Modern Systems Analysis

and Design
Third Edition

Jeffrey A. Hoffer
Joey F. George
Joseph S. Valacich

Chapter 3
Managing the Information
Systems Project

3.1
3.1 Copyright 2002 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
 Learning Objectives

 Explain the process of managing an information

systems project
 Discuss skills required to be an effective project
manager
 Describe skills and activities of a project manager
during project initiation, planning, execution and
closedown
 Explain Gantt and Pert charts
 Review commercial project management software
packages

3.2
3.2
 Managing the Information Systems Project

Focus of project management

 To ensure that information system projects meet
customer expectations
 Delivered in a timely manner
 Meet time constraints and requirements

Project Manager
 is a Systems Analyst responsible for Project:
 Initiation
 Planning
 Execution
 Closing down

3.3
3.3
Managing the Information Systems Project

Project Manager
 skills include:

 Management
 Leadership
 Technical
 Problem solving
 Conflict management
 Customer relations
 Team management
 Risk and change management
 Project Management Process

Project
 Planned undertaking of related activities to reach an objective that has a
beginning and an end
Deliverable
 An end product in a phase of the SDLC
Feasibility Study
 Determines if the information system makes sense for the organization
from an economic and operational standpoint
 The study takes place before the system is constructed
Project Management Process involves Four Phases
 Initiation
 Planning
 Execution
 Closing down
3.5
3.5
 Initiating the Project

Project Initiation:
The first phase of the project management process in which
activities are performed to assess the size, scope, and complexity
of the project and to establish procedures to support later project
activities
Establish project initiation team
Establish relationship with customer
Establish project initiation plan
Establish management procedures
Establish project management environment and workbook
Project workbook: An on-line or hard-copy repository for all project
correspondence, inputs, outputs, deliverables, procedures, and
standards used by all team members useful for project audits,
orientation of new team members and performing post project
3.6
3.6
reviews.
 Planning the Project

Project Planning – defining clear, discrete activities

Requires making assumptions about availability of resources
Short-term activities are easier to plan
Describe project scope, alternatives and feasibility
 Scope and Feasibility

 Understand the project

 What problem is addressed
 What results are to be achieved
 Measures of success
 Completion criteria
Divide the project into manageable tasks
 Work breakdown structure: The process of dividing the project into
manageable tasks and logically ordering them to ensure a smooth
evolution between tasks
 Some tasks may be performed in parallel whereas others must follow
3.7
3.7 one another sequentially.
 Planning the Project

How to define tasks? A task

Has a known method, can be done by one-person or well-defined group,
has accepted predecessor and successor steps, is measurable so that
percent complete can be determined

Divide the project into manageable tasks

 Gantt chart: A graphical representing of a project showing each task as
a horizontal bar whose length is proportional to its time for completion.
 Gantt charts do not show how tasks must be ordered but simply shows
when an activity must begin and end.
 Different colors, shades, shapes can be used to highlight each kind of task

Estimate resources and create a resource plan

 Estimate resource requirements for each project activity
 Resource plan helps assemble and deploy resources in most effective way
 People are most important and expensive part of resource planning
 Assign tasks to people that suit their skills and allows to learn new skills
3.8
3.8
 Planning the Project

Develop a preliminary schedule

 Assign time estimates to each activity in work breakdown structure
 time estimates allows creating target starting and ending dates for project
 Utilize Gantt and PERT charts

Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) Chart

 A diagram that shows project tasks and their relationships
 Ordering of tasks is shown by connecting tasks with its predecessor and
successor tasks
 Only individual tasks are drawn and no summary tasks
 Planning the Project
Develop a communication plan
 Outline communication procedures among customers, team
members and management
 Communication plan includes when and how written and oral
reports will be provided by the team, how team members will
coordinate work, what messages will be sent.
Determine project standards and procedures
 Specify how deliverables are tested and produced
Identify and assess risk
 Identify sources of risk
 Estimate consequences of risk
Create a preliminary budget
 Outline planned expenses and revenues of the project to study
cost-benefit analysis

3.10
3.10
 Planning the Project

Develop a statement of work

 Occurs near the end of the project planning phase
 Developed primarily for the customer
 Outlines work that will be done and describe what the project will
deliver and duration
Set a Baseline Project Plan
 Estimate of project’s tasks and resource requirements that guides
the next project phase – execution.

3.11
3.11
 Executing the Project

Project Execution – plans created in prior phases are put into

action
Occurs during analysis, design, implementation phases of SDLC
Execute Baseline Project Plan
 Acquire and assign resources
 Train new team members
 Keep project on schedule - as tasks are completed, mark them as
completed by percent
Monitor project progress
 Adjust resources, budget and/or activities if project gets ahead or behind
schedule
 Can result in modifications to current plan

3.12
3.12
 Executing the Project

Manage changes to Baseline Project Plan

 Slipped completion dates

 Changes in personnel

 New activities found later

 Bungled activities to be redone

Maintain project workbook to maintain complete records of all

project events
Communicate project status with entire project team

3.13
3.13
 Closing Down the Project

Project closedown – bring project to an end

Occurs after implementation phase of SDLC
Termination
 Types of termination
 Natural
 Requirements have been met – project is completed
successfully
 Unnatural
 Project stopped before completion – due to running out of
time or money
 Documentation
 Personnel Appraisal – job and assignment changes, job
termination, praising team members

3.14
3.14
 Closing Down the Project

Conduct post-project reviews

 Determine strengths and weaknesses of:
 Project deliverables
 Project management process
 Development process

Close customer contract

3.15
3.15
 Representing and Scheduling Project Plans
Gantt Charts
 Useful for depicting simple projects or parts of large projects
 Show start and completion dates for individual tasks
PERT Charts
 Show order of activities

Comparison of Gantt and PERT Charts

Gantt PERT
 Visually shows duration of  Visually shows
tasks dependencies between
 Visually shows time overlap tasks
between tasks  Visually shows which tasks
 Visually shows slack time can be done in parallel
 Shows slack time by data in
3.16
3.16 rectangles
 Figure 3-16
Graphical diagrams that depict project plans
(a) A Gantt Chart
(b) A PERT chart

3.17
3.17
 Project Management Software

Many systems are available

Three activities required to use:
 Establish project start or end date
 Enter tasks and assign task relationships
 Select scheduling method to review project reports

3.18
3.18
 Summary

Skills of an effective project manager

Activities of project manager
 Initiation

 Planning

 Execution

 Closedown

Gantt and PERT Charts

Commercial Project Management Software

3.19
3.19