Module 1: Introduction and Project Requirements Flashcards
Triple constraint
Cost, scope, schedule.
Quality is another one.
Can affect each other. Often one has bigger impact. Must prioritize constraints.
What are projects
- have sponsors or client
- have an end
- are unique
- not all projects use an adaptive approach to management.
Waterfall
Another term for predictive approach to project management
Artifact
A template, document, output or project deliverable
Program
Is a group of related projects managed in a coordinated manner
Scrum
methodology that uses adaptive solutions when managing projects
Stakeholders
people that are impacted by project activities and project outcomes.
Engage and collaborate with stakeholders for effective decision-making.
Method
means of achieving an outcome or output of project deliverables
Model
tried and tested approach for project management, eg situational leadership
Project definition
-Unique (not an everyday process)
- Start and end (temporary in nature)
- Developing something or providing service.
- change existing process or project.
All are different, all have time constraint.
Project success
Meets or exceeds stakeholders expectations. Done on time, within budget and must meet the objectives.
Benefits of project management
Reduce risks, better control budgets, manage human resources and improve customer relations. realize higher quality, shorter development times and improve productivity.
Scope
What is included in the project and what is not. Needs to be very clear at the start of the project.
Project management
Application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.
5 PM processes
Initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.
Examples of Project stakeholders
Owner/sponsor of the project
The project manager
Project team
Support staff
Suppliers
Customers
Stakeholders
Engage and collaborate with stakeholders for effective decision-making.
Life cycle
Project deliverables determine the development approach such as a predictive, adaptive, or hybrid approach
Hierarchy charts
- Work breakdown structure, Risk breakdown structure,
Baselines
- budget, scope, schedule
Reports
quality, risk, status - information to stakeholders
Predictive project management
AKA waterfall or traditional.
traditional lifecycle (initiation, planning, execution and closing)
Agile
Iterative approach to PM. Team delivers work in small, but consumable, increments. Deliverables evaluated continually. Able to respond quickly.
Business case often omitted
Project portfolio management
More economical to group projects together. Streamline in terms of staffing, purchasing materials.
Program manager Vs Portfolio manager
Program manager: concentrate on tactical goals or organization. Portfolio managers concentrate on strategic goals
Sequence Activities inputs
- PM plan - schedule mgmt plan, scope baseline
- Project documents - activity attributes, activity list, assumption log, milestone list.
- Enterprise env’t factors
- organizational process assets.
Sequence activities tools & techniques
- Precedence diagramming method.
- Dependency determination and integration.
- Leads and lags.
- Project mgmt information system
Sequence activities outputs
- Project schedule network diagrams
- project document updates - activity attributes, activity list, assumption log, milestone list
Sequence activities
Identifying and documenting the relationships amongst project activities.
Activity attributes
environment, skills, timing, quality, special people, conditions
Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)
Activities are represented as nodes; each activity is connect by an arrow that shows dependencies.
Can be full details or summary activities (hammocks)
Dependency Determination and Integration
Dependencies can be mandatory, discretionary, internal or external.
Leads and Lags
LEAD - The amount of time a successor activity can be advanced.
LAGS - how long an activity will be delayed in relation to its predecessor.
Project Management Information System
Includes software to enable the PM to schedule. The software allows user to plan, organize, adjust and manipulate logical relationships, leads and lags.
Why use precedence diagramming method?
- Helps with resource planning
- Creates a baseline for critical activities
- Determines when the project will end (the duration)
- Shows dependencies among activities
Predecessor
The activities that must be completed prior to initiation of a later activity in the network
Successor
Activities that cannot be started until previous activities have been completed. These activities follow predecessors’ tasks
Serial (sequential) activity
One resource, many tasks (one has to be done before the other is done). This linear method is the most time consuming way of sequencing.
Parallel activity
more than one resource, one activity done at the same time as another activity.
Merge activity
a couple of activities have to be done before the one activity can be done. (make all the dishes before they can be served at a party)
Burst activity
An activity that has to start before others can begin. (once foundation is done, you can frame, start drainage and bring material).
Start to start
Predecessor must start before successor can start. (road excavating must start before asphalt can be laid).
Finish to Finish
Predecessor must finish before Successor can finish. (Laying asphalt must be complete before line painting can be started).
Finish to start
Predecessor must finish before Successor can start. THIS IS THE MOST COMMON RELATIONSHIP IN A NETWORK. (Land must be purchased before road building can start.)
Start to Finish
Predecessor must start before Successor can finish. This is the least common task relationship and is rarely used.
(road excavating must start before line painting can be completed).
Task relationship: Writing a chapter in a book and having an editor proof the writing, then going onto next chapter.
(Start to Start) Relationship - Once Chapter 1 is finished you can give to the editor to commence proofing while you work away on Chapter 2. Once Chapter 2 is finished, you give to editor etc.
Task relationship: Activities of digging foundation and pouring concrete in a project.
(Finish to Start) Relationship - Pouring concrete can only occur after the foundation has been dug
Task relationship: Icing a homemade cake for a birthday party.
(Finish to Start) Relationship - the cake must be prepared and baked before the task of icing can begin
Task relationship: Activities involving pouring concrete and construction of a new facility.
(Start to Start) Relationship with a delay. Construction can begin after concrete has been poured; 2-5 days, then curing.
Task relationship: Heating up the oven to a temperature in order to have a fully baked cake.
(Finish to Finish) Relationship – the oven must be pre-heated in order to complete the baking of the cake.
Task relationship: The task of cleaning up following a party.
SF - The cleaning can only start once the party has finished.
FF - The cleaning can finish 2 hours after the party has finished.
FS - The party has to finish before the cleaning can start.
Task relationship: Completing the task of painting and installation of baseboards and trim.
(FS) Relationship - paint must be dry before all the trimming tasks to be completed.
Task relationship: Project involves building a new gas pipeline to replace an old pipeline.
(SF) Relationship. Construction will be finished and implementation of the new pipeline would occur before commencing shutting down and breaking down the old pipeline.
Task relationship: The tasks of baking a cake and making the icing.
(SS) Relationship - You can make the icing for the cake while the cake is baking in the oven, but you can’t start making the icing until the cake has started baking.
Task relationship: Handover of security guard to a new shift of guards.
(SF) Relationship – If the second guard does not show up for shift the first guard cannot finish his shift.
Dependency determination: mandatory
These dependencies are required based on the nature of the work involved. (Cannot test something not yet developed). Not referring to policy based on physical and logistical limitations of the relationship.
Dependency determination: discretionary
These relationships are determined by a best practice or resource availability.
Dependency determination: external
An external dependency is based on something or someone outside the project. (requiring a permit, waiting on vendor delivery)
Dependency determination: internal
Internal dependency involves a precedence relationship between project activities and is generally inside project team’s control. (team cannot test a machine until they assemble it).
Lead
IS OVERLAP. the amount of time whereby a successor activity can be advanced with respect to a predecessor activity.
Two weeks before I am done gathering the requirements, I will start designing the center FS - 2w (FS = finish-to-start relationship, a lead is shown as minus sign, 2w= 2 weeks)
Lag
WAITING TIME. the amount of time whereby the successor activity will be delayed with respect to a predecessor activity.
You want to start an activity 10 days after you start the predecessor activity. SS + 10d
Assumptions during sequencing process
There are no limitations on resources (time, people and money).
Critical path
longest continuous chain of activities through the network schedule that establishes the minimum overall project duration. If delayed with delay the entire project
Forward pass
The first calculation necessary for determining the duration of a project is called the Forward Pass.
Backward pass
in order to determine the float of a project, and subsequent Critical Path
Float
calculated by determining the difference between either EF and LF, or ES and LS
Free float
Amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of any successor or violating a schedule constraint. AKA slack or slide time
Guidelines for Estimating Activity Duration
- Evaluate each activity independently
- assume normal level of labour
- assume normal work week
- first time around, ignore any pre-determined completion date
- use consistent time units
- use past actual duration
Tools for Estimating Activity Duration
- Expert Judgement
- Analogous estimating
-Bottom-up estimating - Parametric estimating
- Heuristics (educated guess)
- Real life examples
- Decision Making (collaborate with team members)
- Meetings
- Data analysis
Analogous estimating
Analogy derived from expert, industry standards and historical information. Or Top-Down estimating. High-level estimates, less costly but less accurate.
Parametric
Uses an algorithm to estimate. 2 hours to install a toilet and you have 20 toilets to install. More accurate estimates.
Types of Data Analysis for time estimates
Alternatives: Comparison of resources (make/ rent/buy decisions).
Reserve: amount of contingency reserve and mgmt reserve (knowns and unknowns) build a buffer.
Monte Carlo Analysis: quantitative analysis to account for uncertainty. Forecasting model. What if scenarios.
3 point estimating: Triangular (simple average)
D = (O + M + P) / 3
The risks (P & O estimates) and considered equally with M
3 point estimating: Beta (weighted average) PERT
D = (O + 4M + P) / 6
Stronger consideration is given to the M estimate
Standard Deviation
(P -O) / 6
Shows the possible range for the estimate. You want the number to be as low as possible.
Range of Estimate
EAD - SD and EAD + SD
EAD = Estimated Activity Duration
MOP acronym for activity estimate
D = Duration
M = Most likely (based on facts and skills available)
O = Optimistic (best-case scenario)
P = Pessimistic (worst-case scenario)
PERT Analysis
Program Evaluation and Review Technique
- used when no certainty about duration of activity
- provides expected activity duration (EAD) and SD based on normal distribution.
Uses M, O, P estimates.
Scheduling units
Calendar days = all days in the calendar (including holidays and weekends)
Work days = days project work is being carried out
Resource days = days resource is available.
Outputs of Estimate Activity Duration
- Activity duration estimates: quantitative estimates
- Basis of estimates: method, assumptions, constraints
- Project document updates - activity attributes, assumptions log, lessons learned register
Outputs of Estimate Activity Duration
- Activity duration estimates: quantitative estimates
- Basis of estimates: method, assumptions, constraints
- Project document updates - activity attributes, assumptions log, lessons learned register
Factors influencing the quality of estimates
- Law of diminishing returns
- Number of resources
- Advances in Technology
- Learning Curve
- Motivation of staff
- other factors (equipment down-time, holidays, vacations, legal limits.
