IT464 PROJECT MGMT IN INFO SYSTEMS
are those tools that have high use and high potential for improving project success, such as: ◦Software for task scheduling (such as project management software) ◦Scope statements ◦Requirements analyses ◦Lessons-learned reports
"Super tools"
What Went Right?
"The real improvement that I saw was in our ability toin the words of Thomas Edisonknow when to stop beating a dead horse....Edison's key to success was that he failed fairly often; but as he said, he could recognize a dead horse before it started to smell...In information technology we ride dead horsesfailing projectsa long time before we give up. But what we are seeing now is that we are able to get off them; able to reduce cost overrun and time overrun. That's where the major impact came on the success rate."* Many organizations, like Huntington Bancshares, Inc., use an executive steering committee to help keep projects on track. Some projects still go on a long time before being killed, like Blizzard's Titan game project. *Cabanis, Jeannette, "'A Major Impact': The Standish Group's Jim Johnson On Project Management and IT Project Success," PM Network, PMI, Sep.1998, p. 7
program
"a group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually" (PMBOK® Guide, Fifth Edition, 2013)
Virtual Team Disadvantages
- Delays in meeting deadlines - Little supervision and greater trust on team members - Greater focus on results than the process - Provides guidance, encouragement, and support with little control
Coordinating Planning and Execution
- Project planning and execution are intertwined and inseparable activities - Those who will do the work should help to plan the work - Project managers must solicit input from the team to develop realistic plans
How Top Management Can Help Project Managers
- Providing adequate resources - Approving unique project needs in a timely manner - Getting cooperation from other parts of the organization - Mentoring and coaching on leadership issues
Project Integration Management Processes, Part 1
1. Developing the project charter involves working with stakeholders to create the document that formally authorizes a project—the charter. 2. Developing the project management plan involves coordinating all planning efforts to create a consistent, coherent document—the project management plan. 3. Directing and managing project work involves carrying out the project management plan by performing the activities included in it.
What Helps Projects Succeed?*
1. User involvement 2. Executive support 3. Clear business objectives 4. Emotional maturity 5. Optimizing scope 6. Agile process 7. Project management expertise 8. Skilled resources 9. Execution 10. Tools and infrastructure
Predictive Life Cycle Models
1. waterfall model 2. spiral model 3. incremental build model 4. prototyping model 5. rapid application development (RAD) model
What are the project management framework?
10 Knowledge Areas
Project Life Cycle
A collection of project phases, such as concept, development, implementation, and close-out
Scrum team or development team
A cross-functional team of five to nine people who organize themselves and the work to produce the desired results for each sprint
project charter
A document issued by the project initiator or sponsor that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.
Change Control Board (CCB)
A formal group of people responsible for approving or rejecting changes on a project
Best Practice
A management process, technique, or method that is most effective at arriving at a desired outcome or better outcome than any other process, technique, or method.
kick-off meeting
A meeting held at the beginning of a project so that stakeholders can meet each other, review the goals of the project, and discuss future plans
Agile Software Development
A method for software development that uses new approaches, focusing on close collaboration between programming teams and business experts
deliverable
A product, or service produced or provided such as a report or segment of software code, produced as part of a project
The Importance of Project Phases and Management Reviews
A project should successfully pass through each of the project phases in order to continue on to the next
process
A series of actions or steps taken to achieve an end
Daily Scrum
A short meeting in which the team shares progress and challenges
Product Backlog
A single list of features prioritized by business value
Gantt chart
A time and activity bar chart that is used for planning, managing, and controlling major programs that have a distinct beginning and end.
weighted scoring model
A weighted scoring model is a tool that provides a systematic process for selecting projects based on many criteria Identify criteria important to the project selection process Assign weights (percentages) to each criterion so they add up to 100% Assign scores to each criterion for each project Multiply the scores by the weights and get the total weighted scores The higher the weighted score, the better
IT governance
Addresses the authority and control for key IT activities in organizations, including IT infrastructure, IT use, and project management
Top Three Reasons Why Federal Technology Project Succeed
Adequate funding Staff expertise Engagement from all stakeholders
Agile Project Management
Agile means being able to move quickly and easily, but some people feel that project management, as they have seen it used, does not allow people to work quickly or easily. Early software development projects often used a waterfall approach, as defined earlier in this chapter. As technology and businesses became more complex, the approach was often difficult to use because requirements were unknown or continuously changing. Agile today means using a method based on iterative and incremental development, in which requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration.
What is the name of one of the popular certifications provided by the project management Institute? a. Certified project Manager (CPM) b. Project Management Professional (PMP) c. Project Management Expert (PME) d. Project Management Mentor (PMM)
B. Project Management Professional (PMP)
The ______ filed includes the top skills employers look for in new college graduates. a. Communications b. Project Management c. Financial management d. customer service
B. Project management
Several application development projects done for the same functional group might best be managed as part of a ________. a. portfolio b. program c. investment d. collaborative
B. program
Advantages of Using Formal Project Management
Better control of financial, physical, and human resources Improved customer relations Shorter development times Lower costs Higher quality and increased reliability Higher profit margins Improved productivity Better internal coordination Higher worker morale
Which of the following is not a potential advantage of using good project management? a. shorter development times b. higher worker morale c. lower cost of capital d. higher profit margins
C. Lower cost of capital
Important Issues and Suggestions Related to Globalization
Communications Trust Common work practices Tools Suggestions Employ greater project discipline Think global but act local Keep project momentum going Use newer tools and technology
Which of the following is not true? a. most American companies have a project management office. b. you can earn an advanced degree in project management from hundreds of colleges and universities. c. Employers are looking for project management skills in new graduates. d. Project management certification does not affect pay.
D. Project management certification does not affect pay.
Which of the following is not an attribute of a project? a. Projects are unique b. Projects are developed using progressive elaboration. c. Projects have a primary customer or sponsor. d. Projects involve little uncertainty.
D. Projects involve little uncertainty.
methodology
Describes how things should be done;
NPV Calculations
Determine estimated costs and benefits for the life of the project and the products it produces Determine the discount rate (check with your organization on what to use) Calculate the NPV (see text for details) Notes: Some organizations consider the investment year as year 0, while others start in year 1. Some people entered costs as negative numbers, while others do not. Check with your organization for their preferences
A systems approach
Emerged in the 1950s to describe a more analytical approach to management and problem solving
Expert Judgment
Experts can help project managers and their teams make many decisions related to project execution
Financial Analysis of Projects
Financial considerations are often an important consideration in selecting projects Three primary methods for determining the projected financial value of projects: Net present value (NPV) analysis Return on investment (ROI) Payback analysis
A leader
Focuses on long-term goals and big-picture objectives while inspiring people to reach those goals
Change Control on Information Technology Projects
Former view: The project team should strive to do exactly what was planned on time and within budget Problem: Stakeholders rarely agreed up-front on the project scope, and time and cost estimates were inaccurate Modern view: Project management is a process of constant communication and negotiation Solution: Changes are often beneficial, and the project team should plan for them
What are the 3 basic organization structures?
Functional, Project, and Matrix.
The Role of the Project Manager
Highly visible Responsible for making sure that: 1. All necessary activities are finished in order and on time 2. The project comes in within budget 3. The project meets quality goals 4. The people assigned to the project receive motivation, direction, and information responsibilities like planning, scheduling, coordinating, and working with people to achieve project goals
The Context of IT Projects
IT projects can be very diverse in terms of size, complexity, products produced, application area, and resource requirements IT project team members often have diverse backgrounds and skill sets IT projects use diverse technologies that change rapidly. Even within one technology area, people must be highly specialized
Need for Organizational Commitment to Information Technology (IT)
If the organization has a negative attitude toward IT, it will be difficult for an IT project to succeed Having a Chief Information Officer (CIO) at a high level in the organization helps IT projects Assigning non-IT people to IT projects also encourage more commitment
outsourcing benefits
Increased quality and efficiency of business processes Reduced operating expenses for head count and exposure to risk for large capital investments Access to outsourcing service provider's expertise, economies of scale, best practices, and advanced technologies Increased flexibility for faster response to market changes and less time to market for new products or services
Virtual Teams Advantages
Increasing competiveness and responsiveness by having a team of workers available 24/7 Lowering costs because many virtual workers do not require office space or support beyond their home offices. Providing more expertise and flexibility by having team members from across the globe working any time of day or night Increasing the work/life balance for team members by eliminating fixed office hours and the need to travel to work.
Common Elements of a Project Management Plan
Introduction or overview of the project Description of how the project is organized Management and technical processes used on the project Work to be done, schedule, and budget information
Project Closing
Involves gaining stakeholder and customer acceptance of the final products and services
Project monitoring and controlling
Involves measuring progress toward project objectives, monitoring deviation from the plan, and taking correction actions
Organizational culture
Is a set of shared assumptions, values, and behaviors that characterize the functioning of an organization
Project Pre-initiation
It is good practice to lay the groundwork for a project before it officially starts Senior managers often perform several pre-initiation tasks, including the following: Determine the scope, time, and cost constraints for the project Identify the project sponsor Select the project manager Develop a business case for a project (see Table 3-2 for an example) Meet with the project manager to review the process and expectations for managing the project Determine if the project should be divided into two or more smaller projects
an informed decision
It is not a snap decision whether to use an agile approach or not, just like flying or driving somewhere on a trip Projects with less rigid constraints, experienced and preferably co-located teams, smaller risks, unclear requirements, and more flexible scheduling would be more compatible with an agile approach The following example uses Scrum roles, artifacts, and ceremonies
Focusing on broad organizational needs
It is often difficult to provide strong justification for many IT projects, but everyone agrees they have a high value "It is better to measure gold roughly than to count pennies precisely" Three important criteria for projects: There is a need for the project There are funds available There's a strong will to make the project succeed
Capitalizing on Product, Business, and Application Area Knowledge
It is often helpful for IT project managers to have prior technical experience On small projects, the project manager may be required to perform some of the technical work or mentor team members to complete the projects On large projects, the project manager must understand the business and application area of the project
describe the key competencies that project managers must develop
Knowledge areas
Ethics
Loosely defined, is a set of principles that guide our decision making based on personal values of what is "right" and "wrong"
Meetings
Meetings allow people to develop relationships, pick up on important body language or tone of voice, and have a dialogue to help resolve problems.
Ten Characteristics of Organizational Culture
Member identity* Group emphasis* People focus Unit integration* Control Risk tolerance* Reward criteria* Conflict tolerance* Means-ends orientation Open-systems focus*
Project Integration Management Processes, Part 2
Monitoring and controlling project work involves overseeing activities to meet the performance objectives of the project Performing integrated change control involves identifying, evaluating, and managing changes throughout the project life cycle. Closing the project or phase involves finalizing all activities to formally close the project or phase.
Closing
Not different from PMBOK® Guide Focus is still on acceptance of deliverables and reflection Different: The retrospective is similar to a lessons-learned report, but it focuses on a shorter period of time. It is intended to answer two fundamental questions: What went well during the last sprint that we should continue doing? What could we do differently to improve the product or process?
Ten Most Important Skills and Competencies for Project Managers
People skills Leadership Listening Integrity, ethical behavior, consistent Strong at building trust Verbal communication Strong at building teams Conflict resolution, conflict management Critical thinking, problem solving Understands, balances priorities
Scrum Artifacts
Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Burndown Charts
Scrum Roles
Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Team.
group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually (PMBOK® Guide, Fifth Edition, 2013)
Program
PMI provides certification as a
Project Management Professional (PMP)
assist project managers and their teams in various aspects of project management
Project management tools and techniques
work with project sponsors, project team, and other people involved in a project to meet project goals?
Project managers
Providing Leadership and a Supportive Culture
Project managers must lead by example to demonstrate the importance of creating and then following good project plans Organizational culture can help project execution by providing guidelines and templates tracking performance based on plans Project managers may still need to break the rules to meet project goals, and senior managers must support those actions
Inputs for Developing a Project Charter
Project statement of work Business case Agreements Enterprise environmental factors Organizational process assets
What the Winners Do...
Recent research findings show that companies that excel in project delivery capability: Use an integrated project management toolbox (use standard/advanced PM tools, lots of templates) Grow project leaders, emphasizing business and soft skills Develop a streamlined project delivery process Measure project health using metrics, like customer satisfaction or return on investment
What is the triple constraint?
Scope goal, Cost goal, and Time goal.
Burndown Chart
Shows the cumulative work remaining in a sprint on a day-by-day basis
History of Project Management
Some people argue that building the Egyptian pyramids was a project, as was building the Great Wall of China Most people consider the Manhattan Project to be the first project to use "modern" project management This three-year, $2 billion (in 1946 dollars) project had a separate project manager and a technical manager
Scrum Ceremonies
Sprint planning Sprint review Sprint retrospective Daily scrum meeting
What are the people involved in or affected by project activities?
Stakeholders
Who are stakeholders?
Stakeholders are persons or organizations whose interests may be positively or negatively affected by the performance or completion of the project. Stakeholders include project team as well. the project sponsor the project manager the project team support staff customers users suppliers opponents to the project
Need for Organizational Standards
Standards and guidelines help project managers be more effective
Kanban
Technique that can be used in conjunction with scrum Developed in Japan by Toyota Motor Corporation Uses visual cues to guide workflow Kanban cards show new work, work in progress, and work completed
Agile, the PMBOK® Guide, and a New Certification
The PMBOK® Guide describes best practices for what should be done to manage projects. Agile is a methodology that describes how to manage projects. The Project Management Institute (PMI) recognized the increased interest in Agile, and introduced a new certification in 2011 called Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP). Seasoned project managers understand that they have always had the option of customizing how they run projects, but that project management is not easy, even when using Agile.
Sprint Backlog
The highest-priority items from the product backlog to be completed in a sprint
Scrum
The leading agile development methodology for completing projects with a complex, innovative scope of work
Product Owner
The person responsible for the business value of the project and for deciding what work to do and in what order when using a Scrum method
ScrumMaster:
The person who ensures that the team is productive, facilitates the daily Scrum, enables close cooperation across all roles and functions, and removes barriers that prevent the team from being effective.
Stakeholder Management
The project management knowledge area that focuses on the management and engagement of the project stakeholders. There are four processes in this knowledge area: identify stakeholders, plan stakeholder management, manage stakeholder engagement, and Monitor Stakeholder Engagement.
usually provides the direction and funding for the project
The project sponsor
Project Planning
The second phase of the project management process that focuses on defining clear, discrete activities and the work needed to complete each activity within a single project. Key outputs included in the JWD project include: A team contract A project scope statement A work breakdown structure (WBS) A project schedule, in the form of a Gantt chart with all dependencies and resources entered A list of prioritized risks (part of a risk register)
Project management information systems
There are hundreds of project management software products available on the market today, and many organizations are moving toward powerful enterprise project management systems that are accessible via the Internet
Project Success
There are several ways to define project success: The project met scope, time, and cost goals The project satisfied the customer/sponsor The results of the project met its main objective, such as making or saving a certain amount of money, providing a good return on investment, or simply making the sponsors happy
Closing Projects or Phases
To close a project or phase, you must finalize all activities and transfer the completed or cancelled work to the appropriate people Main outputs include Final product, service, or result transition Organizational process asset updates
Product Backlog
User story templates, samples, and point person WBS templates, samples, and point person Project schedule templates, samples, and point person Ability to change customers for some intranet products and services Ability to collect user suggestions Business case templates, samples, and point person Ask the Expert feature Stakeholder management strategy templates, samples, and point person
Sprint Backlog
User story templates, samples, and point person WBS templates, samples, and point person Project schedule templates, samples, and point person Ability to charge customers for some intranet products and services Ability to collect user suggestions
Project Executing
Usually takes the most time and resources to perform project execution
Developing a Project Charter
Working with stakeholders to create the document that formally authorizes a project.
Change Control System
a formal, documented process that describes when and how official project documents may be changed
SWOT analysis
a planning tool used to analyze an organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
A ______ is a document that formally recognizes the existence of a project and provides direction on the project's objectives and management. a. project charter b. contract c. business case d. project management plan
a project charter
________ensures that the descriptions of the project's products are correct and complete. a. configuration management b. integrated change control c. integration management d. A change control board
a. Configuration management
Which of the following processes is not par of the project integration management? a. developing the project business case b. developing the project charter c. developing the project management plan d. closing the project or phase
a. Developing the project business case
__________ is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements a. Project management b. program management c. Project portfolio management d. Requirements management
a. project management
Project portfolio management addresses ____ goals of organization, while project management addresses ______ goals. a. strategic, tactical b. tactical, strategic c. internal, external d. external, internal
a. strategic, tactical
Systems management
address business, technological, and organizational issues before making changes to systems
Systems philosophy
an overall model for thinking about things as systems
Net Present Value Analysis
analysis is a method of calculating the expected net monetary gain or loss from a project by discounting all expected future cash inflows and outflows to the present point in time Projects with a positive NPV should be considered if financial value is a key criterion The higher the NPV, the better
A new government law requires an organization to report data in a new way. Which of the following categories would include a new information system project to provide this data? a. Problem b. opportunity c. directive d. regulation
b. Opportunity
Which of the following is not a suggestion for performing integrated change control? a. use good configuration management b. minimize change c. establish a formal change control system d. view project management as a process of constant communication and negotiation.
b. minimize change
Which of the following is not a best practice for new product development projects? a. aligning projects and resources with business strategy b. selecting projects that will take less than two years to provide payback c. focusing on customer needs in identifying projects d. assigning a project manager to lead projects
b. selecting projects that will take less than two years to provide payback
if estimates for total discounted benefits for a project are $120,000 and total discounted costs are $100,000, what is the estimated return on investment (ROI)? a. $20,000 b.$120,000 c. 20 percent d. 120 percent
c. 20 percent
What tool and technique is used for all processes of project integration management? a. project management software b. templates c. expert judgement d. all of the above
c. Expert Judgement
A ________________________ is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. a. program b. process c. project d. portfolio
c. Project
Which of the following is not part of the triple constraint of project management? a. meeting scope goals b. meeting time goals c. meeting communications goals. d. meeting cost goals.
c. meeting communication goals
Internal rate of return (IRR)
can by calculated by finding the discount rate that makes the NPV equal to zero
Phases of the Traditional Project Life Cycle
concept, development, implementation, close-out
what is the last step in the four-stage planning process for selecting IT projects? a. IT Strategy planning b. business area analysis c. mind mapping d. resource allocation
d. Business area analysis
which of the following items is not normally included in a project charter? a. the name of the project manager b. budget information c. stakeholder signatures d. a Gantt chart
d. Gantt chart
A manager
deals with the day-to-day details of meeting specific goals
standard
describes what should be done
categorizing IT projects
does the project provide a response to a problem, opportunity, or directive time or date to be completed by overall priority
Configuration Management
ensures that the descriptions of the project's products are correct and complete
Functional:
functional managers report to the CEO
Portfolio managers
help their organizations make wise investment decisions by helping to select and analyze projects from a strategic perspective
The project management process groups include
initiating processes planning processes executing processes monitoring and controlling processes closing processes
Directing and managing project work
involves carrying out the project management plan by performing the activities included in it
Strategic Planning
involves determining long-term objectives, predicting future trends, and projecting the need for new products and services
Performing Integrated Change Control
involves identifying, evaluating, and managing changes throughout the project life cycle
Monitoring and Controlling Project Work
involves overseeing activities to meet the performance objectives of the project
best practice
is "an optimal way recognized by industry to achieve a stated goal or objective"*
project management plan
is a document used to coordinate all project planning documents and help guide a project's execution and control Plans created in the other knowledge areas are subsidiary parts of the overall project management plan
Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
is a framework for describing the phases involved in developing and maintaining information systems
virtual teams
is a group of individuals who work across time and space using communication technologies
Balanced Scorecard
is a methodology that converts an organization's value drivers, such as customer service, innovation, operational efficiency, and financial performance, to a series of defined metrics
Project Management Office (PMO)
is an organizational group responsible for coordinating the project management function throughout an organization
Return on investment (ROI)
is calculated by subtracting the project costs from the benefits and then dividing by the costs ROI = (total discounted benefits - total discounted costs) / discounted costs
baseline
is the approved project management plan plus approved changes
Outsourcing
is when an organization acquires goods and/or sources from an outside source.
Management reviews, called phase exits or ____________________, are very important for keeping projects on track and determining if they should be continued, redirected, or terminated.
kill points
Matrix
middle ground between functional and project structures; personnel often report to two or more bosses; structure can be weak, balanced, or strong matrix
As part of project portfolio management
organizations group and manage projects and programs as a portfolio of investments that contribute to the entire enterprise's success
systems analysis
problem-solving approach
project
program managers report to the CEO
What are the 10 knowledge areas?
project integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resource, communications, risk, procurement, and stakeholder management
Program Manager (PM)
provides leadership and direction for the project managers heading the projects within the program
Adaptive Software Development (ASD) life cycle
requirements cannot be clearly expressed, projects are mission driven and component based, using time-based cycles to meet target dates
systems thinking
the ability to see both the distinct elements of a system or situation and the complex and changing interaction among those elements and taking a holistic view of carrying out projects within the context of the organization. Three parts include: Systems philosophy: an overall model for thinking about things as systems Systems analysis: problem-solving approach Systems management: address business, technological, and organizational issues before making changes to systems
Payback Period
the amount of time required for an investment to generate cash flows sufficient to recover its initial cost
Offshoring
the relocation of business processes and services to a lower-cost foreign location particularly white-collar, technical, professional, and clerical services. is sometimes used to describe outsourcing from another country
Predictive Life Cycle
the scope of the project can be clearly articulated and the schedule and cost can be predicted
Critical Path
the sequence of activities in a project that is expected to take the longest to complete
Senior management can encourage
the use of standard forms and software for project management the development and use of guidelines for writing project plans or providing status information the creation of a project management office or center of excellence
Organizational process assets
which include formal and informal plans, policies, procedures, guidelines, information systems, financial systems, management systems, lessons learned, and historical information
sprint
which normally lasts 2-4 weeks
champion
who acts as a key proponent for a project
Tools already extensively used that have been found to improve project importance include
◦Progress reports ◦Kick-off meetings ◦Gantt charts ◦Change requests
What specific tools help project managers?
◦Project charter, scope statement, and WBS (scope) ◦Gantt charts, network diagrams, critical path analysis, critical chain scheduling (time) ◦Cost estimates and earned value management (cost)
What are the project Attributes?
◦has a unique purpose ◦is temporary ◦is developed using progressive elaboration ◦requires resources, often from various areas ◦should have a primary customer or sponsor The project sponsor usually provides the direction and funding for the project involves uncertainty