Notesale: Turn your study into money

Document Preview

Extracts from the notes are below, to see the PDF you'll receive please use the links above

---

Project Management and Scheduling
Problem 1
What is a Project?
• Project Management Institute “
...
”
• Association of Project Management (UK) “Projects are unique, transient endeavours undertaken to
achieve a desired outcome
...
a value creation undertaking based on a specific
mission, which is completed in a given or agreed timeframe and under constraints, including
resources and external circumstances
...
The fourth will be whatever the
relationship dictates it will be
...

Project Management Component
Selection and Scope, Time and Resources, Human Resource, Project Finance, Project
Communications, Project Quality, Project Risk, Change Management
Project Definition Document
• Why?
– Formalization of project
– Documentation of work and collective agreement
– Organizational communications
– Project stakeholders’ approval
– Project reference
• Additional Elements for consideration
– Alternative project approach
– Organizational Change Issues
– Policies and Standards
– Preliminary Cost, Schedule and Resource Estimates
– References to Supporting Documents

– Visual Scope Summary
• Required Elements
– Purpose
– Goals and objectives
– Success Criteria
– Project Context
– Project Dependencies
– Scope Specifications
– Out-of-scope Specifications
– Assumptions
– Constraints
– Risks
– Stakeholders
– Recommended Project Approach
Project Stakeholders are individuals or groups in the organization who have an interest in, or will be
affected by, the project result
...
”
"Reducing the variation around the target"
...

TQM’s View of Quality
• “The totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy
a stated or implied need”
• Quality is defined by customers and customers’ expectations are always changing
...

Aim of TQM
• To consistently meet or exceed customers’ expectations by providing products/services at prices
that create value for customers and profits for the firm
...
Create constancy of purpose 2
...
Cease dependence on inspection 4
...
Always improve system of production and service 6
...
Institute leadership 8
...
Break down barriers between
departments 10
...
Eliminate work standards/quotas 12
...
Programme of education & self-improvement 14
...

Juran’s Approach to Quality
• Input-> process ->product
• Product = goods and services
• Process = activities that together produce value to customer
• Quality = fitness for use by internal and external customers
...

Juran’s Quality Management
• Quality Planning & Control
– Aimed at improving product features
...

• Quality improvement
– Aimed at reducing defects and improving processes
– Achieving “breakthrough performance”
...

Basic TQM Beliefs
• The person doing the job knows how it can be done better
...

• People are the greatest untapped resource in the organization
...

TQM Components
• Customer focus • Process management • Fact-based decision-making • Teamwork •
Continuous improvement • Customer Input/Feedback • Planning & Goal Setting • Standards •
Training • Employee Involvement
TQM Tools
• PDCA Cycle • Cause and Effect Analysis • Flowcharting • Customers feedback survey • Defect
reports
Deming’s PDCA Cycle

Managing Project Quality
• Focus on quality-based requirements • Focus on value-added requirements • Focus on product
and process • Focus on verification
Principles of Managing Project Quality

Strategies to managing project quality
• Use customer-focused project approaches • Take customer perspective • Pre-verify deliverables •
Focus on the people • Leverage expertise
Techniques
• Requirements traceability matrix • Reviews • Completion Criteria • Small Work Packages •
Independent Audits • Standards • V method • Quality Management Plan • PDCA
Tools
• Checklists • Templates • Cause & Effect Diagram • Flowchart
Quality Assurance
All the planned and systematic activities implemented within the quality system to provide
confidence that the project will satisfy quality standards
- Perform audit to review important areas
Quality Control
Monitor specific project results to ensure that results match the standards that were set for the
project
-Using tools and techniques
The Cost of Quality (& Quality Control)
In achieving a high degree of customer satisfaction, conformance costs will be incurred from;
> Quality control (or inspection) > Quality assurance > Training > Appraisals
The Cost of Quality (& Quality Control)
The other costs of quality is the costs of failure or non-conformance or poor quality;
> Internal failure costs > External failure costs

Quality Control Techniques
• Requirements traceability matrix • Reviews • Completion Criteria • Independent Audits •
Standards • PDCA
Quality Control Tools
• Checklists • Templates • Cause & Effect Diagram • Flowchart
Problem 4
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
• The WBS is a deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the
project team, to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables
...

• Two methods of presenting the WBS – Graphically in boxes – Text indents
Methods of Breakdown
• Function / Organization Team • Product • Location • Cost • Contract • Project Life Cycle
Steps in Developing a Network Diagram
1) A schematic diagram that shows the precedence and flow of activities in a project
2) Once the WBS is developed to the lowest desired level, the network can be developed and
analysed
3) The project team and other selected functional experts determine the interdependence of
all the tasks
...

5) Construct the Network Diagram
6) Determine the duration and critical path
Task Dependencies
• The nature of the relationship between two linked tasks
...


Precedence Table is developed after all Task Dependencies are established in a Project where
each task is assigned with a predecessor (except the start nodes) and its duration
...

• Project duration: The shortest required time to complete the project
...

• Critical Path: The longest path through the network or the path with zero float
...

Gantt charts are developed after the network analysis is completed
...
• Graphically depicting
project progress against the project baseline
...

Milestone
A milestone is a significant event on a project
...

• It often takes several activities and a lot of work to complete a milestone
...
There is usually no
cost or duration associated with a milestone
...

What can Microsoft Project do? • Calculate the start and finish dates for you
...
• Inform you if assigned resources are underallocated or overworked
...
• Calculate how much
of the budget you've spent so far
...

Limitation of Microsoft Project
• Cannot negotiate a more reasonable finish date
...

Uses of Microsoft Project
• Create a model, or blueprint, of your project
...

• Organize and manage project information
• Provide exact project information needed at any given time

• Manipulate and analyze the information
• Update information so that it continues to reflect reality
Problem 5
Dimensions of Project Budget
• Project Budget definition
– Sum established by the owner as available for the entire project
• Purpose of budgeting:
– Forces managers to plan
– Provides resource information that can be used to improve decision making
– Provides standard for performance evaluation
– Improves communication and coordination
• Types of budget:
– Operating budget• describes the income generating activities of a firm
– Financial Budget • detailed the inflows and outflows appearing in the cash budget
Definition
• Cost- Cash value sacrificed for goods and services that are expected to bring a current or future
benefit to the organization
• Cost object- Any item such as products, customers, departments, projects, activities for which
Types of Costs
Key issue between Cost and Cost Object: -Traceability: Ability to assign a cost to a cost object in
some form of relationship
Indirect Costs- Costs that cannot be easily and accurately traced to a cost object
Direct Costs- Costs that can be easily and accurately traced to a cost object
Why Assign Indirect Costs?
-No causal relationship exists between the cost and the cost object
...

process

When to use?

Ade
of lower level managers
be constructed within a short
space of time
...
Functional
2
...
Project Managed
4
...
Mediate 2
...
Control / Enforce Team Rules 4
...
Eliminate / Deemphasise
Motivating Team Members
Maslow Hierarchy of Needs
Herzberg Two Factor Theory

Vroom’s Expectancy Theory
An individual will act in a certain way based on the expectation that the act will be followed by a
given outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to the individual

Problem 7
What is Change?
• Whereby a situation, a place or an experience is different from what is usual • A process for
replacing something with something new or different • Can be complex • Can have positive or
negative impacts on company and staff on different scales
Causes of Change
• Change may be prompted by internal or external triggers
...

Change Management Process

Factors that Affect Change in Project Management

Impacts of Change
• When change is implemented or managed improperly, the following consequences may occur: •
Corporate culture • High staff turnover • Low morale, lack of trust and support • Loss of sales and
business contracts • Business reputation at stake • Negative media publicity • Loss of jobs and
authority
Assessment on Effects of Change

How Change Affects the Project Team

Reasons for Resistance to Change
• Two types of resistance: • Professional • Personal
How to Manage Change
• Add project controls of multiple levels • Controls to be included in schedule in an iterative process
based on passage of time or months but not by dates • Accept changes • Frequent change
management briefings • Manage expectations • Understand that change takes time
...
• On-going communication facilitates change
implementation
...


The Eight-Stage Process of Managing Major Change

The Importance of Communication
• Communication is cornerstone of successful change • Activities to effective change communication
and management • Tactics to increase acceptance of change
Problem 8
What is Risk?
According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), a risk is defined as
“an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on
a project’s objectives
...
Establishing the Context
2
...
Risk Analysis*
4
...
Treatment of Risk*

Risk Analysis

Risk Response Strategies
• Risk management plans include a risk strategy
...
”
Contingency Plan
Organized and coordinated set of steps to be taken if an emergency or disaster (fire, hurricane,
injury, robbery, etc
...

Why contingency planning?
•Planning for the worst-case scenario
•To prevent or mitigate high impact disaster
•Comprehensive alternate processes
•Preparedness reduces business outage time and losses
Contingency Planning

RISK MANAGEMENT
•Go through risk identification and risk analysis
•Identify risks that require planning
–Involve significant number of stakeholders
–Incurring huge losses
–Greatly affects the event

PLAN DEVELOPMENT
•Identify stakeholders
–Primary vs Secondary
–Affected vs Responsible
•Involvement of stakeholders
–Ensure planning process includes them
–Cover loopholes at stakeholder’s end
Plan Development

TRAINING

PLAN DEVELOPMENT
Review of various aspects
•Functionality – procedures are sound and effective
•Practicality – can be executed, without adverse effects
•Cost-benefit of various contingency and recovery options – can be accommodated within budget
CRISIS COMMUNICATION
In a crisis, chaos escalates very quickly->Increasing levels of fear, anger and/or hostilities
->Conditions change quickly, necessitating fast response-> Communications gets distorted or cut off
->Lack of communications result in rumours, escalating chaos even further
CRISIS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
•Communications flow between:–Different stakeholders, e
...

•Internally between staff
•Organiser and venue owner
•Organiser and Gov
...
g
...
g
...

Variance analysis
•A budgetary control tool to evaluate the performance of variances between budgeted, planned or
standard amount and the actual amount incurred
...
Assess the team development, strength and weakness
...
Documents lessons that can be applied to future project work
...
Provides triggers to changing behaviour which is especially important in supporting team
Improvement strategies
...
Time
2
...
Specifications
- Factors to be considered include;
1
...
Effectiveness of group decisions
3
...
Group cohesion
5
...
Quality of information exchanged
Individual Evaluations
Personal appraisals fulfil the following important functions:
1
...
Rewards based triggers - Assessment of how well an individual has performed in order to
determine salary / rewards pay-outs
Problem 11
Why track project?
•Planned not equal to reality
•Management reporting
•Control

•Avoid surprises
•Early detection
•Remedial action
•Change/Adaptation
•Coordination and integration
•Resource usage and prioritization
•Feedback
•Motivation
Project control process
Control
•Is the process of comparing actual performance against plan to identify deviations, evaluate
possible alternative courses of actions, and take appropriate corrective action

Project monitoring (tracking) principles
Use relevant metrics, Built into project plan, Accurate information, Timely information,
Facilitates MBE, Visible to team members, Diagnostic
Project monitoring approach and tools
What
•Time and cost-related metrics
How
•Dashboard
•Check-list

•Spreadsheets with variance data
•Gantt chart tracking
•Percent-complete method
•Earned value
•Control Chart
Quality Tools used in trouble shooting and problem solving
•Swim lane Flow chart
•Cause and Effect Diagram
•Pareto Chart
Problem 12
Pre Execution Checklist
•Project briefing
•Roles and responsibilities
•Communications and team work
•Risks and contingency plan
•Problem resolution and issues handling
•Data collection and tracking
•Closing and clearing up
What is Project Closure?
The final phase of any project
•Review overall outcomes
•Involves preparing a complete and comprehensive project file that forms a history of the project
•Provide follow up for stakeholders
•Can be used as historical input for future projects
Roles of the Project Manager during Project Closure?
1
...
Formally terminate activities of the project
3
...
Articulate and complete a handover strategy
5
...
Promote learning
Project Life Cycle

Causes of Project Closure
Normal- Project runs smoothly as expected
Premature-closing the project earlier than the expected time
Perpetual- project took way longer time to close
Failed project- project did not run smoothly and did not reach the expected result
Changed Priority -Financial or economic reasons may dedicate that resources are no longer available
to the project that leads to termination of the project
Project Closure Process
Delivery Acceptance-> Shutting down-> Reassigning-> closing accounts and Contracts-> Project Audit
Areas of Project Closure
Finance, Venue, Administration, Logistics, Organisations
Closure
-Contracts closure and settling of payments
-Communicate project closure to all stakeholders
-Evaluate project and analyse outputs or outcomes
-Conduct survey for feedback and compile results
-Evaluate performance of project team and stakeholders
-Reward project team
-Make recommendations
-Release resources to stakeholders

Problem 13
Motivator factors for International Projects
•Economies of scale
•Strength in size
•Penetration of new markets and increased sales
•Access to human resources
•Lower cost of operations
•Maintenance and expansion of the firm’s competitive position
Environmental Factors

1) Legal/political
•Participation of local authorities by making them stakeholders
•Impacts on the operations and funding of the project
2) Security
•Threat of terrorism to international high profile projects
•Safety of staff, shoppers, vendors, etc

---