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24 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back
Project Management
-Process of planning, scheduling, monitoring and controlling , and reporting upon the development of an information system
-A successful project must be completed on time within budget and deliver a product that satisfies users
-Project management techniques can be used throughout SDLC.
-Systems Development projects have four elements to project manage:
1) Project Scope
2) Budget
3) Time Constraints
4) Quality Standards
Project Management Roles
- Project Manger: Usually a Systems Analyst or IT Manager. Responsibility for all of the project
-Project Co-ordinator: Handles administrative responsibility for the development team and negotiates with users who have conflicting requirements
Main Tasks of Project Managers
-Project Planning: Identify project tasks and estimate completion time and costs
-Project Scheduling: Creation of a specific timetable in the form of charts to show critical tasks that might delay a project. Also involves staff project
-Project Monitoring and Controlling: Guiding, supervising, coordinating the project teams workload. Project manager must monitor progress and stay on target
- Project Reporting: Regular progress reports to management, users and the project team.
Project Planning
-Project plan provides an overall framework for managing costs and schedules
-Project planning takes place at the beginning and end of each SDLC phase to develop a plan and schedule for the phases that follow
-Starts with a list of tasks ie: conducting interviews
-Ends with events or milestones to monitor progresss
First Step - Identifying Tasks
-Must consider the project size first as the amount of work increases dramatically as the project scope increases
-Project must be managed constantly to ensure no PROJECT CREEP
-Scheduling people and tasks can be affected by BROOKS LAW
-Concept by Fredrick Brooks Jr, an IBM engineer, who observed that adding manpower to late software only makes it later
Estimating Task Completion Time and Cost
-Task completion times and related cost estimates are usually expressed in person days (represent the amount of work a person can complete in a day)
-Project managers often use formulas for estimating the duration of each task
Task Time Formula
-First makes three time estimates for each task:
1) Optimistic or best-case estimate
2) Probable case estimate
3) Worst case estimate
Manager then assigns a weight or importance value to each estimate but common approach is B =1, P=4, W =1
Calculated as follows:
(B+4P+W)
---------------
6
Factors affecting time and cost estimates
-Project size and scope
-IT resources
-Prior experience with similar projects or systems
-Applicable constraints
Project Size and Scope
-Project manager must estimate the time required to complete tasks
-To develop accurate estimates he must identify all project tasks form initial fact-finding to system implementation
-In developing the estimate they must allow time for meetings, project reviews, training and other factors
IT Resources
-Project manager must assemble and guide a development team that has the skill and experience to handle the project
-Additional team members might be needed
Prior Experience with similar projects or systems
-A project manager may develop time and cost estimates based on the resources used for similar previously developed systesms.
Constraints
-A constraint is a condition, restriction or requirement that the system must satisfy.
-ie: Resources, or time
-Given the limitations the project manager must define the systems requirements that can be achieved realistically with the required constraints
Project Scheduling
-This is a specific timetable, usually in the form of charts that show task dependencies, and critical tasks that might delay a project
-Scheduling also involves selecting and staffing the project team and assigning specific tasks to team members
-Project manager must know the duration of each task, which activities will be performed and start/end times
-Must see if the task is dependent on other tasks ie: can't move on to one task until other is done.
Gantt Charts
-Can schedule a project and show the start and end.
-This is a horizontal bar chart that represents a series of tasks.
-Arranges tasks vertically from top to bottom with the position on the bar showing the planned start and end of the task
-Can present an overview of the projects status but no other detailed information
PERT/CPM Charts
-The Programme Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) was developed by the US Navy to manage complex projects
-At the same time the Critical Path Method(CPM) was developed.
-The distinction between the two has now dissolved and overall called the PERT/CPM CHART
-Bottom Up Technique as it analyses a large complex project as a series of individual tasks called PROJECT TASKS
-To create one you need to identify the project taks and estimate how much time each will take to perform
-Has a Task Name, Task ID ,Task Duration, Start and End Dat
-Dependent tasks will not move until the others are finished
-Multiple Predecessor tasks wont begin until two or more prior tasks are completed
-Muliple Successor Tasks - when several tasks start at the same time
Project Risk Management
-Ever IT project involves risks and project managers must address this
-Risk management is the process of identifying, analysing, anticipating and monitoring risks to minimise their impact on the project
First Step in Risk Management- Develop a Plan
- Risk management plan includes a review of the projects cope, stakeholders, budget, schedule and any external factors that might affect it
-Should define project roles and risk management methods and contingency plans
Second Step - Identify the Risks
-Risk Identification lists each risk and assesses the likelihood that it could affect the project
-Lists include brief description of the risk, what might cause it to occur and who would be responsible
Third Step - Analyse the Risk
-Two Step process
-Qualitative risk analysis evaluates each risk by estimating the probability that it will occur and assessing the impact
-For this project managers use a formula to weigh risk and display the results with a two access grid
-Quantitative Risk Analysis is to understand the actual impact in terms of dollars, time, project scope and quality. This can involve a modelling process called What If
-The project manager will then create a risk response plan -an action plan to deal with it
-They will also monitor the risks
Project Monitoring and Control
-Project Manager has a STRUCTURED WALK THROUGH or review of a project team members work
-Structured walk through's take place through SDLC and are called also design reviews, code reviews or testing reviews
-Maintain a schedule is crucial to anticipate problems and deal with problems.
Project Reporting
-Project Status Meetings: Update the team and discuss the projects status, issues or problems
-Project Status Reports: Project manager must report regularly to his immediate supervisor. Gantt charts often include progress report
Project Management Software
-Microsoft Office Project 2007
-Open Workbench
Software Change Control
-The process of managing and controlling changes requested after the systems requirements document has been submitted and accepted
-Real problem as the development process involves many compromises and users never entirely satisfied
-Must complete a change control request form
Keys to Project Success
-Business Issues: System must meet business requirements or it produces problems for stakeholders and users
-Budget Issues: Include unrealistic estimates
-Schedule Issues: Problems with timetables
-Successful Project Management is challenging