Title: Electronic Design Project Project Management Lecture 4
1Electronic Design ProjectProject
ManagementLecture 4
ELE 1EDP
George Alexander G.Alexander_at_latrobe.edu.au www.la
trobe.edu.au/eemanage/
27 August, 2007
2So far -
- The four phases of project management
- The project parameters
- Team formation
- Strategy
- Project planning
- Setting the project parameters.
3This week -
- Implementing the plan - project execution
ensuring that the plan happens
4(No Transcript)
5Project Parameters
Project Parameters
Quality
Cost
Time
Schedule
Specifications
Budget
Source Haynes, M.E. Project Management from Idea
to Implementation Kogan Page, 1990
6Implementing the Plan
- The project manager must co-ordinate all
elements of the project - Controlling work in progress
- Providing feedback
- Negotiating for materials, supplies and services
- Resolving differences
7Controlling work in progress
- The project plan is the key to effectively
controlling the project in terms of quality, time
and cost. It involves - Establish standards. (Refer specification).
- Monitor performance.
- Take corrective action.
8Performance Monitoring Tools
- Control Point Identification Charts
- Anticipates problems and solutions.
- Project Control Charts
- Monitors status of schedule and budget.
- Milestone Charts
- Reports scheduled and actual milestone dates.
- Budget Control Charts
- Plots actual vs budget cumulated costs.
9Example Control Point Identification
Chart(Adapted from Haynes)
10Example Gantt Chart
11Timeliness/critical path
- In more complex projects, the schedule consists
of a network of activities - some dependent on others
- some happening in parallel, some consecutive
- The critical path is the longest sequence of
activities in the project. - It follows that any delay in a critical path
activity will delay the project completion.
12Example Project Control Chart(Adapted from
Haynes)
13Example Milestone Chart(Adapted from Haynes)
14Example Budget Control Chart(Adapted from Haynes)
Solid line Budget Dotted line - Actual
15Risk Management
- Identify what could go wrong.
- Can be a group meeting or, for a large project,
an intensive 2-3 day workshop with prescribed
methodology. - Categorise/rate each item in terms of
- Likelihood of happening (H/M/L)
- Consequences/adverse impact (H/M/L)
- For items with high likelihood and high impact
- Take action to reduce likelihood/impact
- Draw up a contingency plan in the event that it
does happen. - If there is no viable contingency plan, then the
issue must be highlighted as a risk (to the
client and other stakeholders).
16Risk Management - assessment
17Action Responsibility Matrix - Example
18Providing Feedback
- Feedback negative and positive - should be
provided on a regular basis to those involved in
the project. - This helps maintain good performance and correct
poor performance.
Intentions
Actions
Results
Feedback
Source Haynes, M.E. Project Management from Idea
to Implementation Kogan Page, 1990
19Progress and time reporting
- All project team members must regularly and
accurately report progress for their specific
responsibility areas. - This is critical if the project managers are to
be aware of true project progress and
difficulties. - Time expended on the various activities must be
reported accurately and on time. - Delays in time reporting can result in delays in
invoicing the client and in wrong project cost
reporting.
20Negotiating and resolving differences
- A significant proportion of the project managers
time is spent negotiating and resolving
differences. - This is often caused by scarce resources -
materials and people and differing views of the
priorities that apply. - Negotiation and conflict resolution are key
skills, learned with experience, complemented by
formal training.
21Completing and evaluating the project
- Successful conclusion requires client acceptance
of the project outcomes. - This means agreement that the quality time and
cost parameters have been met, including any
agreed changes made during the life of the
project. - It is vital that any changes made to the original
project plan are agreed with the client and fully
documented.
22Change Control within a project
- It is vital that changes are scrupulously managed
during the course of a project. - Changes to the original specification must be
agreed in writing with the client including
their impact on quality, time, and cost. - Changes may be necessary due to unforeseen
technical difficulties, or simply a change of
mind on the part of the client. - Unforeseen problems can be minimised through
thorough initial planning.
23The Completion Process
- Delivery
- Wrap up and close down
- Celebration
- Evaluation and reflection
- LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE
24Project Final Report
- Summarise project outcomes actual compared to
planned - Learnings
- What was good what was bad
- Highlight any need for process changes.
- Information source for future projects
25Other facets of Project Management
- Negotiation and conflict resolution
- Assertiveness
- Team Building
- Performance management
- Budget control
- Ability to handle pressure
- Project Management Systems
26Project Management Systems
- Quite sophisticated software packages are
available for managing projects particularly
complex projects. - They assist in tracking time-reporting, and other
costs, and assist in monitoring the project
schedule. - Some examples are
- MS Project
- ARTEMIS
- Primavera
27Management Today AIM 09/2006Why projects fail
to fly
- Problem projects
- Multiplex and Wembley Stadium
- London 2012 Olympics (2.45bn already!)
- Euro Disney (Budget 3bn, Actual 5.3bn)
- Victoria fast train project
- The problem seems to be that the next project
starts with a clean sheet and a renewed optimism
that this time things will be different.
28Management Today AIM 09/2006Top 10 reasons per
http//www.gantthead.com/
- Inadequately trained and/or experienced project
managers - Failure to set and manage expectations
- Poor leadership at any and all levels
- Failure to adequately identify, document and
track requirements - Poor plans and planning processes
29Management Today AIM 09/2006Top 10 reasons per
http//www.gantthead.com/
- Poor effort estimation
- Cultural and ethical misalignment
- Misalignment between the project team and the
business or other organisation it serves - Inadequate or misused methods
- Inadequate communication, including progress
tracking and reporting
30Management Today AIM 09/2006Losing the
skills AIPM CEO Peter Shears
- Serious project management skills shortage
anticipated in the next decade - Organisations need to plan for this now.
- Three solutions
- New approach to mentoring by senior project
managers - New approaches to skills development to attract
and retain talent - The addition of project management skills to the
core capabilities of all professionals
31Project Management as a Career
- Good project managers are very highly regarded
and well rewarded. - Skills required include
- People management skills
- Appreciation of the technical issues involved
- Negotiation skills
- Sound business knowledge
- Formal qualifications at various levels are
becoming the norm. - Good project managers make things happen on
time, on budget, with quality outcomes. They are
good for business. - Institutes PMI, AIPM
32Readings
- Course is based on -
- Project Management From Idea to Implementation
- Haynes, M.E. Kogan Page, 1990
- Further reading (more detail) -
- The Fast-forward MBA in Project Management
- Verzuh, E. John Wiley Sons Inc. 1999
33Thanks and good luck in managing your
electronic design project!