4.5.5: Scenario 4 – Change Order Request and Emerging Milestone Slip

Scenario 4 – Change Order Request and Emerging Milestone Slip

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Scenario Context

Project Reckon has reached the final stages of preparation for Release Candidate 1 (RC1).

In previous iterations:

• Integration defects required increased QA effort

• Burn rate exceeded monthly tolerance

• Additional reporting capabilities were informally discussed

ZynoxDev has now completed RC1 stabilization activities but has formally raised concerns regarding both scope clarity and schedule feasibility.

This scenario introduces contractual negotiation, schedule integrity, and scope boundary enforcement.

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Email from Julie Rama

Subject: RC1 Status – Change Order Request and Schedule Alignment

Hi,

As we finalize RC1 readiness, I would like to formally address two areas that now require alignment.

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1. Reporting Module Scope Clarification

Following our earlier discussions, the Reporting Manager requirements have expanded to include:

• Role-based dynamic filtering

• Export of filtered datasets

• Timestamped audit tracking

Our team has completed preliminary analysis and determined that these capabilities were not explicitly defined in the original URD and require additional design and development effort.

Based on our estimates:

• Additional effort: ~120 development hours

• Additional QA effort: ~60 hours

• Total cost impact: approximately +4% to current budget

As a result, we are formally submitting a Change Order Request for these enhancements.

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2. RC1 Milestone Alignment

Due to:

• Increased QA effort in previous iterations

• Integration stabilization activities

• Preliminary work on reporting enhancements

We are now tracking approximately 4–5 days behind the original RC1 freeze date, though still within overall schedule tolerance.

We believe that incorporating the reporting enhancements within RC1 would require a 1-week extension.

Alternatively, deferring enhancements would allow us to stabilize within current timelines.

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Current Status Summary

• Velocity: 91% of baseline

• Defect count: 18 open (2 high, both integration-related)

• Burn rate: +7.1% (monthly variance)

• Schedule: Minor slip (within ±10% tolerance)

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Request

We need direction on the following:

1. Approval or rejection of the Change Order Request

2. Whether reporting enhancements should be included in RC1

3. Whether RC1 timeline should be adjusted

Please advise how you would like to proceed so we can align execution accordingly.

Best,
Julie

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Attachment A – Change Order Summary

Item	Description
Feature	Enhanced Reporting Capabilities
Scope Impact	New filtering, export, audit features
Dev Effort	120 hours
QA Effort	60 hours
Cost Impact	+4% total project budget
Schedule Impact	+1 week if included in RC1

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Attachment B – Schedule Snapshot

Milestone	Planned	Current Projection
RC1 Freeze	On Schedule	4–5 days behind
Tolerance Window	±10%	Still within tolerance

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Attachment C – Budget Status

Category	Planned	Actual	Variance
Total Burn	—	+7.1% (Month 5)	Exceeds monthly tolerance
Cumulative Budget	Within overall tolerance	Trending upward

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Student Assignment

You are the Project Manager at C-Bay.

ZynoxDev has now:

• Submitted a formal Change Order Request

• Indicated a schedule slip within tolerance

• Requested direction on scope inclusion and timeline adjustment

You must determine:

• Whether the reporting enhancements should be approved

• Whether the change order is justified

• Whether schedule extension is acceptable

• Whether budget variance is still manageable

• How to maintain delivery discipline while managing stakeholder expectations

Prepare a formal written response to Julie Rama.

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Required Submission Structure

Your memorandum must include:

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1️⃣ Executive Position

• Overall project health assessment

• Position on change order request

• Position on schedule slip

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2️⃣ Scope & Contract Decision

• Is the change order justified?

• Does the enhancement fall outside original scope?

• Should the change order be approved, deferred, or rejected?

• Should phased delivery be considered?

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3️⃣ Schedule Assessment

• Is current milestone slip acceptable?

• Should RC1 timeline be maintained or adjusted?

• What conditions justify schedule extension?

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4️⃣ Budget Assessment

• Is +7.1% monthly burn acceptable?

• Should additional scope be approved under current financial trajectory?

• Should cost impact be approved only under formal change control?

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5️⃣ Risk Assessment

Identify and evaluate:

• Scope creep risk

• Budget escalation risk

• Schedule risk

• Stakeholder expectation risk

Assign likelihood and impact.

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6️⃣ Directive to ZynoxDev

Provide a clear directive, such as:

• Approve change order with conditions

• Reject inclusion of enhancements in RC1

• Defer enhancements to future release

• Require detailed impact analysis before approval

• Maintain RC1 timeline and freeze scope

• Authorize schedule adjustment under defined conditions

Your directive must be structured and enforceable.

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Learning Focus

Scenario 4 introduces:

• Formal contract negotiation

• Change control enforcement

• Schedule discipline under pressure

• Managing stakeholder-driven scope expansion

• Balancing delivery stability with feature demand

Students must now operate at a higher level of maturity.

They must:

• Protect baseline commitments

• Recognize when scope becomes contractual

• Avoid informal agreement traps

• Maintain control without damaging vendor alignment

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This scenario represents a transition from project monitoring to project control and negotiation.