Real-World Project Management. Chapter 15

Transcription

1 Real-World Project Chapter 15

2 Characteristics of Project Unique one-time focus Difficulties arise from originality Subject to uncertainties Unexplained or unplanned events often arise, affecting resources, objectives and timelines Multiple stakeholders Different interests in both the processes and outcomes of the project, 2006, Thomson 2

3 Characteristics of Project No clear authority Project chain of command may conflict with the formal structures of the participating organizational units, 2006, Thomson 3

4 Measuring Project Success Stakeholders determine the degree of success for each project undertaken For example, success may be measured by savings in operating costs or revenue generated Complications arise when different groups of stakeholders have different interests, values and objectives Stakeholders must be identified, prioritized and their measures of success well understood Process must be developed to achieve the desired results, 2006, Thomson

5 Qualitative Methods for Achieving Success The path to success lies in conservative planning Establishes the opportunity to exceed expectations Stakeholder expectations must be managed Expectations must be controlled and managed over time Project managers must possess both technical and soft skills Work objectives must be clearly defined in order to decrease the possibility of scope creep, 2006, Thomson 5

6 Qualitative Tools and Techniques for Project Network diagramming is one of the most versatile techniques for planning Graphic illustration of the activities in a project and their relationship Provides a timeline, critical path, activities on the critical path, 2006, Thomson 6

7 Choosing a Project Network Diagramming Technique To commonly accepted approaches are Activity on Node (AON) and Activity on Arrow (AOA) Using activity on node (AON), nodes represent activities and arrows show precedence. Using activity on arrow (AOA), arrows are activities and nodes are events. Precedence is captured in event relationships., 2006, Thomson 7

8 Ways to Diagram Common Activity Relationships, 2006, Thomson 8

9 Ways to Diagram Common Activity Relationships, 2006, Thomson 9

10 Activity Information for the Systems Development Project, 2006, Thomson 10

11 Diagramming the Systems Development Project, 2006, Thomson 11

12 MS Project Network Diagram for the Systems Development Project, 2006, Thomson 12

13 Developing a Project Schedule A project network can be used to develop a project schedule or plan The duration of a project is equal to the longest path on the project network This is the critical path A project may contain more than one critical path Activity slack is the amount of time a project can be delayed before it becomes critical, 2006, Thomson 13

14 Computing Earliest Start and Earliest Finish Times 0 A C E I 17 1 Start Finish 0 B D F H 16 3 Early Start 8 G 12 Early Finish Activity Duration, 2006, Thomson 1

15 Computing Late Start and Late Finish Times 0 0 A C E I Start Finish 0 1 B D F H Late Start 8 9 G Late Finish, 2006, Thomson 15

16 MS Project Gantt Chart for the Systems Development Project, 2006, Thomson 16

17 MS Project Schedule Table for the Systems Development Project, 2006, Thomson 17

18 Probabilistic Project Treat activities as if they are common variables and assign probabilities to activity times to reflect the inherent uncertainties Calculate an optimistic time (a),a most likely time (m) and a pessimistic time (b) Probabilities for activity times are taken from the beta distribution The formula for te is a weighted average of the three time estimates in which the most likely time (m) is weighted four times that of either the optimistic or pessimistic times, 2006, Thomson 18

19 Analyzing Probabilities Assume that the duration of all activities are independent from each other Activity times are random variables Let T = due date for the project, TE = expected completion time for path T, T E and 2 can be used to calculate a z-score The value of z is the number of standard deviations that the project due date is from the expected completion time, 2006, Thomson 19

20 Time Estimates and Activity Statistics, 2006, Thomson 20

21 Making Time, Cost and Performance Trade-Offs Project completion dates are generated in isolation of management expectations and may demonstrate no relationship to their desires To meet stakeholder expectations, you may: Add resources Reduce performance specifications Change management expectations Combine the previous alternatives, 2006, Thomson 21

22 Making Time-Cost Trade-Offs Adding resources may add complexity and increase project length Accurate estimates regarding the times and costs involved are necessary Normal time (NT) = Expected activity duration without crashing Normal cost (NC) = Expected activity costs without crashing Crash time (CT) = Expected activity duration with crashing Crash cost (CC) = Expected activity cost with crashing, 2006, Thomson 22

23 Crashing Information for the Systems Development Project, 2006, Thomson 23

24 Chapter Summary Projects are complex and dynamic such that the process of planning never ends until the project is completed Characteristics of projects include: unique, one-time focus, subject to uncertainties, multiple stakeholders, and often no clear authority Success lies in the eye of the stakeholders A network diagram is an exceptional tool that helps to determine the schedule and answer questions with regard to deliverables, 2006, Thomson 2