Scope Change

The first and obvious recommendation that the author would give to the BAE management would be to reconsider the decision that 'no changes would be accepted' as it is "impractical to prohibit them" (Open University, 2004, p.71) as "a project rarely runs according to the project management plan, and therefore changes will inevitably appear" (Sanghera, 2010, p.308) and the fact that the airlines were excluded from the discussions about the project scope meant that changes were inevitable if the airlines were to receive the future service they were entitled to. It would have been highly unlikely that a comprehensive RBS (Requirements Breakdown Structure) would have been established.

Further that in the event that change requests are permitted a recommendation that an integrated change control process should be in place and strictly adhered to and should include the following activities:

* Identify changes

* Process changes

* Manage approved changes

* Maintain project integrity

(Sanghera, 2010, pp.308 - 309)

The second recommendation would be that when change requests are considered they should be dealt with at as early a stage as possible in order to reduce costs as "change made late in a project attract higher costs than those introduced earlier, because sunk costs are then higher and late changes can cause great disruption to work in progress, causing scrap and rework" (Lock, 2007, p.411)

In order to demonstrate the recommendations it is assumed that the airlines have identified a trend whereby many travellers are carrying sports type holdalls and backpacks with loose straps. Through their experience at other airports they have recognised that such straps get caught up in the conveyors and rollers causing breakdowns and blockages to the BHS and lengthy waiting periods for the customers.

In such circumstances the change requested would be that such luggage would have to be placed on trays measuring 600mm x 900mm, and that in order to accommodate these trays the change identified would be that 'the radii of the bends on the BHS would have to be increased'. This preventive action "would reduce the probability of negative consequences associated with the project risk" (PMBOK, 2008, p.87)

This change should be made prior to the fabrication of the bends in question to reduce waste caused by scrapping the initial design and re-working the bends. In practical terms by presenting the change request at such an early stage the cost to change the design would be minimal if anything.

In order to process this change, a formal change request should be written out and it would be recommended that a change committee is established, in this case made up of members of the BAE management