Don F. Erwin

1
Software Project Management

• Don F. Erwin
• Buffalo State College
• Buffalo, New York, USA
• Part 1 Project Management Basics

2
Introduction
Who are we?

• Who is Don?
• Who are you?

Good judgement comes from experience, and
often experience comes from bad judgement.
-Rita Mae Brown, author
Why are we here?

• Don?
• You?

The Big Question

• Why do (would) you want to be a project manager?

3
Survey
What are the top 5 issues you need to solve on
your software project?

1. The difficulties in estimations (budget,
   schedule, etc.)
2. Wrong assumptions
3. Customer changing mind
4. How to manage client expectations
5. Not enough qualified resources

4
Overview
We Plan to Cover
Project Management Basics Project Management on
Software Projects Managing Stakeholders
Expectations Risk Management Project
Communication Leadership in Software Project
Management IT Governance Other???
5
Reality Check

• The Bad News
• No six steps to Software Project Management bliss
• There are no shortcuts
• One size does not fit all
• It depends
• So Why Talk About it?
• Share experiences / lessons learned
• Validate the things you are doing well
• See if you are doing things that just make
  matters worse

6
Project Management Basics
Project Management Basics
What is a Project? Project Management
Processes The Triple Constraint What is Project
Management? The Project Manager The Importance of
Project Management Project Management
Framework Integrated Approach
7
What is a Project
What is a Project?

• Temporary endeavor
• Unique result
• Compare with a program
• Has a sponsor
• Is chartered/authorized (Some process for
  selection/approval)
• Ask Is it really a project?

8
What is not a Project?
YES
No
Has a desired result
Exploratory
Has a beginning and an end
Indefinite beginning and end
Involves many people/organizations
Involves one person/team
Is new or unique
Many of the same thing
Has time, cost, performance constraints
No time, cost, performance constraints
(Brown)
9
Is it a Project?

• Programs
• Aircraft Production Line
• Keep the Trains Running (KTR) activities
• Regulatory updates
• New version of reports

• Projects
• Upgrade Aircraft Engine
• Replace custom software app with off-the-shelf
  app

10
Project Sponsorship

• All projects should be initiated to meet a
  strategic goal(more about that later)
• Project needs to have an advocate (executive
  sponsor)
• Project Manger has to be given the authority to
  spend organizations money
• PM and various supervisors need to be defined
• Relationships need to be clarified
• The general scope and constraints need to be
  defined

11
Process Groups
Initiate
Close
Project Management Institute (PMI)
All projects typically go through these five
processes
(Brown)
(PMBOK)
12
Process Purpose
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Result
activity
inputs
outputs
A process is a series of actions directed towards
a particular result.
(Brown)
13
PM Processes Groups
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Monitoring Controlling
Closing
(PMBOK)
14
PM Processes Groups
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Monitoring Controlling
Closing

• Develop Charter
• Develop Preliminary Scope

(PMBOK)
15
PM Processes Groups
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Monitoring Controlling
Closing

• Develop PM Plan
• Scope Planning, WBS Definition
• Resource Loaded Schedule
• Cost Estimating and Budgeting
• Quality Planning
• Human Resource Planning
• Communications Planning
• Risk Planning
• Purchasing Contracts Planning

Failure to prepare is preparing to
fail. Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding
fathers of the USA
(PMBOK)
16
PM Processes Groups
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Monitoring Controlling
Closing

• Project Execution
• Quality Assurance
• Acquire and Develop Team
• Distribute Information (Communication)
• Vendor Selection

(PMBOK)
17
PM Processes Groups
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Monitoring Controlling
Closing

• Change Control
• Scope Control
• Schedule Control
• Cost Control
• Quality Control
• Manage Team
• Performance Reporting / Manage Stakeholders
• Risk Management
• Contract Management

(PMBOK)
18
PM Processes Groups
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Monitoring Controlling
Closing

• Close Project
• Contract Closure

(PMBOK)
19
The Triple Constraint
There are more than three
Scope
Risk
Quality
Cost
Time
Others?
The Challenge Maintain Equilibrium
20
The Triple Constraint
Better
Another way to look at it
Cheaper
Faster
Pick any two
21
The Triple Constraint
Touching one constraint always affects the others
22
Project Management Goals

• To define
• What will we do?
• How will we do it?
• How will we know we are done?

• Outcomes must be
• Measureable - in some quantitative manner that is
  not arguable
• Time Bound - discrete time limits for measurement
  
• Achievable - agreement between the person(s)
  responsible for meeting the objective and their
  supervisor(s)/project manager

23
The Project Manager

• Someone has to pull all this together
• (usually) Not responsible for producing the
  product
• Not a side job
• Responsible for the process to produce the
  product
• Must understand
• PM concepts
• The business
• The technology
• The stakeholders
• The culture

• Must be
• A leader
• A motivator
• A diplomat
• A negotiator
• Willing to say things people dont want to hear

24
The Project Manager is the Glue
Client/Sponsor
Stakeholders
Project Manager
Team A
Team A
Team A
Vendors
Team s
25
Organization Structure
Functional Matrix Weak Balanced Strong Projectized

• Each type affects
• PM Authority
• Resource Availability
• Budget Control
• PM Role (FT/PT)
• PM Administrative Staff (FT/PT)

(PMBOK)
26
The Project Organization Chart
27
The Enterprises Organization Chart
28
(No Transcript)
29
Who works for whom?
30
Importance of Project Management

• Compressed product life cycle
• Competitive edge in global market
• Knowledge explosion
• Corporate downsizing
• Increased customer focus

(Brown)
31
Advantages of Project Management

• Better control of financial, physical, and human
  resources
• Improved customer relations
• Shorter development times
• Lower costs
• Higher quality and increased reliability
• Higher profit margins
• Improved productivity
• Better internal coordination

(Brown)
32
Project Management Framework
Integration Management
Time Management
Cost Management
Scope Management
Quality Management
HR Management
Communication Management
Procurement Management
Risk Management
The PMBOKs 9 Knowledge Areas
(Brown)
(PMBOK)
33
Project Management Framework

• Core function areas constrain how project
  objectives are met
• Scope
• Time
• Cost
• Quality
• Facilitating function areas are the means for
  achieving project objectives
• Human Resources
• Communication
• Risk
• Procurement Management
• Knowledge function (project integration
  management) controls changes to process and
  product

(Brown)
34
Time Management
Integration Management
Time Management
Cost Management
Scope Management
Quality Management
HR Management
Risk Management
Communication Management
Procurement Management
(Brown)
(PMBOK)
35
Cost Management
Integration Management
Time Management
Cost Management
Scope Management
Quality Management
HR Management
Risk Management
Communication Management
Procurement Management
(Brown)
(PMBOK)
36
Scope Management
Integration Management
Time Management
Cost Management
Scope Management
Quality Management
HR Management
Risk Management
Communication Management
Procurement Management
(Brown)
(PMBOK)
37
Quality Management
Integration Management
Time Management
Cost Management
Scope Management
Quality Management
HR Management
Risk Management
Communication Management
Procurement Management
(Brown)
(PMBOK)
38
Core Functions
Remember this?
Scope
Quality
Cost
Time
The first four knowledge areas are Core Functions.
(Brown)
39
Facilitating Functions
Integration Management
Time Management
Cost Management
Scope Management
Quality Management
HR Management
Risk Management
Communication Management
Procurement Management
(Brown)
(PMBOK)
40
Human Resource Management
Integration Management
Time Management
Cost Management
Scope Management
Quality Management
HR Management
Risk Management
Communication Management
Procurement Management
(Brown)
(PMBOK)
41
Risk Management
Integration Management
Time Management
Cost Management
Scope Management
Quality Management
HR Management
Risk Management
Communication Management
Procurement Management
(Brown)
(PMBOK)
42
Communication Management
Integration Management
Time Management
Cost Management
Scope Management
Quality Management
HR Management
Risk Management
Communication Management
Procurement Management
(Brown)
(PMBOK)
43
Procurement Management
Integration Management
Time Management
Cost Management
Scope Management
Quality Management
HR Management
Risk Management
Communication Management
Procurement Management
(Brown)
(PMBOK)
44
Integration Management
Integration Management
Time Management
Cost Management
Scope Management
Quality Management
HR Management
Risk Management
Communication Management
Procurement Management
(Brown)
(PMBOK)
45
Project Management Skills
Which is more important?

• Technical Skills
• Budgeting
• Planning
• Scheduling
• Documenting
• Contracts

• People Skills
• Leading
• Motivating
• Listening
• Empathizing

Both You need an equal measure of each
(Brown)
46
List of Works Cited

1. Project Management Institute (PMI), Project
   Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). 3rd ed.
   2004.
2. Brown, Craig. "The Project Management Process -
   Week 1." SlideShare.com. 17 Aug 2008.
   BetterProjects.net. 7 Aug 2008 lthttp//www.slidesh
   are.net/craigwbrown/the-project-management-process
   -week-1?srcembedgt.