On successful completion of the course students should be able to:
1. Understand and apply a holistic view of how projects contribute the strategic management and linkages and integration of selecting projects.
2. Understand the role of a project in an organization and to master the project management tools and techniques and interpersonal skill necessary to orchestrate project from start to finish.
3. Analyse business problems using project planning and control tools and techniques.
The Zalando Case
“Design thinking, by definition, is about being exploratory enough so that you can get to a non-obvious solution. And in order to do that you have to assume that really amazing ideas can come from anywhere.”
Dana Cho, Partner and Executive Creative Director of IDEO Palo Alto
INTRODUCTION:
Since the early exposure to the creed of Design thinking back in 2014, Zalando’s CEO Gentz started envisioning that the discipline of project management as a catalyst for an agile organization. A cross- functional organization was created called the Studio in order to drive innovation throughout the organization.
Throughout the IDEO-Zalando case analysis you will conduct, you will be able to understand how project management and design thinking can be used to enhance corporate strategy in an online retail business. The company today is claimed to deliver 1 every hundreth piece of clothes bought in the European market. The initiative you will review has proven to be a major contributor to that position of pre-eminence.
ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION:
This is a group project. Groups should be made up of 2, maximum 3 participants. Groups can be chosen at your convenience and should be submitted to the course lecturer with the subject of your project. In the event that groups cannot be amicably selected the course lecturer will select groups, even amongst those groups already decided. The course lecturer reserves the right to select groups without recourse or debate.
It is requested that every member of the group clearly indicate the section written as individual component. Remember that you will apply a holistic view as you critically explain how project management may have significantly contributed Zalando’s strategic objectives.
Within your project, you are asked to provide critical responses to the following questions.
1. Provide an analysis of the economic and competitive evolution of the Zalando’s business in the last five years based on the data contained in the company’s annual report, in top management’s public statements and competition reports. Contrast the before COVID 19 with the during COVID 19 situation (10 points).
2. Explain the role of the IDEO-Zalando project core team (Studio) and design thinking in the overall Zalando strategy and organization. Explain what project management structures and interpersonal skills were necessary to orchestrate the IDEO- Zalando project from start to finish (20 points).
3. Analyze how IDEO and Zalando came to a compromise in terms of matching the culture and modus operandi of their respective businesses and companies. Critically look into the process through which such changes took place (20 points).
4. Please develop a GANTT of the overall plan based on the evidence you gathered. Critically analyse business risks addressed throughout the project planning and implementation (25 points).
5. Evaluate the commercial, operational and financial results obtained by the IDEO – Zalando project in terms of increased sales, shorter idea to market timing and overall profitability of the online business (25 points).
