Execution of this project will require co-operation from a wide spectrum of stakeholders. These stakeholders collectively form the project team. High on this hierarchy is the project manager who will work to provide the requisite leadership and support, thus, facilitate teamwork and deliver the success. Winsome staff especially from design, purchasing, sales, production, and marketing departments also play a pivotal role in the execution of this project. In particular, they will combine efforts to liaise with other stakeholders and come up with innovative ideas supporting the design of the product, appropriate production and marketing techniques, as well as monitor sales of the new product. Other stakeholders include the customers, the government, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. The customers mainly come in during the design and testing stages of the product where they will be required to submit feedback for further improvement and tailoring of the product to meet their specifications. On the other hand, the government’s role is to examine policies associated with the product and approve its production. In this case, the project also needs a sponsor who will be among the top stakeholders. Preferably, the project sponsor should be the project manager since they are naturally responsible for all aspects of the project. Cattani, Ferriani, Frederiksen and Taube (2011) notes that a project sponsor often plays the primary role of ensuring that the project meets its business ends. The manager is, therefore, suitable as a sponsor in this case since the two roles overarch making management somewhat easier through improved accountability levels in the top management.
The project manager should come from the marketing department. According to Serra and Kunc (2014) project management when a product is involved comprises three primary functions namely, technical product management, product and field marketing, and product strategy. Needless to say, since the product is eventually meant to fulfill certain business goals, its marketing becomes the primary concern. On that note, preferred marketing techniques determine the design, production, sales, and even monitors the purchase patterns of the product. Put simply, a marketing department staff directly or indirectly influences most of the aspects of the product and shapes the entire project. They play more than one roles simultaneously within the department in the course of any company project. A project manager from marketing department is, therefore, considered relatively more experienced. A project has five phases: initiation, planning, implementation or execution, performance or monitoring, and the closing phase (Wysocki, 2011; Cattani et al., 2011). At the initiation phase, a project manager needs unrivalled research skills. As the cornerstone of the project, the initiation stage determines the overall success of the project. The manager, therefore, requires top-notch research skills to determine the feasibility of the project and its justification, pending clearance and kick off. At the planning stage, a project manager is likely to need organizational and leadership skills more. The manager is required to select a team that will oversee the project, liaise with the stakeholders, identify the work and manage other aspects of the project that appertains to its planning. Decision-making skills will also be required here to assist in making the right choices and shelving the less effective alternatives with substantial justification. In the third phase of the project, the manager needs unparalleled communication and management skills. Execution of the project entails development and completion of the deliverables, which can only be done through proper management of the resources and unhinged communication with all the parties involved. Phase four of the project necessitates higher-level analysis skills from the project manager to assist in measuring the key performance indicators and forecast the ability of the project to meet its objectives. The last phase, closure, requires extensive communication and analysis skills as well. The closure of the project is not the end of work. The product will need to be delivered to the clients where the manager will communicate various aspects, for instance, why the project exceeded the set time. Analysis skills are relevant during the review of the project.