Frequent Marshmallow Challenge Releases

The Challenge You will be building a cell tower out of very sophisticated materials. One company will use the traditional engineering approach of building the tower in one go. The other company will build the tower in incremental releases. The transmitter is the marshmallow. Yes, a fluffy marshmallow. You will have a full 24 minutes to do this construction.

Competition = Better Product As the customer, we have some ideas in how we have approached this problem in the past. We are also entertaining a novel approach. You will be split into two teams of 5-9 representing the companies, which will take the approaches we want. Each team will need to meet our requirements for the cell tower. Both teams have the same requirements. There are payment terms associated with the tower’s construction. Some are published and some are subjective. Lastly, since we need to replicate these towers in many locations, we’ll need a set of plans (1 or more sketches).

The Basics of the Challenge The facilitators own the requirements. We = Marshmallow Cell Corp. You are the contractors hired by us to build a tower. How well you build it will dictate how much you get paid. The marshmallow transmitter is quite expensive! Don’t let it fall! Otherwise you will pay us up to $20 from your seed money for damage. We provide the initial set of the absolute best building materials and equipment for constructing this tower. We have a prepared a 10” x 10” area for you on a suitable hill represented topographically. Your free-standing tower must be high enough to clear the hill to get paid the full value of the tower (height ≥ 20 inches) Your goal is to maximize the value (in $) for your company

Your Materials One yard of flat papyrus adhesive fabric 20 pieces of rugged semolina-based beams One yard of fibrous cable One marshmallow transmitter Your Equipment (should you need it) Pencil & eraser Graph Paper A scientific calculator A ruler A protractor Universal metallic cutting lever

! Let’s Get Started

REQUIREMENTS CHECKLIST

Cell Tower Requirements  Tower must be freely standing  You have 24 total minutes to build the tower  Objective of Transmitter Height ≥ 20”  Transmitter height measured from bottom of marshmallow  Tower doesn’t collapse  Base of tower remains within confines of prepared area; cost for going outside area is $5/lateral inch  No transmitter = no payment for your release  Additional Materials may be purchased to replace broken ones or for additional material you want to use (see table)  You can get partial credit for not meeting the height of your tower  You get penalized if the tower does not closely match your design  You get a $25 bonus if you finish the cell tower ahead of schedule  You lose $5 when you miss a delivery milestone

APPROACH DESCRIPTIONS

B.U.F.D. Inc. Within the first 2 minutes of the 24 minutes, you must provide me a project plan; it must specify the following: – Length of the requirements analysis phase; how long you will inquire - since I have flown in for this phase, I become unavailable afterwards; bullet list must be delivered here & I will initial – Length of the design phase; plans must be delivered here & I will initial – Length of your build phase; hands must come off at end of build phase – Roles for each person; a person must adhere to their roles and only do the work to which they are assigned; the roles are requirements analyst, tower designer, project manager, construction staff – any # of people may be assigned to a role, except the PM You’re delivery must include – A project plan, schedule + people + roles, at the 2 min delivery milestone – A list of requirements at the end of the requirements analysis delivery milestone – A set of plans at the end of the design delivery milestone – A working tower (i.e. it has a marshmallow transmitter) at the end of the build delivery milestone; it must match the plans You will be measured by how well you meet or exceed schedule, this ensures Marshmallow Cell Corp will get delivery. Your build phase ends once the marshmallow is placed and you let go of it. Then all hands must be off the tower. Fixed due date of +24 minutes You also have $20 in seed money

Roles & Responsibilities One role to a person, but some roles may have many people Project Manager (only one) – Responsible for maintaining focus – May assist any other role – Keeps track of time and informs team when phases are ending… Directs when next set of personnel start – Makes decision of whether a deliverable is ready, if not ready, then record how many minutes late deliverable is Tower Designer (as many as you want) – Sketches tower design based on documented requirements – May ask questions of requirements analysts about requirements/business needs Construction Staff (as many as you want) – Builds tower based on design (sketch) – May ask questions of designers where design is unclear – May ask questions of requirements analysts about requirements/business needs Requirements Analyst (as many as you want) – Asks questions of business representative about requirements/business needs; documents answers – Receives questions from others to ask business representative

Partial Payment Schedule Height CategoryTransmitter End 4≥ 20 inches$100 5≥ 28 inches$150 If the tower falls, the repair costs to the transmitter is equal the height category you attained x 5. Your company, of course, also does not get paid for the release it falls in. Payment occurs at each release. Other penalties may apply.

Payment Schedule Height CategoryTransmitter End 0< 8 inches$5 1≥ 8 inches$30 2≥ 12 inches$50 3≥ 16 inches$75 4≥ 20 inches$100 5≥ 28 inches$150 If the tower falls, the repair costs to the transmitter is equal the height category you attained x 5. Your company, of course, also does not get paid for the release it falls in. Other penalties may apply.

Additional Materials MaterialCost Extra Spaghetti$6 per beam Extra Tape$10 per 6 inches Extra String$10 per 6 inches

Novagilix LLC We, Marshmallow Cell Corp, have decided on your project plan: an incremental delivery of once a quarter (every 6 minutes) over the 24 minutes you have to deliver; you may divide each 6 minute increment anyway you want (inform facilitator how you want to allocate your timebox each round): – to plan your work &/or sketch a design – to do some construction – to analyze what you need to improve &/or sketch more on your design; you can also reallocate your time distribution for your next timebox at this point At the end of the construction phase, if you have a marshmallow incorporated into the tower, you’ll get some payment based on how high it is; hands must come off at the end of construction phase There are roles: project manager, requirements analyst, tower designer, construction staff, but you may participate in the work how you wish At the end of any analysis portion, you’re delivery must include – A set of plans – A working tower (i.e. it has a marshmallow transmitter); it must match the plans – If above 20”, a decision whether to continue or not You also have $20 in seed money

Partial Payment Schedule Height Category Transmitter Final Release (#4) 4≥ 20 inches$100 5≥ 28 inches$150 If the tower falls, the repair costs to the transmitter is equal the height category you attained x 5. Your company, of course, also does not get paid for the release it falls in. Payment occurs at each release. Other penalties may apply.

Payment Schedule Height Category Transmitter HeightPayment Release 1 Payment Release 2 Payment Release 3 Payment Release 4 0< 8 inches$5 1≥ 8 inches$15$10 $5 2≥ 12 inches$25 $15$5 3≥ 16 inches$40$30$15$5 4≥ 20 inches$100 5≥ 28 inches$150 If the tower falls, the repair costs to the transmitter is equal the height category you attained x 5. Your company, of course, also does not get paid for the release it falls in. Other penalties may apply.

Additional Materials MaterialCost Extra Spaghetti$6 per beam Extra Tape$10 per 6 inches Extra String$10 per 6 inches