Tracking a Project Plan A Case Study

Life Cycle of a Plan  Project Sized  Project Estimated  Project Planned Budget Schedule  Project Tracked

Constituents of a Plan  Schedule Duration by WBS Task Project Start (or end) Constraints (Internal/External)  Budget Assigned Resources to Tasks

Plan  Schedule  +  Budget  =  Plan

Project Plan  Sized Appropriate Units of Size (SW: KSLOC)  Estimated Duration Effort  Scheduled WBS Assignment of Resources

Project Tracking and Oversight  Data Collection  Forecasting  Reporting  Eliminate Variances

Taxonomy/Artifacts  Tasks  Resources  Assignments (Task + Resource)  Work  Duration  Summary Tasks (Titles)  Tasks (Imperative Mood and Unique)  Constraints (Internal/External/Calendar)

Data Collection Methods  Using Project Web Access (PWA)  Methods Hours/day % Complete* Total Hours *Note: “% Complete” NEQ to “% Work Complete”

Chosen Method  Hours/day/Resource Hours Worked Remaining Work  Notes (Other data Supplied) Unplanned/Planned Work interruptions Unplanned/Planned Delays Other pertinent information

Data Collection Process  Resource Using PWA, enters  Hours worked, Remaining Hours Sends update to PM via PWA*  PM (or representative) Updates Plan *Note: Automatic notification occurs

Forecasting  Computes new Forecast  Publishes update* *Note: Automatic notification occurs

Reports Out  Prepares and Distributes Reports* *Note: Automatic notification occurs

Elimination of Variances*  Critical Path mandatory; others voluntary  Add resources  Change Scope  Change Baseline *Notes: Qualified by Criticality Must eliminate negative schedule variances; positive are voluntary Must eliminate positive cost variances; negative are voluntary

Add Resources  Reassign  Procure additional Comes from Reserve or Requires Change Board Action or Obtain from Reserve

Change Scope  Change Baseline Duration and/or Baseline Work Requires Change Board Action if affects overall contract cost and/or schedule Requires Change Board Action if Contracted functionality is changed

Change Baseline*  Cost or Schedule Cost  Take from Reserve  Reallocate Schedule  Reduce Slack  Change constraints *Note: These changes do not affect the Contract provisions aka scope of the contract

Settings for PWA  Resources are in the Resource Pool; i.e. have User Account  PM has Client/Server account on the Project Server  Options set  Method selected

Resource Accounts  Required Windows Authentication  Had address entered  server identified in Project Server  Hourly cost set Set to $1, then costs are hours

Project Options  Schedule Options  Calculation Options  Collaborate Options  Save Options  Published Fields  Timesheet View  Notification

Schedule Options

Calculation Optons

Collaborate Options

Save Options

Set Published Fields

PWA Tracking Settings (1)

PWA Tracking Settings (2)

Timesheet View

Notification

Other Considerations  Server is implemented  Sharepoint is initialized  Permissions are set appropriately  Security is set appropriately  Views are arranged  Server Configuration is set

Other Methods  IPT Lead Reports  Earned Value Methods  Schedule Only

IPT Lead Reports  Make the IPT Lead the Resource on the Tasks  Set data to be collected: Start and finish dates only + Remaining Hours/Duration or Total hours only + Remaining Hours or % Complete + Remaining Hours/Duration

Earned Value Methods  Set Tasks to use “Physical % Complete”  Resources report only Actual Starts, Finishes and Remaining Duration

Schedule Only  Collect only Remaining Duration