PROJECT TEAMS AND LEADERSHIP (BUSI 3613)

CASE STUDY 1

FLEX YU: Transitioning from Waterfall PM to Agile PM

Company Overview

Established in 2003, Yorkville University (YU) - a private for-profit university started and within a year, the university has successfully grown to three campus locations, namely, Ontario, British Columbia, and New Brunswick, Canada. The simplest idea behind the commencement of Yorkville University has been offering flexible mode of education that enables the students to focus on career-oriented programs. These programs are offered on-campus, online on-line as well as combination of both for pursuing long-term career path. Thousands of graduates have conferred the degree and gone to thrive to success in their careers. Yorkville University’s programs are designed to equip graduates with the professional knowledge, skills, and designations that employers value.

The mission of Yorkville University is to build a national university that provides practitioner-oriented programs, leading to professional careers that are personally rewarding and contribute to the betterment of society.

The core values of YU have evolved to a larger extent. This is due to the change in the operations, methodology, and leadership at top. The current core values of YU include (i) fuel potential for learning, (ii) own our impact, (iii) build inclusive community, and (iv) embrace a purposeful curiosity.

Core Values of Yorkville University (YU)

Waterfall methodology and challenges

The Waterfall methodology stands out as one of the most popular and  traditional approaches in project management (Institute Project Management, 2022). It is recognized for its longevity and has been widely employed, particularly in projects where requirements are well-established and anticipated to remain unchanged. At YU, his methodology followed typical linear sequential design process, initially originating in software  development  practices.   Its  roots  trace  back  to  the   manufacturing  and construction  industries,  offering  a  structured  framework  in  physically  constrained environments  that  pose  challenges  for  alterations  once  the  work  has  commenced. However,  YU  has  been  involved  in  the  provision  of  services  (i.e.,  education  and certifications). Therefore, the  methodology was too structured and  rigid  in  long-term implications. YU was looking for flexibility through design and waterfall methodology was not allowing the flexibility. During the early stages of software development, the Agile methodology and iterative life cycles were not yet conceptualized or embraced. The Waterfall  methodology,  with  its  sequential  and  fixed  nature,  reflected  the  prevailing mindset at the time, emphasizing a comprehensive understanding of requirements before initiating project work. This was creating a challenge for the top leadership in bringing change. Moreover, in the post-COVID era, the education industry experienced a drastic change. The existing waterfall  model was  not serving YU operations  in an effective manner.

The  Waterfall  model  operated  as  a  linear  sequential  design  process,  requiring  the completion of one phase before progressing to the next. This approach was characterized by a high level of structure and regimentation, limiting flexibility in project execution. Furthermore, YU in all project phases required finalization before commencement of testing, causing excessive use of resources. Consequently, any late modifications or additions required a complete revisit to earlier stages and reworking all preceding phases, potentially incurring significant costs. Unlike some software development models, the Waterfall  project  management  approach  at  YU  did  not  prioritize  key  stakeholders feedback during the  product  development  process.  Instead,  it  was  concentrating  on fulfilling  predetermined  requirements  established  early  in  the  project  lifecycle.  The drawback was that the requirements evolved especially due to the change in the practices in the education industry, especially as users engage and impacted by the service. YU was facing a serious challenge of testing deferred until the final stage of development, referred to as system testing. This delay poses a challenge, as issues identified at this stage  entailed  significant   rework,   leading  to   potential  financial   losses  due  to  the substantial allocation of resources in prior stages. YU has multiple projects operating at the same time at YU, BID, and TFS, requiring the ability to make revisions and reflect on progress is crucial. However, the Waterfall model's rigid structure limited this flexibility, as revisions  are  deferred  until  the  completion  of  each  phase.  This  lack  of  adaptability became apparent, especially when YU projects needed to pivot in a different direction than initially planned before the conclusion of each stage.

Hiring of Vice President, Teaching and Learning at Yorkville University

The top leadership of YU decided to incorporate changes by adding a new position in the university setting. The Vice-President, Teaching and Learning at YU. This turned out to be a masterstroke for the institution. The V-P T&L holds a crucial role in managing, administering, and leading the innovative design thinking. She reported directly to the President, carried primary responsibility for planning in complex and uncertain situations, developing, and  implementing  research-based smart  initiatives aligned with the core values of YU. Her change strategy was to support YU’s vision, mission, and strategic directions. The Vice-President was instrumental in promoting and embedding successful innovation  in  complex  situations  through  agile  approach.  She  was  responsible  for strategic  oversight,  cultural  facilitation,   partnerships,  commercialization,  and  policy development for Smart learning.

This comprehensive role underscored the Vice-President's commitment to faculty and student success across all realms of research while positioning YU as a hub for impactful and  innovative  learning  developments.  The  Smart  furniture  was  brought  in  for  the students to create flexible learning environment. The philosophy of the V-P was to ensure that rigidity is removed from the foundation level by changing the furniture and bringing free movement in the class. Smart space was the first step to move to agile methodology. Agile approach led by academic engagement, visionary leadership, smart use of space, research standards, relationship building, and ease of communication brought promising results.

Selection of a Project Team to accommodate University’s changing needs

The Vice-President was soon joined by the director of Centre for Teaching Excellence and Innovation formed high performance team. This included full-time and adjunct faculty, the change facilitator, curriculum developers, creative freelancers, and thinking design specialists.  The  talent  wheel  was  closely  followed   reflecting,  vision,  collaboration, learning, and education. The factor of psychological safety is paramount in fostering an environment where innovation teams can thrive (Roth, 2019). The ability to take risks was essential  for  these  high-performance  teams  to  function  effectively.  The  team  was encouraged to take risks, keep experimenting, and exhibit curiosity due to psychological safety conveyed through agile model. The team while bringing smart tech and innovation in the learning and teaching was a result of dependability as a foundation for consistent innovation at scale. YU, with a strong performance management orientation navigated innovation  challenges  more  effectively.  Trust  fostered  among  team   members  and ensured a shared commitment to  project goals. There was  higher engagement  and transparent    communication.     Cross-functional    innovation     team     tackled    novel organizational problems and operated at a rapid pace. Transparent communication was crucial throughout the innovation lifecycle, keeping stakeholders engaged and confident in continued investment. There was also dedication among the team. Lastly, the team reflected learning, which is an integral to the success of innovation. YU knew that services depend  on   market   feedback  for   improvement,   thus,   innovation   team   members continuously challenged and supported to refine their working practices and coalesce into an effective unit. In other words, showed the eagerness to learn and be flexible.

Agile Project Methodology and progress

Agile  project  management  is  gaining  increasing  importance  in  the  realm  of  higher education  as  universities  strive  to  offer  forward-thinking  and  occupationally  relevant degree programs (Juhász, 2023). Its emphasis on adaptability and flexibility makes the agile methodology well-suited for the dynamic and innovative environment inherent in higher  education  institutions.  YU’s  top  leadership  gave  full  autonomy  to  the  Vice- President of Teaching and Learning to experiment with her team, especially including the director of Centre for Teaching Excellence and Innovation to apply to the development of innovative academic programs. The two primary foundations of an agile approach at YU are (i) the technique and (ii) the mindset. The high-performance team focused on the Kanban technique, a well-known agile methodology that aided teams in organizing their workload, setting priorities, and optimizing their workflow. The adoption of agile project management further expanded the potential to assist YU in crafting curricula that were genuinely creative and responsive to market demands. By embracing an agile mindset and employing strategies like Kanban, YU effectively navigated the challenges associated with developing new degree programs. This approach ensured that the programs not only meet but also exceed the expectations of their stakeholders, including students and industry partners.

An agile approach was used in creating a comprehensive curriculum that aligns that accommodated the industry needs. The dynamic nature of the task was challenging as everything had to be planned, especially considering that key elements may evolve during the  process.  While  the  general  direction  of  content  was   known  from   preliminary considerations, the first step involved gathering information. Research was conducted to identify existing modules offered by the institution. To gain deeper insights, conversations with professors are essential, as they can provide additional ideas and feedback on completed tasks.

By combining all gathered information, extensive communication with stakeholders, and constant adaptation, the team started to outline the curriculum. Feasibility considerations, integration into YU administrative requirements, and the inclusion of necessary modules not  in  the  YU's   portfolio  were   addressed  through   ongoing  collaboration  and  the emergence  of  new  tasks.  By  employing  Kanban  enables  effective  collaboration, continuous feedback, and iterative modification of the curriculum, enhanced the team's understanding of requirements. The  Kanban  board visually  represents  the workflow, allowing the team to determine task statuses, see the big picture, and monitor project progress. Tasks, represented as tickets, were easily moved and prioritized based on importance and urgency. When work accumulated, team members seamlessly stepped in to  help.  In  contrast to the traditional  Gantt  chart, which often features sequential milestones, the agile approach offered flexibility.

Smart space was developed as a concept to offer higher flexibility to educators and learners. The confidence of students increased further because of the study at smart space. YU continued to evolve and would continue to experiment in the education and learning domain through an agile approach.

Based on the case study, consider the following questions:

•   What was the drawback of using waterfall methodology?

•    How do you see the hiring of Vice-President, Teaching and Learning? Critically evaluate her approach.

•   What was the role of the Director, Centre of Teaching and Excellence and his team? Critically evaluate their approach.

•    How do you see the agile approach at YU? Given a chance to be part of a high- performance team, what would you do differently?

References

Government of New Brunswick (n.d.). Degree Granting Act (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 14 January 2024.

Institute Project Management (2022). What is Waterfall Methodology: Advantages and Disadvantages.  Retrieved  from: https://instituteprojectmanagement.com/blog/waterfall- methodology/

Juhász, L. (2023). The Application of Agile Project Management in the Context of Higher Education,   Retrieved    from:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/application-agile-project- management-context-higher-education-juhasz/?trk=public_post_main-feed-card_feed-  article-content

Roth,  E.  (2019).  The  Culture  of High  Performing  Innovation  Teams.  Retrieved  from:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/culture-high-performing-innovation-teams-erik-roth/

Yorkville University (2024). About Us. Official website. Retrieved 14 January 2024.

Yorkville University (2024). News. Official website. Retrieved 14 January 2024.

Brief Description

This case focuses on how effective leadership from top management can foster innovation in the workplace. It helps in understanding the relevance and impact of project leadership and team success, which is transition from traditional to modern project management methodology.

Read the following case study. Provide a summary of the case and use examples from the case to:

•    Discuss the ways in which various decision making can impact the success of a project.

•   Suggest alternative ways/approaches that might have led to better project outcomes.

•    Highlight the various leadership styles that were utilized in the case. Give examples specifically from the case.

•    Identify instances in which soft/people skills were utilized. How effective were these?

Case Study

Haque, A. U. (2024). FLEX YU: Transitioning from Waterfall PM to Agile PM. © Yorkville University.

Submission Instructions

Submission should be a maximum of 3 pages double-spaced (excluding title page and reference page) and should follow APA referencing style.

All submissions should be done through Turnitin with a similarity level no greater than 15%.

Late Submission Policy

•   This assignment is subject to the Late Submission penalty policy, namely 5% per day for three days.

•   This page will close and will not allow further submissions after this Late Submission period has expired.

•    In the event of an emergency situation that prevents you from submitting within this time frame, special permission must be obtained from your instructor. Documentation substantiating emergency is required. In such a circumstance, if the extension is granted, the Professor will reopen the submission function for you on an individual basis.

•    Please do not email your submissions to your Professor, either before or after the due date; all coursework should be submitted through Turnitin in the online course (Brightspace).

Evaluation and Feedback

Unit Case Study 1 will be marked in its entirety out of 100. The following rubric indicates the criteria students are to adhere to, and their relative weights to the assignment overall.

Grades and/or feedback will be made available to students no later than one week after submission.