IS 556 Project Management

1
IS 556 Project Management

• DePaul University CTI
• Spring 2004-2005
• John Fisher

2
Introductions

• John Fisher
• M.S. DePaul University 1989
• CIO and SVP - SmithBucklin Corporation
  (www.smithbucklin.com)
• Previously CNA Insurance and Continental Bank
• Phone [phone]
• E-mail jfisher_at_cti.depaul.edu or JFisher_at_sba.com
• Office Hours By appointment (500 - 545 Monday)
• Class Web Page http//dlweb.cti.depaul.edu
• 1 Minute Introduction Be Brief
• Name, Work Experience especially Project
  Management
• Or, two issues you want to explore in the class

3
Class Overview

• Administrative Information
• Textbooks
• On Time, Within Budget, 3rd Ed, E. M. Bennatan,
  John Wiley
• Software Project Survival Guide, Steve McConnell,
  Microsoft Press
• Case Studies
• Class Times, Assignments, Grading, Handouts
• One Minute Paper Feedback to me
• Course Format Discussion and Case Study
• Discussion of textbook chapter(s)
• Break
• Case Study
• Web resources
• Class web page, http//dlweb.cti.depaul.edu
• www.gantthead.com, www.Techrepublic.com
• Other resources your company or one you know

4
About the Class

• Lecture and discussion format
• Discussions revolve around case analysis
• Grading is based upon
• Case Study Project - 30
• Case Case Presentation/write-up (10) and
  individual case write ups (20) - 30
• Final Exam - 30
• Class Attendance/Participation 10

5
What We Will Cover Today

• Course Overview and Logistics
• What is Project Management?
• Software Project Management Issues
• Starting A Project Team

6
What This Course Will Cover

• How to handle large and small projects
  successfully
• Industry best practices
• Issues that can make a project succeed or fail
• Corporate culture
• Role of the user

7
More Of What We Will Cover

• Resistance to Technological change
• External factors, including vendor relations
• Proposals and contracts
• Tools and techniques for project estimating and
  scheduling
• Project assessment
• Project approaches or models

8
Case Studies

• Creating a Web Site for Medisys, Ivey 98E011.
• Xerox Sales Activity Management, Ivey 99E015.
• HCL America, HBS 9-396-030.
• Concordia Casting Company, HBS 9-192-151.
• Timberjack Parts Software Selection, HBS
  9-398-085.
• Vandelay Industries, HBS 9-697-037.
• Bank of Ireland, HBS 9-399-012.
• BellSouth Enterprises, 9-193-150.
• Ford Motor Company, 9-198-006

9
About Business Cases

• A case is . . .
• a point in time snapshot of a business or IT
  related issue, problem or situation.
• Cases are meant to . . .
• stimulate critical thinking and problem solving
  skills.
• Generally speaking, cases consist of 10-20 pages
  of text and exhibits.
• Cases are generally based upon reality, within
  certain privacy parameters.
• Generally speaking, there is not an established
  right or wrong answer for any given case,
  however minimum expectations exist.

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Tips About Cases

• Not every detail or exhibit contained in a case
  may be relevant.
• Think big picture - The problems or issues w/i a
  case may not relate directly to a specific class
  session.
• much more likely to relate to the class/subject
  matter as a whole.
• Every case generally includes an array of
  business, technical and project management
  related issues.

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Case Write-Ups

• Students will work in groups of 5 and complete
• Case write-ups (Individually)
• must review the weekly case and prepare a
  write-up based upon the case. (1-2 pages
  typed). (Due before class.)
• Case Presentation (As a group)
• Each non-distance group must present 1 case to
  class and lead discussion.
• Each distance group must select a case to
  specialize in. Write up for that case would be
  4-6 pages.
• One or two case readings are assigned for every
  regular class meeting.
• Think and write like a business person, not a
  student completing a homework assignment!
• Write in the third person, as a trusted advisor
  to the main actor or character in a case.

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Case Write-Ups

• As a general rule each case will contain
  business, technical and project management
  related issues.
• For instance, consider that
• Any software development (or software package
  selection and implementation) project poses
  specific risks to business objectives.
• Technical challenges pose specific risks to
  project objectives and to business objectives.
• Resource capabilities (such as staff
  availability, expertise and productivity) pose
  specific risks to project objectives.

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Case HW Write-Ups

• The analysis of each case should specifically
  focus on identifying the challenges faced by the
  persons and/or organization contained within the
  context of this course the project management
  dimensions are of primary interest.
• But do not forget that
• Every software related project is first and
  foremost a business related project.
• Every software related project is also a
  technical or engineered solution to a business
  problem.

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Case Write-Ups

• One possible approach or strategy for analyzing
  business cases is to a make a three pass
  review
• Quickly read or skim the case to familiarize
  yourself with the case and to perhaps also
  identify any immediately obvious issues at this
  point in your analysis and understanding.
• Then read the case again, this time searching for
  and noting specific issues or problems look for
  the red flags.
• Now look at the case again and consider what was
  not said or discussed in the case that perhaps
  should/could/would improve upon the chain of
  events unfolding in the case.

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Case Presentations

• Each group will lead class in discussion in one
  case.
• Presentation should present
• Basic facts of the case
• Technical/business/Project management challenges
  faced
• Lead discussion on next steps/recommendations
• Case to present and date will be randomly
  assigned to each group.

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About the Class Project

• Class projects represent a challenging way to
  learn about a particular subject on an in-depth
  basis.
• Student groups are expected to apply their
  research work in the form of recommendations to
  solving the issues related to a particularly
  significant issue or problem and in making
  substantive recommendations.
• Think of the classroom audience as an executive
  steering committee and the instructor as the
  executive sponsor of your project.

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Class Project Deliverables

• Project Write-Up
• Consists of 15 typed pages (longer papers will
  have points deducted)
• An expanded version of a case write-up
• Project Management Documentation
• (i.e. C/B analysis, Charter, Schedules, Budgets,
  Org Chart, Resource Plan, WBS Chart, Status
  Reports, Issues Log)
• PowerPoint Presentation
• This is an executive level overview of the
  project write-up
• Presentations are limited to 30 minutes per team.
  At 30 minutes, your time will STOP and will be
  graded upon what was presented.

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Class Project Presentations

• Each project team will make a presentation of
  their research findings to the rest of the class.
  
• The last 2 class meetings of the quarter is
  devoted to student project presentations.
• Each project team can consist of both classroom
  based and virtual team members. The virtual
  team members are the Distance Learning (DL)
  students enrolled in this class.

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Project Groups

• Teams are an integral part of most organizations
• Teams, when functioning properly, will produce
  better work than individuals
• It is critical to have the team get together in
  person for one or two sessions at the beginning
  of the term
• Peer review sheets are used to determine if all
  team members contribute equally
• If there are issues, try to work them out, and
  let me know

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Presentations

• Early in your career, you are paid for what you
  can do
• Later in your career, you will be paid for what
  you can say
• Communication is a key to success in any field or
  organization
• Classroom presentations are an opportunity to
  practice in a controlled and sympathetic
  environment

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Class Project Topics

• These topics selected must be germane to project
  management or to software development (possibly
  IT), in general.
• Class project teams must be formed by our next
  class meeting.
• Your group must determine a spokesperson who will
  send me the names of the people in your group via
  email
• I will post the groups on the COL course site

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Project Topic Approval

• Regardless of what topic is selected, students
  must obtain instructor approval of the topic
  selected.
• Specific topics will be awarded to project teams
  on a first requested, first approved basis.
• An e-mail topic approval request will suffice.
• Submit topic request by fourth class meeting.
• Presentations on the last 2 nights of class of
  the quarter.

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DL/COL Students

• Requirements for both Physical and Virtual (DL)
  students are similar in this class.
• DL students may participate in the group project
  by becoming part of a group with classroom
  students
• DL students may offer a paper and PowerPoint
  presentation in lieu of classroom presentation

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All Students

• All assigned case write-ups for this class are to
  be submitted electronically for review and
  grading purposes in the COL/DL web site.
• Case write-ups are due on the day class meets
  (before class starts)
• Late work is subject to a loss of up to 50 of
  its assigned point value.

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Questions/Feedback

• Problems, Questions or Issues
• E-Mail is the best and quickest way to reach me.
• I will create an FAQ page for the class as/if
  questions arise. I will add to this page any
  questions and any answers that are germane to the
  class at large.

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Week 1 - What we will learn

• What are projects, project management and project
  managers.
• What is so special about software projects
• Starting with he project team

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What is Project Management?

• The planning, organizing, directing and
  controlling of company resources for a relatively
  short-term objective that has been established to
  complete specific goals. (Kerzner - PM A systems
  Approach To Planning, Scheduling Controlling -
  2001.)

• the art of directing coordinating human and
  material resources throughout the life of a
  project by using modern management techniques to
  achieve predetermined objectives of scope, costs,
  time quality and participant satisfaction. (PMI
  BOK, 1996)

• The application of knowledge, skills, tools
  techniques to project activities in order to meet
  or exceed stakeholder needs and exceptions for a
  project.(Cleland, PM - Strategic Design
  Implementation, 1999.)

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What Is A Project?

• Any undertaking that has a definite, final
  objectives representing specified values to be
  used in the satisfaction of some need or desire.
  (Ralph Currier Davis)

• simply a cluster of activities that is
  relatively separate and clear cut. Building a
  plant, designing a new package, soliciting gifts
  p 500,000 for a men's dormitory are examples.
  (Newman - The Process of Management Strategy,
  Action, Results, 6th Edition. - Prentice Hall,
  1987.)

• A project is a sequence of tasks with a beginning
  and end that are bounded by time, resources and
  desired results. Baker and Baker. The Complete
  Idiots Guide to Project Management., Alpha Books
  - 1998.)

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What is a Project?

• Focused Activities
• Usually has definite start end times, some
  specific mission or objective and is usually
  time and cost bound.
• Focused Resources
• Organize resources to create some product or
  service that is unique in some way.
• Focused Objectives
• The activities or steps usually have specific
  objectives completed within a set of
  specifications.

Characteristics Goal directed Collaborative Planne
d Finite
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Different Types of Projects

• Developing a New Release of Software
• Running a political campaign
• Building a bridge
• Development of Italian High-speed train
• Re-engineering a business process
• A military campaign
• Executing a surgical procedure

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Which projects for your organization?

• What will the project cost?
• What time is required?
• What technical performance capability is needed?
• Will the project results fit into the
  organizational strategies?

Strategic Fit
T I m e
C o s t
Project
Technical Performance
Operational Fit
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What is A Project Manager? Kerzner - Project
Management a Systematic Approach

• responsible for coordinating and integrating
  activities across multiple, functional lines.
• Needs to have
• Strong communication skills
• familiar with operations of each line
  organization
• management as well as technical skills
• PM may have increasing responsibility, but very
  little authority. can force them to negotiate
  with upper-management as well as functional
  management for control of company resources.

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More On PM Role Thomas A. Stewart, The
Corporate Jungle Spawns a New Species The
Project Manager, Fortune, July, 10, 1995, pp
179-180.

• Project managers are a class of managers that
  fill niche that used to be filled by mid-level
  management
• Thomas A. Stewart, The Corporate Jungle Spawns a
  New Species The Project Manager, Fortune, July,
  10, 1995, pp 179-180.
• The role tends to include
• dedicated to delivering project on time within
  cost and performance specification
• Interfaces with people doing actual work (e.g.,
  technologists, construction worker, tactical
  units, etc)
• Setting priorities for project team members
  without direct line-of-management control
• Reporting status to management

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More On PM Role

• Project Management is industry independent
  project managers are not
• The techniques and tools of project management
  are used in many industries
• project managers must
• know how to operate in the select business and
  environment
• understand the tasks being accomplished
• gain respect of project members
• must understand the project management, business
  management and technical aspects of project being
  managed

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SIGs within The PMI

• Aerospace Defense
• Manufacturing
• Automation Systems
• Marketing Sales
• Automotive
• Metrics
• Configuration Management
• New Product Development
• Consulting
• Oil, Gas Petrochemical
• Design-Procurement-Construction
• Pharmaceutical
• Dispute Management
• Quality in PM
• Diversity
• Real Estate Development
• E-Business

Education Training Risk Management Environmental
Management Service Outsourcing Financial
Services Students of PM Global Communications
Technologies Troubled Projects Government Utility
Industry Hospitality Management Web Information
Systems Women in Project Management International
Development Retail
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Software Project Manager Role ...

• Ensure software is developed
• On time
• On budget
• Meet requirements
• Project Manager
• Often does not have direct reports
• Often has direct software experience
• May or may not make time, budget and requirement
  commitments.

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Role of Software Project Manager

• Leadership and Guidance
• Technical leadership
• Planning
• Customer Relations
• Client management
• Senior management liaison

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Possible PM Skill Mix
For Example an 8 Person RD Project
Project Management
Technical
Business
39
Another Possible PM Skill Mix
For example, 70 person Software Development.
Project Management
Technical
Business
40
Project Management Functions

• Project Definition, Project Planning, Project
  Control . . .
• Project Definition - What is being done with who
• What is the Projects Objectives
• purpose,
• goals and
• constraints
• What are The Basic Project Management Controls
• Who is involved and what are their roles.
• What is the chain of command.

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Project Management Functions

• Project Planning - Details of how to meet the
  goals
• What Risks Need to Be Managed
• What is the Schedule
• How long will this all take?

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Project Management Functions

• Project Control - How to keep project moving
  towards its goals.
• Progress Management
• Communication
• Corrective Action

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Project Management Functions
Definition
Planning

• Sponsor
• Stakeholders
• Project Rules
• Objectives

• Risk Management
• Detailed Planning
• Scheduling

• SOW
• Responsibility Matrix
• Communication Plan
• Charter

• Risk Plan
• Schedule
• Budget
• Resource Plan

Control

• Measure Progress
• Communication
• Corrective Action
• Project Closure

Corrective Action
44
What we will learn

• What are projects, project management and project
  managers.
• What is so special about software projects
• Starting with the project team

45
Hi-Technology Projects

• Hi-tech projects are much more software-based
• Track record for industry is not good.

of project
46
Project Costs

• 1995 US spending on IT projects
• 250B
• 175,000 projects
• 50B on cost overruns
• 81B on cancelled projects
• But look at a success

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Example of a problem

• On Time Within Budget p 11
• NCI Phone Co.
• What is wrong here from a project management
  viewpoint?
• Other examples?

48
Some Software Problems Issues

• Requirements
• Incomplete
• Inflexible
• Employment issues
• Retaining people
• People conflicts
• Resource contention
• Customer issues
• Changing requirements
• too demanding
• Not available

49
Software Project Issues Continued

• Estimate issues
• Cost estimates - hardware, software, resources
• Time estimates - External/internal deliverables
• Development Process Issues
• Poor testing
• Bad or no documentation
• Lack of change management
• Inflexible or poor software design
• Difficult software integration

50
Software Project Issues Continued

• Release issues
• Missing features
• Unnecessary features
• Misinterpretation of feature operation
• Missing necessary features

51
More Software Problems

• Inability to close projects
• Feature / contract disputes
• Last minute changes
• Testing failure
• Staff drift
• Lack of rollout planning

52
Bill of Rights pp.7-8Software Project Survival
Guide
Customer/project team often conflict and not
respect each others rights.

• Customer Bill of Rights VS Project Teams
• Customer
• To set project objects (and have them followed)
• To know project length and cost
• To make reasonable requirement changes and know
  costs
• To clearly know project status
• To hear on-going risk assessment affecting cost,
  schedule and quality.
• To have access to project deliverables

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Bill of Rights pp.7-8

• Project Team Bill of Rights
• To know project deliverables and to clarify
  priorities
• T o know what project to build and a clear
  product definition
• To have access to customer, manager, marketer or
  others making decisions about functionality
• To work project phases in a technically
  responsible way (in particular, not start coding
  too soon.)
• To approve effort and schedule estimates (to
  provide cost/schedule estimates, and revise when
  requirements change.)
• To have status accurately reported.
• To be free from frequent interruptions and
  distractions.

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What We Will Cover Today

• Course Background and Logistics
• What is Project Management?
• Software Project Management Issues
• Starting A Project Team

55
Kinds of Stakeholders

• Five key areas to think about
• Project Manager -
• Project Team
• Functional Management
• Sponsor
• Customer
• How are all these stakeholders involved and how
  satisfy them all?

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Ident Your Stakeholders?

• Project Stakeholders - Anyone having a stake in
  the success of the project
• Customers, engineers, vendors, technicians,
  management
• Sometimes they are easy to identify. Other times
  need to ask
• Who are the customers?
• Who will make a contribution?
• Who has a stake in the project?
• A Primary task when starting a project
• Who are the project stakeholders?
• What political/technical/organization issues do
  they bring?
• Do they all agree on the goals of the project?
• Do they agree that there is a project?

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StakeHolder Project Manager

• Need to assess your own role.
• What is the extent of you authority
• How clear is your role?
• How clear are other responsibilities with
  relationship to this one?
• Who controls your priorities?
• Project manager leads project even when working
  with people with more formal authority.

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StakeHolder Project Team

• Who will do the tasks of project?
• How clear are roles?
• How solid is their commitment?
• How will inform major minor players? (can be
  large numbers?)
• Will need to identify tasks, dependencies
  roles.
• May be people wanting to be on team that are not
  appropriate.
• PM may need to recruit the team

59
StakeholderSponsor

• The person with formal authority who is
  ultimately responsible for the project.
• Typically has authority to stop the project
• May be a senior executive or junior manager
• Their support is key since
• They empower the PM to manage the project
• The sponsors authority can greatly help the PM
  in projects that cross function lines.

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Sponsor Duties

• A Champion for the Project!
• Issue the Project Charter
• Assist in building the responsibility matrix
• Review and Approve the SOW
• Review Project Status
• Advise the PM
• Help Management The Projects Priority VS other
  projects
• Advises Project manager and helps overcome
  organization obstacles
• From a fortune 500 study . . . Having a known and
  active sponsor was the number 1 reason for success

61
Stakeholder Functional Management

• More likely to have area responsibility instead
  of 1 project.
• E.g., engineering, testing, internal auditing
• Their support a critical success factor for
• Assembly of team
• Helping with political resources
• Timely decision making - may have decision power
  for portions of the project that effect project
• E.g., DB rollout requirements required cooper of
  people at diverse sites

62
Stakeholder The Customer

• Typically the persons or group paying for the
  project.
• Get final say on the requirements for project
• Must differentiate between vital few and
  significant many
• Who will make final decisions?
• There may be only 1 or 2 easily identified
  customers(e.g., a contract job)
• There may be 1000s of contractors (e.g., car
  manufacture, consumer software). May need
  customer reps.

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Stakeholder Management

• Project manager must carefully look at
  stakeholders
• identify the proper stakeholders
• understand the nature of stakeholder interest
• evaluate the impact of stakeholder behavior on
  the project
• What do you need them to do?
• How will ensure they will do it?

64
Stakeholder Management - II

• Politics and stakeholder concerns definitely
  effect projects
• communicate project so all stakeholders
  understand rationale
• appropriately identify sponsors and assure they
  fully endorse the project
• sell project to stakeholders (particularly
  non-believers)
• Concentrate on benefits and sponsorship backing.

65

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Example Stakeholder Management

• Example - multi-organizational project to
  develop a single point of contact for people
  moves -
• real-estate starts move (space management)
• porters physically move,
• networking and desktop team set up PC
• Phone team adjusts number
• Desktop/networking department head wants
  single-seamless process for moves.
• Real-estate DH supports but does not have time
  for project reviews but provides a engineer.

67
Some Final Stakeholder Thoughts

• PM Sometimes Can Control Who Becomes a
  stakeholder
• Question different roles if it is appropriate
• Manage Upward - Need to lead your stakeholders
  (including sponsor - what do you need out of the
  sponsor?)
• Consider Assembly Of Project Board Of Directors
• Review status
• Help With Key Decisions
• Key Communication
• E.g., Program management For Consultant
  Deployment.
• Board of director meeting each month.
• Review costs, schedule, decisions and .

68
How can we fix the problems?

• Iterative approach
• Continuous change
• Flexibility
• Client/user buy-in
• Realistic planning
• Adherence to some basic principles

69
Summary

• What are projects, project management and project
  managers.
• What is so special about software projects
• Starting with the project team