Project Management

• What is the criteria on how a project will be implemented?

  Functional organization, dedicated project teams, matrix structure
• The manner on how we set our goals is based upon our?

  Culture
• What are functional organizations?

  Different segments of the project is delegated to respective functional units

  Coordination is maintained through management channels

  Used when the interest of one functional area dominates the project or one functional area has a dominant interest in the project's successes
• What are dedicated project teams?

  A full-time project manager is designated to pull together a core group of specialists who work full time on the project

  Teams operate as separate units under the leadership of a full-time project manager

  In a projectized organization where projects are dominant form of business, functional departments are responsible for providing support for its teams
• What are matrix structures?

  A hybrid organizational form in which a horizontal project management structure is "overlaid" on the normal functional hierarchy

  There are usually 2 chains of command, one along functional lines and the other along project lines. Project participants report simultaneously to both functional and project managers
• What are the kinds of matrix structure?

  Weak matrix

  Balanced matrix

  Strong matrix
• What is weak matrix?

  FM's authority predominates and the PM has indirect authority
• What is balanced matrix?

  PM sets the overall plan and the FM determines the work to be done
• What is strong matrix?

  PM has broader control and functional departments act as subcontractors to the project
• What is an organization culture?

  System of shared norms. beliefs, values, and assumptions which bind people together, thereby creating shared meanings

  The "personality" of the organization that sets it apart fro others
• How does an organization culture benefit its people?

  Provides a sense of identity to members

  Helps legitimize the management system of the organization

  Clarifies and reinforces standards of behavior
• Is college analogous to working in a matrix environment?

  Yes, as most students take more than one class and must distribute their time across multiple classes
• What questions should you ask to determine if you work in a matrix environment?

  What problems does this situation create for you?

  How does it affect your performance?

  How could the system be better managed to make your life less difficult and more productive?
• Who has the final say on strong matrix?

  Project manager has it and controls most aspects including scope trade-offs and assignment of functional personnel
• Who has title over his people on strong matrix?

  Functional manager has it and is consulted on a need basis
• What is a project manager?

  Establishes the overall plan for completing the project
• What is a functional manager?

  Responsible for assigning personnel and executing their segment of the project
• What is a project?

  Complex, nonroutine, one-time effort limited by time, budget, resources, and performance specifications designed to meet customer needs
• What are the steps of creating a project?

  Defining the project scope

  Establishing project priorities

  Creating the Work Breakdown Structur (WBS)

  Integrating the WBS with the organization

  Coding the WBS for the information system
• What is the project scope?

  End result or mission of the project - a product or service for the client or customer, in specific, tangible, and measurable terms
• What is the purpose of a project scope?

  Clearly define the deliverables for the end user

  Focus the project on the successful completion of its goals

  Be used by the project owner and participants as a planning toll and for measuring project success
• What is scope statement?

  Known as statement of work (SOW)
• What is project charter?

  Document authorizing the PM to initiate and lead the project

  Can contain an expanded version of SOW
• What is scope creep?

  Cost of delay

  Tendency for the project scope to expand over time due to changing requirements, specifications, and priorities
• What should a checklist contain?

  Project objective

  Deliverables

  Milestones

  Technical requirements

  Limits and exclusions

  Reviews of customer
• In establishing a matrix, what are the 3 parts of constraints?

  Budget - cost

  Schedule - time

  Performance - scope
• What is a priority matrix?

  Consists of constraint, enhance, accept
• What is constraint in a priority matrix?

  Project must meet the completion date, specifications, and scope of the project or budget
• What is enhance in a priority matrix?

  Taking advantage of opportunitie sto either reduce costs or shorten the schedule
• What is accept in a priority matrix?

  Reducing or not meeting a criterion requirement
• What is a WBS?

  Hierarchical outline (map) that identifies the products and work elements involved in a project

  Defines the relationship of the final deliverable (the project) to its sub deliverables, and in turn, their relationships to work projects

  Best suited for design and build projects that have tangibe outcomes rather than process-oriented projects
• What is the purpose of integrating the WBS in the organization?

  Depicts how the firm is organized to discharge its work responsibility for a project

  Provides a framework to summarize organization work unit performance

  Identifies organization units responsible for work packages

  Ties the organizational unites to cost control accounts
• What is the purpose of coding the WBS for the information system?

  Defines levels and elements of WBS

  Defines organizational elements

  Defines budget and cost information

  Allows reports to be consolidated or any level in the organization structure
• What does estimating mean?

  Process of forecasting or approximating the time and cost of completing project deliverables

  Task of balancing the expectations of stakeholders and the need for control while the project is implemented
• What are the types of estimating?

  Top-down approach

  Bottom - up approach
• What does top-down approach?

  derived from someone who uses experience and / or information to determine the project duration and total costs

  made by top managers who have little knowledge of the processes used to complete the project
• What does bottom-up approach?

  typically performed by people who are doing the work. Estimates are based on estimates of elements found in WBS
• What are the methods under top-down approach?

  consensus method (delphi method)

  ratio methods

  apportion methods

  function point methods for software and system projects

  learning curves
• What do ratio methods mean?

  initial duration and cost estimate for the project (from previous experience)
• What do apportion methods mean?

  used when projects closely follow past projects in features and costs