16.1 Getting started: Establishing the managerial needs of a project

Question 1

What are the primary three tasks that must be accomplished by a project team?

Answer 1

The project team must:

• complete all tasks
  
  • required by the project
  • within a specified time frame
• work with all available resources

Project management can be viewed as the balancing of the three “S”s.

Question 2

What are the three “S”s that comprise project management?

Answer 2

The three “S”s of project management include the following:

• scope
• schedule
• spending

Question 3

Describe scope in terms of project management.

Answer 3

The scope of a project sets limits on what the team must accomplish, particularly in prescribing the project’s deliverables (e.g., a finished design, a working prototype, or fabrication specifications).

Question 4

Describe scheduling in terms of project management.

Answer 4

Scheduling defines the time frame within which the project must be completed.

Question 5

Describe spending in terms of project management.

Answer 5

Spending identifies and limits the available resources and how they may be applied to the project.

Question 6

What questions may be asked to clarify the scope of the project?

Answer 6

Clarify the scope of the project by asking questions like:

• Do you want a conceptual design, a detailed design, or something in between?
• Do you require a working ·prototype?
• Is full engineering functionality needed, or will a demonstration of key functions be sufficient?
• How much testing of the design and prototype do you want?
• Is a complete set of engineering drawings of the final design needed?
• How should the design be documented and formatted?
• To whom do we, the team, report?

Question 7

What questions may be asked to establish the schedule for the project?

Answer 7

Establish the schedule for the project by asking questions like:

• When are the final deliverables due?
• Are there intermediate due dates?
• When should the team meet?

Question 8

What questions may be asked to identify spending and resource limits for the project?

Answer 8

Identify spending and resource limits for the project by asking questions like:

• Can we use outside resources (e.g. shop staff or drafting experts)?
• How many people will be on the team, and how much of their time is available for this project?
• What materials and supplies are available to the design team?
• Where will the team meet and work?