Exam tips Flashcards
When can the project management plan be updated?
- once this plan is approved by sponsor, it cannot be changed.
Can be changed only if: - a change request is generated and approved by change control board.
- a change request has to go through the change control process (process name: perform integrated change control).
What if the project is terminated before completion?
- Proj.M should go to the closing process and formally close the project!!
- document what work was left to be done
- archive project records
- release people etc etc etc..
key is FORMALLY CLOSE PROJECT!!
What is a key input to the closing process?
- Accepted deliverables are a key input
What is important in process perform integrated change control?
- No change should be given to change control board without first assessing it.
- PM should find alternatives, assess the impact of each change before sending it for approval
Benchmarking
- comparison with other projects or industry standards
- one important tool used in process collect requirements
Gold Plating and Scope Creep
Gold plating - doing extra work not defined in the scope..
Suppose finishes the job earlier than expected, so you end up doing additional work which is not defined in scope. Extra work generally comes at the end of the project with
Scope creep - Unauthorized work getting added to scope
Stakeholders keep adding work without updating the scope statement. Pushes up budget, schedule, work, everything keeps growing.
Rolling Wave Planning
- tool for the process “Define Activities” (in Project Schedule Management)
- A form of progressive elaboration. Which means near term work packages can be defined in a much greater detail. Long term work packages cannot be defined in detail. Keep placeholders for long term work packages
- As project moves forward, placeholders will be removed, and work packages will be properly decomposed as more information is available
Lags and Leads
- tool for the process sequencing activities (in Project Schedule Management)
LEAD (overlap): amount of time a successor activity can be advanced with respect to a predecessor activity (Starting the paint work (successor activity) even after partially moving out the furniture (predecessor activity) ).
LAG (delay): Delay in the successor work package or activity (waiting for the paint to dry (predecessor activity) before putting furniture back in room (successor activity) ).
Analogous Estimating (top-down estimating)
- tool for the process estimate activity durations (in Project Schedule Management)
- relies on historical data - get info from previous project done in the past
- quick and cheap estimate but is not very accurate
Resource leveling vs resource smoothing
- tool for the process develop schedule (in Project Schedule Management)
RESOURCE LEVELING: start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints with the goal of balancing the demand for resources. May affect the critical path.
- no one works overtime, resources will be properly allocated, but schedule WILL extend.
RESOURCE SMOOTHING: adjust the activity of a schedule model such that the requirement for resources on a project do not exceed certain predefined resource limits.
- build schedule with resource limitation in mind. NO change in critical path.
Schedule compression: Crashing vs Fast tracking
- tool for the process develop schedule (in Project Schedule Management)
CRASHING (adding resources to a project activity) –> Adds cost, may or may not add risk
FAST TRACKING (activities performed in parallel) –> Adds risk, may or may not add cost
Project Schedule vs Schedule Baseline
- outputs of process develop schedule (in Project Schedule Management)
SCHEDULE BASELINE is part of the project management plan(18 components, 4 baselines,14 plans). It’s not very detailed (only contains project start date, end date, etc.). To change this a change request is needed.
PROJECT SCHEDULE is not part of the project management plan. It’s very detailed with Project network diagrams, Bar charts and Milestone charts. It contains start and end dates for each activity etc. No change request needed to change project schedule!
Critical Path
- Biggest path, highest duration
- no slack, no float, total float!
Total Float/ Float/ Slack vs Free Float
Float/ Slack: time by which you can delay an activity without delaying the ENTIRE PROJECT
Free Float: time by which you can delay an activity without delaying the NEXT ACTIVITY
PERT (Beta), Standard Deviation, Triangular distribution
Pert/ Beta Distribution = (Optimistic + 4*Realistic + Pessimistic)/6
Triangular Distribution = (Optimistic + Realistic + Pessimistic)/3
Standard Deviation = (Optimistic + Pessimistic)/3
Prevention vs Inspection
PREVENTION: keeping errors out of the process
INSPECTION: keeping errors out of the customer hands
Question where they say Proj.M should be improving the process on the project
- MANAGE QUALITY is the answer
Control Chart
- tool for Control Quality
Rule of 7 (7 consecutive data points on one side of the mean) - data points up and down is ok.. if consecutive 7 on one side INSPECT THE PROCESS
- one of the point above the limit or below the limit FIX THE PROCESS.
RACI
Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed.
In the Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) there has to be on one ‘A’ (Accountable). More than 1 person accountable starts the blame game. If no one is accountable, work won’t be done.
Virtual Teams
Saves cost, work round the clock,
Problems: Language, Shift
Develop Teams - Tools
Recognition and Rewards
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Physiological (air water food) –> Safety (stability in life, work, culture) –> Social (need love, approval, friends) –> Esteem Respect, appreciation, approval of others) –> Self actualization (people seek personal growth)
Herzberg Theory of motivation: Hygiene agents (factors influencing work satisfaction), Motivating agents (opportunity to exceed, advance)
McGregors managers can be categorized in Theory X and Y:
THEORY X - People need to be watched, micromanaged, distrusted, people avoid work, responsibility
THEORY Y - good people. Self led, motivated, can accomplish new tasks proactively
Theory Z: Increased loyalty. Well-being of employees, both at work and outside.
Expectancy theory: behave based on what they expect as a result of their behavior
McClelland 3 Need theory: Achievement, Power, Affiliation
Manage communications vs monitor communication
- MANAGE COMMUNICATION: execute, follow as plan.
- MONITOR COMMUNICATION: Make sure plan is followed
Agile: who prioritizes product backlog?
Product Owner
Prioritization of features and techniques
It has to be down by the customer / Product Owner
Techniques
1. Simple Scheme (Priority 1, priority 2, priority 3)
2. MoSCoW (Must have, Should have, Could have, Would like to have but not this time)
3. Dot Voting or Multiple voting. (Put dots in front of features)
4. Monopoly Money (owners put fake money for features)
5. 100-point method (distribute 100 points on different features)
The idea behind this is to prioritize features and other is engaging the owners….
Prioritization Technique: Kano Analysis
Helps to understand the customer satisfaction
- Delighters/Exciters
- Satisfiers
- Dissatisfiers
- Indifferent
Conflict resolution
Proj.M must not let conflict escalate. Use interpersonal skills to negotiate and solve and not let it go to level 5
Levels of conflict:
Level 1: Problem to solve - Sharing info
Level 2: Disagreement - Personal protection
Level 3: Contest - must win
Level 4: Crusade - Protecting one’s group
Level 5: World war - must destroy the other
Models of team development
Shu Ha Ri model
Shu - obey (follow something step by step)
Ha - Moving way from set guidelines
Ri - finding individual paths
Dreyfus Model of adult skill acquisition
Novice, Advanced Beginner, Competent, Proficient, Expert
Co-Located Teams
Any conflicts because of team space
Timeboxing
Short, fixed-duration periods of time in which activities or work are undertaken.
Daily Standup - 15mins
Retrospectives - 2 hours
Sprints - 1–4 weeks
Backlog
User story backlog and product backlog is the same! If in exam they say just the backlog, it’s product backlog or user story backlog.
Sprint backlog is the list of tasks for the particular sprint
Refining (Grooming) backlog
- keep the backlog updated and accurately prioritized. i.e. as new tasks get added, they should be prioritized in the existing backlog and not be added just to the end.
Technique for estimation/Decision making
Bandwagon effect - put people in a room and everyone converges around one person’s opinion, even if they don’t agree.
HIPPO decision-making (HIghest Paid Persons Opinion)
Wideband Delphi - Group estimation approach, panel of experts estimating anonymously!
Story Maps and Product Roadmaps
Story Maps
High level planning tool
- stakeholders map out what the project priorities early in the planning
- shows when a feature will be delivered and what is included in each release
Product Roadmap
- Story map is converted into product roadmap
Technical Debt
Backlog of work caused by not doing regular cleanup
Refactoring is the solution!
- Ways to standardize the code, easy to understand, simplify
Lead time and Cycle Times
Lead time: Time taken for something to go through the entire process
Cycle Time: time taken by something to go through a part of the process. Part of lead time.
Long cycle times lead to increased amounts of WIP
Cycle Time = WIP / Throughput
Throughput: amount of work that can be done in a time period
Solving Problems
LET THE TEAM SOLVE THE PROBLEM!! They have the best solutions
Engage the team and let them come up with a solution
- Team produces practical solutions
- gives consensus from all team members
- asking for help shows confidence
Kaizen
Process for Continuous improvement
Focus on team to implement small incremental improvements
Agile cycle
Plan – Develop – Evaluate – Learn
Myer Briggs Personality test
Extrovert or Introvert (E/I)
- Extrovert: Social interactions, easy to introduce to new people, center of attention
- Introvert: quiet, perceptive, keep observer, small groups
Sensor or Intuitive (S/N)
Sensor: Focus on facts, notice details, aware of surroundings
Intuitive: think about meaning, notice patterns, try new things, lost in thought, curious
Thinker or Feeler (T/F)
Thinker: objective data and logical analysis, pros and cons, difficult to relate to others feelings, truth important than emotion
Feeler: Values and sensor for right and wrong, how your decisions affects other and how they feel, make sure no one gets upset, easy to relate to others feelings. Design solution where everyone gets comfortable with
Judger and Perceiver (J/P)
Judger: Love to make decisions, Perform in structured and consistent environment, organised, dont like surprises and no last minute changes
Perciever: Leaving things open-ended, keep options open, spontaneous and go with flow, dont like too many rules. Excited about surprises.
