PROJECT MANGMENT

• Project


  A collection of tasks that are carried out to achieve a goal
• Project


  • Development of an idea for a new smartphone app
• Project management


  The use of skills, knowledge, technological tools and techniques to carry out and complete a project
• Project management aims to

  • Ensure the initiation and planning stages, the executing and monitoring stages, and the project closure stage are completed successfully
• Main stages in a project life cycle

  • Initiation
  • Planning
  • Executing
  • Monitoring and control
  • Project closure
• Project initiation


  1. Brainstorming session of potential developers, clients and end users

  2. Mind map produced

  3. Mind map developed into a document

  4. Objectives, deliverables and duration decided

  5. Responsibilities decided

  6. SWOT analysis carried out

  7. Project charter documentation created
• Project objectives


  Brief description of what is to be achieved, specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time sensitive (SMART)
• Project objectives are decided at the project initiation stage
• SMART objectives


  Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-sensitive
• Project deadline


  A time limit for the completion of a project or stage of a project
• Project scope


  Describes what has to be done to complete the project and enables a project timeline to be set and resources to be allocated
• Product breakdown structure (PBS)


  Analysis to determine what has to be created and delivered at the end of the project
• Scope creep


  Changes made after the start of the project that have not been anticipated or accounted for in the initial planning, extending the timeline
• Feature creep


  More features are added during the project
• Scope creep usually occurs because of vague objectives, poor management or poor communication between those in the project
• Stakeholders


  Everyone who is involved in a project, especially those who are likely to gain from a successful outcome
• Types of stakeholders


  • Internal (within the business)
  • External (investors, customers, end users)
• Identifying stakeholders is important so managers know who is responsible for tasks, who will make decisions, and who will ask about progress
• Success criteria


  The measurable outcomes required from a project by the client, stakeholders and end users
• Success criteria are defined at the start of the project
• High-level task schedule


  An overview of the whole project showing major milestones and important deliverables
• Creating a high-level schedule

  1. Based on product breakdown structure (PBS) and work breakdown structure (WBS)

  2. Lists milestones

  3. Shows which tasks can be grouped, done simultaneously, or must be completed before others
• High-level schedules are used to create more detailed schedules with tasks, activities, dependencies and timings
• Project planning


  Describes in detail the tasks and their costs, and the time and resources needed to carry out the project
• Project charter


  Outlines the people involved, the budget, milestones, project outcomes and risks
• Work breakdown structure (WBS)

  Divides milestones and deliverables into tasks that can be assigned to people
• Task schedule


  Lists every task and activity that has to be done to complete the project
• Planning the project


  1. Identify milestones

  2. Identify project outcomes

  3. Identify risks

  4. Changes in scope approved by stakeholders
• Milestones


  Events or times that are recognisable and achievable, placed at regular intervals to measure progress
• Milestones in a project to create a new software app


  • Completion of designs
  • Production of prototype app
  • Completion of testing
  • Completion of user acceptance
  • Start of distribution
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)


  Takes milestones and deliverables and divides them into assignable tasks
• WBS


  • Useful for project managers to consider people, skills, work, and deadlines
• Scheduling tasks


  1. List tasks and activities

  2. Put tasks in sequence

  3. Identify tasks that can be done simultaneously and those that depend on others

  4. Ensure accuracy as trying to start a task before essential components are available is not possible
• Links between tasks


  Documented using a Gantt chart, which can be created using project management software or a spreadsheet
• Milestones


  Set after tasks and links are decided, must be recognisable and achievable events or times
• Timescales


  Decided and set after milestones are in place
• PERT chart


  Shows tasks, activities, timescales, dependencies, and concurrent tasks
• Critical Path Method (CPM)

  Determines the longest time a project will take from start to finish
• Float time


  Additional allowance in timings to account for variation in task durations
• PERT charts and CPM can be applied to individual tasks within a project as well as to the whole project