Project Management

1. Project Management Session 1: Introduction to Project Management

2. Today • Introduction • Administrative items • Fundamentals • Classic Issues

3. Syllabus Review • Grades • Exams • Assignments • Class web site • http://kehk.wordpress.com

4. Textbooks • text • Bob Hughes, Mike Cotterell, “Software Project Management”, 3rd Edition, McGrawHill • Kathy Schwabe, “An Introduction to Project Management”, Course Technology • Recommended reading • All related books, articles, research papers

5. Basics • Essential elements of software project management • Real-world case studies

6. Format • Essentials of software project management • Research readings and writing • Real-world case studies

7. Project Manager Positions • V.P. Program Development • Executive Program Manager • Program Manager • Project Administrator • Project Coordinator • Project Manager • Assistant Project Manager

8. SPM

9. Project Management • What’s a project? • A Project involves getting a new, complex activity accomplished • Involve new activities, typically involve high level of uncertainty and risk • Unique • One Time (First Time Activity) • To Achieve Specific Objectives • PMI definition • A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service

10. Project Management Skills • Leadership • Communications • Problem Solving • Negotiation Skills • Influencing the Organization • Time Management • Mentoring • Budgeting and cost skills • Process and technical expertise

11. Examples of Project • Developing a new Software • Implementing a new Decision Support System • Developing a new office plan/layout • Introducing a new product to the market • Designing an airplane or a supercomputer • Opening a new restaurant • Constructing a bridge, dam, highway, or building • Relocating an office or a factory • Performing major maintenance or repair • Producing or directing a movie • Construction of Egyptian Pyramids • Launching Windows XP, Yukon • Implementing SAP in PIA • Development of US Space Station

12. Project as a System • What are Systems? • Systems are collections of interrelated parts working together to accomplish one or more objectives • The value of viewing Information System Project as a system • Total View of the project in light of its intended purpose is clear • Dimensions of Complexity • Individual, Group, Organization, Multiorganization

13. Project Success / Failure • Why Project Fails? • Does not conform to the design • Late • Over Budget • Lack of User Involvement • Lack of top-management support • Unclear Objectives

14. Project Critical Success Factors • Project mission • Top management support • Plan/Schedule • Client consultation • Personnel • Technical Tasks • Client acceptance • Monitoring and Feedback • Communication • Troubleshooting

15. Interactions / Stakeholders • Project Stakeholders • Project sponsor • Executives • Team • Customers • Contractors • Functional managers

16. PMI’s 9 Knowledge Areas • Project integration management • Scope • Time • Cost • Quality • Human resource • Communications • Risk • Procurement

17. 6 basic functions by PMI • Manage the project’s scope by defining the goal and work to be done in sufficient details to facilitate understanding and corrective action, should the need arise • Manage the human resource involved in the project • Manage communication to see that the appropriate parties are informed and have sufficient information to keep the project on track • Manage time by planning and meeting a schedule • Manage quality so that the project results are satisfactory • Manage costs so that the project is performed at the minimum practical cost and with budget, if possible

18. People Business Environment Management Structure Tools Product Methods One solution! Process Technology Four Project Dimensions • People • Process • Product • Technology

19. Some Challenges • “It’s always a people problem” Gerald Weinberg, “The Secrets of Consulting” • Developer productivity: 10-to-1 range • Improvements: • Motivation • Team selection • Team organization • Commitment • Matching people to tasks • Career development • Balance: individual and team • Clear communication

20. People-Related Issues • Undermined motivation • Weak personnel • Weak vs. Junior • Uncontrolled problem employees • Heroics • Adding people to a late project

21. People-Related Issues Cont… • Noisy, crowded offices • Customer-Developer friction • Unrealistic expectations • Politics over substance • Wishful thinking • Lack of effective project sponsorship • Lack of stakeholder buy-in • Lack of user input

22. Process-Related Issues • Optimistic schedules • Insufficient risk management • Contractor failure • Insufficient planning • Abandonment of plan under pressure

23. Process-Related Issues Cont… • Wasted time during fuzzy front end • Shortchanged upstream activities • Inadequate design • Shortchanged quality assurance • Insufficient management controls • Omitting necessary tasks from estimates • Planning to catch-up later

24. Product-Related Issues • Requirements gold-plating • Feature creep • Developer gold-plating • Push-me, pull-me negotiation • Research-oriented development

25. Technology-Related Issues • Overestimated savings from new tools and methods • Switching tools in mid-project • Lack of automated source-code control

26. Trade-off Triangle • Fast, cheap, good. Choose two.

27. Trade-off Triangle • Know which of these are fixed & variable for every project

28. Tracking • Cost, effort, schedule • Planned vs. Actual • How to handle when things go off plan?

29. Measurements • To date and projected • Cost • Schedule • Effort • Product features • Alternatives • Earned value analysis • Defect rates • Productivity • Complexity

30. Technical Fundamentals • Requirements • Analysis • Design • Construction • Quality Assurance • Deployment

31. Project Phases • All projects are divided into phases • All phases together are known as the Project Life Cycle • Each phase is marked by completion of Deliverables • Identify the primary software project phases

32. Project Life Cycle

33. Major Processes in Project Management

34. Project Phases

35. Major Components of a Project • Project Initiation Selection, and Definition • Identification of need • Evaluation of alternatives • Risk assessment • Identification of stakeholders • Project Organization • Developing WBS • Developing project organizational structure

36. Major Components of a Project • Analysis of Activities • Defining the project major tasks • Developing the list of activities • Precedence relationship among activities • Developing Network Model • Identifying milestones

37. Major Components of a Project • Project Scheduling • Development of a calendar • Estimation of activity duration • Estimation of activity performance dates • Monitoring actual progress and milestone • Updating the schedule • Resource Management • Defining resource requirements • Acquisition of resources • Allocation of resources among project activities • Monitoring of actual resource use and cost

38. Major Components of a Project • Technological Management • Identification of technological risks • TQM • Risk Management and Controls • Working on Complexity • Project Budgeting • Estimation of direct and indirect cost • Development of cash flow forecast • Development of budget • Monitoring actual cost

39. Major Components of a Project • Project Execution and Control • Development of data collection and analysis system • Execution of activities • Tracking deviation in cost, configuration, schedule and quality • Update plan • Forecasting • Project Termination • Evaluation of project success • Recommendation for improvements in PM practices • Post Project Review