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Project Management. Julie Earp BUS/CSC 516 Fall 2003. NC STATE UNIVERSITY. Why is Project Management important?. “When things are going well, something will go wrong. When things just can’t get worse, they will. When things appear to be going better, you have overlooked something.”.
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Project Management Julie Earp BUS/CSC 516 Fall 2003 NC STATEUNIVERSITY
Why is Project Management important? • “When things are going well, something will go wrong. When things just can’t get worse, they will. When things appear to be going better, you have overlooked something.”
Ten major causes of project failure [ Danek Bienkowski] • The project is a solution in search of a problem • Only the project team is interested in the end result • No one is in charge • The project plan lacks structure • The project plan lacks detail • The project is underbudgeted • Insufficient resources are allocated • The project is not tackled against its plan • The project team is not communicating • The project strays from its original goals
What is project management? • The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations from a project. [PMI, Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 2000] • Planning, Controlling and Reporting
Management of People • Planning • Establishment of clear and precise objectives in order to reach a final, stated goal. • Organizing • Assembly of the necessary resources for carrying out the work defined in the plan. • Controlling • Definition and creation of a reporting structure at specified points through the project life cycle. • Change • Project manager will need to institute the change when a situation is discovered that requires change.
Effective Project Management • Do we have the resources for the task? • Are we certain the task is stated correctly? • How can we use limited resources most effectively? • How does recent progress affect the plan? • What lessons can be learnt for future tasks? • Are we on schedule? • How do we communicate our plan?
Roles of a Project Manager • Planner • Organizer • Staffer • Evaluator • Director • Leader
Project Manager • Serves as the prime contact for all project stakeholders • Representative to upper management • Reports status • Maintain a calm, productive, positive work environment for the team • Schedules and assigns tasks • Carries out policy • Negotiates project issues • Coordinates efforts across functional areas • Integrates planning and controls costs
Success vs. Failure • Success is not noticeable • Little evidence the manager did anything • Project looks simple in hindsight • Failure is very obvious • The manager will get blamed when things go wrong
Project Planning Tools • GANTT Charts • PERT/CPM • Dependency Diagrams
Meetings • Meetings are expensive • Meetings are necessary • What contributes to a meeting being a waste of time?
Meetings: How to do them • Announce details in advance • Written agenda, distributed in advance • Identify someone (PM in this class) to: • Keep the discussion on track • Resolve arguments • Identify someone (PM in this class) to: • Keep track of decisions that are made • Record action items • Ensure action items are carried out • Every action item should identify the responsible individual
Why bother with documentation? • Need to ensure communication, accountability, and traceability
eProject Express • http://www.eproject.com • Requires email address and password. No downloads. FREE! • What does eProject provide: • Home • Messages • Shared Project Calendar • Document Management • Task Management • Contact Management
