Ch. 5: Project Planning Good Quote:

Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work

Lame excuses for not planning: Takes too much time Customers don’t know what they want If we commit, we will be held accountable

Ch. 5.0: Reasons for Project Planning Establish directions for project

team Support objectives of parent

organization Make allowance for risk Put controls on the planned work

Ch. 5.0: Project Planning in Information Systems

View of several authors in the field of IS:

Popularized Name Planning Process “units” breakdown

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

4 to 6 or 7 “phases”

(no name) 7 “steps”

(no name) 6 “planning sequences”

Ch. 5.0: Contents of Project Planning Chapter

Initial project coordination Systems integration Sorting out the project Work breakdown structure (WBS) and

linearresponsibility charts

Interface coordination through integrationmanagement

Ch. 5.1: Initial Project Coordination Senior Management Role

Delineate the firm’s intent Outline scope of project Describe how project’s results

reinforce firm’s goals

Ch. 5.1 The Project Launch Meeting

Project Launch Meeting=

Visible symbol of top management’s commitment to

the project

Ch. 5.1 Major Issues at Project Launch Meeting

Existence of well defined set of project objectives

Precise nature of scope statement Uniqueness of project

Ch. 5.1: Detail / Length of Project Launch Meeting

For routine projects: “Touch base”, short meeting

Unique projects: Extensive discussion

Ch. 5.1: Potential Traps for Project Launch Meeting

Trap Effect

Go deeper than “most aggregated level” (level1)

No team integration

Make ballpark estimate of budget and time

Preliminary estimate gets cast in stone

Ch. 5.1: Expected Outcome of Project Launch Meeting Establish technical scope Participants accept performance

responsibility Tentative overall schedules and

budgets Creation of Risk Management

Group

Ch. 5.1: Major Risks Considered at Project Planning Initiation

Market reaction to new process / product

Project being stopped due to patent awarded to a competing innovation

Ch. 5.1: Risk Management Plan Includes: Project technology Project schedule Project resource base Myriad of other risk factors Makeup of project risk

management group

Ch. 5.1: Composite Plan Combination of Risk Management

Plan and Project Launch Meeting action items

Approved by all participating functional groups

Endorsed by PM and sent up the management ladder for approval

Ch. 5.1: From Composite Plan to Project (Master) Plan Modify composite plan with written

“change orders” Approve updated plan with

functional unit involved and senior management

Iterate this process until no more changes are proposed

Hold post planning review meeting

Ch. 5.1: Carefully Determine Set of Deliverables!

1. Marketing over promises deliverables2. Engineering may not be able to

produce deliverable on time3. Marketing is unable to deliver on time

Typical Scenario:

Ch. 5.1: Marketing’s Objections to Early Involvement of Engineering

Probably true Probably false

Style Sales specialists know firm’s products and services

Engineers are argumentative

Cost Sales specialists know about cost, designs and lead times

Cost of bringing engineers to a meeting drives up sales cost

Ch. 5.1: Why Involve the Customer in Planning?

Easier Faster Give customer a voice Cheaper (to do things right the

first time)

Ch. 5.1: Multifunctional Teams (Concurrent Engineering) Used when a system must be

installed in a larger, more complex system

Integrates through cross functional groups

Ch. 5.1: Project Plan Elements Overview Objectives General approach Contractual aspects Schedules Resources Personnel Evaluation methods Potential problems

Ch. 5.1: Project Charter

Generated through negotiations involving the many parties at interest in the project

Ch. 5.1: Classic SDLC (Left) vs. Aaron et. al. Model (Right)Feasibility Concept Evaluation

Analysis Requirement Identification

Design Design

Build Implementation

Closure Test

Integration

Validation

Customer Test and Evaluation

Ongoing Use Operations and Maintenance

Ch. 5.2: Three Main Objectives of Systems Integration

Performance Effectiveness Cost

Ch. 5.3: Even Planning Process

a) Make list of activities of similar importance in sequential order Level 1

b) Break each level 1 process into sub processes as under a) Level 2

c) Continue to higher process levels until no further breaking is possible

Ch. 5.3: Illustration to “Even Planning Process”

Ch. 5.3: Form Useful for “Even Planning Process”

Ch. 5.3: Tree Diagram Used in Hierarchical Planning

Ch. 5.3: Strategic Factors in Project Planning

Project mission Top management support Project’s action plan

Ch. 5.4: Example of a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Ch. 5.4: Steps in Designing a WBS List task breakdown in succeeding

finer levels Construct a responsibility matrix Establish pricing control Schedule milestones Identify problems Generate Project Master Schedule

Ch. 5.4: Linear Responsibility Chart

Ch. 5.5: Planning and Design using Multidisciplinary Teams Generate integrated base for

project design Add software for conflict detection Add software to generate

production plan Generate knowledge base

Ch. 5.5: Example of Interface Map

Ch. 5.5: Project Phases and Phase Gates in the SDLC Feasibility

Project Proposal System

Requirement Specifications Design

Design Specs Build

Programmers and Users Manuals

Ch. 5.5: Coordination Structure Model of Project Management