost no higher than $780,000, and with marketing materials ready for retailers by February 1.
Scope
In scope: final design and engineering of eight pieces; prototypes and testing for durability and weather resistance; sourcing of aluminum, powder coating and cushion fabric; production of the first run of 6,000 pieces; packaging design; retailer sales materials, photography and catalog pages; retailer training; and shipment to retailers.
Out of scope: changes to the company's e-commerce site, which will be handled in a separate project in spring; international distribution; and new manufacturing equipment beyond two jigs for the new frames.
Defining scope in writing matters because pressure to add items, such as a ninth piece or new colors, is a common source of delay. Any change to scope will go through a change request reviewed by the project sponsor.
Work Breakdown and Milestones
The project is broken into five work packages, each with a deliverable and an owner.
Design and engineering (owner: lead product designer): final drawings for eight pieces, complete by August 15; prototypes built by September 15; durability and weather testing passed by October 15.
Sourcing (owner: purchasing manager): suppliers for aluminum, coating and fabric selected and contracted by September 30; first materials delivered by November 1.
Production (owner: plant manager): production line set up and pilot run of 200 pieces by November 15; full run of 6,000 pieces complete by January 31.
Marketing and sales (owner: marketing manager): photography complete by November 30; catalog pages and sales materials to retailers by February 1; retailer training webinars in the first two weeks of February.
Logistics (owner: distribution manager): shipping plan complete by December 15; shipments to retailers from February 1 to 25; all retailers receive product by March 1.
Key milestones for the sponsor to track are prototype approval, supplier contracts signed, pilot run approved, materials to retailers and final delivery.
Resources and Budget
The core project team is the five work package owners, led by a project manager from operations who spends about half her time on the project, with the vice president of product as sponsor. The budget is $780,000: design, prototypes and testing $95,000; tooling and jigs $60,000; materials and production for the first run $480,000; packaging $35,000; marketing materials and photography $55,000; retailer training and launch events $20,000; and a contingency reserve of $35,000, about 4.5% of the budget, to be released only by the sponsor.
Schedule Logic and the Critical Path
Several work packages depend on others, and those dependencies determine which delays matter most. Production cannot begin until prototypes pass testing and materials arrive, and shipping cannot begin until production is complete, so the sequence of design, testing, sourcing, production and shipping forms the project's critical path, the longest chain of dependent activities that sets the earliest possible finish. Any delay on this path delays the March 1 delivery unless it is recovered later. Marketing work, by contrast, runs in parallel and has about three weeks of float, or slack, before it would affect the launch. Project management texts emphasize identifying the critical path early and concentrating attention and reserves there (Kerzner, 2017). For the Harbor launch, this means the weekly status report will track the critical path activities first, the contingency reserve will be used first to protect them, for example by paying for expedited materials, and any request that would lengthen a critical activity, such as a design change after testing, will need the sponsor's approval.
Risks and Responses
A standard approach to project risk identifies risks, assesses their probability and impact, and plans responses: avoid, reduce, transfer or accept. Risk management can also look for opportunities, uncertain events that would help the project, not only threats (Hillson, 2002). The four most important risks are these.
Single-source fabric supplier: the chosen fabric comes from one mill, and a delay would stop cushion production. Probability medium, impact high. Response: reduce the risk by qualifying a second fabric supplier by October and ordering fabric six weeks earlier than needed.
Failed weather testing: a prototype could fail salt-spray or UV testing, forcing redesign. Probability medium, impact high. Response: reduce by testing coating samples in August before full prototypes are built.
Production capacity conflict: the plant also produces reorders of existing lines in winter. Probability high, impact medium. Response: reduce by scheduling Harbor production in dedicated shifts and building existing-line inventory in the fall.
Freight delays in February: winter weather or carrier shortages could delay shipments. Probability medium, impact high. Response: transfer part of the risk through contracts with two carriers and reduce it by shipping to the farthest retailers first.
Opportunity: a large retailer has expressed interest in an exclusive color. Response: exploit it only if it can be handled as a separate change request without delaying the base collection.
Monitoring and Control
The project manager will hold a 30-minute weekly status meeting with work package owners and send the sponsor a one-page report each week showing milestone status, budget spent against plan and the top risks. Any milestone more than one week late triggers a recovery plan within three days. The project follows the principle that tailoring planning and oversight to the project's needs, rather than applying every process mechanically, produces better outcomes (Project Management Institute, 2021).
Conclusion
The Harbor launch is a fixed-deadline project in which lateness costs a season. A clearly bounded scope, work packages with owners and dates, a realistic budget with contingency, planned responses to the biggest risks and weekly monitoring give Lakeshore the best chance of having product on retailers' floors by March 1.
References
Hillson, D. (2002). Extending the risk process to manage opportunities. International Journal of Project Management, 20(3), 235-240. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0263-7863(01)00074-6
Kerzner, H. (2017). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling (12th ed.). Wiley.
Project Management Institute. (2021). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK guide) and the standard for project management (7th ed.).
What the D079 Task 1 instructions ask
The first D079 task asks you to write a project management plan. You usually describe the background and goal, define scope, break the work into packages with milestones, identify resources and budget, explain schedule logic and the critical path, assess risks with responses and describe how the project will be monitored and controlled. Evaluators look for a goal that is specific and dated, scope that states what is included and excluded, and work packages with owners and deliverables. The budget should be itemized and include contingency. Schedule logic needs to show which tasks depend on others and which delays would push the end date. Risks should be rated for probability and impact, with a response type for each. Monitoring should name meetings, reports and thresholds that trigger action.
How this D079 Task 1 example is built
The plan opens with the furniture maker, its retailers and why an aging line needs replacing before the spring season. Scope lists what is in, from design through retailer launch materials, and what is out. The work breakdown section describes five packages with owners and dated milestones, such as prototypes built by mid-September. Resources name the project manager, sponsor and package owners, and the budget is itemized with contingency. Schedule logic explains the dependencies that form the critical path, from testing and materials to production and shipping. A risk table rates each risk and assigns a response, including an opportunity to secure early retailer commitments. Monitoring describes weekly status meetings, a one-page report and escalation rules. Notes explain what each part contributes.
Where the D079 Task 1 rubric puts the marks
D079 Task 1 aspects are graded competent, approaching competence or not evident. A goal aspect asks for a specific, measurable objective with a date. The scope aspect rewards clear boundaries, including exclusions. A work breakdown aspect looks for packages with deliverables, owners and milestones. The resources and budget aspect wants people and costs identified, with contingency. A schedule aspect checks that dependencies and the critical path are explained. Risk aspects look for risks rated and paired with responses. The monitoring aspect asks how progress will be tracked and problems escalated. Evaluators credit plans that use project management standards and cite them. Writing and APA citation are scored, and tables for milestones, budget and risks make the plan easier to review.
D079 Task 1 help: what sends it back
Project plans lose marks when the goal lacks a date or measure. State what will be delivered and by when. Scope often omits exclusions, which invites scope creep, so say what the project will not do. Work packages sometimes lack owners, leaving no one accountable. Budgets may be single totals without contingency. The critical path is a frequent gap; explain which tasks depend on others and which delays move the end date. Risks can be listed without ratings or responses, or responses may be vague, such as monitor closely. Monitoring should include thresholds, such as a milestone more than a week late, that trigger action. Use tables for clarity, and cite project management standards for your methods.
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D079 Task 1 questions, answered
What is a work breakdown structure in D079?
A division of the project into smaller packages of work, each with a deliverable and an owner. The sample uses five packages, from design and engineering to retailer launch, each with dated milestones.
Is the D079 company real?
No. Lakeshore Outdoor Living is fictional and was created for this example. The project management standards and risk approach cited are real, so apply them to the project in your own plan.
How many risks does D079 Task 1 need?
Follow your instructions. The sample rates several major risks for probability and impact and assigns each a response, and it also includes an upside opportunity.
What is the critical path in D079?
The longest chain of dependent tasks, which sets the earliest finish date. The sample shows that testing, materials, production and shipping form this chain, so delays there threaten the spring launch.
Where can I find a free D079 Task 1 sample paper?
The patio furniture launch plan appears above with notes on each section. Describe the project you are planning, and your first custom D079 plan is on us.