Project Proposal For Developing Mobile Communication App For Uber

Background of the Company

UBER is a transportation technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California, the united states. It’s a private delivery transportation company that was formed in March 2009 by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp and it operates globally. The company operates under an umbrella of the intelligent minds such as chairman Ronald Sugar, Dara Khosrosrowshai chief executive officer among others. it provides an array of services including tax cab, transportation, ridesharing, food delivery, taxi cab among others [11:405].

From the time of its establishment, this company was seen as a solution to challenges that people faced in terms of transportation means but the questions arising now has been its prospectus future plans to continue its operations. Uber has had a good reputation as compared to other related companies for the last six years but reports show that in the last two years, the company’s image is gradually deteriorating [1:1508]. This has been evidenced by the reduction in the number of customers ordering for taxi’s, low sales, increasing employees’ turnover and a fall in the salaries of the employees. Additionally, it has also been noted that there is internal competition of opportunities, poor conflict management and handling techniques among others.

According to the research report compiled in march 2017, UBER has had a lot of protests due to issues concerning the manner in which its services and activities have been conducted without prior knowledge of the stakeholders due to poor communication, both internal and external. The state of emergency regarding the economic, social and reputation of the organization as it was before has arose with a lot of speculation about its closure

Therefore, this project proposal is intended to critically analyse, evaluate and identify the mess that has been happening in the company which have hindered its’ development. Based on the analysis and evaluation, it was identified that one of the core factors causing the company’s deterioration is poor communication among the stakeholders. The management has therefore reached a decision of developing a mobile communication app as a remedy to the prevalent problem of the company. This mobile application software will help the company to disseminate all the relevant information to its stakeholders including customers, employees, the community, the government among others [2:10].  As it was noted, communication is the key to success of every organization in the business world. as a point of reference, related mobile application software have been used by a galaxy of companies across the globe and solved the same dilemma as it is happening in the company. For example, this software will be designed to ensure that every information, technological changes, business development strategies, marketing strategies, and promotion strategies among others are distributed to the entire organization. This will help to ensure that the image, economic backbone and corporate social responsibility mechanisms are achieved. As a result of this tool benchmarking mechanisms shall be adopted, which will help the company to regain its glory back in the business environment. In addition, this software is also intended to ensure that transparency and proper accountability principles are adhered to, and this shall help to increase market share of the company. The software will also be designed to ensure that all hackers to the company’s confidential information are detected by the central monitoring unit. Furthermore, the decision to come up with this software was reached at when the company realised that there was a need to enhance competitive advantage over other companies [3:25].  

Project Aims and Objectives

Objectives can be defined as concrete statements which a company intends to achieve in a certain period of time as a result of executing the intended and planned activities. Objectives can be written at a lower level when the project manager is trying to initiate the project.

According to Tom Mochal, project objectives should not be vague and he referred them as deliverables of the project. In this case therefor, the objectives of the project are to upgrade the UBER telecommunication system by introducing a software application in the company. The following are thus, the objectives that the software application intends to address include the following;

To promote effective communication: as it was noted in the introduction section, the company has persistently been affected by poor communication systems whereby information has not been properly disseminated to the relevant stakeholders. Poor communication hinders the company’s development both internally and externally. For instance, internally the employees within the company cannot know the dos and don’ts when the communication channels are not properly set and externally, customers can be misled about the company’s products and services. This software will help to ensure that communication is effectively spread among the stakeholders of the organization [2:9].

To reduce organizational costs; Due to poor communication systems, too much revenue for the company has been lost. Through this software, the company’s revenue will be saved.

To promote competitive advantage: UBER as a company faces stiff competition from other related companies like OLA. Introduction of this software will effectively help the company to outcompete or else favourably compete with other related companies in the market.

To expand its revenue globally; The company is operating almost all over the world. Through this software system, it is likely to expand its global revenue base in other countries where it has not reached and improving its operational base in the countries where it is already operating in. According to research, there has been strong market for UBER in many countries but due to poor communication system, the software will be designed to address this mess.

To improve the brand image of the company; Since technology has advanced almost all over the world, this project is aimed at improving on the brand image of the company in the world as compared to other companies. This means, with this software, everything will be monitored from the central monitoring unit. Keeping in mind that UBER is a transportation company, risks like accidents and robbery will highly be reduced in the company. This is can be achieved in a shortest time period by ensuring that the company properly communicates to its stakeholders all over the world on safety precautions [5:80].

Start Date and Completion Date

Accordingly, to the current economic situation of the company, this project will strictly run for three months to ensure that the company regains its glory and achieve the objectives that were initially formed to achieve since a clear view is seen that looking way back on its formation in 2009, it had succeeded in extending its operation in over 170 countries in the world. The project shall also help the company to achieve its dream of becoming the premier global transportation and technological company all over the world.

By definition, start date is the expected date for the commencement of the project while completion date is the expected date/period in which the project will be completed.

As a good project manager, it is always prudent to ensure that the project is completed in the proposed project timeline because project delays lead to extra costs and encroaches on the extra expenses to the company. Delayed projects are always due to a series of factors which include poor planning, and uncertain happenings. the project will be undertaken as shown in the subsequent timeline [4]

Task Name	Duration	Start	Finish	Predecessors
project initiation	63 days	Sun 9/23/ 18	Tue 12/18/ 18
identifying and proposing the software application	15 days	Sun 9/23/ 18	Thu 10/11/ 18
submission for review and approval by top management	8 days	Wed 10/24/ 18	Fri 11/2/ 18	2
identification and compilation of the project requirements and resources	12 days	Mon 11/5/ 18	Tue 11/20/ 18	3
submission of project requirement forms to the project sponsor	4 days	Tue 11/20/ 18	Fri 11/23/ 18	4
identification, evaluation and shortlisting of the project team members	10 days	Thu 11/8/ 18	Wed 11/21/ 18	5
training of the shortlisted project team members	8 days	Tue 12/4/ 18	Thu 12/13/ 18	6
responsibility assigning	4 days	Tue 12/18/ 18	Fri 12/21/ 18	7
	0 days	Sun 9/23/ 18	Sun 9/23/ 18
project execution	85 days	Wed 12/19/18	Tue 4/16/ 19	1
Environment for development	7 days	Mon 9/24/ 18	Tue 10/2/ 18	9
project kickstart	3 days	Thu 1/10/ 19	Mon 1/14/ 19	11
phase testing	25 days	Wed 1/16/ 19	Tue 2/19/ 19	12
risk management	16 days	Thu 2/21/ 19	Thu 3/14/ 19	13
management of subcontracts	9 days	Wed 3/13/ 19	Mon 3/25/ 19	14
quality evaluation and management	10 days	Fri 3/22/ 19	Thu 4/4/ 19	15
configuration and change management	8 days	Fri 4/5/ 19	Tue 4/16/ 19	16
communication and reporting	11 days	Wed 4/17/ 19	Wed 5/1/ 19	17
software review	35 days	Mon 4/29/ 19	Fri 6/14/ 19	11
testing the loopholes of the project	15 days	Thu 5/2/ 19	Wed 5/22/ 19	18
making of adjustments	20 days	Fri 5/24/ 19	Thu 6/20/ 19	21
	0 days	Fri 6/21/ 19	Fri 6/21/ 19	22
final handover of the application to UBER	5 days	Fri 6/21/ 19	Thu 6/27/ 19	20,23

Firstly, a stakeholder is an organization, a group or a person that has got interest in the organization. Stakeholders can affect or support the development of the organizational objectives and goals. They can be both external and internal.

Internal stakeholders are referred to as people who work within the organization. They internally influence the activities of the organization that is, they can affect or be affected by the actions of the organization. Internal stakeholders include employees working in the organization.

External stakeholders. These are stakeholders whom the activities of the organization affect externally. They include the following, the government, the community, Clients, Opinion leaders extra. In any case, for the company to succeed in business arena, there should be clear stakeholders, management. Stakeholder management is all about ensuring effective co-operation between the company and the organization through effective communication, customer response whenever there are complaints, quality management, compliance especially to the government policies and guidelines among others. Therefor this project is aimed at ensuring that there is clear relationship between UBER and its stakeholders. Taking way back in 2009, UBER company was formed to ensure that people enjoy their services like ridding, delivery among others. However, due to poor communication, the aims and objectives have not been fully attained but the project will ensure their revival in a shortest period of time [6].

In this case, the project team shall briefly look at stakeholder analysis of UBER company and how their powers and interest affect or influence the organization

STAKEHOLDERS	POWERS, RESIPONSIBILITIES, AND INTEREST
Project owner	-Project owner takes full decision regarding the project. -Planning; A project owner ensures that all the project plans are met. -Appointments; Is responsible for any project appointments to ensure that the project is completed in time. -Conflict handling; Ensures that all conflicting issue regarding the project are solved to reduce losses and promote good relationships. -Funding; He ensures that the funds to run the project are properly negotiated for and made available. -Evaluation; He is responsible for success evaluation of the project. – Visibility; He makes the project visible within the organization
Project manager	Responsible for running the project. -Supervision; Is responsible for ensuring that the project team players do what it takes to ensure that the project is completed. -Risk management; A project manager is responsible for ensuring that risks are managed before they affect the organization
Project players	These includes employees /workers -They ensure that the project is completed in time under the supervision of the project manager
Governments	These include respective governments where UBER is operating from. They ensure that the company operates in a manner that does not compromise the policies of the government.
Project board	These are responsible for ensuring that the project meets its aims and objectives. -Decision making; Responsible for proper decisions regarding the performance of the project -Quality control; The board is responsible for ensuring that quality is met in order to achieve the aims and objectives of the project. -Time management; Time is a very important resource that should be utilised properly. The board members are responsible for ensuring that the time frame designed for the project to be completed is met.
Software implementers	Here the organization will have to hire some experts to do this work under the supervision of the project managers.
Clients/Customers	These are referred to as end users of the product. In this case, the software is intended to ensure that customers become but of the initiative whereby all the required information can be accessed

These are the advantages that will accrue to the organization as a result of successful implementation of the software project.  Since the project team has looked at the trending challenges that the company has faced due to its poor communication mechanisms, it is expected that the company will improve on its operation and competitiveness as a result of successfully executing the project as explained subsequently [8:810].

Advancement in communication; Since the main challenge for the company has been poor communication, the project is aimed at ensuring that communication is advanced through wired and wireless networks. This be installed in both phones and computers for all the stakeholders.

Improved Collaboration; Communication is a very powerful tool in promoting collaboration among the people, this tool is aimed at ensuring that all the stakeholders collaborate for the success of the organization.

Customer service improvement; Using this software, clear and required information will be disseminated to all the customers and this will help to ensure transparency and openness between the customers and the UBER company.

Improved Flexibility; Technology has increased all over the globe, the software will help to promote flexibility whereby information can be shared in far between/ among people. For instance, a customer can be able to order for a driver at his/her place of work to take him home. This can be so convenient than moving long distances looking for the driver [7].

Saves time; This software is all intended to solve time loss among the stakeholders. If all the information is put in the website where every subscribed member can access it.

Research enhancement; Through using this software, research will be enhanced whereby the company is able to improve on its benchmarking mechanisms. This project will be designed to ensure that the existing challenges in the organization are solved and make the organization to become the best global company in both service and product advancement.

A project team is a group of people whom the organization has entrusted to run the project on its behalf. They act as agents in a sense that they execute activities on behalf of the organization. The project team will properly be selected in order to avoid challenges that may follow later when the project fails to meet the aims and objectives of its design. The project team will also include people of high profile and who have got an independent mind to do their work without being influenced and who are also technical and have a lot of expertise in driving project to its destination [9].

NOTE; The success and failure of the project is dependent on the efforts of the project team. For that matter therefor, a project team should be very careful in ensuring that the resources of an organization are efficiently and effectively used.

TITTLE	QUALIFICATION	ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES
Project manager	Telecommunication engineer	-To ensure that the project meets the expected completion date -To carryout monitoring and supervision roles of the project. -To update the organization on the progress of the project. -To ensure that the project achieves its aims and objectives. – It’s a full responsibility of the project manager to ensure that budgets are drawn well and followed properly. -Time and design of the project and ensuring that they are met. -Planning. He will ensure that planning is made appropriately and putting in mind the resources available at his disposal. Ensures effective documentation of all the project information.
Project owner	Business Administrator	-Providing the necessary resources needed by a project team in order to perform their duties. – Over all supervisor of the project.
Evaluation team members (5)	Lawyers	-To ensure that the legal framework is followed -Follow clear conflict handling strategies -Ensures that software follows clear international communication guidelines. -Ensures that proper evidence can be created in case of any conflicting issue.

 A risk can be defined simply as a situation that may lead to danger in the operations of the business/ company. Risk identification is a very smart way in business operations this is because it helps the company/organization to save the would have been lost money during the project performance. This project has been designed to ensure that all the possible risks are identified before their occurrence. Vigilance has also been clearly made on the risk response mechanisms such as,

• Risk transfer
• Risk avoidance
• Risk acceptance
• Risk reduction and risk contingency that is, actions to stop the risks will be put in place to ensure that such risks are mitigated.

Still a risk register has also been made to record every risk occurrence.

UBER company as a way of advancing its technology all over the world, 70000 dollars have been set aside and budgeted to develop this software application system to solve the its communication challenges [10]

Task Name	Expected costs
software identification and evaluation	$ 1000
the internal human resource	$ 10000
the external human resource	$ 6000
total costs of purchases	$ 20000
the required equipment for the software development	$ 8000
cost of premises in which the development will take place	$ 1500
the extra tools and resources needed	$ 2000
the cost of travels among the stakeholders	$ 2500
training of the project team members	$ 5000
reviewing of project activities	$ 6000
other unplanned activities	$ 8000
Total expected cost	$ 70000

All projects proposals are initiated with the major aim of ending challenges that affect the success of the company. Application of software system in the UBER company will bring out the following outcomes to the company.

Expanded customer base; This project is expected to expand customer base all over the world by clearly spreading information. It will be designed in a way that every message available in the company will be easily reaching its customers. This will eventually lead to customer satisfaction.

Enhance transparency; The project will help to enhance clear among the stakeholders and the company that is every information and development taking place within the company will be clearly known to every member. Transparency will also help to promote trust of customers since everything will be known by the customers.

Improving effective communication; The project is expected to enhance effective communication in the organization. Since it has been found out that the main challenge that the company has been facing is poor communication, this software application will ensure that communication is properly spread. With effective communication, all aims and objectives of the project will be achieved [11]

Improved brand image; due to poor communication, the image of the organization had been tarnished. This project is expected to ensure that everything is fixed. This will be through information sharing, quick customer response, quick deliveries among others. The company is also expected to earn competitive advantage over other related companies like OLA. Every successful project should meet the expected outcomes of its formation provide a long-lasting solution to the problems that have existed in the organization. The project evaluation team will play this key role of ensuring that that resources are properly utilised and yield outputs [5].

List of References

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