Project Management Dr Martin Stanton E137

Assignment 2 – Group Project Yes – I said GROUP project Max 5 per group – me by on Wednesday You will use VB.NET You will use UML You can use Rational Rose/Visual Paradigm Apply basic principles of SAD and DB design

Assignment 2 – Group Project Hand in –Final set of deliverables 7 th March 2008 Receipting Office –Demos During Lab sessions From w/c 10/3/06 (Last week of term)

Assignment 2 – Group Project You will have at least two meeting with your Tutor –Held during lab sessions –All Group members present –These are ASSESSED You will also be assessed on –Final Product –Project Planning/Management Produce your own group plan –YOUR contribution to the group work

Assignment 2 – Management You will have a team meeting each week (minimum) You will write notes on the meetings: –Problems encountered –Decisions taken –Effects of changes on project plan –Updated plan Do a risk assessment on the project –What can go wrong ? –Look at every aspect of the project

Assignment 2 – Problems What can go wrong (incomplete) –During Development VB too difficult Team members absent Cannot do it at home –Submission Printer breaks down Team member disappears Demo doesn’t work

Assignment 2 – Process Examine the requirements Decide on initial set of Use Cases Write Use Case Descriptions Decide on final set of Use Cases Divide up Use Cases between team members Generate Class Diagram for each Use Case Merge Class Diagrams Generate Database Design User Interface based on use Case Descriptions Link User Interface to Database Test User Interface against Use Cases (does it meet the requirements?) Evaluate – Use Cases, Database, Application Modify System Document Changes and write final Specification of delivered product

Project Management Dr Martin Stanton E137

Plan Introduction Project planning –Gantt chart and WBS Project planning –Network analysis I Project planning –Network analysis II Project planning –Resource analysis Risk management Quality Budgets and cost control Project teams Review

Book List Hughes and Cotterell –Software Project Management Cadle and Yeates –Project Management for Information Systems Lockyer and Gordon –Project Management and Project Network Techniques

This Lecture Introduction –What is a project? –The project management process –Project management information systems

A Project A unique process, consisting of a set of coordinated and controlled activities with start and finish dates, undertaken to achieve an objective conforming to specific requirements including constraints of time, cost and resources (Lockyer and Gordon, 1996)

A Project Unique process Coordinated and controlled activities Start and finish dates To achieve an objective Specific requirements Constraints of time, cost and resources

Project Characteristics Organisation is temporary Often forms part of a larger project Objectives and product characteristics may be defined and achieved progressively Result may be the creation of one or several units of a project Interrelation between activities may be complex

Project Characteristics ‘Project management is principally concerned with the management of change’ (Lockyer & Gordon, 1996) Change management in IS development Change management in organisations

Project Factors Size of the project –Budget/costs, Size of team, Size of product Complexity Industry in which it is carried out –Civil engineering –Manufacturing –IS/IT

Classifying Projects (Lock, 1996) Civil Engineering –Realisation phase is outdoors, large capital = many contractors = communication headaches Manufacturing Projects –Development of specialised hardware, physical design Management Projects –Projects that do not result in a produced piece of hardware (including software projects?) Research Projects –Include a higher element of risk (including software projects?)

Project Funding Revenue projects –Carried out within the normal organisational structure –Normally within a single accounting period Capital projects –May extend over a number of accounting periods –Occupy considerable time employ considerable capital –Not carried out within the normal organisational structure (Lockyer & Gordon, 1996)

Capital Projects Cross functional and time boundaries –Cannot be accommodated within the normal running of an organisation –A special organisational structure is set up – the project team –This structure usually only exists for the duration of the project

Organisation Structures Hierarchical Matrix Project Management Structure

Hierarchical

Large Corporation

Project Teams Revenue Projects –Teams taken from within functions –All report to function manager Capital Projects –Teams taken from various functions –Who do they report to?

Matrix Structure

Example 1 – Car Manufacture Manufacture of a production car –No Clear Finish –Not unique for each product –Standard Organisational Structure The design, launch and initial production for a new car –Defined start/finish –Unique for each product –Temporary organisational structure

Example 2 – A New Course Existing Course Course Team –Course Leader –Module Leaders –Administrator –Year Tutors Team members may change but team still exists New Course Working Group –Chair –Committee –Administrator Team set up for course development but then hands course over to course team.

Question What are the defining characteristics of Software/Information Systems projects that make them different from other types of project? See Sommerville’s “Software Engineering” for examples

All Projects Should Have: Project plan Time frame Product specification Statement of required quality Budget Cost plan Identification of areas of uncertainty Risk evaluation and responses

Introduction What is a project? The project management process Project management information systems

Process Overview A project is broken down into stages Each stage in turn will be broken down into smaller and more manageable tasks It important to include planning as part of the project management process

Four Phase Model Lockyer (1996) describes a four phase model of the project process –Conception - assess the feasibility of the project –Development - prepare the project plan –Realisation - carry out the plan –Termination - close the project

Conception Reports On… The capability of the organisation to –Produce the product in the time required –Support capital outlay –Procure external items or services

Conception Reports On… The acceptability of –Geographical requirements on procurement or ecology specified in the project enquiry –Contract conditions specified in enquiry

Conception Reports On… The final price for the product The cost involved in development The project budget Specification of the product including quality and reliability requirements

Conception Can it be done? Yes or No?

Conception ≈ Feasibility It is possible that we will reject the project! What are the consequences of: –Too much detail? –Insufficient detail?

Development As the organisation is now committed to the project it must: –Appoint a project manager –Assemble project team –Draw up a detailed plan of work

Realisation A reporting system is required to keep everyone informed: –Team, top management, customers etc. A log is also kept of problems and how they were resolved

Termination Uses the project log to evaluate the project and the process and indicate: –The success/failure of methods used –How team members performed –How reliable suppliers were

Termination Capital equipment that was used for the project is now likely to be redundant Termination also involves getting rid of such equipment as profitably as possible

Observations Often the phases of the project will overlap There is often a pause between conception and the other phases It is possible that each phase may be treated as a project in its own right –This might affect continuity of the project

Introduction What is a project? The project management process Project management information systems

PM Information Systems Projects need systems that can collect data in real time concerning the project progress and costs Data analysis and distribution of information must be carried out as rapidly as possible

MS Project – Gantt Chart

MS Project – Pert Chart

Resource Analysis

Other Software Tools Project Management Tools Accounting tools –e.g. spreadsheets, invoice generators Documentation tools –Word processors, report generators Group work tools –Discussion forums, GDSS

Questions Is the development of an information system a project? –Explain your answer using information from this lecture How does the four phase model compare to the waterfall model of software development?

Useful Links The OGC Project Management Web SiteProject Management – oj_mgmt.htmlhttp:// oj_mgmt.html Project Management Software Tools – – Example Project Definition DocumentProject Definition Document – 15d1183d80256c670041a50b/547330bbc5c2e99f80256c2a0059f4c7/$ FILE/Project%20Definition%20Document.pdfhttp:// 15d1183d80256c670041a50b/547330bbc5c2e99f80256c2a0059f4c7/$ FILE/Project%20Definition%20Document.pdf