Chapter 10 - Project Tools & Documentation

Process Diagram

When documenting business requirements, sometimes it's helpful to use a process diagram. This shows step-by-step how a process works, where approvals or decisions need to be made, and so on. Process diagrams also come in handy when mapping out business processes. For example, the PMO may have a process diagram that documents how a project idea turns into a project. It starts with a project idea, goes to the selection committee, and returns to the PMO to either proceed into a full-fledged project or for the idea to be archived or placed in a hold status.

Key Performance Parameters (KPPs)

are similar to KPIs, only they are used to set operational goals or performance levels for systems. These are usually represented as the minimum acceptable levels or values for the system.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

A key performance indicator (KPI) is a measurable value that shows whether the project is reaching its intended goals. KPIs should be measurable and applicable to the project.

Run Charts

A run chart displays data observed or collected over time as plots on a line. Over time, you will observe patterns and trends such as improvements (or the lack thereof). You can observe positive (or negative) change with a run chart as well.

Scatter Diagram

A scatter diagram plots two numerical variables on a chart to determine whether there is a correlation between them. Scatter diagrams, also known as correlation charts, display the relationship between these two elements as points on a graph. The closer these variables are to each other, the closer the variables are related. This relationship is typically analyzed to prove or disprove cause-and-effect relationships.

Dashboards

Are a way to visually depict the progress of the project and are often used by executives in the organization. They are easy to read and are usually updated with real-time information so they are always up to date. A dashboard typically displays the most important elements of the project such as cost, time, and deliverables. The most common ways to display this data are graphs or charts, numbers, and/ or status-level indicators such as Red-Yellow-Green.

Charts

Charts are used in project management to depict the schedule, visually display a process flow, display quality values, and determine performance issues. Process diagram Gantt chart Histogram Fishbone Pareto chart Run chart Scatter diagram

Gantt Chart

Gantt charts can show milestones, deliverables, and all the activities of the project including their durations, start and end dates, and the resources assigned to the task. Gantt charts typically display the tasks using a horizontal bar chart format across a timeline.

Issues & Issue Log

Issues are items that arise that could impact the project, bring about a risk, or delay or prevent the completion of deliverables. Issues should be tracked in the issues log along with their status and resolution. Issue Log Elements: - Identification number for tracking - Date the issue was recorded - Description of the issue - Name of the person who reported the issue - Name of the person who owns the issue and will follow through to resolution - Impact rating of the issue usually expressed as high-medium-low - Action plan to resolve issue - Status of the issue - Closed date

Lessons Learned

Lessons learned describe the successes and failures of the project.

Pareto Chart

Pareto charts are displayed as histograms that rank-order the most important factors—such as delays, costs, and defects, for example—by their frequency over time. Pareto's theory is that you get the most benefit if you spend the majority of your time fixing the most important problems. The problems are rank-ordered according to their frequency and percentage of defects. The defect frequencies in this figure appear as black bars, and the cumulative percentages of defects are plotted as circles. The rank-ordering of these problems shows you where corrective action should be taken first.

Project Management Tools

Project managers have many tools available to help analyze project work and report on progress. Project scheduling software Charts Dashboards and status reports Knowledge management tools Performance measurement tools SWOT analysis RACI matrix

Status Reports

Status reports are a written summary of the progress of the project and are much more detailed than dashboards.

Status Meetings

should occur regularly during the project. The purpose of the status meeting is to exchange information and provide updated information regarding the progress of the project. - Meeting agenda should be sent out a day or two before every meeting that describes the topics you and others will address at the meeting. - Meeting minutes should be taken during the meeting so that discussion items and any decisions made are documented. - Action items are tasks that come about, usually at a project status meeting, that require follow-up or resolution. They are typically about the project but don't have a direct impact on the work of the project.

Project Endings

- Addition: Projects that evolve into ongoing operations are considered projects that end because of addition; in other words, they become their own ongoing business unit or the product or result of the project transitions into an existing business unit before the project is completed. - Starvation: When resources are cut off from the project or are no longer provided to the project, it's starved prior to completing all the requirements, and you're left with an unfinished project on your hands. - Integration: occurs when the resources of the project—people, equipment, and supplies—are distributed to other areas in the organization or are assigned to other projects. - Extinction: means the project has been completed and accepted by the stakeholders.

Knowledge Management Tools

- Intranet & Internet Sites: Intranet sites are internal to the organization and can be accessed only by employees (or authorized personnel) within the organization. Internet sites are external to the organization and are accessed from the intranet via a firewall. - Wiki Pages: are typically internal to the organization. Project documents, change control documents, and general information about the project can be posted to the wiki site. A wiki site is generally dedicated to a specific topic or project. - Vendor Knowledge Bases: A knowledge base is a collection of information about a product or process that is continually kept up to date. A vendor knowledge base contains information about their products or services. - Collaboration Tools: allow project team members to work on the same documents while maintaining version control so only the most recent document is available for review.

Closing Steps

- Obtaining formal sign-off and acceptance of the project - Transferring the results of the project to operations and maintenance - Releasing project resources - Closing out contracts - Performing administrative closure - Documenting historical information for future projects - Conducting lessons learned - Preparing the project close report

Balanced Score Card

A balanced score card is a strategic management tool used to measure the activities and processes a business uses to meet its strategic goals. It's a way to determine whether the performance of the organization is measuring up to its goals. The balanced score card measures elements such as financial goals, business processes, innovation, the customer experience, and customer satisfaction.

Preparing the Project Close Report

A final project closeout report needs to be prepared and distributed to all the project stakeholders. - Recap of the original goals and objectives of the project - Statement of project acceptance or rejection (and the reasons for rejection) - Summary of project costs - Summary of project schedule - Lessons learned and historical data

Fishbone

A fishbone diagram is a cause-and-effect diagram that shows the relationship between the effects of problems and their causes. This diagram depicts every potential cause of a problem and the effect that each proposed solution will have on the problem.

Histogram

A histogram displays the frequency distributions of variable data. It looks like a bar chart, and it's easy to create and understand. The data might include temperature, length, time, mileage, weight, distance, and so on.