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ME 326
Project Report
Adjustable Soccer Goals
Brandon Williams
5/1/2014
[Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of
the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the
contents of the document.]
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Initial Project Proposal:
This product will offer consumers the opportunity to have a full size soccer goal that they are
able to assemble quickly with minimal parts and can disassemble after use and eliminate
potential opportunities for the frame of the goal to be either stolen or damaged. Without
drawing a sketch of the design, I imagine a 7 piece design with a set of two wheels to make the
goal easier to move once assembled. Determining on how the sketches of our design turn out,
the product will have either cylindrical or square pieces for the frame. The goal will have
adjustments built into it to enable it to size standards for different age groups as well so that
we dontlimit our consumer group.
I would market this product to youth teams in urban areas that have open fields yet often no
resources to play the game of soccer. The product would also appeal to families that have large
yards and children who like to play soccer. By enabling the frame to adjust to different sizes,
the families can keep one goal throughout their childs life as opposed to buying new ones as
they outgrow the old.
I would set durability and stability as the highest target value for this product due to the fact
that if we design a product that is unstable, potential injuries could occur and we must be sure
that if the frame is hit multiple times that it wont be susceptible to breaking easily. The
product should be made out of a light, yet durable metal that would allow.
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Project Scope Statement
This project will include the design, fabrication and delivery of 4 portable and adjustable soccer
frames for the Seven Hills Upper School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Due to the large success of the
varsity soccer programs at the school, the administration seems it is appropriate to allocate
money to an already successful and continuously growing program. As a private institution, the
school is always looking to further develop its academics and extra-curricular activities so that it
can continue to attract the best young students in the Greater Cincinnati area. The institution
serves students from pre-kindergarten to high-school ages and it is a goal to provide equally for
all ages. This is a goal that can be met by providing these soccer frames for their student body.
In addition, the school has limited space and by developing an adjustable soccer frame, it will
allow for students of all ages to share the same fields while not compromising their desired
practice environment (realistic goals for their competition level).
The goals designed for the school will satisfy the regulations set for the two official goal sizes in
the various leagues that Seven Hills students compete in. As the project manager, I will oversee
the design and fabrication of these goals and ensure that they are developed and tailored to
the specific needs of the customer. I will also work with my project team to ensure that while
we are developing this specific product, we use this as an opportunity to develop a product that
can be marketed to other schools with similar desires and needs. I will be the main point of
contact for all external vendors that we use and the consumer as well. It will be my sole
responsibility that the project runs as smoothly as possible and that the consumer is satisfied
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with the final product. Below, I have included the ideal dimensions for soccer goals for various
age groups.
Time, Cost, Performance Trade-Off Assessment
The project will begin on June 2, 2014 and the final product will be delivered to the school no
later than Aug 15, 2014 which marks the beginning of the high school soccer season. Should the
project see any delay or the school is not happy with the initial product delivered, we will have
time to repeat the estimated project cycle of 18 days twice to ensure that the consumer is
satisfied come the beginning of the season. Any time after August 15th
will be unacceptable for
our project. The projects detailed timeframe is included later in the report, including times
allotted for each task as well as who is assigned which task.
The cost of the project is estimated to be $6,000 and that cost will be covered by money raised
by the schools Athletic Boosters. Our main contact for finances will be Jane Doe, the treasurer
of the Athletic Boosters. A more complete breakdown of costs, both direct and indirect, can be
found in the Finalized Schedule Section.
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The project will not involve too many subcontractors as we will only seek out different
organizations to provide parts, welding and testing. Cooperative efforts from all resources will
be necessary to ensure that the project is completed efficiently and in a timely manner. We
hope to limit the amount of work we let out to subcontractors so that our cost does not
significantly increase and subcontractors are not forced to employ even more people to the
point that it would drive up our cost and not improve the performance of the final goal posts.
Work Breakdown Structure
A Work Breakdown Structure is a hierarchical process designed to subdivide deliverables of the
project into smaller and smaller work elements. For this project, the main deliverable is to build
two adjustable soccer frames for the Seven Hills upper School.
Soccer GoalFrames
Design
VirtualDesigns
Stress/StrainTests
Construction Testing
ElementalTesting
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Currently, we have just finished the design phase of the project in Creo Parametric, engineering
design software. With this software, we are able to design and model exactly what the goals
will look like and assign different materials to different parts included in the product. We are
also able to calculate where loads will be applied on the frame of the goal to ensure that by
making it adjustable, we arent increasing its susceptibility to tip over in windy or other adverse
conditions. While performing the stress tests in the design software, we noticed that the middle
of the crossbar was bending more than we anticipated and were forced to take two extra days
to redesign the frame to redistribute the stress more equally across the frame and exploit
gravity to our advantage.
The second deliverable is the actual construction of the frame. This will include completing the
orders for all piping and additional parts required to attach all necessary parts in the frame. In
addition, we will need to contract a welder to weld the pipe at the necessary joints. This should
be a relatively simple part of the process as the welders will have our predetermined
measurements as well as our virtual design.
Finally, once the frame is completely constructed we will place it in an actual soccer
environment and analyze how it withstands the elements as well. We will observe the amount
of time, effort and difficulty it takes for students to adjust the goal to desired sizes. If we
determine that it is upholding to our desired standards, we can deem the project complete and
deliver it to the Seven Hills campus for use with all of their soccer teams.
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Preliminary Schedule
To help get a better idea of the schedule we foresee and how soon we hope to finish the
project, we have a network diagram that will illustrate each task as well as the minimum and
maximum times we envision for each of them.
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Resource Allocation
The main resource in this project will be my core group of alumni soccer players from
the Seven Hills School who are currently studying architecture and engineering at schools
across the country. There are four of us who will be designing and actually constructing the goal
frames. Once the frames are loosely put together, we will give the frame to our welding
contractors so that they can reinforce the frame and finish the product. We have already noted
and are working to solve a current issue with our resources and ourselves in regards to
completing the project. As novice project managers, we did not take into consideration that the
welding contractor has other obligations that may supersede our goal frame so we did not think
to contact them to schedule an appointment or make him aware of our desired schedule. Due
to this fact, it has already been accepted that we will be an additional two days behind schedule
due to this lack of communication. For all purchasing, I will be in charge and design and
construction is divided up between us all.
Activity Party Responsible
Design frame in Creo Two Member Project Team
Develop Parts List Project Manager
Order Parts Project Manager
Construct Frame Four Member Project Team
Weld Frame Hired Subcontractor-A
Testing Schools soccer players
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Delivery Hired Subcontractor-B
Despite the scheduling conflict with the welder, we have built enough time into our schedule to
finish the project on team and still have time to go back and fix any issues should they arise
before the beginning of the high school soccer season. In addition, it would be tough to assume
that everyone will finish their duties exactly on time and the testing process may have to be
extended so that we can get a better idea how the frame holds up in rain or some other
weather condition.
Risk Assessment and Response
Risks in projects are usually more associated with larger projects where there are a lot of
groups and subcontractors involved. In this particular project, the main risks will center on
delays in completing tasks and not developing a product that meets the needs of our customer.
To better understand the impacts of certain risks, see the chart below.
The main risks that weve already encountered and plan on encountering have already been
referenced. Additional risks can be seen in the next chart.
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Risk Event Likelihood Impact Detection
Difficulty
When
Communication
Failure
4 4 3 Throughout Project
Supplier Mistakes 2 4 5 Ordering parts
Poor Weather 3 2 2 Construction and
Testing
Construction
Error
3 4 2 During
construction/testing
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Finalized Schedule
To approximate the finalized schedule, a new network diagram has been completed that has
taken into account the delays we have already endured and potential delays that have come to
light in the early stages of our project.
The most important task that needed to be completed was the design for the frame in Creo.
After completing this and generating an adequate design, everything else can almost be set into
motion simultaneously.
Financial Requirements
The major costs for this project will come during the ordering of all piping and materials for the
frameAfter this paragraph, you will be able to see the
Managing the Project
Keys to Success
Problem Solving
Revised Project Estimate
The original completion date for this project
Management Issues
Summary
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As of writing, the project has endured some challenges but the challenges have resulted in a
better product and a more efficient and experienced project team. We have not begun
construction yet so there is the potential that problems will arise