Alien Labs. Project Management Basics

Transcription

1 Alien Labs Project Management Basics Part I Technical Publications Carlos Mimoso

2 Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Introduction What is Project Management? Concept and Definition Phase The Problem Statement Mission Statement Scope Project Goals Project Deliverables Cost and Schedule Estimate List of Stakeholders Risks and Benefits of the Project Assumptions and Constraints The Communications Plan Planning Phase What is the WBS? Schedule Budget Execution Phase Change Control Process Close Out Phase The Role You Play Manager Liaison Leader The Future at Alienware Bibliography

3 Introduction 1 Introduction My purpose in writing this report is to satisfy the need for a more organized process for the software group as we tackle more projects in the coming months. A secondary motive is the promotion of project management as a cohesive system that should be fully implemented in order to reap all the benefits it brings. These benefits include not only organization, but higher productivity and even a road to greater autonomy. This is part one of an ongoing work covering project management. The next part will include further detail on the WBS as well as other methods of scheduling and budgeting. Hopefully this will be matched with enthusiasm for the initiative and will be helpful for everyone. 3

4 What is Project Management 2 What is Project Management? Project Management is a tool used to reach a satisfying end for a project. Project Management should help you solve the problem of completing your project on time, within budget, and conforming to pre-set standards of quality. According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), Project Management is accomplished through the application and integration of the project management processes of initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing (Lewis, 4). What follows are the different phases of project management as defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI). After the brief discussion of the phases of project management I will describe the role of the project manager and then follow-up with how project management can be implemented at Alienware. Outside the Box The Project Management Institute (PMI) is the most popular institution in America whose purpose is to create standards for the field of project management. They produce the PMBOK. 4

5 3 Based on a standard created by PMI, Project Management usually contains five phases: Concept, Definition, Planning, Execution, and Closeout. For our purposes I have combined the Concept and Definition phases into one phase. The Concept and Definition phase is when the project team defines all the goals and requirements for the project. They will also present preliminary estimates at this time to gauge the full scope of a project and what may be ahead. The Planning phase is usually a refinement of the Concept and Definition phase with a greater grasp of what the project actually requires now that the research is done. The execution phase is when all the actual work is done for the project; the majority of time spent on the project will occur in this phase. The Closeout phase incorporates all the lessons learned during the project that can be leveraged for upcoming projects. 5

6 3.1 Concept and Definition Phase In this phase you look to have a clear definition of the problem and the project made to solve this problem. This part of the planning process deals with gaining information on the project and making sure the requirements and concepts are well defined and all parties are on the same page. The main deliverable of this phase is the Information Plan or as others call it, the Statement of Work (SOW). At this point you are attempting to nail down clear definitions for the project; you also want a clear view of the project direction. If the stakeholders do not know where they want the project to go, the project will probably go nowhere. Requirements are very important at this stage. What exactly do the stakeholders want? How much are they willing to give? By defining the concepts of the project you get closer to project consensus which can greatly improve the outcome of the project. Following is a description of the different parts that make up the Concept and Definition phase. Outside the Box A stakeholder is someone who has a vested interest in the success of a project (Baker 52). 6

7 3.1.1 The Problem Statement The first thing to ask in a project is: What is the problem? However, at times it is not easy to find out what is the problem the project is meant to solve. Many people can have disparaging view points. It is essential their viewpoints agree on the problem to be solved only then can they agree on a solution. For example, the AlienLabs Media Server is a complex project brought about to solve a problem of fixity. Alienware wishes to diversify and believes this new market will be an opportunity to do so with a good return on investment. Outside the Box Sometimes it is necessary to relay to stakeholders what their Problem Statement entails in regards to time and money. If stakeholders are unsure of the scope, then the project will likewise suffer from confusion. 7

8 3.1.2 Mission Statement The Mission Statement should answer the needs of the customer. The mission indeed is to satisfy the customer. The mission statement includes: 1. What are we going to do? 2. For whom are we going to do it? (Lewis 48). The Mission statement should be concise and to the point. For example, the mission statement for our media server may be the following: We are creating a user-friendly media server for the middle class consumer who will not have the need for a systems installer Scope The scope statement declares what the preoject will and will not include. This is a summary of the totality of project requirements. The scope takes into account what the product will actually entail, such as components and capabilities. For example, the scope for the AlienLabs media server project would include a remote control that would facilitate complete control of the system but it would not include an amplifier. The scope of the project creates the boundaries of the project and as such should also hold what the project should not contain. Many projects fail because of scope creep which is the process of adding work to a project, little by little, until the original schedule and cost estimates are completely meaningless (Baker 15). A change control process may be necessary to prevent scope creep. 8

9 3.1.4 Project Goals Project Goals detail how the project will succeed to solve its main problem as stated in the problem statement. The goals should be reasonable and appropriately thought out. For example, the project goals for the media server may be as follows: A media server that will have high end capabilities with a middle class price tag Out-of-the-box plug- and-play Sleek look Project Deliverables When creating the deliverables for a project take into consideration that each deliverable is a form of change control. The more deliverables you present the better the project will handle changes; however, too many deliverables and you over task the project team. Usually, each phase has its own set of deliverables. For example, as a technical writer, my deliverables for a typical project may be as follows: 1. Information Plan for the Concept and Definition phase 2. Project Plan for the Planning phase 3. Content Specification for the Planning phase 4. First Draft for the Execution phase 5. Second Draft for the Execution phase 6. Camera Ready Draft for the Execution (Production) phase 9

10 3.1.6 Cost and Schedule Estimate When estimating for the Information Plan you would do well to note how easily the estimate may change. For example, if the project scope increases by more than 30%, the estimate may increase substantially. It is also well to note any assumptions taken into consideration for the estimate as well as what project was used to produce the estimate. In fact, the best way to produce such an estimate is to look at past projects; this is why it is important to begin tracking projects as soon as possible. When creating a budget and schedule, the most important resource you may have other than previous project data is the advice of your project team. Their expertise will allow you to create as accurate a schedule and budget as possible. You may also be able to gain some insight from other project managers or experts in the organization outside your project team. It may also be advantageous to have good communication with the Purchasing department. 10

11 3.1.7 List of Stakeholders A stakeholder is someone who has a vested interest in the success of a project (Baker 52). Creating a list of stakeholders with their responsibilities is necessary when attempting to gain consensus for your project. The stakeholders can then see what is expected of them and perhaps this can lead to more involvement on their part. In any case, showing a stakeholder what his responsibility will be will eliminate confusion when he is consulted in the future for advice or approval. The first stakeholders you need to identify are those who will make a meaningful contribution to a project. Thus, the stakeholder list includes: Your project sponsor The managers in your company involved with approvals The customer The project team (Baker 52) Two key elements of this list seem to require further explanation. A project sponsor is usually a person of authority who will help guide the project, along with the project manager to success. The sponsor can help with approval issues with the budget or with political issues with upper management. The customer listed above is an internal or external customer (or both), sometimes the customer can be Product Development or Marketing; at other times it is another business outsourcing their workload to us. Though the customer does not mean the end-user you may do well to keep him in mind anyways. 11

12 3.1.8 Risks and Benefits of the Project Risks are a part of everyday life. However, as a project manager you have to learn how to anticipate the most pressing risks and have some contingency plans in place. A risk to the project can be anything from a lack of feasibility testing, loss of market share, or organizational resistance. You can give a list of the possible risks, sorted by their probability and impact with a brief description of possible responses. The benefits of the project are also listed in this section. The benefits usually describe some of the reasons that the project exists thus they are tightly connected with the mission statement, scope, and project goals. For example, a benefit of the media server project is a high customer base because of the new market. Then again, the risk quickly follows the loss of the market window. Outside the Box Acts of God can be very risky. One act of God that is very probable in Miami is a hurricane. A hurricane can take out the power of our building for days, even weeks. Structural damage can also occur. Though responses to a hurricane are few, still there are some possible contingency plans that can keep the project going. You can give the project team access to the network from home; or you may be able to gain access to another location where work can continue without too much trouble. It may not be much, but it never hurts to plan. 12

13 3.1.9 Assumptions and Constraints Detail any assumptions that limit the project or agreements that form the basis of interactions here. Don t leave anything out that could affect the future management of the project (Baker 77). Some obvious constraints on the project: the budget, the schedule, and the people. Identifying risks and constraints beforehand provides you with time to mitigate those you can fix or to notify the stakeholders (both verbally and in writing) that the project may be in jeopardy before it even begins. A critical analysis of the project is crucial to get it off to an acceptable and workable start (Baker 90) The Communications Plan A Communications plan usually details the reports and papers that the project will produce as well as their intended audience. This is also the place to present the schedule of upcoming planning meetings and those who need to attend them. The Communications plan is of greater importance on larger projects as opposed to smaller projects. 13

14 3.2 Planning Phase Once the Concept and Definition phase is over and the preliminary research has been done and approved it is time for the planning phase to begin. In this phase you refine the research of the Information plan and add the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). The WBS will then allow you to build a more accurate schedule and budget. More sections may be added to a plan depending on the size of the project What is the WBS? The Work Breakdown Structure is a tool for showing others the breakdown of the work required for a project. You can also use it to create a budget and schedule. You usually break work down into the shortest time frame you will monitor usually a day. Following is an example found in Fundamentals of Project Management. In the example the author breaks down the work he will do on his yard project (Figure 1). Yard Project Cleanup Cut Grass Trimwork Prepare Equipment Trim Hedge Pickup trash - 15 Mow front - 45 Weeds trees - 30 Put gas in equipment Bag grass - 30 Mow back - 30 Edge sidewalk - 15 Get out Hedge clipper - 5 Hedge clippings - 15 Haul to dump - 45 Figure 1 14

15 3.2.2 Schedule For small projects the schedule will not be difficult to create, however, as a project becomes more complex the schedule will accordingly become more complex. Several tools exist that allow you to easily create schedules online, usually with Gantt charts; however, creating a network before the use of a Gantt chart will help you to see the interdependencies of the different tasks as well as the Critical Path of the project. Following is an example of a network diagram found in Fundamentals of Project Management (Figure 2). Activity A Activity B Activity D Activity C Figure 2 This network diagram shows how Activity C is done in parallel to Activities A and B, while Activity A must be in sequence with Activity B and Activity D. In short, the steps for creating a schedule are as follows: 1. Create a WBS 2. Create a network diagram 3. Transfer the network diagram into a Gantt chart. 15

16 3.2.4 Budget After creating the WBS and schedule you can begin the Master budget. When building your budget take into consideration direct and indirect cost. Direct costs include labor and equipment, indirect costs include such things as the facilities used for the project. For most budgeting projects, the following steps are standard: 1. Rough Cut 2. Second Cut 3. Getting it Right 4. Wrapping it up 5. Presentation for Approval Outside the Box The Critical Path is that sequence of tasks that lasts from the beginning of the project until its end and cannot be worked in parallel to other tasks. The critical path is important because any change along that path will very probably cause a change to the schedule and budget. 16

17 The scheduling and budgeting addressed here is bottom-up and driven by a WBS. However, you may use different methods to create a schedule and budget. Phased - Using the phased method you would build a schedule and budget for each different phase. After each phase you would create a new schedule and budget for the next phase. This is appropriate for an organization that goes through many changes and may repeat phases. Top down (Holistic) - This method takes into consideration the time allowed for the project and allocates a certain amount of time to each phase, taking into consideration dependencies and risks. This method is best for development projects when so many unknowns exist. It may turn out that as we begin scheduling and controlling our projects we will find ourselves moving to a holistic method of scheduling and budgeting. In any case, holistic estimating draws a lot of its success from the knowledge of previous projects, thus tracking is very important. 17

18 3.3 Execution Phase The key factor for the execution phase is to keep things moving. Good communication is necessary for this phase, especially with your project team. Management by walking around (MBWA) is a good way to stay in touch with team members and gather information about project status. The main deliverable for this phase is the project prototype or draft. You will apply methods of tracking and monitoring in this phase. The following are the most used methods. Meetings These are necessary to know the status of the project and to keep communication lines open with your project team and stakeholders. They should be agenda driven and have a clear start and end time. Status Reports The status report is a good method for keeping track of the project status by looking at the progress for each task in the WBS; however, these reports should not substitute personal communication only compliment it. Interim Prototypes Instead of waiting for a clear milestone to present a prototype, you may wish to schedule interim prototypes and make their review meetings formal. This may aid in controlling change. 18

19 3.3.1 Change Control Process To manage change is obviously difficult; however, a change control system can help to minimize scope creep on a project. A change request system would take into consideration the possible impact a change may have on a project by requesting approval from the entire project team. At times changes that can have far reaching effects may be seen as simple additions, and their impact is not felt until it is too late. A change request system is put into place to decrease such occurrences. 19

20 3.4 Close Out Phase The Close Out phase ends the project by delivering the final product. At this point responsibility is turned over to Production or Operations. The sign-off meeting should be formal as for the other phases where the final product is presented and gains formal, written approval. The process may be complex for large projects, however, for small projects closing may only necessitate a meeting and small report. After the sign-off meeting it is time to gather the lessons learned on this project. Gathering and analyzing lessons learned is very important as this is how you improve the project process for subsequent projects. It is here where you learn what worked and where you can improve. When all work has been completed, the close out phase requires that a review of the project be conducted. The purpose is to learn lessons from this job that can be applied to future ones. Two questions are asked: what did we do well? The second is, what do we want to improve next time? (Lewis 14). 20

21 The Role You Play 4 The Role You Play 4.1 Manager A great deal of Project Management regards managing other people, or more specifically, the tasks the people perform; managing the project. In this instance it is well to be organized and ready for change. Administrative tasks are important for the management aspect, but so are good analysis skills. Change will come, it is best to be prepared for the ultimate impact of this change and attempt to manage change controlling change is almost impossible. 4.2 Liaison As a Liaison, you will have to communicate from one department to another. You will be the main corridor of communication and will be responsible for cooperation and cohesion. It may not be fair but someone has to do it. There are several things to think about here, such as politics and old ways. When working within an organization that is not used to this sort of system it will be difficult to sell this change, but a fist step is to have good communication with the buyers. Keep stakeholders informed as well as others you think should be informed as well. Let other departments or manufacturing know if business changes are coming and attempt to help where you can. The more open your communication lines are the more other departments and managers will reciprocate. 21

22 The Role You Play 4.3 Leader One of the roles the project manager must face is that of leader; and this usually means leading without the authority of a leader; however, as James Lewis says, I learned early in my career as an engineer that you have as much authority as you are willing to take (Lewis 27). Thus, you may have more authority than you think but in any case authority need not be extant to succeed as a leader. A dictator may need authority (and fear) but a leader gets people to want to do the things for which he asks. Leadership is the art of getting others to want to do something that you believe should be done (Lewis 29). If you can accomplish this then you are well on your way to project success. Outside the Box One thing a leader must always be aware of is confusion within the ranks. Clear direction and clear goals can stem the tide of confusion. Without clarity you allow uncertainty to seep in which can cause a drop in morale. 22

23 The Future at Alienware 5 The Future at Alienware With all this at hand what to do first? One thing is to formalize specifications with a sign-off meeting. The next is to create a project plan, scaled down at first. As the organization becomes more organized you may implement an information plan. Always have a lessons learned session after every project, then incorporate those lessons into the next project. One thing to remember is to use only those techniques necessary for control of the project, as well as tracking. Put only into place those processes that are necessary for control and tracking too much and you end up stifling the workload. One thing is for certain, with the organization of Alienware, allowing stakeholders to know what is happening is key as well as letting them know about their roles and responsibilities. Transparency is a key factor at this point. This is like managing upwards except you have to sell these techniques, meaning you have to buy them as well. In short, the steps for the future are as follows: 1. Sign-off specifications 2. Scaled down project plan 3. Information Plan 4. Change request system 5. Always do lessons learned! Outside the Box The full implementation of Project Management techniques can take anywhere from 3-5 years depending on upper management buy-in, as well as the project team buy-in. 23

24 Bibliography 6 Bibliography Baker, Sunny Ph.D, Campbell, G. Michael PMP. The Complete Idiot s Guide to Project Management: Fourth Edition. New York, NY: Alpha Books, Hackos, Joan T. Managing Your Documentation Projects. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Lewis, James P. Fundamentals of Project Management. New York, NY: American Management Association,