This document discusses project management concepts including defining a project, the role of a project manager, measures of project success and causes of project failure. It outlines the project management life cycle and key functions including scoping, planning, estimating, scheduling, organizing, directing, controlling and closing. Project management tools like Gantt charts, work breakdown structures (WBS), and resource leveling are explained. The document provides guidance on joint project planning, developing a statement of work, estimating task durations, specifying task dependencies, assigning resources, and directing a project team.
2. 4-2
Projects and Project Managers
Project a [temporary] sequence of
unique, complex, and connected activities
having one goal or purpose and that must
be completed by specific time, within
budget, and according to specification.
Project manager - the person
responsible for supervising a systems
project from initiation to conclusion
3. 4-3
Project Management
and Process Management
Project management the process of
scoping, planning, staffing, organizing,
directing, and controlling the development
of an acceptable system at a minimum
cost within a specified time frame.
Process management the activity of
documenting, managing, and continually
improving the process of systems
development.
4. 4-4
Measures of Project Success
The resulting information system is
acceptable to the customer.
The system was delivered on time.
The system was delivered within
budget.
The system development process had a
minimal impact on ongoing business
operations.
5. 4-5
Causes of Project Failure
Failure to establish upper-management
commitment to the project
Lack of organizations commitment to the
methodology
Taking shortcuts through or around the
methodology
Poor expectations management
Feature creep uncontrolled addition of technical
features to a system.
Scope creep unexpected and gradual growth of
requirements during an information systems project.
6. 4-6
Causes of Project Failure
(cont.)
Premature commitment to a fixed budget
and schedule
Poor estimating techniques
Overoptimism
The mythical man-month (Brooks, 1975)
Inadequate people management skills
Failure to adapt to business change
Insufficient resources
Failure to manage to the plan
7. 4-7
Project Manager Competencies
Business awareness
Business partner
orientation
Commitment to quality
Initiative
Information gathering
Analytical thinking
Conceptual thinking
Interpersonal awareness
Organizational
awareness
Anticipation of impact
Resourceful use of
influence
Motivating others
Communication skills
Developing others
Monitoring and controlling
Self-confidence
Stress management
Concern for credibility
Flexibility
(Adapted from Wysocki, Beck, and Crane, Effective Project Management:
How to Plan, Manage, and Deliver Projects on Time and within Budget.)
8. 4-8
Project Management Functions
Scoping setting the boundaries of the
project
Planning identifying the tasks required to
complete the project
Estimating identifying the resources
required to complete the project
Scheduling developing the plan to
complete the project
Organizing making sure members
understand their roles and responsibilities
Directing coordinating the project
Controlling monitoring progress
Closing assessing success and failure
9. 4-9
Project Management Tools
& Techniques
PERT chart a graphical network model
used to depict the interdependencies
between a projects tasks.
Gantt chart a bar chart used to depict
project tasks against a calendar.
10. Gantt Chart Fundamentals
Separate tasks are listed in vertical rows
Time spans horizontally along the top
Each task is represented by a bar along
the time horizon
11. How to Create a Gantt Chart
using Microsoft Project
Enter Task
Name
Choose task
duration
Adjust start
and end times
List any
resources to
be used
12. Follow-Along Exercise
ITM Security Systems just got a bid for installing a
security system on a new government building.
Schedule the project using a Gantt chart.
Include the following steps:
Test the system (0.5 days; QA engineer)
Install the system (4 days; install crew)
Order and await supplies (9 days; warehouse)
Evaluate facilitys security needs, including travel
to/from site (4 days; inspector)
Schedule installation time (1 day; secretary)
Installation crew travel (2 days; install crew)
14. Work Breakdown Structure
WBS is a tool for expressing project scope
graphically and textually
It represents the project in terms of a
hierarchy (components/sub-components)
like a bill of materials
may be any number of levels of hierarchy
15. How to Create a WBS?
Proceed top-down
No specific sequence of work
implied
No need to be symmetrical
How deep to break down?
Rule: break down until you achieve the
estimation accuracy you desire
16. Numbering the Boxes
Each box in the WBS should have a
unique identifier.
1
1.1 1.2
1.2.1 1.2.2 1.2.8 1.2.9
1.2.5
1.2.3 1.2.4 1.2.6 1.2.7
1.2.7.1
1.2.10
Project
17. Example: Reroof a House
1.1 Materials
Estimation
1.0 Reroof
House
1.2 Materials
Gathering
1.3 Roof
Application
1.1.1 Measure
Roof
1.1.2 Calculate
Materials
1.2.1 Purchase
Materials
1.2.2 Take
Delivery
1.3.1 Roof
Removal
1.3.2 Roof
Application
1.3.1.1 Remove
Shingles
1.3.1.2 Remove
Nails 1.3.2.1 Apply
Shingles
1.3.2.3 Apply
Caps
1.3.2.2 Cut
Caps
20. 4-20
Joint Project Planning Strategy
Joint project planning (JPP) a
strategy in which all stakeholders attend
an intensive workshop aimed at reaching
consensus on project decisions.
21. 4-21
Activity 1 Negotiate Scope
Scope the boundaries of a project the
areas of a business that a project may (or
may not) address. Includes answers to five
basic questions:
Product
Quality
Time
Cost
Resources
Statement of work a narrative description
of the work to be performed as part of a
project. Common synonyms include scope
statement, project definition, project overview,
and document of understanding.
22. 4-22
Statement of Work
I. Purpose
II. Background
A. Problem, opportunity, or directive statement
B. History leading to project request
C. Project goal and objectives
D. Product description
III. Scope
A. Stakeholders
B. Data
C. Processes
D. Locations
IV. Project Approach
A. Route
B. Deliverables
V. Managerial Approach
A. Team building considerations
B. Manager and experience
C. Training requirements
(continued)
Notice the use of
information system
building blocks
23. 4-23
Statement of Work (concluded)
V. Managerial Approach (continued)
D. Meeting schedules
E. Reporting methods and frequency
F. Conflict management
G. Scope management
VI. Constraints
A. Start date
B. Deadlines
C. Budget
D. Technology
VII. Ballpark Estimates
A. Schedule
B. Budget
VIII. Conditions of Satisfaction
A. Success criteria
B. Assumptions
C. Risks
IX. Appendices
24. 4-24
Activity 2 Identify Tasks
Work breakdown
structure (WBS) a
graphical tool used to
depict the hierarchical
decomposition of the
project into phases,
activities, and tasks.
Milestone an event
signifying the
completion of a major
project deliverable.
25. 4-25
Activity 3 Estimate Task
Durations
Elapsed time takes into consideration:
Efficiency - no worker performs at 100%
efficiency
Coffee breaks, lunch, e-mail, etc.
Estimate of 75% is common
Interruptions
Phone calls, visitors, etc.
10-50%
26. 4-26
Activity 3 Estimate Task
Durations
1. Estimate the minimum amount of time it would take to
perform the task the optimistic duration (OD).
2. Estimate the maximum amount of time it would take
to perform the task the pessimistic duration (PD).
3. Estimate the expected duration (ED) that will be
needed to perform the task.
4. Calculate a weighted average of the most likely
duration (D) as follows:
D = (1 x OD) + (4 x ED) + (1 x PD)
6
3.33 days = (1 x 2 days) + (4 x 3 days) + (1 x 6 days)
6
PD
ED
OD
27. 4-27
Activity 4 Specify Intertask
Dependencies
Finish-to-start (FS)The finish of one
task triggers the start of another task.
Start-to-start (SS)The start of one task
triggers the start of another task.
Finish-to-finish (FF)Two tasks must
finish at the same time.
Start-to-finish (SF)The start of one task
signifies the finish of another task.
29. 4-29
Scheduling Strategies
Forward scheduling a project
scheduling approach that establishes a
project start date and then schedules
forward from that date.
Reverse scheduling a project
scheduling strategy that establishes a
project deadline and then schedules
backward from that date.
31. 4-31
Activity 5 Assign Resources
People includes all system owners, users,
analysts, designers, builders, external agents, and
clerical help involved in the project in any way.
Services includes services such as a quality
review that may be charged on a per use basis.
Facilities and equipment includes all rooms
and technology that will be needed to complete the
project.
Supplies and materials everything from pencils,
paper, notebooks to toner cartridges, and so on.
Money includes a translation of all of the above
into budgeted dollars!
34. 4-34
Assigning People to Tasks
Recruit talented, highly motivated people
Select the best task for each person
Promote team harmony
Plan for the future
Keep the team size small
35. 4-35
Resource Leveling
Resource leveling a strategy for
correcting resource over-allocations.
Two techniques for resource leveling:
task delaying
task splitting
36. 4-36
Task Splitting and Task
Delaying
Critical path the sequence of dependent
tasks that determines the earliest possible
completion date of the project.
Tasks on the critical path cannot be delayed without
delaying the entire project. Critical tasks can only be
split.
Slack time the amount of delay that can be
tolerated between the starting time and
completion time of a task without causing a
delay in the completion date of the entire
project.
Tasks that have slack time can be delayed to
achieve resource leveling
37. 4-37
Activity 6 Direct the Team
Effort
Supervision resources
The Deadline: A Novel
about Project
Management
The People Side of
Systems
The One Minute Manager
The One Minute Manager
Meets the Monkey
Stages of Team
Maturity
(see figure to the right)
38. 4-38
10 Hints for Project Leadership
1. Be Consistent.
2. Provide Support.
3. Dont Make Promises You Cant Keep.
4. Praise in Public; Criticize in Private.
5. Be Aware of Morale Danger Points.
6. Set Realistic Deadlines.
7. Set Perceivable Targets.
8. Explain and Show, Rather Than Do.
9. Dont Rely on Just Status Reports.
10. Encourage a Good Team Spirit.
39. 4-39
Activity 7 Monitor and
Control Progress
Progress reporting
Change management
Expectations management
Schedule adjustmentscritical path
analysis (CPA)
40. 4-40
Sample Outline for Progress
Report
I. Cover Page
A. Project name or identification
B. Project manager
C. Date or report
II. Summary of progress
A. Schedule analysis
B. Budget analysis
C. Scope analysis
(changes that may have an impact on future progress)
D. Process analysis
(problems encountered with strategy or methodology)
E. Gantt progress chart(s)
III. Activity analysis
A. Tasks completed since last report
B. Current tasks and deliverables
C. Short term future tasks and deliverables
(continued)
41. 4-41
Sample Outline for a Progress
Report (concluded)
IV. Previous problems and issues
A. Action item and status
B. New or revised action items
1. Recommendation
2. Assignment of responsibility
3. Deadline
V. New problems and issues
A. Problems
(actual or anticipated)
B. Issues
(actual or anticipated)
C. Possible solutions
1. Recommendation
2. Assignment of responsibility
3. Deadline
VI. Attachments
(include relevant printouts from project management software)
43. 4-43
Change Management
Change management a formal strategy in which a
process is established to facilitate changes that occur
during a project.
Changes can be the result of various events and factors including:
An omission in defining initial scope
A misunderstanding of the initial scope
An external event such as government regulations that create
new requirements
Organizational changes
Availability of better technology
Shifts in planned technology that force changes to the business
organization, culture, and/or processes
Managements desire to have the system do more
Reduced funding for project or imposition of an earlier deadline.
44. 4-44
Expectations Management
Expectations management matrix a tool
used to understand the dynamics and impact
of changing the parameters of a project.
The most important The second most important
The least
important
Can have only
one X in each
row and each
column
49. 4-49
Schedule Adjustments -
Critical Path Analysis
1. Using intertask dependencies, determine every
possible path through the project.
2. For each path, sum the durations of all tasks in
the path.
3. The path with the longest total duration is the
critical path.
The critical path is the sequence of tasks with the
largest sum of most likely durations. The critical
path determines the earliest completion date of
the project.
The slack time for any non-critical task is the
amount of delay that can be tolerated between
starting and completion time of a task without
causing a delay in the entire project.
51. 4-51
Activity 8 Assess Project
Results and Experiences
Did the final product meet or exceed user
expectations?
Why or why not?
Did the project come in on schedule?
Why or why not?
Did the project come in under budget?
Why or why not?