Retail Food Service · ERP Implementation · Starbucks
ERP Implementation Project Manager Simulation — Starbucks
Take over a failing $22M Oracle Cloud ERP implementation at Starbucks after the previous PM was removed. Rebuild trust with a frustrated SI partner, re-engage a Supply Chain VP who walked away, and present a credible recovery plan to a CFO who's ready to kill the project. Three modules, 78 legal entities, 35,000 stores, and a green coffee procurement workflow that doesn't work like widget procurement. Gain hands-on project management experience over 27 days of real decisions, stakeholders, and PMO deliverables — no prior experience required.
The scenario
Starbucks Corporation — $36B in annual revenue, 400,000+ employees (partners), 35,000+ stores globally, 6 roasting plants, and 48 distribution centers — has commissioned an Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP implementation across three modules: Financials, HCM, and Supply Chain Management. The project replaces a 12-year-old Oracle EBS instance for Finance, a patchwork of Workday (corporate) and regional systems (stores) for HR, and introduces modern cloud procurement and inventory management for a supply chain that moves $3B/year in green coffee from 30+ countries to 35,000 stores. The project is in crisis. The previous PM was removed 4 months in after a series of failures: Finance module configuration riddled with errors, the SI partner (Deloitte, $18M contract) filed a formal complaint, the VP of Supply Chain pulled her team from workshops after a disastrous demo, and no data migration work has started. The steering committee has lost confidence. You have been brought in as the rescue PM. Your mandate is clear: assess the damage, present a credible recovery plan to the SteerCo within 3 weeks, and deliver. The CFO has added $4M in contingency to the original $18M budget — bringing the total to $22M — but she has also made clear that this is the project's last chance. If the recovery plan is not credible, she will kill the project and write off the $8M already spent.
What you'll do as the project manager
- →Implement Oracle Financials Cloud across 78 legal entities — GL, AP, AR, Fixed Assets, Cash Management — replacing the legacy Oracle EBS instance
- →Deploy Oracle HCM Cloud for Core HR, Payroll, Benefits, and Talent Management across corporate and North American store operations
- →Implement Oracle SCM Cloud for Procurement, Inventory Management, and Order Management — including the critical green coffee procurement workflow serving 35,000 stores
- →Complete Phase 1 (North America) within the $22M revised budget and present a credible Phase 2 (International) business case to Sara Trilling's team
- →Achieve data migration for all Finance and Supply Chain master data with zero integrity loss — validated by Finance and Supply Chain sign-off
Project management skills you'll build
The challenges you'll navigate
- •Finance module configuration is 37% correct — 63% needs rework or completion, which may be worse than starting fresh in some areas
- •Deloitte relationship is damaged — formal complaint filed, 6 of 22 consultants pulled to other accounts, trust deficit on both sides
- •Supply Chain VP has disengaged — her team pulled from workshops after a demo showed manufacturing procurement, not coffee procurement
- •Zero data migration work completed despite 4 months elapsed — no migration strategy, no test environment, no data mapping
- •HR module not started — which is actually the lowest risk since there is no bad work to undo
- •Steering committee confidence is low — the CFO is considering killing the project entirely
Technology & stakeholders
You'll manage 7 stakeholders, including Rachel Ruggeri (EVP & Chief Financial Officer), Michael Conway (Group President, North America), Sara Trilling (EVP & President, Starbucks International), and more.
What you'll walk away with
A verified, shareable record of a completed enterprise project — plus the PMO deliverables you produced along the way (charter, project plan, SteerCo deck, closure document). It's real, demonstrable project management experience you can put on your resume and speak to in interviews.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need project management experience to start?
No. This simulation is built for aspiring and practicing project managers alike — you learn by doing. You make real decisions and get feedback, with no PMP or prior PM job required.
How long does this simulation take?
It runs over 27 days, roughly 28 minutes per day, covering the full project lifecycle from initiation to closure.
What will I learn?
You practice the core of project management — stakeholder management, budget and schedule control, risk, scope, and PMO governance — in the context of erp implementation in retail food service.
Is this based on the real Starbucks?
It's a realistic scenario inspired by Starbucks and the Retail Food Service sector. Details and names are fictionalized for training — it's a simulation, not a record of any actual project.
What do I get at the end?
A verified project completion plus the PMO deliverables you produced (charter, plan, SteerCo deck, closure) — proof of hands-on experience you can show employers.
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