16.2 Tools for managing a project’s scope Flashcards
What are some examples of additional unknowns that affect design projects more than other projects?
Design projects, more than other projects, must take into account:
- How long will it take to have a good idea?
- What will it cost to build a prototype for a design that is as yet unknown?
What are two tools for managing a project’s scope?
Two tools for managing a project’s scope include the following:
- the team charter
- the work breakdown structure
What is a team charter?
A team charter is
- a “mini-contract”/agreement about project requirements between:
- the team
- its client or sponsor
- the organization within which the design team works
- other stakeholders
What is a work breakdown structure?
A work breakdown structure is an hierarchical representation/ordered list of:
- what must be done to complete all the required tasks to complete the project
- all of the tasks that must be performed to complete a design project
What are some examples of project requirements that are agreed upon under team charters?
Some examples of project requirements established by team charters include:
- what constitutes project success
- what limits on the project may apply
What information must project managers understand?
Project managers need to understand:
- the goals of the project, including both minimally acceptable· goals and “stretch” goals
- how those goals align with larger organizational goals
- the authority for the project
- the project deliverables
- the time frame for the project, including any limits on the schedule
- the resources available for the project
- any unusual circumstances associated with the project
Note an example of a team charter for the Danbury Arm Support.
How do engineering managers like to operate when dealing with large, complex projects?
Engineering managers like to decompose projects into small enough units so that they can:
- identify who will be responsible
- establish how long the smaller task will take
- determine the resources required to complete that smaller task (or subtask)
What do project managers generally use to break the work down into pieces sufficiently small that the resources and time needed for each task can be estimated with confidence?
Project managers generally use work breakdown structures (WBSs) to break the work down (hence the name) into pieces sufficiently small that the resources and time needed for each task can be estimated with confidence.
Into which eight basic task areas can work breakdown structures be organized?
WBS is organized in terms of eight basic task areas:
- understand customer requirements
- analyze function requirements
- generate alternatives
- evaluate alternatives
- select among alternatives
- document the design process
- manage the project
- detailed design
What are the four properties in a work breakdown structure?
The four properties in a work breakdown structure include the following:
- full breakdown into parts
- adequacy
- completeness
- additive
Describe the following property of work breakdown structure:
Full Breakdown into Parts
Full breakdown into parts entails that each item that is taken to a lower level is always broken down into two or more subtasks at that lower level.
Describe the following property of work breakdown structure:
Adequacy
Adequacy in work breakdown structure entails that the breakdown is adequate to allow the parts to be managed.
Describe the following property of work breakdown structure:
Completeness
Completeness in work breakdown structure entails that any task or activity that consumes resources or takes time should be included in the WBS explicitly or as a known component of another task.
Describe the following property of workbreakdown structure:
Additive
The additive property in work breakdown structure entails that all lower subtasks of the hierarchy must be equivalent to completion of the full task above them.
Note an example of a work breakdown structure.
