Project Management Organization Scheduling 31 January

ORGANIZATION Project management

Organization Needed to control communications cost Channel of communications costs about 2 hours per week Optimal number 3-7 Organization structures Hierarchical Peer Requires leader of team or aspects Subteam Requires gatekeeper Matrix

What can you tell from an organization? The formal structure NOT the informal working mode

SCHEDULING Project management

How to Build a Schedule Identify the component parts Identify the dependencies Estimate Really just another word for guess Prefer educated guess Lay out assignments and time frames

Project Plan for this project Use simple Excel spreadsheet (or equivalent)

What you should be able to tell from your project plan What is Joe working on this week? Who can help me if I run into trouble? If I have to choose an activity to be late, which one will impact the project more?

Tools to Help Product description Clear statement of what you are building Work breakdown Product flow PERT charts Program Evaluation and Review Technique Gantt charts

Work Breakdown Structure Need to break down the tasks into component parts and tasks Level of detail important Lacks any time component

Work Breakdown

Graphical WBS

Product Flow Identify sequences and dependencies Distinguish new from existing components

Product Flow

PERT Charts Critical path analysis or method Program Evaluation and Review Technique Also known as activity networks Developed by Navy in 1958 Three stages: Planning (tasks and sequence) Scheduling (start and finish times) Analysis (float and revisions) Two different models Activities are nodes (most common) or arcs

Pert Chart Activity Box

Pert Charts

CPM: Critical Path Method Alternative to PERT Dupont 1957 Graphical view of project Predicts time required to complete Shows which activities are critical to maintaining the schedule

Planning: PERT and CPM 1. Identify the specific activities and milestones. 2. Determine the proper sequence of the activities. 3. Construct a network diagram. 4. Estimate the time required for each activity. 5. Determine the critical path. 6. Update the PERT chart as the project progresses. 1. Specify the individual activities. 2. Determine the sequence of those activities. 3. Draw a network diagram. 4. Estimate the completion time for each activity. 5. Identify the critical path (longest path through the network) 6. Update the CPM diagram as the project progresses.

Gantt Charts Milestone charts Invented by Harvey Gantt in 1916 Advantages Less detailed Amenable to management overlays

Gantt Chart

Gantt Chart with Overlays

Scheduling Steps and Tools Put together minimal solution Primary requirements Start with external commitments Product descriptions Milestones (contract) Introduce internal milestones Work breakdown structure Product Flow PERT Chart, Gantt chart Focus on the risks Risks (contract) Add next level of features where possible Secondary requirements

Software Sources Open source tools: dmoz.org/Computers/Software/Project_Management/Open_Source/

Reviews and Inspections

Why? Developer can’t correct unseen errors More eyes to catch problems Earlier is cheaper Integration fix typically 3-10 times the cost at design Difference in terms Review implies completed work, often reviewed by someone at a different level Inspection implies peer review of work in progress

Inspections Introduced by Michael Fagin in 76 (IBM Systems Journal) Formalized process Specific roles and steps Heavy preparation and follow-up Used for documents and code

Will you review or inspect? What will you review or inspect? How will you review or inspect?