Project Managment overview and definition

Project Managment overview

1. Project management overview and definition Projects are singular, but non-routine, events with precise objectives which must be achieved within a set timeframe. Projects are broken into a set of activities designed to fulfil the stated objectives. Examples of projects include the building of a house, the holding of an event like a party or even something as simple as completing a school assignment. Project Management requires the organisation of people , equipment and procedures in an appropriate way to get a project completed within a set timeframe and budget. A Project Manager is responsible for the coordination of all these resources in order to achieve the project objective An artist's impression of the Homebush Bay master plan for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Project Management techniques allow vast undertakings to be managed effectively

2. Project Management gone wrong. It was reported that the construction of this building will cost up to four times the original project estimate. It is an example of a project executed in an atmosphere of delay and controversy, featuring not only an extraordinary budget blow-out but a court battle and the resignation of the chief Project Manager. The following need to be considered when planning a project Purpose and aim of the project Resources available both human and material Costing, human and time constraints The tasks, procedures or activities required to complete the project Project management techniques are used by organisations because they ensure that organisational objectives and system objectives are being met in a timely, accurate, relevant and complete manner. They provide a way of controlling people, resources and procedures, and clearly identify the tasks that must be completed and the desired completion time

3. Project Management History Project Management is not a new concept. Even in the time of the Ancient Egyptians a form of project management was needed to coordinate the construction of the great pyramids. Modern project management tools were, however, not developed until the early 1900s with the creation of the  GANTT  chart method. Further refinement in project management tools came about in the 1950s with the development of the Critical Path Method ( CPM ) and Program Evaluation and Review Technique ( PERT ). These three tools form the basis for documenting and managing the progress of projects. All of these tools produce graphical representations of projects, and all current project management software includes these components.

4. Case Study: Muse of the Spheres and Musicale Musak CHAPTER ONE What would your life be like if you were employed as a Project Manager tomorrow? What could you expect if you were employed to use information processing and management techniques within a company? Welcome to the world of Mira, Muse of the Spheres and Musicale Musak where you will find out the answers to these questions and enter the high-flying world of information processing and management.

5. Project Management Methodology This Information Technology resource reviews the phases of Project Management. Begin by drawing some preliminary conclusions about which phase is the most expensive. Why might this be the case? Which stage is least expensive? Use the graph below. There are several distinct phases or steps involved with managing a project. There are many versions of the phases described. Regardless of which version you read they will all encapsulate the following concepts:

6. Phase 1: Investigation Once a project is defined, further research is needed in order to determine whether or not it is worthwhile pursuing. This phase Involves the initial commissioning of the project Involves the identification of the initial aim and goals Involves investigation into the possible ways the project could be completed Is undertaken by top level management or strategic planners This phase would provide a project brief to the project team or project manager.

7. Phase 2: Planning and Design This phase is important as it provides the foundation for the following phases. The aim of this step is to ensure that the objectives can and will be met within the set time and budgetary constraints. This phase involves: Defining the exact purpose of the project and clearly defining the objectives to be achieved Breaking the project into tasks or activities and defining the purpose of each Estimating the shortest and longest possible time required for each activity

8. Identifying milestones and key time markers in the project that keep the project on schedule Determining the sequence of activities and any constraints affecting the sequence. For example, some tasks must be completed before other ones can start, or particular resources might be required for the activity. This also includes: Deciding which activities should be completed before others can commence Identifying activities that can be done simultaneously or must be done at the same time Assigning resources, people, materials and equipment to activities Estimating the cost of resources Drawing up a calendar of events

9. The deliverables or final output of this phase could include: A project plan for management review A GANTT chart A PERT diagram, including a critical path, or a network diagram

10. Phase 3: Production During this phase the plan is put into operation. It ought to provide a completed project, ready to be 'handed over to' clients. Alternatively, it may end in a full implementation, i.e. at the end of an internal organisational project. This phase involves: Providing the resources Completing the activities Monitoring, controlling and recording the progress of the project on the GANTT chart Comparing the current progress to the planned schedule Updating and refining the schedule as required Monitoring resource use to ensure no budgetary blowout Ensuring milestones and overall goals are met

11. Phase 4: Evaluation and Monitoring The initial part of this phase is the transferal or hand over of the project. Of course this project may not always have a single product as the final result. Either way, the objectives of the project at this point should be met. Once the project is transferred to the client the project team is 'decommissioned', reassigned new tasks or placed into new project teams. Some members of the group may be utilised in observing the full implementation of the project or in supporting or monitoring its implementation.

12. It is also at this point the management will assess the success of the project. This assessment is based on the elements of efficiency and effectiveness: Quality : How well it has met the objectives? What is the final quality of the product? Cost : Did the project stay within the budget specified and proposed use of resources? Time : Did the project finish on or before the specified date? Was it the shortest possible time for the project? Timeliness : Was the project completed in time for the information to be of use? Accuracy : Are there any errors in the product? Relevance : Does the project/product include only those elements required by the client? Completeness : Does the client have everything they need in order to do their work and make their decisions?

13. Project Management Tools This resource covers the tools used by a Project Manager beginning with 'GANTT' charts. GANTT charts A project plan is often constructed within the planning phase. It contains all activities and milestones. These events are placed in a particular time sequence, ultimately producing something similar to a horizontal bar chart. A GANTT chart displays tasks and costs along a horizontal time scale, much like a calendar. The time for each task is recorded, by indicating the start and finish dates. It should show the best possible way to complete the project in the shortest time. Activities can be done in parallel or sequentially, and the GANTT chart shows this clearly. Even though it lists tasks, it does not show the critical path as there is no indication of the relationship between tasks.

14. From this GANTT chart you can find out the following,  Activity 3.0.2 Production Build: Has a duration of 10 days Must be done after Order Production Materials and Final Code Release Must be done before Ship Product Is expected to start 6/8/99 (mm/dd/ yy ) Is expected to finish 6/21/99 (mm/dd/ yy ) Is on the critical path (indicated in red)

15. PERT Diagrams (network diagrams) PERT diagrams or critical path networks use a graphical form to show relationships between activities and time frames. They differ from GANTT charts in that they are better at identifying the relationship between tasks rather than the progress of tasks over time. Key elements in developing a PERT diagram: Activities - list of activities in the project and their dependencies Nodes/Events - indicating the beginning or end of an activity Network lines show the interdependence of events Indication of the critical path - the sequence of dependent events that have the sum of longest duration Indication of slack time - events not on the critical path usually have slack time, extra time for that event that does not effect the timing of other events thus not effecting the project time. That means that can fall behind schedule and there is no impact on the project completion date.

16. Estimating Activity Time When estimating the duration of the project, consider each task separately, the people doing the task, normal working times and, above all, be realistic. Project Managers may be able to use historical data or experience to estimate duration. Scheduling and Expediting Projects rarely follow the plan laid out. During the project the Project Manager should assess each step. If there are delays they should identify alternate actions to bring the project back within the time constraints. Often this is done by putting more resources, time or money into a particular activity. This course of action should be thought through carefully. Time and costs need to be traded off in order to get the project completed. After the critical path and the slack time in other activities have been identified, it may be possible to expedite (hasten) or crash the schedule. This involves identifying tasks that could possibly be reduced in time if enough money or resources were available. Again it is a matter of assessing whether the extra cost or effort is worth the saving in time. Critical Path Method The critical path is a series of activities which are vital to the event being completed on time. For example, a delay in one event will delay the completion of the project.

17. Documentation Documentation Problems arose for network administrator Phil Wales when setting up a new networked information system for 3RRR. Part of the problem for Wales arose because he didn't have any previous documentation to show him how the studio network had been set up. Letch explains the importance of documentation in this video. Documentation is essential for the success of any information system. Documentation provides anyone who interacts with a particular system an overview of the system capabilities and its software. It may also include specific procedures which must be followed or be used to provide training or reference material. Application and information systems can fail to meet their full potential if there is inadequate documentation to support them. Without good documentation users may flounder and the efficiency gains expected from a new system will never be realised