1. An introduction to project planning

2. Why plan? Project development is complex and time consuming
There are usually a number of people involved with a project
Communication
Informs Project Manager/Team of the state of the project
Customer confidence
To provide a project development “Audit trail,” for anything more than the smallest project planning must be a formal process.

3. Why plan? The key to a successful project is in the planning.
Creating a project plan is the first thing you should do when undertaking any kind of project.
Often project planning is ignored in favour of getting on with the work.
However, many people fail to realise the value of a project plan in saving time, money and many problems.
Managing any project without a plan is like trying to construct a house without a set of blueprints. It can be like trying to find your way in a strange city without a map. Working without knowing where you are going can lead to problems and project failure

4. Project planning Requires knowledge drawn from: Development techniques
Application domain
Project planning techniques
Skills, abilities and motivation of developers
Business and organisational environment
Current standards and legislation
Past case studies/projects
Best practises for a given domain area.

5. Two views of a plan The Plan is a straight-jacket Very Precise
Focus on data
The Plan is a working tool
Focus on information
Very Accurate
Always clearly, accurately, and concisely record project plan changes as part of the “Configuration management” system.

6. The cost of planning Labour and associated expenses Planner's tools
Cost of preparing the written plan
Opportunity costs - what could those involved be doing if they weren't planning?
Meetings
Walkthroughs
Documentation control.

7. Benefits of planning
Avoids the cost of the chaos that would ensue if the project was unplanned
Filters out projects that would provide a negative return
Being able to resolve problems in advance
Being able to allocate resources in advance
Can minimise contractual disputes
Provides the corner stone of good risk management
Essential for good Quality Control.

8. The project plan – Simple form
How will the project be divided?
Work breakdown structure
Product breakdown structure
When will the work be carried out?
Gantt Chart
Who does what?
Resource allocation.

9. The project plan Summary plan
Shows key activities, events and milestones in the systems project
Detailed plan
Activity plans
Resource plans
Cost plans
Quality plans
Communication plans
Risk management plans
Configuration management plans.

10. Who does the planning
Developing the project plan is an iterative process that involves the:
Project manager
Project management support team
Project board
Project sponsor
Customer
Users
Suppliers and Sub-contractors
Other stakeholders.

11. An iterative process
The project plans will evolve as the project evolves
The plan is reviewed and updated as more information becomes available and uncertainties become less uncertain
More detail can be added to the plan to indicate, level of performance, quality, costs, risks, the availability of resources
Plan
Monitor
&
Review
Plan
Monitor
&
Review
Plan
Monitor
&
Review

12. Work to be done
The requirements of the work, activities or tasks to be
done starts with either the Work breakdown structure
(WBS) or Product breakdown structure (PBS)
The WBS or PBS will then be further broken down:
From the WBS “Statements of work” will be produced, with their associated “project deliverables” descriptions
From the PBS “Product Flow” diagrams will be
produced, and then “Work packages” with their associated “Product” descriptions

13. Work to be done WBS Statement of work Activity or task list PBS
Product flows diagrams
Product descriptions
Work packages
Project deliverables descriptions

14. Activity/Task planning
Generating a plan
The activities required
Scheduling the activities
The resources required
The timing of activities
Reviewing the plan.

15. The activities required
State your objectives
List the individual project deliverables in the order in which they must be achieved to reach the project objectives
Identify what activities are required for each project deliverable, and then the sequence they need to be carried out in
Define in measurable terms, what a successful outcome will be for each project deliverable

16. Scheduling the activities
Identify the “Start time” for implementation
of the solution
Identify the sequence of activities
Determine which activities can be done in parallel
Determine which activities are on the “Critical Path”
Identify activities sharing common resources
Determine the start and finish dates for “Parallel activity streams”

17. Scheduling the activities
Identify the time required for each activity
Calculate the start and finish date for each
activity relative to the “activity sequence”
Determine the “total time” required to achieve the objectives
Don’t be over-optimistic on time scales
Allow time to accommodate delays and unforeseen obstacles

18. 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
Don’t rely on PM tools to replace good project management skills

19. Gantt chart

20. Gantt chart advantages and disadvantages
It is good at showing timings
It shows project progress clearly
It is therefore an ideal tool for the summary plan
Disadvantages
Not ideal for showing inter-relationships

21. Network diagrams Splits up the decision making process into
Method/logic - the order in which activities have to be completed
Time – estimates for the time to completion can be added to each activity
Resources – these can be added and then analysis carried out
Identifying Activity
Each activity is given a unique ID number
ID number is often given in WBS
The flow of work is from left to right

22. Two methods Activity on Arrow Activity on Node
Traditionally the preferred method
Activity on Node
More popular these days
Supported by most Project Management software tools (i.e. MS Project)

23. Activity on arrow Arrows are used to represent an activity
Circles are used to represent the points where activities meet
i.e. the work completed
Specify
Hardware
Place H/W
order 1 4 3 2 5
Specify
software design
Code
software

24. Activity on arrow 1 2 3 4 Dig Hole 20m Put Tree In Hole 1m 20 21
Fill Hole 5m 26

25. Activity on arrow 2 3 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 2 11 1 1 1 11 12 1 1 1 4 7 4 3 3

26. Activity on node Activities are represented by boxes
Dependencies are represented by arrows joining the boxes
Activity A
Activity D
Activity C
Activity B

27. Networks nodes labelling
Activity ID
Estimated Duration
Earliest Finish
Earliest
Start
Activity Description
Latest
Start
Latest Finish
Activity span
Float

28. Network Node Example Span = latest finish – earliest start
Earliest finish day = earliest start + duration
Latest
Finish
Day 39
Float 26
Start 36
Activity Description
Hardware design
Earliest
Day 13
Estimated Duration
3days
Activity ID E
Activity span 29 10
Span = latest finish – earliest start
float = latest finish date –earliest start date –duration
the amount by which an activity can be delayed if all its preceding activities take place at the earliest times and the following activities can wait until their latest times ,activates with zero float are critical.
Earliest finish day = earliest start + duration
Critical path = the route joining the nodes that have zero float
Critical path = the route joining the nodes that have zero float
Span = latest finish – earliest start
Float = latest finish date –earliest start date –duration

29. Network example Span = latest finish – earliest start
Float = latest finish date –earliest start date –duration
the amount by which an activity can be delayed if all its preceding activities take place at the earliest times and the following activities can wait until their latest times ,activates with zero float are critical.
Earliest finish day = earliest start + duration
Critical path = the route joining the nodes that have zero float.

30. Network example “Software Project Management” Bob Hughes &
Latest
Finish
WK 8
Float
2 weeks
Start
WK 2
Activity Description
Hardware design
Earliest
WK 6
Estimated Duration
6 weeks
Activity ID C
Activity span
8 weeks
WK 0
Latest
Finish
WK 11
Float
2 weeks
Start
WK 8
Activity Description
Build Hardware
Earliest
WK 9
Estimated Duration
3 weeks
Activity ID D
Activity span
5 weeks
WK 6
“Software Project
Management”
Bob Hughes &
Mike Cotterell
(11-6-3=2)
Latest
Finish
WK 7
Float
3 weeks
Start
WK 3
Activity Description
Software
Design
Earliest
WK 4
Estimated Duration
4 weeks
Activity ID A
Activity span
7 weeks
WK 0
Latest
Finish
WK 11
Float
3 weeks
Start
WK 7
Activity Description
Code Software
Earliest
WK 8
Estimated Duration
4 weeks
Activity ID B
Activity span
7 weeks
WK 4
Latest
Finish
WK 13
Float
2 weeks
Start
WK 11
Activity Description
Install & test
Earliest
Estimated Duration
2 weeks
Activity ID E
Activity span
4 weeks
WK 9
Span = latest finish – earliest start
float = latest finish date –earliest start date –duration
the amount by which an activity can be delayed if all its preceding activities take place at the earliest times and the following activities can wait until their latest times ,activates with zero float are critical.
Earliest finish day = earliest start + duration
Critical path = the route joining the nodes that have zero float

31. Critical path
The series of tasks that must be completed on schedule for a project to finish on schedule.
It is the series of tasks (or even a single task) that dictates the calculated finish date
Any delay of an activity on the critical path directly impacts the planned project completion date (i.e. there is no float on the critical path).
When the last task in the critical path is completed, the project is completed.
A project can have several, parallel near critical paths.

32. Critical path example Activity ID C Activity ID D Estimated Duration
6 weeks
Estimated Duration
3 weeks
Earliest
Start
WK 0
Earliest
Finish
WK 6
Earliest
Start
WK 6
Earliest
Finish
WK 9
Activity Description
Hardware design
Activity Description
Build Hardware
Latest
Start
WK 0
Latest
Finish
WK 6
Latest
Start
WK 6
Latest
Finish
WK 9
Activity span
6 weeks
Float
0 weeks
Activity span
3 weeks
Float
0 weeks
Latest
Finish
WK 5
Float
2 weeks
Start
WK 2
Activity Description
Software
Design
Earliest
WK 3
Estimated Duration
3 weeks
Activity ID A
Activity span
5 weeks
WK 0
Latest
Finish
WK 9
Float
2 weeks
Start
WK 5
Activity Description
Code Software
Earliest
WK 7
Estimated Duration
4 weeks
Activity ID B
Activity span
6 weeks
WK 3
Activity ID E
Estimated Duration
2 weeks
Earliest
Start
WK 9
Earliest
Finish
WK 11
Activity Description
Install & test
Latest
Start
WK 9
Latest
Finish
WK 11
Activity span
2 weeks
Float
0 weeks

33. Milestones Events or activities, primarily from a “Special
products” viewpoint, that have particular
significance can each be designated as
“milestones”.
Milestones should ideally align with
“Project Management Stages”. Milestones are often
tied to the “stage payments” made to suppliers for
work done for the customer

34. PERT The Program Evaluation & Review Technique for estimating
PERT is basically a method to analyze the time needed to complete each project task, and identifying the minimum time needed to complete the total project.
PERT was developed in the 1950’s, primarily to simplify the planning and scheduling of large and complex projects.
It was able to incorporate uncertainty by making it possible to schedule a project not knowing precisely the details and durations of all the activities.

35. PERT
From the optimistic, likely, and pessimistic estimates a
“Probable duration” is calculated
The probable duration is based on the
statistical basis that all errors will fall within a
normal distribution curve.
The calculation is repeated
on all activities in the network and used to predict
the probability of completing the project within the
scheduled time t + t 4t + p t o m e = 6

36. PERT The Program Evaluation & Review Technique for estimating
Probability
Time
4tm t0 tp
to= Shortest Time
tp= Longest Time
tm=likely Time
The Program Evaluation and Review Technique commonly abbreviated PERT is an estimation technique

37. 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
What/if simulation

38. Useful Links The OGC Project Management Web Site
Project Management Software Tools
Example Project Definition Document

39. An introduction to project planning