Objectives of the Project

This report is about the critical review of project management task that was given to our group. Discussed in this topic how our team progressed with the matter and the task that was provided. Details of which methodology chosen¹, how the chosen methodology helped in the progression of the project is given in the topic. Also, the advantages and the disadvantages of the given project is discussed in the paper. Further the paper details on how the team worked what were the positive and the negative points of the team are also discussed in the paper. Being a part of the project team how I dealt with the difficulties and what steps were taken in order to reduce any problem is also discussed in the paper. This paper also brings out some of the legal factors that may harm ecommerce website, and why these rules are needed to be followed also discussed in the paper.

 The purpose of this project was to create a corporate website for the organisation Lizzie’s Leather Belts also known as the LLB. The aim of the task is to achieve the following objectives for the betterment of the organisation. The first and the foremost objective was to implement a better marketing plan for the organisation. Under the marketing section the objectives to improve are the brand image and increase the brand awareness². The next target was to improve the Sales and the services of the organisation by increasing the annual revenue and increase the number of the customers both the general customers and the retail chains. The third target was to give a better a customer satisfaction and the to increase the customer retention. By improving and developing these issues the sale and the services of the organisation can be improved to get a better customer satisfaction.

The LLB is one of the most renowned organisation in the segment of the leather industry, but the organisation never had a previous developed website and hence never had the benefits of the e-commerce. The project management methodology that our group had followed for the development of the organisation is amalgam of the Agile-Waterfall model³. The agile model was chosen because of the factor that it facilitates unambiguity of the requirements that the organisation had. This method also encourages the regular end user stake holder analysis throughout the development process³. Thus it helped our team for the better understanding of the models working procedure. We chose the waterfall model because of the factor that it provides a sequential development approach like a waterfall though several phases. Hence provided us with the best way for the development of the ecommerce website. We did not choose the other project management methodologies because of the factor that these approaches do not provide us with enough steps for progressing and procedures which are required for the development of this specific project process. The project management methodology also helped us in dividing the team in two groups working differently and helped in delivering the product in time that is the out lining the schedule of the project.  For doing the project in a better and faster way our team developed the project in the three phases in a decided interval of time⁴. The phase 1 which was to develop the Stakeholder engagement and project definition was done in within 2 weeks from the start of the project. The phase 2, which was the most important phase covered up by one group which we divided, this group dealt with the back end of the minimum viable product and took approx. 12 weeks to be completed. Simultaneously the other group also worked on the front end of the product which also took approximately 12 weeks to be done. 

Methodology Chosen

The hybrid of the waterfall and the agile model also has few risks related with the life cycle of the process. Some of these risks that we took for the development of the project are, once the entire application is ready there is very little amount of scope to return back to the main concept stage and hence the concept had to be right from the beginning of the project. No working software were produced initially but in the later stage of the life cycle. There were high chances of risks and uncertainties⁵. Their risk also affected the code quality of the teams because of the factor that the entire project coding was to be done in a single go and there was no comeback if there is any risk of error. This also affected the time schedule of the project and hence took extra time for the project. With the help of the hybrid approach of the project management methodology the team has meet with expectations of the customer.  The desired value and the perceived value of the customer came out to same at the end of the project. Thus, meeting the expectation of the customer. This was possible with the step-down approach of the waterfall model increasing the customer satisfaction value.

 It may be said that a good team work doesn’t just happens in time, for a betterment as a team conscious effort is needed to develop the work of every member in the team. A team may face many difficulties while working together on a specific project, this team also had the same. Good team relations and positive performance enhances the progress of a team in building success. Maintain a certain building blocks helps in maintaining the team⁶. The basic building blocks that team followed are clear objectives, each member had a balanced role to play, communication between every team member was one of the other major aspect, and supporting and trusting each other played a major role in the success of as a team. Mutual cooperation, regular revise and the individual development also played a key role in proving a better project at the end⁵. As a part of the team I had to maintain a good decorum with each team member help them whenever possible. I tried to be the leader of the team and divide the tasks for the group members. In order to maintain the group and motivate it in positive direction I tried to solve the weaknesses of the team and direct them to the way of success⁷.  While doing the phase 2 and the phase 3 of the task the team faced many problems in merging the two sections and the same, and problems raised in the team, some of the weaknesses that that the entire team had in the beginning deciding the objectives, maintaining good communication in the beginning was also one of the major drawbacks in the team. But this problem was solved eventually when our team met every day for the purpose and the interactions between the team members increased. One of the strong point the entire team had was the point that every member is a quick learner and contribute equally in the project⁸.  One of the other strong point of the team had was everybody in the team understood their role to play in the team and took responsibility of the same, breaking down the barriers of the success⁹. Leadership is one of the most important tool in managing a team towards success¹⁰. One of the technique that I must have chosen, for the development of the team is the workforce development, but it would not have proven of much importance because the team is already one of the best team for the development of the project. 

Advantages and Disadvantages

With the increased and advanced use of the online media, ecommerce r the online business is becoming one of the first emerging treads. But for running an online platform for the sales and service there may be many social and economic issues which may turn to legal issues at some point and cause serious problems in the future¹¹. Some of the major legal and ethical issues that the ecommerce website may face during the lifetime of the website are as given.

Incorporation problems: – If the website is not registered according to the government given norms, there may be certain incorporation problems. Without incorporating the website any transaction done tough the website will be considered as illegal. Charges may be on case of fraud and corruption. Without incorporation any business does not have any shelter.

Trademark security problems: – Not acquiring a trademark is one of the other major legal issue for any business, the same for this website is also. Since the trademark or the copyright of the organisations symbol represents the business all over the web and hence needs to be sure, if there are no security others may claim that the website belongs to the someone other¹². Hence the copyright is one of the major thing to be incorporated.

Copyright protection issues:  While displaying the products for the ecommerce website, displaying the contents of the other websites without proper papers may be considered as a copyright theft and hence an illegal task¹³. 

Transaction issues: –  If the website fails to provide a clear and complete description of the transactions details it may be dealt with the legal procedure of theft and fraud and hence can be sued by the customers.

Privacy issues: When the topic comes to any online business one of the major attribute is to keep the business policy a secret and never copying a privacy issues. Hence it is a much-required task in not disclosing any issue with others¹⁴.

This may be some of the major legal and ethical issues which may be faced by the ecommerce website. 

Conclusion

Thus, concluding the topic, it can be said that ecommerce is one of the major aspect in the modern generation for the development of any business. The Lizzie’s Leather Belts did not have any previously built website and the task of the team was to develop and proper plan and website for the organisation. For the same the team developed a plan executed it in different phases and in the given duration of the time. This assignment was one of the major task because it not only helps our team to learn the proper development of the project management plan, and the designing of the website but also helped the team-built confidence of working in team, learning team spirit and better understanding of the self-development process. Being the team leader, I understood how to properly manage a team, take proper decision at the time of emergency and learn the team leader quality.  Further the paper also helped in noticing the required understanding of the law that is legal and the ethical issues that may arise in any ecommerce website. 

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