Project Management A Project

A Project -
• Project Management a planned undertaking of related activities
– Why? to reach an objective
– Gantt Charts that has a beginning and an end.
– PERT Charts Hoffer, George and Valacich

Ten problems with projects: (Bienkowski, 89)

Project Problems – The project is a solution in search of a problem
Some project problems: – Only the project team is interested in the end result
– imprecise estimation – No one is in charge
• too early in SDLC, – The project plan lacks structure
• poor technique, – The project plan lacks detail
• no historical data, – The project is underbudgeted
• inexperience, – Insufficient resources are allocated
– delays - over-runs – The project is not tracked against its plan
– unrecognised dependence – The project team is not communicating
– scope creep – The project strays from its original goals
– “the mythical man-month”, Brooks (1975) Solution:
employ Project Management techniques

Project Management Project Manager

• Principal roles (WBB p.770): Project manager is responsible to:
– planning & task assignment
– organisation & scheduling – client - for
– directing & controlling • deliverables
• delivery time

• Plus: – IS manager - for

– morale maintenance • costs
– inter-personal relationships

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What is Project Management? Project Management:
A set of techniques used for Context
CLIENT
- Planning Project Status
IS PROJECT
- Organising and MANAGER Deliverables
Terms of
TEAM
Reference
- Controlling Resource Deliverables Assignments
Resource Availability
Requests PROJECT
work activities MANAGEMENT

to reach a desired result

Task List
Standards
- on-time Organisation
Metrics
Project
- within budget and Metrics

STANDARDS METRICS
- according to specification. LIBRARIAN LIBRARY
METHODOLOGY

Our simplified model of Project Project

Management: Terms of reference +
Resource availability + Management:Overview
Task List + Assignments +
1. Planning and Organising Organisation metrics Project forecast
1.
•Activity definition PLAN

Rework
•Work Breakdown Structure requirements
Project
•Gantt Chart - Schedule of tasks Project Plan Project Metrics metrics

•Sequencing tool (CPM or PERT) Completed item +

Proposed Terms of
Control: Ref. Change 2 4
3 MEASURE UPDATE
Issues
2. Measure MANAGE ORG.
METRICS
Deliverable Task status +
3. Manage Task metrics + Project status
Quality standards

Project Management: 1. Terms of ref. +

Project Management: 1. Plan
Plan Task list +
Rework Req.
Assignments

 Establish clear & precise objectives 1.1 Resource

IDENTIFY availability
 Identify activities (tasks) required TASKS 1.4
ALLOCATE
 Prepare estimates of resource needs, times & $ RESOURCES
 Prepare a management network
CPM or PERT TASK LIST

 Identify critical activities 1.3 PROJECT PLAN

UPDATE
ESTIMATES
Schedules Network
Factors: 1.2 Estimates
UPDATE Task status
– current status of tasks TASK
Estimates
NETWORK 1.5
– resources - availability PROJECT METRICS SCHEDULE
TASKS
– task dependencies
Org. metrics Project
forecast

2
 Project Management: Project Management:
2. Measure Task statuses + 2. Measure
Task metrics

Determine activity status 2.1

Project Metrics
RECORD
Record activity status TASK
STATUS
Actual metrics

Estimated metrics +
Evaluate project status Actual metrics

Task statuses
2.2
EVALUATE
Project Plan PROJECT
STATUS
Task statuses

Project status +
issues

Project Management: Project Management:

2. Measure 3. Manage
• Measurement of
– effort expended on task • Evaluate activity status effect on deliverables:
– effort to task completion – timing
– percentage of task completion (earned value) – completeness
– quality
• NOT simply a measure of hours expended
• Derive solutions to issues
against estimated (ie not % complete)
– resource changes
• & assessment of impact on project (but beware the ‘mythical man-month’)
– costs – reschedule tasks
– schedule • Monitor scope
– (scope & quality) – negotiate scope variations

Project Management: Project Management:

Completed items 3. Manage 4. Update Organisation Metrics
Deliverables
3.1
EVALUATE
DELIVERABLES Organisational metrics

3.2
– permanent project records
PROPOSE • work done
Deliverables issues ISSUES
SOLUTIONS • times & resources
Proposed Terms of Ref. changes + – estimation base for future projects
Project status + Resource requests
Issues Rework requirements

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 Project Management: Project Management
4. Update Organisation Metrics
Expectations Matrix (WBB p.781)
Priorities Maximise/
Project Metrics mininise Constrain Accept
Measures of Success

Cost X

4
UPDATE Schedule X
ORG.
METRICS

Project Scope &/or Quality

X
metrics

Project Management Resources Project Management Tools

Computing equipment
• GANTT CHART
Software support and tools:
CASE Schedule of activities
Project Management (Gantt, CPM/PERT)
Communications Environment • CPM Critical Path Method
• PERT Program (or Project)
Support staff
Evaluation & Review Technique

Gantt Charts Gantt Chart

(Henry Gantt)
Each chart should have a legend explaining the meanings
• A bar chart
2/10 9/10 16/10 23/10 30/10 6/11 13/11 • Activities (or tasks - interchangeable term) down left side
• Can include columns for resources, dates etc
Task A
Slack time
• Units of time across top (sometimes bottom)
Task B
Task C
egs days, weeks, months
Task D • Shows milestones (Points in time)
Task E
Task F • Used to Show (& compare) actual performance
Task G against planned performance
Task H Can easily add Milestone
more tasks • Simple, easy to read
….. Today Legend: • Does not generally show relationships between tasks
\/ Task Slack

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 Start & Finish Start & Finish Terms
Start Finish
Consider - B is the same activity at different times
Start Finish ES - Early Start
A No Slack B’
EF - Early Finish (Compl’n)
B’ Starts on time - slack at end LS - Late Start
B’’ Starts later, slack both ends B’’’
LF - Late Finish
B’’’ Latest possible start, slack only
at start
B’’’’ Resources reduced, duration Slack is generally LF - EF
ES EF
stretched to maximum
LS LF

Slack Time (Float) Gantt Chart - Example

Student semester timetable.
Activities with slack time can be delayed
without impacting project completion date. • Assignments:
– Each assignment is a task
eg GCO1813/2852 Assignment 1 is a task
Shown as bars on Gantt, or in circles of – Estimated effort is length of task bar (eg 8 hours long).
– Due date x/x/x is a milestone.
PERT.
– etc for other assignments and other subjects
• Exams:
– Make an allowance for study revision time for each subject
Activities in a sequence may ALL have slack
these are tasks.
(consider EF and LF for EACH activity) – Each exam date is a milestone.

Managing Progress
Gantt Chart Extensions
Gantt Charts - Student schedule - showing Progress
2/10 9/10 16/10 23/10 30/10 6/11 13/11 Gantt Charts can also show (For each
activity):
Sub A 1
Sub B 1
• Resources (eg personnel allocated)
Sub C 1
Sub A 2 • Dates (any or all of ES, EF, LS & LF)
Sub A 3
Sub B 2 • Slack times
Sub C 2
Exams • Durations
Today Legend: • Dependencies
Progress Remaining
Float Milestone
• Generally shows Critical Path

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 Gantt Chart vs PERT Charts PERT Charts
Two conventions:
Gantt: • Task nodes - nodes represent tasks,
• Visually shows durations arrows are relationships
• Shows time scales and task overlaps Most CASE tools show these as rectangles
Learn this method, unless you are familiar
PERT: with the other convention
• Shows sequence dependence • Task arrows - arrows represent tasks,
• Shows which tasks can be done in parallel circles are events
• Shows CP Define your ‘Legend’

PERT Chart - node dependencies PERT Chart - node dependencies

Nodes are activities, arrows are relationships (dependencies) Nodes are activities, arrows are relationships (dependencies)

15 15
Critical Path
E E
19 19
13 Task 13
7 7
B D B D
7 13 7 13
4 19 4 19
A G A G
4 19 4 19
Earliest completion time
6 8 6 8
Difference is Slack Time
C F C F
17 19 17 19 (or Float)

Latest completion time

Critical Path is Tasks A, B, D and G

PERT Charts -Task Nodes PERT Chart - task dependencies

• Circles are project tasks (or activities) Tasks are arrows, Nodes are called events
which require time and resources.
15
6
E
• Arrows are relationships (dependencies) between tasks. 7 D 13
2
19
5
3 6 H
7 13 G
B 0
3 6
• The Critical Path identifies tasks on the path 0 A 4
7
19
1 2
4
requiring the longest time to complete. 0 4 C 6 F
19
2 4 2
17

This path is critical as no activities on it have any reserve of

slack or float time. A delay in one of these activities will
impact the project completion date.

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 PERT Charts - Task Arrows
• Circles are milestone points or Events
PERT Charts - task dependencies
where tasks are initiated or finished.
Critical Path Dummy task
Event 15
• Arrows are project tasks (or activities) 6
Task E
which require time and resources. 7 D
5
13
2
19
3 6 H
13
Relationships are shown. B 7 G 0
3 6
0 4 19
A 7
1 2
4 C 19
• The Critical Path identifies tasks on the path 0 4
2
6 F
4 2
requiring the longest time to complete. 17

This path is critical as no activities on it have any reserve of Earliest completion time
Expected duration
slack or float time. A delay in one of these activities will
Latest completion time
impact the project completion date.
Event number

Project Management Tools Project Management

• Project management tools incorporate:
Quality - what is it?
– task lists
– PERT & Gantt charts transcendent - innate excellence
– resource availability product-based - content, attributes, worth
– personal & project calendars user-based - fitness for purpose
– task allocation
manufacturing-based - conformance to specification
– scheduling
– actual-time recording
value based = user + manufacturing base
- what the user wants (at acceptable price),
– reporting
• eg. Microsoft Project, Project Manager Workbench, ..... while conforming to specification (at acceptable cost)
(Moses 1993)

Project Management Quality

• Quality ‘methods’
– quality control • Quality starts on day one of the project
– quality assurance
and finishes on the last day of the project
– quality management
– total quality management
• Is best achieved before the event
• IS Quality Management Systems not after (eg testing the product is too late)
– inspection/certification based
– identify quality - DO NOT provide it • Requires a commitment from the entire
– can degenerate into form-filling exercise development team.