2 Project Organisation Flashcards
1
Q
What are the basics of organization?
A
- organizational structure: distribution of tasks and competences
- sequence of tasts
- balance archieving joint goals and goals of individual members #goalconflicts
- need for communication to balance goals
- projects: self organization
2
Q
parameters of an organizational struture’s design
A
- specialization
- delegation
- coordination
3
Q
models of an organizational structure
A
- staff/line project organization
- matrix project organization
- pure project organization
4
Q
staff/line organization
A
hierachy of the company is not changed
5
Q
Pros of staff/line organization
A
- Simple organizational implementation
- Flexible personnel deployment
- Staff as a mediator
- Relatively high acceptance
6
Q
Cons of staff/line organization
A
- No centralized responsibility
- Missing identification with the project
- Low motivation from participants
- Extended response time
- Tensions between staff and line management might rule out solution
7
Q
pure project organization
A
- project is managet by independent project team
- project team is an organziational unit
- project management is fully responsible
- project manager leads group of experts
- experts are responsible for their tasks assigned
- project team works exclusivly on the project
- team members are reintegrated in their former positions or leave at the end of the project
8
Q
Pros of pure project organization
A
- High motivation and identification with the project
- Clear authority
- Entrepreneurship within the company (Intrapreneurship)
- Fewer delays, since routine operations does not get in the way
- Standardization of projects possible
- Quick reaction time when something goes wrong, adjustments through project‘s own resources
9
Q
Cons of pure project organization
A
• High overhead costs (more effort to establish)
• Integration of project result may be
difficult
• Reintegration of employees at the end of the project (insecurity)
• Further employee training only occurs when it‘s beneficial for the project
• Opportunity cost from having to commit competent employees full time to the project
10
Q
matrix project organization
A
- combination of pure and line project organization
- project management is responsible for planning, controlling and monitoring
- line managers are responsible for execution
- authority to issue directives: split between project leader and line manager
11
Q
types of authority
A
- technical authority
* disciplinary authority
12
Q
technical authority
A
- intensity of resource use
- delegating work within the project group
- procurement (award third party contract to provide service/product)
- planning, control and monitoring of project tasks
- call for meetings within project committee
13
Q
What are your tasks, if you have disciplinary authority?
A
- transfer / Recruit employees
- salary, holidays
- assessment, etc.
14
Q
Pros of matrix project organization
A
- Facilitates transfer or integration of specialized knowledge to the project
- Line function offers flexible use of resources, specialized knowledge can be fully utilized
- continuity of further education/training, high sense of security for employees
- Low cost of organizational implementation
15
Q
Cons of matrix project organization
A
• Risk of conflicts due to double assignment to line and project management (conflict of interests between managers, employees stuck in the middle)
• Employees having to prioritize between line and project tasks
• Cost related to division of authority
(coordination costs)
• Risk of conflict of jurisdiction
• Over-accurate documentation
• Blame casting and “bucket passing“
16
Q
What are other “blended” forms of project management organization?
A
- 100% line organization
- staff/line organization
- weak matrix organization
- balanced power: task-based organization (balanced matrix)
- strong matrix organization
• 100% pure project organization
17
Q
objectives of successful project management
A
- within time
- within cost
- at the desired performance/technology level
- while utilizing the assigned resources effectively and efficiently
- accepted by the customer
- minimum of scope changes
- without disturbing main work flow of the organization
- without changing corporate culture
18
Q
What are potential benefits/areas of improvement for any project?
A
• identification of ...functional responsibilities ...time limits ...a methodology for trade-off analysis • minimize reporting • measuring accomplishment vs. plans • knowing when objectives cannot be met or will be exceeded • early identification of problems • improved estimating capability for future planning
19
Q
What are (systematic) diffuculties in managing projects?
A
- project complexity
- project risks
- customer’s special requirements
- customer’s scope changes
- changes in technology
- forward planning
- forward pricing
20
Q
possible deliverables for a projects
A
- hardware deliverables
- software deliverables
- interim deliverables
21
Q
project phases
A
- project definition
- project planning
- project realization and controlling
- project closure
22
Q
sub-phases/tasks of the project phase “definition”
A
- target definition
- enviroment analysis
- operational structure
- organizational structure
- fesability studies
23
Q
sub-phases/tasks of the project phase “planning”
A
- structure planning
- scheduling
- cost planning
- ressource planning
- (risk management)
- (change management)
(• quality management)
24
Q
sub-phases/tasks of the project phase “realization and controlling”
A
- reporting
- earned value analysis
- milestone trend analysis
- risk management
- change management
(• quality management)
25
sub-phases/tasks of the project phase "closure"
* approval
* evaluation
* knowledge management
* project termination
26
commom project management positions
* project leader
* project controller
* configuration manager
* requirement manager
* requirements (systems) engineer
* quality manager
* test manager
* change manager
* project management officer (support)
* work-package leader
* sub-project leader
27
What is an organizational interface?
* two organizational entites
* interaction is required
* there is a potential for conflict
• no joint superior
=> thus: need for non-hierachical interface management
28
Coordination/ Integration Measures
```
impact on behavior of
• indvidual
• group
Reducing need for coordination
• modularization
• buffer resources
• self-management / autonomy
```
29
How can you impact on individual behavior?
```
explicitly
• incentives
• training
• job rotation
implicitly
• vision/goals
• organizational culture
```
30
How can you impact on group behavior?
```
personal perspective
• staff
• commissions
• project-management
• cross-functional groups
impersonal
• internal markets
• programs & plans
• distance management (bring people closer together, e.g. make two people meet)
```
31
levels of detail in process organization
* project phase plan/model
| * detailed scheduling
32
project phase plan/model
* shows most important work steps
* each phase is completed with a milestone
* used in a standadized form
33
detailed scheduling
* builds on project phase plan
| * aligned more strongly with the specific project and its operational requirements
34
benefits of a phase plan
* complexity reduction
* commitment to orderly approch
* process more transparent and controllable
* basis for division of labour
35
phase model according to Heuer
* information phase
* concept phase
* definition phase
* development phase
* prototype phase
* manufacturing phase
* use phase
36
phase model according to Wildemann
* initiation phase
* conception phase
* construction phase
* Manufacturing and construction phase
* Test and introduction phase
* Operating phase
* Decommissioning phase
37
phase model according to Haberfellner
* Initiation of the preliminary study
* preliminary study
* main study
* detailed studies
* system construction
* system usage
* system change
38
phase model according to REFA
* problem phase
* data phase
* development stage
* evaluation stage
* selection stage
* control phase
39
waterfall model (according to Royce for software developments)
1. requirements
2. analysis
3. design
4. coding
5. testing
6. operations
40
PROS of the waterfall model
* Planned procedure
* Emphasis on the early phases (not equal to programming): 20-40% effort in the first three phases, 30-40% for coding, remainder for testing and implementation
* Securing documentation
* Simple structuring allows everyone to adhere to it and use derived milestones for project monitoring
41
CONS of the waterfall model
* With more innovative projects, requirements only become clear in "doing". This leads to long cycles or wrong project results.
* Leads to hierarchically dominated project work that destroys creativity
* Difficult to capture change suggestions from all team members
42
Can phases in the waterfall model overlap?
Yes, they can!
43
potential deficies of classical project management
in high uncertainty situations
| => agile methods
44
traditional project phases on the development and introduction of new products
1. Pre-study => mock-up
2. concept
3. development => product completed with all features
4. quality check => first customer input
5. pilot
6. release
45
phases of an agile project
* pre-study => mock-up
* first customer input: iteration 1
* reviews/feedback: iteration 2
* ... iteration 3
* iteration n => product completed with all features
* Quality check & pilot
* release
46
Basic idea of scrum
```
• empirical, incremental and iterative approch
• sprints ever 2-4 weeks
• three principles:
1. transperancy
2. review
3. adjustment
```
47
Scrum roles
* scrum master (leads meetings, makes sure everyone follows the procedure)
* team
* product owner (respresents the requirements)
48
Scrum products
* product backlog (priotized requirements)
* sprint backlog (list of tasks to be performed)
* impediment list (major barriers to be overcome)
49
regular meetings in scrum
* daily scrum meeting
| * sprint review meeting (after each sprint the customer receives an operational system)
50
pretotyping
try assumptions as fast as possible by prototyping as simple as possible and retrieve data to validate/falsify your assumption
51
What does data show for agile project management?
shorten project duration, but increase costs and effort
52
objectives of successful stakeholder management
* utilizing the assigned resources effectively and efficiently
* accepted by the customer
* minimum of scope changes
* without disturbing main work flow of the organization
* without changing corporate culture
53
milestones of the waterfall model (according to Royce for software developments)
phase 1. requirements
• product requirements document
54
milestones of the waterfall model (according to Royce for software developments)
phase 2. analysis
* models
* schema
* business rules
55
milestones of the waterfall model (according to Royce for software developments)
phase 3. design
• software architecture
56
milestones of the waterfall model (according to Royce for software developments)
phase 4. coding
* development
* proving
* integration of software
57
milestones of the waterfall model (according to Royce for software developments)
phase 5. testing
• systematic discovery and debugging
58
milestones of the waterfall model (according to Royce for software developments)
phase 6. operations
* installation
* migration
* support
* maintenance
