Project Management Dan Fleck Fall 2007 Coming up

Project Management Dan Fleck Fall 2007 Coming up: Overview

Overview Planning n Scheduling n Scope Creep n Managing Risk n Motivating People n Schedule examples and demo n Earned Value Management n Coming up: Planning

Planning The bad news: time flies n The good news: you’re the pilot! n n You must begin planning immediately Given limited information n Plan anyway and then revise n Coming up: Creating a plan: Things to know

Creating a plan: Things to know n Scope • Context. How does the software to be built fit into a larger system, product, or business context and what constraints are imposed as a result of the context? • Information objectives. What customer-visible data objects (Chapter 8) are produced as output from the software? What data objects are required for input? • Function and performance. What function does the software perform to transform input data into output? Are any special performance characteristics to be addressed? n Software project scope must be unambiguous and understandable at the management and technical levels. Coming up: Creating a plan: Things to do

Creating a plan: Things to do n n Problem Decomposition: Sometimes called partitioning or problem elaboration Once scope is defined … n n It is decomposed into constituent functions It is decomposed into user-visible data objects or n n It is decomposed into a set of problem classes Decomposition process continues until all functions or problem classes have been defined (this won’t be far at the beginning of your project) Coming up: Create a schedule

Create a schedule n An idea without a schedule is just a dream. - Unknown Coming up: Ask yourself

At the beginning you should ask yousrself these questions n n n n Why is the system being developed? What will be done? When will it be accomplished? Who is responsible? Where are they organizationally located? How will the job be done technically and managerially? How much of each resource (e. g. , people, software, tools, database) will be needed? Coming up: Your job (one view) Barry Boehm

Your job (one view) n The MOI Model n n n Motivation. The ability to encourage (by “push or pull”) technical people to produce to their best ability. Organization. The ability to mold existing processes (or invent new ones) that will enable the initial concept to be translated into a final product. Ideas or innovation. The ability to encourage people to create and feel creative even when they must work within bounds established for a particular software product or application. Coming up: Your job (another view)

Your job (another view) Make sure these happen Formal risk management n Empirical cost and schedule estimation n Metrics-based project management n Earned value tracking n Defect tracking against quality targets n People aware project management n Coming up: Define success and failure

Define success and failure Don’t lie to yourself! n Be confident, trust yourself for success! n Quantify your plans to allow success or failure n A vague or un-measurable idea is much less helpful - Dan Fleck n Coming up: Scheduling

Scheduling One of the most important things you can do is schedule. n Also one of the first things you should do! n Tools help n Microsoft Project n Open. Proj. org <-- This is what I will use n Open. Workbench. org n Coming up: Schedule

Schedule n List of tasks With dates n With assigned resources (people) n With durations n With predecessors and successors n Coming up: Schedule Terms

Schedule Terms n Critical path n n Sequence of tasks that form the longest path to completion of the project. Any delay on any of these will make the overall completion date move. Slack n Amount of time a task can be delayed without affecting the overall completion date. • Start slack - amount before task needs to start • Finish slack - amount before task needs to finish n n Milestone - An import date in the schedule Dependencies - relationship between tasks Coming up: Schedule Dependencies

Schedule Dependencies n FS - Finish to start (most common) n n n FF - Finish to finish n n n A FF B. B doesn’t finish before A is finished Write final chapter FF Complete Index SS - Start to start n n n A FS B. B doesn’t start until A is finished Build wall FS Paint wall A SS B. B doesn’t start until A has started Project funded SS project management activies begin SF - Start to finish n A SF B. B doesn’t finish before A has started Coming up: Resource Leveling

Resource Leveling A process to examine a project for an unbalanced use of people and to resolve over-allocations or conflicts n Happens when multiple tasks are scheduled at the same time for the same person n Solution: n Make tasks sequential n Split resource usage among tasks (50% on task 1, 50% on task 2) n Coming up: Gantt Chart

Gantt Chart Coming up: Finding Critical Path

Finding Critical Path Draw a network diagram of the activities n Determine the Early Start (ES) of each node. Work from beginning node to final node n ES - earliest time the activity can start n n ES = Max(ESprev. Node + Duration. Prev. Node) Coming up: Finding Critical Path

Finding Critical Path n Determine the Late Start (LS) of each node. Work from the final node to the beginning node. The latest time the activity can start without changing the end date of the project n LS = MIN(LSnext - Duration. Node) n For the last node LS = ES n Coming up: Example

Example Here's the example: Activity Description A Product design B Market research C Production analysis D Product model E Sales brochure F Cost analysis G Product testing H Sales training I Pricing J Project report Coming up: Example Node Network Predecessor (None) A A A C D B, E H F, G, I Duration 5 months 1 2 3 4 2 1 1

Example Node Network ES: 5 LS: ES: 0 LS: A ES: 0 LS: B ES: 7 LS: C F ES: 5 LS: ES: 12 LS: G D J ES: 8 LS: ES: 5 LS: E I ES: 9 LS: H ES: 7 LS: Coming up: Example Node Network Here's the example: Activity A B C D E F G H I J Description Predecessor Product design (None) Market research(None) Production A Product model A Sales brochure A Cost analysis C Product testing D Sales training B, E Pricing H Project report F, G, I Duration 5 months 1 2 3 4 2 1 1

Example Node Network ES: 5 LS: 7 ES: 0 LS: 0 A ES: 0 LS: 8 B ES: 7 LS: 9 C F ES: 5 LS: 5 ES: 12 LS: 12 G D J ES: 8 LS: 8 ES: 5 LS: 7 E I ES: 9 LS: 11 H ES: 7 LS: 9 Coming up: Example Node Network Here's the example: Activity A B C D E F G H I J Description Predecessor Product design (None) Market research(None) Production A Product model A Sales brochure A Cost analysis C Product testing D Sales training B, E Pricing H Project report F, G, I Duration 5 months 1 2 3 4 2 1 1

Example Node Network ES: 5 LS: 7 ES: 0 LS: 0 A ES: 0 LS: 8 B ES: 7 LS: 9 C F ES: 5 LS: 5 ES: 12 LS: 12 G D J ES: 8 LS: 8 ES: 5 LS: 7 E I ES: 9 LS: 11 H ES: 7 LS: 9 Coming up: Game Development In-Class Exercise Here's the example: Activity A B C D E F G H I J Description Predecessor Product design (None) Market research(None) Production A Product model A Sales brochure A Cost analysis C Product testing D Sales training B, E Pricing H Project report F, G, I Duration 5 months 1 2 3 4 2 1 1

Game Development In-Class Exercise Find the critical path TASK DURATION (days) A Graphics Engine 14 B Sound Engine 5 I C Music Engine 5 J D Input Engine 10 A E Gameplay/general programming 31 B, C, D F Physics 7 E G 2 D Artwork 14 H 3 D Artwork 21 I Sound Effects 14 J Music 9 K Level Design 21 Coming up: Earned Value Management PREDECESSORs G F, H

Earned Value Management n How much work you planned to have accomplished by now (in dollars or hours) called the Planned Value n How much you have actually spent by now (in dollars or hours), called Actual Cost n The value, in terms of your baseline budget, of the work accomplished by now (in dollars or hours), called the Earned Value! Coming up: Earned Value Management

Earned Value Management n Planned value (PV) - the value of all resources needed to meet the project’s objectives n n Each objective of a project has an associated planned value Budgeted (cost) at completion (BAC) - The sum of all the PVs Earned value (EV) - the amount of value completed at any point during the project Actual Cost (AC) - actual amount of money you have spent so far. In a perfect project AC and EV are the same. Coming up: Earned Value Management Example

Earned Value Management Example n We’ve budgeted $200 to buy, setup, network and test a new system n Our planned values (PVs) of each task are: • Buy - $50, Setup - $75, network - $50, test - $25 • Our BAC is therefore $200 n n We’ve now completed phase one, and thus our earned value (EV) is now $50. To do this we spent $60 (our actual cost (AC)) Coming up: Earned Value Management Example

Earned Value Management Example n Schedule performance index (SPI) n n n Cost performance index (CPI) n n EV / AC --> 50/60 = 0. 83 For every dollar spent, I get 83 cents worth of work. Estimated cost at completion (EAC) n n EV / PV --> 50/50 = 1 (perfect). Our group is on schedule BAC / CPI = 200 / 0. 83 = $240. 96 Schedule Variance (SV) : EV - PV Cost Variance (CV) : EV - AC Coming up: EVM Example 2 from: http: //www. hyperthot. com/pm_cscs. htm

EVM Example 2 from: http: //www. hyperthot. com/pm_cscs. htm n n PLANNED VALUE (Budgeted cost of the work scheduled) = 18 + 10 + 16 + 6 = $50 EARNED VALUE (Budgeted cost of the work performed) = 18 + 14 + 0 = $40 ACTUAL COST (of the work performed) = $45 (Data from Acct. System) Therefore: n n Schedule Variance = 40 - 50 = -$10 Schedule Performance Index = 40 / 50 = 0. 8 Coming up: Scheduling Rules of Thumb

What is earned value? A. The amount of money you get upon completion of a task n B. The value of an activity n C. The value of the work completed by now in the schedule n D. The value of all activites planned to be completed by now in the schedule n

Why do you use earned value management? A. It is required by my contract n B. Measuring value give you more information than measuring cost or time alone n C. I don’t use it n D. It guarantees my project will be done on time n

Scheduling Rules of Thumb Don’t work backwards! n One person should always edit the schedule (you!) n n If you have two people that need to, create two files and link them together Keep it simple and useful n Level your resources n Share the schedule with your team n Coming up: Classic Mistakes

Schedule Example n Lets try to schedule this work among our three developers “John, Mary, Carl” TASK DURATION (days) A Graphics Engine 14 B Sound Engine 5 I C Music Engine 5 J D Input Engine 10 A E Gameplay/general programming 31 B, C, D F Physics 7 E G 2 D Artwork 14 H 3 D Artwork 21 I Sound Effects 14 J Music 9 K Level Design 21 PREDECESSORs G F, H

Scheduling Steps n n n Add in all the tasks (preferably in a hierarchy) Add in all the dependencies Break down large tasks into smaller tasks. Optimally (in Dan Fleck’s opinion) you want to schedule so the duration of each smallest task is at most 3 -5 days Assign people (resources) to tasks Level your resources

Classic Mistakes Overly optimistic schedule n Failing to monitor schedule n Failing to update schedule n Adding people to a late project n Failure to manage expectations of others n Coming up: Managing Scope

Scope Creep The scope of your project is all the work you initially planned to do. n Scope creep is when your project gets new tasks throughout it’s lifetime without adding more resources to handle new tasks. The scope is “creeping” up… n BOO! Scope

Why would scope changes occur? A. You get more money to do more things n B. The customer asks you to do something extra because “it is critical for success” n C. A competing product has a feature that you must have to be competitive n D. All of these n

Which are causes of scope creep? A. poor change control n B. lack of proper initial identification of what is required to satisfy project objectives n C. a weak project manager n D. all of these n Source: Wikipedia: Scope Creep

Managing Scope How to deal with the inevitable “Scope creep”? n JAD and prototyping Scope n Formal change approval n Defer additional requirements as future system enhancements n Coming up: Managing Risk

Managing Risk n Document your risks in a risk management plan n n Description of risk Likelihood of occurrence Impact Mitigation strategy • How to lessen the impact of the risk • An action plan if risk occurs n n Update and track your risks Communicate your risks to upper management Coming up: Motivating People

Motivating People Use monetary rewards cautiously n Use intrinsic rewards n Recognition n Achievement n The work itself n Responsibility n Advancement n Chance to learn new skills n Coming up: Avoid team toxicity

Avoid team toxicity n n n A frenzied work atmosphere in which team members waste energy and lose focus on the objectives of the work to be performed. High frustration caused by personal, business, or technological factors that cause friction among team members. “Fragmented or poorly coordinated procedures” or a poorly defined or improperly chosen process model that becomes a roadblock to accomplishment. Unclear definition of roles resulting in a lack of accountability and resultant finger-pointing. “Continuous and repeated exposure to failure” that leads to a loss of confidence and a lowering of morale. Coming up: References

References n n n www. projity. com Wikipedia: Project Management Pressman R. , Software Engineering A Practical Approach, Ch 21 Pressman R. , Software Engineering A Practical Approach, Slides for Ch 21 Kazman R. , The CIO, People Issues, Project & Change Management, kazman. shidler. hawaii. edu/619 ch 12. ppt Pratt M, Earned Value Management, http: //www. computerworld. com/action/article. do? command=view. Article. Basic&article. I d=110065&intsrc=article_pots_bot End of presentation