Project Close-Out Report
A close-out record for the AHI app, covering goals, scope, schedule, cost, risk, outstanding work, lessons learned, and recommendations.
Public review note: The scenario is educational and sanitized. Names, dates, figures, identifiers, and other details have been changed or generalized for privacy and security.
Key information
| Project | AHI App Development Project |
|---|---|
| Department | Marketing and Technology |
| Baseline budget | $250,000 fixed budget |
| Final reported cost | $257,000 — $7,000 over baseline |
| Final status | Core deliverable complete; follow-up items remain under ownership. |
Project goals from the charter
- Develop an application that gathers and analyzes real-time marketing data to help AHI understand target markets and make faster decisions.
- Deliver the core application within the planned schedule and launch window.
- Address approved scope, data, security, storage, and interface requirements for a usable release.
- Deliver the project within the approved fixed budget of $250,000.
- Improve IT staffing and delivery approach so AHI can support the application and future enhancements.
Goal success analysis
| Goal | Result | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time marketing data app | Successful | The core application was delivered to support marketing data, market insight, customer information, and decision-making. |
| Planned schedule and launch | Partial success | Integration, testing, and late requirements created schedule pressure; non-critical enhancements moved to Version 2. |
| Approved scope and technical requirements | Partial success | Core functionality was completed, while hardware, interface, security, storage, and data-feed work required follow-up. |
| Stay within $250,000 | Not achieved | Final reported cost was $257,000, a $7,000 variance caused by omitted equipment and inflationary/implementation factors. |
| Improve staffing and delivery method | Partial success | One qualified candidate was hired for two vacancies; IT and HR continued the second hire and future Scrum improvements. |
Scope, schedule, and cost review
Scope
The core app and primary marketing-data purpose were delivered. Non-critical reporting and enhancements moved to Version 2.
Schedule
Late scope clarification and interface/data work created pressure. Future plans need integration time, testing buffer, and earlier change decisions.
Cost
Baseline: $250,000 · Final: $257,000 · Variance: +$7,000.
Risk analysis
| Risk / issue | Close-out observation | Future treatment |
|---|---|---|
| IT recruiting capacity | Only one qualified candidate was hired for two approved vacancies. | Start recruiting earlier and coordinate the onboarding plan with HR. |
| Incomplete requirements | Late requirements contributed to scope pressure and Version 2 deferrals. | Use stakeholder workshops, signed acceptance criteria, and a change-control threshold. |
| Data-feed and interface compatibility | Additional sources and interface needs required technical review and rework. | Run technical discovery and data-quality tests before baseline approval. |
| Budget overrun | The project closed $7,000 above budget. | Add contingency and validate equipment assumptions. |
Outstanding items
| Item | Resolution | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Version 2 enhancements and deferred reporting | Prioritize the backlog, confirm business value, and schedule the next release. | Product Owner / Marketing |
| Post-launch interface, data-feed, and performance refinements | Complete a production review, log defects, and close items through the support backlog. | IT |
| Second IT hire | Recruit and onboard the approved technician. | IT / HR |
| Benefits and adoption measurement | Track usage, data quality, feedback, market insight, and progress toward ROI. | Marketing |
Lessons learned and recommendations
- Complete requirements and acceptance criteria before baselining schedule and cost.
- Validate hardware, software, storage, security, and data-feed assumptions during technical discovery.
- Plan realistic sprint capacity, testing time, and contingency for illness or staffing changes.
- Use a repeatable Scrum operating model with sprint objectives, capacity planning, backlog refinement, retrospectives, and clear decision ownership.
- Measure benefits after launch through adoption, data quality, decision speed, customer feedback, and progress toward expected ROI.