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 standingYou have 24 total minutes to

build the towerObjective of Transmitter Height

≥ 20” Transmitter height measured

from bottom of marshmallowTower doesn’t collapseBase 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 ScheduleHeight Category Transmitter Height Payment @ 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 ScheduleHeight Category Transmitter Height Payment @ 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 MaterialsMaterial Cost

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 ScheduleHeight

CategoryTransmitter Height Payment @

FinalRelease (#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 ScheduleHeight

CategoryTransmitter Height Payment

Release 1PaymentRelease 2

PaymentRelease 3

PaymentRelease 4

0 < 8 inches $5 $5 $5 $5

1 ≥ 8 inches $15 $10 $10 $5

2 ≥ 12 inches $25 $25 $15 $5

3 ≥ 16 inches $40 $30 $15 $5

4 ≥ 20 inches $100 $100 $100 $100

5 ≥ 28 inches $150 $150 $150 $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 MaterialsMaterial Cost

Extra Spaghetti $6 per beam

Extra Tape $10 per 6 inches

Extra String $10 per 6 inches