The Systems Analysis Toolkit

1. Project Management Tools The Systems Analysis Toolkit

2. Systems Analyst’s Toolkit Part 3 Project Management Tools Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

3. Objectives • Describe project management tools and how they are used • Describe the steps used in project planning • Explain the project estimating process • Describe the different scheduling tools, including Gantt charts and PERT/CPM charts Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

4. Objectives • Calculate completion times, start dates, and end dates for a project • Explain the tasks of project monitoring, control, and reporting • Explain the steps involved in software change control • Understand the reasons why projects sometimes fail Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

5. Introduction • The Systems Analyst’s Toolkit explains • Project management tools and techniques including planning, estimating, scheduling, monitoring, control, reporting, and the use of project management software • Gantt charts and PERT/CPM that can be used to schedule and monitor projects and changes Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

6. Project Management • Project management is the process of defining, planning, organizing, leading, and controlling the development of an information system • Project management is important throughout the SDLC, and especially during the systems implementation phase Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

7. Project Management • Project management overview • Goal is to deliver a system that is acceptable to users, on time, and within budget • Every project must have a project manager, or project leader • Most large projects also have a project coordinator who handles administrative matters and relationships with users Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

8. Project Management • Management functions • Planning: identifying and planning project tasks and estimating completion times and costs • Organizing: staffing, including selecting the project team and assigning responsibilities to team members • Leading or directing: guiding, supervising, and coordinating the team’s workload • Controlling: monitoring progress, evaluating results, and taking necessary corrective action Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

9. Click to see Figure 3-1 Project Management • Project planning • A project plan is an overall framework for managing costs and schedules • The planning process involves • Activities (tasks) • Events (milestones) Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

10. Click to see Figure 3-3 Click to see Figure 3-2 Project Estimating • Factors that project managers must consider • Size of the project • A project that is twice as large as another will require considerably more than twice the resources • As the size of the project grows, the number of interfaces grows even faster • Capabilities of team members Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

11. Project Estimating • Developing time and cost estimates • Project size and scope • IT resources • Prior experience • Constraints Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

12. Project Scheduling • The project manager must know • The duration of each task • The order in which the tasks will be performed • The start and end times for each activity • Who will be assigned to each task • Assignments should not overload or under-utilize team members • A level workload is desirable Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

13. Scheduling Tools • A project manager can use several graphical planning tools • Gantt charts • PERT/CPM charts Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

14. Click to see Figure 3-5 Scheduling Tools • Gantt charts • A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that illustrates a schedule • Time is shown on the horizontal axis and activities are arranged vertically • The position of a bar shows the start and end of a task, and the length of the bar shows the task’s duration Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

15. Click to see Figure 3-6 Scheduling Tools • Gantt charts • Tasks can be combined into activity groups to simplify the chart • Various methods exist for tracking progress • Shade the completed portion of a bar • Use a triangle or arrowhead as an indicator • Use a second bar to show the completed work Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

16. Scheduling Tools • PERT/CPM • The Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) and the Critical Path Method (CPM) were developed separately but now are referred to as PERT/CPM • A PERT/CPM chart displays a project as a network diagram, with activities shown as vectors, and events represented by nodes Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

17. Click to see Figure 3-7b Click to see Figure 3-7a Scheduling Tools • PERT/CPM • The vectors representing tasks connect the nodes, which indicate milestones • The activity’s estimated duration is shown below the vector Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

18. Click to see Figure 3-8 Scheduling Tools • PERT/CPM • The vectors representing tasks connect the nodes, which indicate milestones • The activity’s estimated duration is shown below the vector • Tasks that must be completed in a specific sequence are called dependent, or serial, tasks Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

19. Click to see Figure 3-9 Scheduling Tools • PERT/CPM • The vectors representing tasks connect the nodes, which indicate milestones • The activity’s estimated duration is shown below the vector • Tasks that must be completed in a specific sequence are called dependent, or serial, tasks • Dummy activities can be used to show task dependencies Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

20. Click to see Figure 3-10 Scheduling Tools • PERT/CPM • A project can be represented with a Gantt chart and a PERT/CPM chart • Significant differences exist between the two methods, and each method has strengths and weaknesses Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

21. Scheduling Tools • PERT/CPM • Activity duration • A weighted formula can be used to estimate activity duration • The formula calculates a weighted result based on three separate estimates (optimistic (O), pessimistic (P), and most likely (M)) Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

22. Click to see Figure 3-10 Scheduling Tools • PERT/CPM • Earliest completion times • The earliest completion time for an activity is called the ECT • The ECT is the minimum amount of time needed to complete all the activities that precede the event Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

23. Scheduling Tools • PERT/CPM • Earliest completion times • Working from left to right on the chart, the ECT is calculated by taking the ECT of the preceding event and adding the duration of the immediately preceding task • If the event has more than one preceding task, use the largest ECT of the preceding tasks, including any dummy tasks • The ECT is shown as a number in the upper-right section of the event node symbol Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

24. Scheduling Tools • PERT/CPM • Latest completion times • The latest completion time for an activity is called the LCT • The LCT is the latest time at which the event can occur without delaying the overall project Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

25. Scheduling Tools • PERT/CPM • Latest completion times • To determine an LCT, you reverse the procedure for an ECT • Work from right to left, and subtract the LCT of the following task • If the event has more than one following task, use the smallest LCT of the following tasks, including any dummy tasks • The LCT is shown as a number in the lower-right section of the event node symbol Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

26. Scheduling Tools • PERT/CPM • Latest completion times • The slack time for an event is the amount of time by which an event can be late without delaying the project • The slack time is the difference between the LCT and the ECT, if any Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

27. Scheduling Tools • PERT/CPM • Critical path • A critical path is a series of events and activities with no slack time • At least one complete path will exist where every node has equal ECTs and LCTs • If any task on the critical path is delayed beyond its LCT, the entire project falls behind by that amount of time • Project managers focus on the critical path in order to keep the project on track Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

28. Project Monitoring, Controlling,and Reporting • Project monitoring and control • Project managers • Set standards • Ensure that they are followed • Keep track of the progress of team members • Compare actual progress to the plan • Verify the completion of project milestones Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

29. Project Monitoring, Controlling,and Reporting • Project scheduling • Spend adequate time planning up front • Anticipate problems, identify potential solutions, and select best way to solve problem Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

30. Project Reporting • The project manager must • Collect the information • Verify the information • Organize the information • Evaluate the information • Prepare a summary • Submit a report to management Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

31. Project Reporting • Project status meetings • Project managers schedule regular status meetings with the systems development team • Share information • Update the group • Identify problems or delays • Explain new techniques • Offer comments to team members • Conduct brainstorming sessions Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

32. Project Reporting • Project status reports • A project manager must report regularly to a supervisor, upper managers, and users • When to inform others of potential problems • Too soon, and the manager might lose credibility by reporting on minor problems • Too late, and there might not be time for a solution to a serious problem • Best course of action is somewhere between the two extremes Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

33. Click to see Figure 3-12 Project Management Software • A software package, such as Microsoft Project, offers many features • PERT/CPM and Gantt charts • Resource scheduling • Project calendars • Cost tracking and cost-benefit analysis • Printed reports and screen displays • Computer-generated screens show activities as nodes, with vectors connecting the tasks and indicating task dependencies Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

34. Click to see Figure 3-13 Software Change Control • Software change control is the process of managing and controlling changes requested after the system requirements document has been approved • Changes are inevitable • A typical control procedure has four steps 1. Complete a change request form 2. Take initial action on the request 3. Analyze the impact of the requested change 4. Determine the disposition of the requested change Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

35. Keys to Project Success • Successful systems must satisfy business requirements, meet users’ needs, stay within budget, and be completed on time • The essential objective is to provide a solution to a business problem Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

36. Keys to Project Success • Some reasons for failure • Unclear requirements, targets, or scope • Shortcuts or sloppy work • Poor design choices • Insufficient testing or test procedures • Lack of software change control • Changes in culture, funding, or objectives • Unrealistic cost estimates • Poor monitoring and control of progress • Inadequate reaction to early signs of problems • Failure to recognize activity dependencies • Personality conflicts and employee turnover Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

37. Keys to Project Success • When the project manager recognizes a problem, what options are available? • Trim the project requirements • Add to the project resources • Delay the project deadline • Improve the quality of project management • Whatever the reason, the project manager must try to get the project back under control and keep it under control Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition

38. EndTookit Part 3