Now, we will continue our exploration of the Sauce & Spoon tablet project, delving into crucial aspects that build upon the initial stages covered in Part 1. In Part 2 of my journey as Peta, the in-house project manager overseeing the tablet rollout, I will embark on the task of analyzing the data collected from the test launch. By extracting valuable insights from this data, I will craft a compelling presentation to effectively communicate the project’s findings to senior stakeholders. Concurrently, I will proactively address any identified issues by promptly escalating them to senior stakeholders, ensuring timely attention and resolution. Lastly, I will craft a compelling impact report to showcase the project’s outcomes and demonstrate the value it brings to the organization, emphasizing its tangible impact.

Presenting survey findings

The test launch has concluded, and the survey results data has been compiled by the team. Peta’s current task is to analyze the survey responses, identify key data points, and create a concise six-slide presentation based on the findings of the customer satisfaction survey she had developed earlier. Her objective is to narrate the story of the test launch, encompassing successful elements, areas that require improvement, and recommendations for future steps. This presentation will be delivered to key stakeholders, including Omar, Deanna, and several potential investors for the upcoming tablet rollout at the remaining Sauce & Spoon locations.

As Peta reviews the survey results, she diligently takes note of key observations to gain valuable insights. Firstly, she identifies responses that align with the project’s established goals and quality standards, highlighting areas where the project has successfully achieved its intended objectives. Secondly, Peta identifies responses that indicate opportunities for improvement, allowing her to identify areas that can be refined and enhanced. Lastly, she carefully selects a compelling data point that effectively illustrates and supports her intended message for the presentation. For instance, if Peta intends to showcase high customer satisfaction during the test launch, she can utilize survey data that demonstrates a majority of customers expressing positive feedback about their dining experience. By strategically choosing this data point, Peta strengthens the impact of her presentation and reinforces the positive outcomes of the project.

To effectively communicate the project’s progress and future direction to high-level stakeholders and potential investors, Peta meticulously structures her presentation as follows:

• Slide 1: Peta begins with a captivating title slide that captures the essence of the project’s accomplishments and aspirations, setting the tone for the entire presentation.
• Slide 2: The second slide serves as a milestone summary, where Peta concisely outlines the successful completion of the tablet test launch and highlights the strategies employed to achieve this significant milestone.
• Slide 3: Peta provides an insightful overview of what the project team aimed to measure, shedding light on the specific evaluation questions and indicators previously identified. This section offers a clear understanding of the project’s evaluation framework, allowing stakeholders to grasp the criteria used to assess its success.
• Slide 4: To present tangible representations of the survey findings, Peta incorporates a data-driven slide. By utilizing charts, graphs, or numerical comparisons, she carefully selects one impactful data point that resonates with the audience, effectively showcasing the valuable insights gained from the survey.
• Slide 5: Peta proceeds to offer a valuable recommendation for improvement or a suggestion for the next steps in the tablet rollout. With a well-considered approach, she presents actionable insights aimed at enhancing the project’s success and addressing any identified areas for refinement.
• Slide 6: Continuing her presentation, Peta presents an additional key recommendation for improvement or the next steps in the tablet rollout. By providing another strategic suggestion, she demonstrates her ability to plan for the project’s future, emphasizing the importance of continuous growth and optimization.

Through this thoughtfully crafted presentation, Peta ensures that her message is tailored to the specific needs and interests of the high-level stakeholders and potential investors, effectively conveying the project’s achievements, areas for improvement, and the path forward.

This document encompasses the survey results presentation of the Sauce & Spoon tablet test launch: Survey Findings.

Escalating issues to senior stakeholders

Seydou reaches out to Peta with a significant update regarding the tablet contract with Terrific Tablets. Previously, the tablets were offered with a one-time licensing fee, but now Terrific Tablets has transitioned to a subscription-based model that includes hardware, software, support, and more. This change brings about a significant reduction in cost, with the new pricing structure amounting to $3,600 per year compared to the previous $8,000 one-time expense. Peta acknowledges the update and recognizes the need to review and revise the contract while seeking input from the team before making a decision.

Understanding the impact of this contract update on the project budget, Peta composes an email to Deanna, explaining the situation and seeking specific guidance. Recognizing Deanna’s role as a senior stakeholder who expects the project to meet its goals within the allocated budget, Peta provides a summary of the problem and emphasizes the immediate impact on the project. She highlights the cost comparison between the previous and new pricing, addressing whether it is now more or less expensive, and discusses the potential long-term cost implications. Peta also considers the impact of accepting or rejecting the new contract terms on Sauce & Spoon’s OKRs, particularly their objective to “keep expenses low and maintain a precise budget.”

In the email, Peta respectfully requests an executive decision from Deanna regarding the tablet contract update based on the newly acquired information. She seeks Deanna’s guidance in navigating this budgetary adjustment to ensure that the project aligns with the company’s objectives and financial goals.

This document outlines the escalation email asking for an executive decision about the tablet contract update: Senior Stakeholder Email.

Demonstrating project impact

1 – Creating a project closeout report

The Sauce & Spoon tablet rollout project has reached its completion, but before concluding the project, Peta needs to finalize the closeout report. This report serves as a comprehensive document that encapsulates the project’s goals, approach, and key achievements. It acts as a centralized resource, consolidating all relevant links and documentation for easy reference.

Creating the closeout report holds particular significance as Sauce & Spoon has recently onboarded a second project manager, Molly, who will be involved in future tablet rollouts at the remaining restaurant locations. Peta’s closeout report will serve as a valuable reference for Molly as she familiarizes herself with the concept of implementing menu tablets and begins planning her own projects.

A closeout report, prepared by the project manager, serves as a reflection on the team’s performance and marks the completion of the project. It encompasses key deliverables, success metrics, feedback received, lessons learned, and recommended next steps. This report acts as a reference for the organization and future projects, ensuring smooth transitions and providing valuable insights for project managers and stakeholders. Its effectiveness lies in satisfying stakeholders, finalizing team efforts, facilitating communication with external parties, and increasing the project’s impact. The closeout report aims to convey a clear understanding of the project’s purpose, accomplishments, and overall success to anyone who reads it, regardless of their familiarity with the project.

In an email exchange between the two project managers, Molly congratulates Peta on the successful tablet launch and expresses her enthusiasm to work on future rollouts. Peta shares notable highlights, including positive guest feedback and improvements implemented based on the test launch results. Molly inquires about the specific fixes implemented, prompting Peta to elaborate on the adjustments made to enhance navigation, table turnover time, payment options, and tablet performance. Peta also updates Molly on the progress of the general managers, waitstaff, and kitchen staff in meeting project goals. They agree to discuss further over lunch, acknowledging that their email exchange covers more than just the highlights, which could be beneficial for Peta’s closeout report.

To craft her closeout report, Peta reviews the customer survey results from the test launch to gain a comprehensive understanding of the overall customer experience. Additionally, she revisits her email exchange with Molly, which details the tablet rollout outcomes, along with other project documentation. In the project summary section of the closeout report, Peta provides a concise overview of the project, explaining its intended results and highlighting key success criteria. The methodology section briefly describes the project management approaches and processes employed during the project.

Subsequently, Peta fills out the key accomplishments, lessons learned, and next steps sections of the closeout report. The key accomplishments section evaluates the project’s achievement of initial goals, problem-solving efforts, and alignment of the final deliverables with the predetermined requirements. The lessons learned section explores both successful and challenging aspects of the project, delving into unforeseen benefits or consequences, ineffective processes, and key problems with their effects. The next steps section addresses ongoing maintenance or development needs, outstanding action items, and potential risks, and identifies the project owner going forward, along with recommendations for future project managers.

Finally, Peta links relevant documents, such as the project charter, project plan, and survey findings presentation, to the project documentation archive. This archive serves as a valuable resource for future project managers and stakeholders seeking reference materials.

This project includes the closeout report summarizing the Sauce & Spoon menu tablet rollout project: Closeout Report.

2 – Writing an impact report

With the tablet rollout now officially launched and the project has come to a close, Peta shifts her focus towards creating the impact report, which will be presented to Omar, Deanna, and several potential investors interested in sponsoring future tablet rollouts at other Sauce & Spoon restaurant locations. Leveraging the post-launch results on customer satisfaction and revenue growth, Peta crafts an executive summary that encapsulates the project’s key achievements, lessons learned, and next steps.

The impact report serves as a powerful tool to demonstrate the value generated by the project. It takes the form of a visually engaging presentation, designed for senior stakeholders and project sponsors who were not directly involved in the day-to-day operations. The report serves multiple purposes, including analyzing results for continuous improvement, motivating staff and stakeholders, establishing trust and credibility, and sharing valuable insights with similar organizations. It comprises an executive summary that succinctly highlights the project’s purpose and outcomes, supported by sections on results or significant accomplishments, what worked or lessons learned, and the next steps. Through the use of compelling graphs and visuals, the impact report effectively communicates the story of the project’s success. Once these sections are drafted, the executive summary can be finalized.

When crafting the executive summary for her closeout report, Peta thoughtfully incorporates key elements to provide a high-level overview while avoiding unnecessary details. She starts by conveying the project’s vision by underscoring the need it addressed. Peta then highlights the project’s major accomplishments, showcasing the value it has brought and emphasizing critical activities, tasks, and milestones that contributed to its success. Furthermore, she reflects on the lessons learned, identifying areas for improvement and considering alternative approaches. Lastly, Peta outlines the upcoming steps, delineating the remaining tasks after the completion of the project’s launch. By incorporating these essential elements in her impact report, Peta ensures that the executive summary effectively captures the project’s purpose, achievements, insights, and future directions.

This document encompasses the impact report of Sauce & Spoon’s pilot tablet rollout: Impact Report.

Featured image by sentavio on Freepik. Used for display purposes.
Last updated: May 27th, 2023.