Explanation
A project manager who is working on a new development project with a high-profile customer and third parties should use the strategy of working very closely with the customer and third parties to meet their needs.
This is because:
The customer makes very specific and frequent requests in all sprints, which means that the customer has high expectations and involvement in the project. The project manager should maintain regular and effective communication with the customer, and seek to understand and address their requirements, feedback, and concerns. The project manager should also manage the customer's expectations by setting clear and realistic goals, scope, and deliverables, and by providing transparent and accurate progress reports and status updates.
The project demands contract coordination with third parties, which means that the project involves multiple stakeholders and dependencies. The project manager should establish and maintain good relationships with the third parties, and ensure that their roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and documented in the contract. The project manager should also monitor and control the performance and quality of the third parties, and resolve any issues or conflicts that may arise during the project execution.
Working very closely with the customer and third parties to meet their needs is consistent with the agile project management approach, which emphasizes customer satisfaction, collaboration, and adaptation.
The project manager should adopt agile practices and tools, such as iterative and incremental development, user stories, backlog management, sprint planning, daily stand-up meetings, retrospectives, and demos, to deliver value to the customer and the third parties in a timely and efficient manner.
The other three options are not the best strategies for the project manager to use, because:
Specifying the scope and features to be deployed in the contract clearly is a good practice, but it is not enough to meet the customer and third parties' needs. The project manager should also be flexible and responsive to the changing requirements and expectations of the customer and the third parties, and be able to adjust the scope and features accordingly.
Changing the marketing and product management definitions to meet stakeholder needs is a risky and unnecessary strategy, as it may cause confusion and inconsistency in the project. The project manager should align the marketing and product management definitions with the stakeholder needs, rather than changing them.
Focusing on the implementation of a software as a service (SaaS) solution for the customer is a specific and narrow strategy, which may not suit the nature and scope of the project. The project manager should consider the feasibility, suitability, and desirability of the SaaS solution for the customer and the third parties, and evaluate other possible alternatives, before deciding on the best solution for the project.
References:
Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) - Seventh Edition. Project Management Institute.
Project Management Institute. (2020). Agile Practice Guide. Project Management Institute.
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