Anatomy of a Project

1
Anatomy of a Project
A.M. Ruskin and W.E. Estes (1995) What Every
Engineer Should Know About Project Management,
New York Marcel Dekker.

• A project has a beginning and an end.
• The major phases of a project include
• Concept Phase
• Definition or Proposal Phase
• Planning and Organizing Phase
• Plan Validation Phase
• Performance or Work Accomplishment Phase
• Post-Accomplishment Phase

2
Your Turn

• Work in groups of 3 or 4
• You are a consulting team hired to design the
  structure of a calculus course. Your client would
  like to provide a calculus course that maximizes
  the learning of key concepts among engineering
  students. Your deliverables will include
• a set of learning objectives
• a syllabus
• lectures, instructional method, class activities,
  etc.
• a set of assignments, tests, and other means of
  assessing learning
• Project manager ___________________

3
Anatomy of a Project

• Concept Phase
• Initial idea is born.
• Idea is stated as an objective (e.g. Need a means
  for 1,500 cars to cross a river each day.)
• Defines what, but not how.
• Need a new high-end front-load washer and dryer
  for the global market.

4
Anatomy of a Project

• Project Definition Phase
• Characterize the project in terms of assumptions
  about the situation, alternative ways of
  achieving the objectives, decision criteria and
  models for choosing among viable alternatives,
  practical constraints, significant potential
  obstacles, and resource budgets and schedules
  needed to implement the viable alternatives.
• Clearly define the scope of the project.
• Tentatively select the overall approach that will
  be used to achieve the objectives.

5
Anatomy of a Project

• Project Definition Phase- cont.
• Unambiguous project description including
• How the work will be done
• How the project will be organized
• Who the key personnel are
• A tentative schedule
• A tentative budget
• Duet base product on the existing European
  front-load platform, engineering design,
  industrial design, manufacturing shared between
  Europe and North America. Cross-functional core
  team, ambitious development schedule, and budget
  established.

6
Your turn

• Define your project
• What can you say right now?
• What assumptions?
• What else would you need to know?

7
Anatomy of a Project

• Planning and Organizing Phase
• Detailed plans are prepared by responsible
  parties
• Tasks identified
• Task milestones are determined
• Detailed budgets are determined
• Resource requirements are established for each
  task
• Organization is established (personnel hired or
  assigned)
• Duet Team leaders assigned and tasked with
  defining detailed budgets timing plans, and
  filling teams.

8
Your turn

• Plan the project
• Identify 3 tasks
• Define 1 or more milestones for each
• What resources and budget would be needed for
  each?

9
Anatomy of a Project

• Plan Validation Phase
• Validate the plan through various means
• Literature searches
• Field reconnaissance
• Experiments
• Interviews
• Other
• Duet product development project based on
  established C2C process. Schedules and budgets
  based on past experience with similar platform
  development projects. New or OEM technology
  particulars researched through vendors,
  benchmarking, and other research. Revenue
  estimates through market research.

10
Anatomy of a Project

• Performance of Work Accomplishment Phase
• Doing the work
• Reporting the results
• Trouble shooting
• Staying on time and within budget
• Altering plans
• Duet design, development, and launch of
  product less than 2 years after project
  initiation.

11
Anatomy of a Project

• Post- Accomplishment Phase
• Confirming the customer is satisfied
• Documenting successes and failures as reference
  for future projects
• Close out project accounts
• Re-assign personnel
• Transition to on-going support and maintenance
  phase
• Duet post-launch audit. Rapid response to
  minor problems with product.

12
Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Manager

• Project management involves a set of duties that
  must be performed and are no one elses prime
  responsibility.
• Ensure customer satisfaction
• Direct and control all day-to-day activities
  necessary to accomplish the project
• Take initiatives as required in order to
  accomplish the project
• Negotiate commitments with the customer
• Ensure collection of the fee
• Inherent duties

13
Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Manager

• Ensure Customer Satisfaction
• Often considered the most important
  responsibility of the project manager
• Good customer service procedures
• Confirm key issues during the course of the
  project
• Maintain good informal relationships with the
  customer
• Reread project requirements on several occasions
• Keep the customer informed so that they can help
  respond to or influence project results and
  timing (no surprises)
• Not all customers are good customers
• If all else fails, legally terminate relationship

14
Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Manager

• Direct and Control all Day-to-Day Activities
• Direction and control may vary depending on staff
  capability and motivation (set goals and
  deliverables for some and micro-manage others).
• Constantly use foresight to predict if project is
  staying on time and within budget
• Maintain appropriate back-up plans when necessary.

15
Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Manager

• Take Initiatives as Required In Order to
  Accomplish The Project
• Problems will occur, when they do, the project
  manager needs to initiate corrective action.
• Do no hesitate to seek advice (from supervisor,
  peers, employees, consultants, other.)

16
Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Manager

• Negotiate Commitments with the Customer
• Ultimate responsibility for commitments to the
  customer resides with the project manager.
• If assigned to a project after commitments have
  been made, evaluate if commitments can actually
  be achieved. You may have to negotiate new terms
  if un-achievable, or report to management if no
  resolution possible.
• As project progresses, some give and take may be
  necessary with customer.

17
Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Manager

• Ensure Collection of Fee
• Ensure customer meets their obligation of
  delivering fees for service (this is often
  handled by other parts of an organization).
• Ensure all obligations are met by project team so
  that customer has no reason to withhold payment.

18
Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Manager

• Inherent Duties
• Interpret the statement of work to supporting
  elements.
• Prepare and be responsible for an implementation
  plan.
• Define, negotiate and secure resource
  commitments.
• Manage and coordinate interfaces created by
  subdividing the project.
• Alert management to difficulties beyond ones
  control.
• Maintain standards and conform to established
  policies and practices.
• Monitor and report progress and problems
  (informal.)
• Organize and present reports and reviews
  (formal.)
• Develop personnel as needed to accomplish the
  project.
• Motivate!!