Resource Contingency Planning

Correct Answer: Include capacity expansion plans and additional resources management

The most effective way to prepare a contingency plan for a sudden surge of sales orders during the execution phase of a marketing campaign is to 'Include capacity expansion plans and additional resources management'. This strategy ensures that the company has the necessary resources and capacity to handle the increased load and can continue to fulfill orders without compromising on the quality or service levels. Ignoring the excess orders and focusing only on the planned capacity could lead to lost sales and dissatisfied customers. Relying on the marketing team to handle the additional workload is not practical as their core expertise lies in marketing, not order fulfillment or operations. Decreasing marketing activities to minimize orders is contrary to the basic premise of running a marketing campaign, which is to increase sales, not limit them.

Correct Answer: Arrange for additional skilled design resources to assist the team

The most effective resource contingency plan in the scenario described in the question would be to 'Arrange for additional skilled design resources to assist the team'. This ensures that the work required can be shared among more individuals, ideally without compromising the quality of the deliverables. Project deadlines are often fixed and associated with business outcomes or client expectations, hence adjusting them is typically not an optimal solution. Reducing the scope of a project may lead to a final product that does not meet the original objectives, which is not an ideal outcome. Asking the team to work overtime without additional support places an extreme workload on them and can lead to burnout and reduced quality of work, and it is generally not a sustainable solution.

Correct Answer: Cross-train other team members on database management

Cross-training other team members on database management is the most effective resource contingency plan in this scenario. This approach:

1. Reduces dependency on a single expert
2. Enhances team skills and knowledge
3. Ensures project continuity if the expert leaves
4. Improves overall team flexibility and resilience

Hiring an external consultant is costly and doesn't address the long-term risk. It also doesn't build internal team capacity.

Delaying database-related tasks is not a viable option as it would likely cause significant project delays and disruptions.

Negotiating with the expert for critical tasks only is a short-term solution that doesn't address the underlying risk and may still leave the project vulnerable.

Cross-training is a proactive, cost-effective strategy that aligns with best practices in project management and risk mitigation.