Chapter 13 Appendix: Project Management

Whether you work in information systems or any other discipline, project management is an important component of your job. Projects arise in many areas, examples include developing software, designing buildings, moving your operations to a larger building, developing a new advertising campaign, and organizing a fund raising event.

Projects are defined in terms of a goal, the scope, a schedule, and the resources involved. Projects with precisely defined goals have a far better chance of succeeding. For example, a project goal of implementing a new general ledger system is easy to understand; a goal of “providing the best information to our employees” is next to impossible to understand, much less achieve. Well-defined goals have the advantage of keeping the project focused. For example, the 1960s U.S. goal of putting a man on the moon was a huge project, but the clearly defined goal made it easier to keep the project moving in the right direction. The 1980s and 1990s never-achieved goal of improving the IRS had little chance for success because no one knew what the end result should look like.

Scope is an issue of size and complexity, typically measured in terms of the number of tasks and the time frame involved. Projects can range anywhere from small to large. With only a few tasks and one or two people, you can afford to use informal project management techniques. As the project becomes larger or the tasks more complex, you will need a system to help you track the progress of each component. Be careful to match the management techniques to the scope of the project. Do not try to use informal techniques for large, complex projects; and do not try to impose rigid controls on short, simple projects.

A project ultimately must be divided into individual tasks. Some of the tasks depend on others. For example, when building a house you cannot paint the walls before they are constructed. A schedule shows the tasks, the time required to complete them (duration), and how they depend on other tasks.

Tasks are not accomplished by magic. They require resources. Generally, the most important resource consists of workers. Keeping costs under control is an important aspect of project management, so you need to assign workers to tasks. Sometimes you also need to schedule other resources, such as workrooms or machinery.

Project Management Steps

Project management involves four primary steps: (1) define the project, (2) create the plan, (3) track and manage the project as it proceeds, and (4) close the project when the goal is achieved or the project is cancelled.

The project definition includes establishing the goal and identifying the major tasks. You must also identify your primary resources available and the major constraints. Finally, you should establish an initial timetable, including the final completion date and some of the major intermediate milestones.

The project plan is an important tool in managing the project. It outlines all of the tasks and the resources required to complete them. At the planning stage, you get time and resource estimates from the people who will perform the work on that stage. You must also identify the dependencies among the tasks. Which tasks can be performed independently? Which ones must wait for other tasks to finish?

Once the project is started, you need to monitor the progress and compare it to the plan. If some tasks take longer to complete, you must adjust the schedule. If some resources are overworked, you can decide if you want to add resources or accept the delays in the tasks. By constantly updating the project plan, you can identify potential problems and provide updated estimates of the completion date.

When the project is finished, review the original project plan and summarize the project. Were the original estimates accurate? What unexpected problems did you encounter? Were there sufficient resources for the project, or did you need to add more as the project evolved? These questions will help you generate better estimates on the next project.

Microsoft Project

It is impossible to memorize all the details involved in a project. You need to keep notes, and you need a system to track the progress, comparing actual values to the original estimates. Several project management tools exist to organize and help you analyze the data. The easiest way to use these tools is with an automated system like Microsoft Project.

In many ways, Microsoft Project is a specialized database. You enter data about the project, which is stored in a central database. The system then provides you with specialized views that help you see the relationships among the tasks, resources, and goals. By building on a DBMS, the system also allows you to retrieve data and create additional reports.

Gantt and PERT charts are standard project planning tools for displaying and organizing tasks. The two provide similar types of information but in different formats. Some people prefer one method, other managers use both. The Tracking Gantt chart is used to compare estimates to the actual values while the project is in progress. The resource views provide details on how resources (e.g., workers) are assigned to tasks. The different views simply report the data from various perspectives (time, the resource, or tasks).

Sample Project

The Rolling Thunder Bicycle company wants to raise its visibility by organizing a bicycle ride. Rides of 25, 50, and 100 miles will set up with rest stops, sag vehicles, and mechanical support. For a $20 fee, riders will also get a commemorative shirt. Profits from the ride will go to local charitable organizations. The date and general location of the ride have already been chosen. The ride will be called the Spring Forward Century. Organizing the ride requires several tasks. Volunteers from local bicycle clubs will help with some of the early tasks, and they will handle most of the tasks on the day of the ride.

Two projects have been set up to handle this example. The first project concentrates on tasks required to organize the ride. The tasks are grouped into the categories shown in Figure 13.1A. A few finishing tasks are required after the ride, such as sending thank-you notes, verifying the clean up, and writing final project notes. A second project is set up to handle day-of-the-ride tasks. These tasks involve more people and have a different time frame (hours instead of days), so it is easier to create separate projects.

It is possible to handle the planning using paper notes, but there are several advantages to using a tool like Microsoft Project to organize the preparations. One significant advantage is the ease of changing key factors and letting the system instantly display the new relationships. The first step in creating the project is to enter the finishing date (April 2, 2000) and tell the system to schedule backward from that date. The next step is to enter the task information. It is easiest to work with the Gantt chart view. A Gantt chart displays tasks down the left column and dates across the top of the screen. You enter each task by giving it a name and duration (length of time it requires). The Gantt chart displays the task as a horizontal bar, beginning on a certain date and extending for the specified duration. Initially, you do not care about the starting date. As you enter the tasks, you can group related tasks. Each of the groups in Figure 13.1A has a set of detailed tasks beneath it. You specify this hierarchical relationship by indenting (à) the detailed tasks. You can have multiple levels of groups, and the Gantt chart shows a summary bar for each group. If you want, you can roll up and hide the detail, enabling you to focus on the major groups.

Showing relationships among tasks is a critical step in project management. In particular, you need to link tasks that depend on each other. For example, the following tasks must be performed in order: create advertising poster, copy posters, distribute posters. We must complete the first task before beginning the next one. These relationships are created as links. In Microsoft Project, select two tasks and click the Link Tasks button (shown as a chain link). The Gantt chart will automatically move the earlier task to the left and connect the two with an arrow. You need to identify the relationships among all the tasks. Figure 13.2A shows that setting the dependencies establishes the main schedule of the tasks.

Resource Usage

You should also enter a list of resources, in this case the workers available for the project (yourself and a few volunteers). You can then assign workers to each task. The Resource graph shows you if the resources are over allocated (meaning that you either need to perform tasks earlier or find more resources). Microsoft Project has a tool for leveling the resources that will help arrange the tasks to allocate the resources better. However, you generally have to make adjustments to the schedule yourself.

Figure 13.3A shows the resource graphs for yourself and for the volunteers. The graph for the volunteers shows that they will not be able to complete all of the tasks scheduled for the Saturday before the ride. You will either have to get more volunteers or have them complete some of the tasks earlier. On examining the task list, you find several tasks that can be completed earlier; so you choose that solution.

Figure 13.3A also indicates two major time periods when you will be unable to complete the tasks assigned to you. Again, you either have to get volunteers to do more of the work, or you will have to perform some of the tasks earlier. The answer will depend on which is easier: finding more workers or taking more time off your normal job so you can begin earlier. The third possibility is to find a way to complete the tasks faster. However, you will already have to rely heavily on this prospect during most of the month of March. Most days are already allocated at 200 to 300 percent of your time. You can survive by being more efficient and working nights and weekends. However, you still have to find a way to handle the two major peaks.

Monitoring the Progress

Once you have established the detailed design, you should save a baseline of the project. The baseline is a saved version at a fixed point in time that you can keep for later reference. As each task is completed, you can mark its progress within the system. You can also track actual resource usage and costs by entering them into the appropriate worksheets. Then you can view charts or worksheets that compare the estimated (baseline) values to the actual data.

Additionally, if some tasks take longer than expected, you can enter the new data and the system will adjust the remaining tasks to show you the new completion times and resource requirements. If possible, you can add resources to put the project back on track. However, remember that adding more people to a complex project can just as easily cause more problems, because it is harder to manage the larger staff.

Day of the Ride

Figure 13.4A shows the Gantt chart for the day of the ride. Notice that tasks are scheduled by hours. Also notice that because of the advance planning, the day of the ride is relatively straightforward. Few of the tasks are linked, which makes it easier to adjust if something goes wrong. However, with more volunteers to coordinate, communication will be an important factor. Many ride organizers use cellular phones to stay in touch with the volunteer drivers and rest-stop workers.

One useful feature of this Gantt chart is that it highlights the number of volunteers that will be needed. For example, you will need only four SAG drivers, since they can loop the routes. The chart also shows that the driver from the 25-mile route can help out on the last sweep of the 100-mile route if there are delays or problems.

Likewise, you can get by with only five actual rest stops, since that is the most needed at one time. When the riders clear out from the first stops on the 25- and 50-mile routes, the workers can be moved to the ending stops of the 100-mile route.

When you enter the tasks for registration, rest stops, and SAG drivers, you should check the advanced options and set the task duration as fixed. These tasks will always take the same amount of time regardless of the amount of resources you assign to them. You should also assign two workers to each rest stop. One of them could be a mechanic, but you need two people at a stop so that one can run for refills if needed.

Summary

Overall, the project planning system makes it easy to enter your tasks. By defining the dependencies among the tasks, most of your schedule is automatically set. The schedule also helps you determine the resources needed. The system can display a variety of views, including resource lists and a calendar. Microsoft Project can also automatically generate reminder entries for your calendar system, or it can e-mail notices to various people involved in the project. Finally, by tracking actual time, resources, and costs, the system makes it easier to estimate and plan for the next project.

Exercises

1. Download a trial copy of Microsoft Project (if it is not available) and create the Bicycle Ride project. Print the Gantt chart.