Project Management

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Project Management
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Project Management
DILBERTS BOSS
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A Balancing Act

• Deliverables
• Cost
• Quality

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Learning How

• ME 414W/415W - http//www.me.psu.edu/sommer/me415/
  
• MBA
• Industrial training programs

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Planning

• Technical
• Time
• Resources
• Personnel
• Equipment and Facilities
• Budget

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Benefits of Planning

• Framework for communication
• Clients and coworkers
• Allocate resources
• Personnel, equipment and facilities, budget
• Benchmark to measure progress

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Planning - Fundamentals

• Establish Performance Standards at the BEGINNING
• Use Decision Trees/Matrices, QFD, Taguchi Methods
• Assure Performance Standards as Project
  Progresses
• Verify Final Performance Against Standards
• NO SUPRISES!

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Time Planning

• Identify TASKS
• Estimate DURATION of Tasks
• Establish PRECEDENCE of Tasks
• Record MILESTONES (Performance and Dated)
• Plan Start and Finish DATES for Tasks

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Models

• Gantt Charts - Bar Charts
• CPM/PERT - Network
• Control Charts - Planned versus Actual
• http//www.mne.psu.edu/me415/resources/docs/gantt
  chart.pdf

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Example Gantt Chart
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Gantt Chart

• Tabulate Project Tasks
• Title and ID Number for Each Task
• Estimate Duration of Each Task
• Estimate Resource Requirements for Each Task (May
  Need Dummy Tasks for Critical Resources)
• Identify Prerequisite Tasks for Each Task
• Layout Bar Chart with One Bar per Task based on
  Time
• Add Dated Milestones

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Example Gantt Chart
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Gantt Chart - Pros and Cons

• Strengths
• See Status of Each Task at Any Point in Time
• See Overlapping and Parallel Tasks
• Weaknesses
• Unable to Tell if the Entire Project is on Time
  for Highly Dependent Projects
• Difficult to Show Critical Path

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CPM/PERT

• Critical Path Method
• Program Evaluation and Review Technique

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Example PERT Chart
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CPM/PERT

• Tabulate Project Tasks
• Title and ID Number for Each Task
• Estimate Duration for Each Task D(O4MP)/6
• O Optimistic, M Most Likely, P Pessimistic
• Estimate Resource Requirements for Each Task (May
  Need Dummy Tasks for Critical Resources)
• Identify Prerequisite Tasks for Each Task
• Layout Flowchart of Tasks Based on Dependencies
  NOT Time
• Indicate Performance Milestones on Flowchart

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CPM/PERT - continued

• Calculate Earliest Completion Time and Latest
  Completion Time
• Beginning at start of project, ECT for task ECT
  for preceding node duration
• Beginning at end of project, LCT for task LCT
  for following node - duration
• Calculate Slack Time for Each Task
• Slack for Task ECT - LCT
• Determine Critical Path
• Longest Time Path
• Zero Slack

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Example PERT Chart
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CPM/PERT Pros and Cons

• Strengths
• Shows Task Dependencies
• Predicts Critical Path
• Identifies Slack Time for Resources
• Weaknesses
• Assumes Subsequent Task Starts Immediately After
  Prerequisite Concludes
• Difficult to Visualize Timing

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Control Charts

• Quality
• Statistical Process Control
• Schedule
• Gantt, Milestone, PERT
• Budget
• Commitment
• Performance
• Cash Flow

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Budget Control Chart
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Resource Planning

• LINK TO TIME PLANNING
• Personnel
• In-House
• Vendors and Subcontractors
• Circle-dot chart

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Circle-dot Chart
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Resource Planning - continued

• Equipment and Facilities
• May Need to Add Dummy Tasks for Critical
  Resources
• Downtime for Expected Maintenance or Failure
• Budget
• Often Not Under Direct Control of Project Team
• Contingency Funds
• Variable Value of Money
• Inflation
• International Currency

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Project Management is
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a Balancing Act