Introduction
Many are spending most of their time working implying that they have no time for physical activities and exercises. Astra Plc is intending to launch a new fitness and health app in an attempt to diversify its portfolio in the next three months (The Association for Project Management, 2021). This report will highlight the project plan, scope, and explain the involved risk and success of the new fitness and health app for Astra Plc.
Project Plan
The company targets to reach out to maximum clients by establishing an effective plan. It is focusing on diversifying its portfolio by introducing the app to the market within the next three months (da Silva Monty, 2018). The Gantt chart will cover key areas that are necessary for the achievement of the expected outcome. Below is a Gantt chart that will be used to facilitate proper execution.
Project Scope
The design of the app will be allocated at least 200 hours for $25/hour to ensure that the product is user-friendly. It will come with diverse features that are beneficial to users (Chakkol et al., 2018). The design will support product testing and customization to meet every need in the market (Chawla et al., 2018). Since health needs differ with individuals, the app comes with diverse features to satisfy them. It will be developed to support the testing process and operate in varying situations (Jones, 2021). The launching cost will be $500,000 and will cover key areas such as promotions, advertisement, transport, and other items. The company intends to make the launching process as successful as possible through financing and supporting every activity.
Many people around the globe have gained interest in the attainment of physical fitness. Astra PLC is making a determined effort to establish an innovative fitness app, which has the potential to promote health and fitness (Raddats et al., 2017). It will come with many features including social elements, personal account, and activity tracking (Chawla et al., 2019). The development process will involve five stages as shown in the table below.
Table 2: The rate of development and hours estimation
Project Risk
Risks factors in the project will include competitors, delays in design, and cost overrun. There are chances of cost increase due to such reasons as underestimation and unexpected cost when budgeting and implementing the plan (Karatzas, Johnson and Bastl, 2017). The design may be delayed due to many factors such as labour shortage, bad weather, incorrect or missing data, equipment failures, conflicts among developers, and poor skills (Valtakoski and Witell, 2018). Unhealthy competition is a major risk since it affects the performance of the product in the market (Grundy, Held, and Bero, 2017). It can arise when better products are available that are preferred by many users.
The company has the potential to develop an innovative app that is likely to outdo other similar products in the market such as Runkeeper and Googlefit. However, there is a considerable risk in the investment because part of the targeted population does not understand the need of maintaining physical fitness and applying a fitness-tracking app (Zhang, 2020). Many people are likely not to utilize the app fully and only use it for a short period after downloading (Szymański, 2017). Moreover, poor targeting of potential customers, inappropriate marketing, and inability to utilize pre-launch opportunities presents a risk that eventually affects the achievement of the expected outcome. Mismanagement of the available resources and making the wrong decisions can make it difficult for the app to become success (Beldad and Hegner, 2018). Post-launching risks can arise due to inconveniencing customers and poor updating of the system. The app must be user-friendly by ensuring that bugs and lacks are fixed.
Project Success
The next step after developing the app is to determine its performance and improve user experience. This will enable Astra Plc to evaluate and understand its success and identify areas requiring improvement (Kreye, 2017). The success can be measured by determining downloads done in a given period. A high number of users is associated with increased popularity, which implies that the app is performing well (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009). Regular usage of the app marked with a high opening rate is a positive outcome suggesting that it can achieve better results in the future (Durugbo and Erkoyuncu, 2016). On the contrary, the high rate of uninstallation and un-subscription shows that the company needs to make changes to improve the app (Office of Government Commerce, 2009). It should focus on identifying the cause of the negative outcome to boost the success rate.
Progress can be achieved by increasing the loading speed for both iOS and Android to ensure the smooth running of the app. It should appear on top in the app store in 4-5 months. Positive reviews and rates can influence the success and promote customer experience. This can be improved by making an effort to build a positive relationship with customers (De Oliveira, Sousa and De Campos, 2019). The company needs to respond to market complaints and make the necessary changes.
Conclusion
An effective strategy and appropriate planning are necessary to realize success in a saturated market. A Gant chart can support effective planning to develop and launch the app in the next three months. The app targets a wide population around the globe and promotes people’s health and fitness. It is necessary to manage risk effectively and ensure that all the necessary measures are taken to boost market expansion.
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