Project Management Applications Software Skills.

1. Project Management Applications Software Skills. Ahmad Al-Ghoul

2. Learning Objectives • Explain what a project is,, list various attributes of projects. • Describe project management, discuss Who uses Project Management. • Discuss The Project Management Process. • Explain Benefits of Project Management • Discuss how to control projects. • Discuss Suggested Steps in Project Management • Discuss the activities in a Project Life Cycle

3. What is Project Management? • Project : A group of milestones or phases, activities or tasks that support an effort to accomplish something • Management : is the process of Planning, Organizing, Controlling and Measuring

4. Project... • A collection of linked activities, carried out in an organized manner, with a clearly defined START POINT and END POINT to achieve some specific results desired to satisfy the needs of the organization at the current time

5. What Is a Project? • A project is “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.”* • Operations is work done to sustain the business. • A project ends when its objectives have been reached, or the project has been terminated. • Projects can be large or small and take a short or long time to complete.

6. Attributes of a Project • Has a well-defined objective • Composed of a series of interdependent tasks • Utilizes various resources • Has a specific time frame • May be a unique or one-time endeavor • Has a customer • Involves a degree of uncertainty

7. Project Management • A dynamic process that utilizes the appropriate resources of the organization in a controlled and structured manner, to achieve some clearly defined objectives identified as needs. • It is always conducted within a defined set of constraints

8. Why Need Project Management? • Complex project needs coordination of: • Multiple people • Multiple resources (labs, equipment, etc.) • Multiple tasks – some must precede others • Multiple decision points – approvals • Phased expenditure of funds • Matching of people/resources to tasks

9. Who uses Project Management? • Nearly Everyone to some degree People plan their Days, their Weeks, their Vacations and their Budgets and keep a simple project management form known as ‘’To Do’’ list • Any Process or Means used to track tasks or efforts towards accomplishing a goal could be considered Project Management

10. The Project Management Process • The project management process means planning the work and then working the plan. • Clearly define the project objective. • Divide and subdivide the project. • Define the specific activities that need to be performed. • Graphically schedule the activities in a project. • Make a time estimate. • Make a cost estimate. • Calculate a project schedule and budget.

11. Benefits of Project Management • Less overall project cost • Effective use of resources • More timely project completion • Higher quality of the final product

12. Controlling Projects • Establish a baseline plan. • Monitor progress. • Measure actual progress and compare it to planned progress. • Take corrective action if the project is behind schedule, overrunning the budget, or not meeting technical specifications.

13. Suggested Steps in Project Management • Generate a formal definition of the project, with goals, constraints, assumptions • Identify project start/end dates, any mandatory milestones, including reports, signoffs, deliverables, etc. • List constraints – money, equipment availability, holidays, etc. • Identify tasks to be accomplished – high level (i.e., by categories), then details within each, using brainstorming method – green light

14. Suggested Steps, cont. • Refine detailed task list, dropping/ combining, adding things omitted Then, for each task in list: • Estimate time (person hours, calendar period) • Identify dependencies among tasks • Identify resources (people, money, parts, etc.)

15. Suggested Steps, cont. Organize task groups roughly by starting date List dependencies that should or MUST hold Use MS Project to make a GANTT chart • First capture tasks and task groups, milestones • Identify critical path, see if it can be shortened • Assign person-hours and specific team member(s) to each task – identify “task leads”

16. Suggested Steps, cont. As project progresses: • Monitor, record progress on all tasks, at least weekly – use “Tracking Gantt Chart” • Pay particular attention to those on critical path • Revise plan as needed to take into account changes, adapt to meet milestones

17. Initiating Processes Planning Processes Executing Processes Controlling Processes Closing Processes Project Life Cycle

18. Project Initiation Phase • To commit the organization to a project or phase • To set the overall solution direction • To define top-level project objectives • To secure the necessary approvals and resources • Validate alignment with strategic objectives • To assign a project manager

19. Project Planning Phase • Organize and staff the project • Develop a Project Plan • Sign off on the Project Plan

20. Project Execution Phase • Execute the Project Plan • Manage the Project Plan • Implement the project’s results • Sign off on project’s completion

21. Project controlling Phase To keep the project on track in order to achieve its objectives as outlined in the project plan by: • Monitoring and reporting variances • Controlling scope changes • Controlling schedule changes • Controlling costs • Controlling quality • Responding to risks

22. Project Close-out Phase • Document the lessons learned during the project • After-implementation review • Provide performance feedback • Close-out contracts • Complete administrative close-out • Deliver project completion report