apsc 160 5. introduction to project management

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APSC 1605. Introduction to Project Management

It is usually a shock to [engineering] students to discover what a small

percentage of decisions made by a designer are made on the basis of the kind of

calculation he has spent so much time learning in school.

Report on Engineering DesignJournal of Engineering Education 51, no. 8

(April 1961)

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Today´s Session

1. Why Project Management

2. Definitions

3. Phases of Project Management

4. Keep in mind

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1. Why project management

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Why Project Management?

• KPMG 2002 study covering 134 companies in four continents• 67 % claim program management needs improvement;

– PMI certified only 23 % of organizations' relevant employees– 81% manage projects using "a home grown methodology".

• 56 % had to write-off at least one IT project as a failure (average €12.5m , single biggest €210m);

• Measurement for success: – 21% being on time;– 9% delivering projects within budget;

• Main reasons for failure: – inadequate planning;– poor scope management;– poor communication between the IT function and the business.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/11/26/it_project_failure_is_rampant/

6Standish Group International, Inc. 2004

7Standish Group International, Inc. 2004

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2. Definitions

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Project

• Multitask job

• It is done only one time

• Should have:– Definite starting and ending points– Budget– Clearly defined scope and performance requirements.

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Project Management

• The art of matching a project's goals, tasks, and resources to accomplish a goal as needed.

• The project is managed by the Project Manager

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Project Manager

• Facilitator of the planning scheduling and controlling of all activities that must be done to achieve project objectives

• An enabler– Involve the project team in the project planning– Lead– Develop common understanding– Facilitate– Assure resources– Buffer from disruptions

• Preferably a project manager should only manage

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3. Phases of Project Management

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Phases of a Project

Effort in Planning

Concept Definition Planning Execution Closeout

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1. Concept

• Define your goals in writing (must make sense to everyone involved)

• Goal definition is a team activity:– Every team member must have an understanding and

agree on what must be accomplished

• The written document must :– State and briefly detail what is the goals – Define success (what defines the goal as accomplished?)

• Defining success is necessary to :– Avoid ambiguity as to whether the goal has been

accomplished – Prevent from unnecessary improvement on a goal

sufficiently accomplished


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2. Definition

• The team defines the project tasks and activities

• Each goal or sub-set of goals should be matched to the tasks required to accomplish them

• The team should:

– List the goals on the left side of a sheet of paper, then writing the tasks to their right

– Agree that the set of tasks will accomplish the goals as per required in the definitions for success


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2. Definition

• The definition document should:– keep the audience in mind– be agreed upon by everyone involved– be realistic– be specific– be measurable – have a time component or deadline– have a clearly defined set of responsibilities


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3. Planning

• Determine and verify resource required to accomplish the goals stated in the project (correctly, on time, on budget):

• People • Time • Money • Space • Materials• Permits• Computers • Software • etc.

• A sound planning must avoid: • Squeeze a project into a shorter time frame• Cut corners to minimize resource requirements • Plan on a best-case basis

• Do not underestimate the amount and type of resources required (Risk: run over budget and fall behind schedule)


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3. Planning

• Translate your goals into specific tasks and create a plan to complete then.

• Tasks are identifiable steps that can be sequenced on a timeline or calendar and assigned to specific people. They should:– be clear and simply stated (if necessary, consider breaking a

task into smaller tasks).– have clear time frames– include only work-related aspects– be associated with a specific person or team members– one person should be responsible for deciding when it is done


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3. Planning

• With the list of tasks, make a plan to complete them. Some will be independent of one another, others will not. – Organizing the tasks in a logical sequence– Identify who will be responsible for each task and what

resources they will need – Identify milestones (meaningful intermediate achievements).

• Translate the task into a schedule. – Assign specific starting and ending dates to each task and

milestone.– Build in your schedule buffer time for uncertainty (be kept to a

minimum).


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3. Planning

• Projects involve uncertainty that may lead to problems during the project. Dealing with them requires more resources than originally planned– Identify practical risks for each task and develop a back up plan

that will help you to stay on schedule– Pay special attention to “killer risks” – Build in your schedule buffer time for uncertainty (be kept to a

minimum)• Verify that the team will have access to the requirements• In some instances it may be necessary to acquire

resources as the project progresses


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3. Planning

Develop a schedule • Use a scheduling tool to plot the tasks, people

responsible for these tasks, and a timeline• See how tasks depend on each other, where the

progress, what are the current and next steps• After your chart is made, correct conflicts of

resources (order of tasks, assignments per team member, dates)

• Assign the task of updating the schedule to a member of the team


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Gantt chart

• Developed by Henry Gantt in 1910’s • Used to control the tasks required to

complete a project and assess their status.

• The chart shows:– Time line of tasks to be completed;– Length of each task bar = duration of

task;– Arrows connecting independent tasks;– Milestones;– Resources necessary for completion are

also identified next to the chart.


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Gantt chart - exampleConcept Definition Planning Execution Closeout

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Gantt chart – Building your chart

Steps to build and maintain a chart

1. Plot (tasks, people, timeline, milestones)

2. Look for dependences

3. Correct conflicts

4. Updating the schedule will be necessary during project execution


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3. Planning

• You now have a carefully thought-out plan and schedule for the project that identifies goals, tasks, and milestones.

• Each member of the project team should have:– The goals– A complete schedule– The lists of tasks, responsibilities and milestones– The list of risks and backup plans– Contact information for the team members

• YOU ARE READY TO EXECUTE!


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4. Execution

• The team is responsible to make the project happen in spite of problems and conflicts

• The success of the team depends on the dedication of each team member– If you are waiting on a team member to accomplish a task and

they are behind, it is your responsibility to help them in any way you can

– If you cannot help them, you must make sure they get the help to accomplish their task

– The victim phrase does not absolve you of any responsibility, rather it makes you look like you are not a team player


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4. Execution

• Start the project on time• The project manager is responsible for

– Coordinating activites and group members– Keeping the team updated

• Each team member is responsible for – Documenting (& backing-up) their activities– Updating the project manager– Communicate among each other as required – Bring up to the group if he feels he is going to go

overtime/budget as soon as possible• Once the goals are accomplished, the project is

complete


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4. Execution

• Establish regular meetings as is convenient for the project to:– Review the schedule and the tasks status (complete or

incomplete)– Review the risks and define corrective actions when needed– Adjust the schedule if necessary

• Control deviations as necessary:– Do not jeopardize the whole project for the sake of one aspect– “99% done” is not “done”

• Identify exactly what remains to accomplish and come up with a detailed plan for doing it

– If the deadline can't be met, consider changing it or adjusting the scope of the project


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4. Execution

• One team member should be responsible for the schedule:– Keep an the ideal schedule– Update the work schedule (make changes and obtain

agreement from the group)– Adjust the schedule (changes in the definition , project

scope, time frame of tasks or project deadline)– Communicate changes in the schedule to everyone

promptly and regularly


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5. Closeout

• Build in the schedule the time to document your project as extensively as you can at the end of it

• You should include a copy of your initial goals, task lists, and schedule in your final report

• After the goals have been achieved, evaluate the performance of the project team in the last group meeting. This is where learning and experience is gained and will help prevent similar problems in the future– What goals were met and which weren't?– Was communication effective among team members during the project?– Were there specific technical hurdles that were overcome or not?– Were there budget or staff issues?– What advice would you give to others embarking on a similar project?– What would you change in the execution of the project?– Etc.


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4. Keep in mind

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Keep in mind

• Project Management can reduce project failure

• Project Management is an iterative process

• If you know where you are going you will get there. If you do not know where you are going you will get there

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APSC 1605. Engineering Design

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Sources

• Dym, C., Little, P. (2009) Engineering Design: A Project-Based Introduction. Third edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

• University of Texas at Austin, Project Management Tutorial, http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cit/howto/tutorials/project/index.html

• Culpepper, M. (2006),Project Management, MIT• Lewis, J. (2002), Fundamentals of Project Management, 2nd. Edition, New York: AMACOM• 1999 - 2006 Culpepper, M. ,Project management,

http://pcsl.mit.edu/2.000/tutorials/management/management.html• The Learning Factory, (2004), Project Management - Gantt Chart Tutorial, Pennsylvania State

University. http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLR_enCA246CA246&q=Project+Management+%2d+Gantt+Chart+Tutorial

• Project Management Tutorials http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cit/howto/tutorials/project/index.html ; http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cit/howto/tutorials/project/closing.html

• Project Management:– http://pcsl.mit.edu/2.000/tutorials/management/management.html

• Project Management - Gantt Chart Tutorial: http://www.mne.psu.edu/me415/resources/docs/gantt%20chart.pdf

http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cit/howto/tutorials/project/index.html

http://pcsl.mit.edu/2.000/tutorials/management/management.html

http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cit/howto/tutorials/project/index.html

http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cit/howto/tutorials/project/closing.html

http://www.mne.psu.edu/me415/resources/docs/gantt%20chart.pdf

apsc 160 5. introduction to project management

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