Chapter 5 Planning 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Learning Objectives Clearly define the project objective Develop a work breakdown structure Develop a network diagram Utilize a project management methodology called the systems development life cycle for information systems development projects 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Real World Example Vignette: The Olympics Athens, Greece received the award to host the 2004 Olympic Games in 1997 Project work did not begin until 2000, after a warning was issued by the International Olympic Committee. $1.19 billion was added to the project cost because of construction delays and the need for increased security Less than 100 days remained, and it appeared that most construction projects would not be complete until a few days before the games Olympic project team worked under a very tight time schedule, with little slack, on interdependent tasks. Network planning techniques are essential in these situations to define hierarchy of projects A project manager can help team members to stay on task with short-term goals to assure that the long-term goals are met on time 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Real World Example Vignette: German Airlines Lufthansa German Airlines is the first airline to offer high-speed Internet access while flying in response to customer need. This would allow customers to check email, log onto company websites, and search for information on the Web. Pilots would benefit from Internet access with more precise weather forecasts Installation alone costs $400,000 per plane. Development, maintenance, and installation total in the “double digit millions” Corporations like Seimens, BASF, Software AG, and Boehringer Ingleheim were invited for trial runs Installation was scheduled to begin in January 2004. FlyNet should be available on Lufthansa’s trans-Atlantic flights by spring 2004 Update: Started mid-May, 2004 Suspended 31 Dec, 2006 4

Project Objective Planning is an essential part of project management. In essence, the plan is a roadmap. The first step is to define the project objective. The objective must be clear, attainable, specific, and measurable. The objective is usually defined in terms of scope, schedule and cost. 5 5 5 4 5 4 5 4 4 4

Example Objective “Complete the house” vs “Complete the house by May 31 in accordance with the floor plans and specifications dated October 15 and within a budget of $150,000” 6

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) The second step is to determine what activities need to be performed. A list of all the activities must be developed. The WBS is a hierarchical tree of end items to be accomplished. A work item is one small piece of the project. A work package is the lowest-level item. 7 7 7 5 7 5 6 5 5 5

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Responsibility Matrix Displays in tabular format the individuals responsible for the work items. “X” can be used to indicate who is responsible. “P” indicates who has primary responsibility. “S” indicates support responsibility. OR 10

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Activities, Defined An activity is a piece of work that consumes time. 12 8 8 6 8 6 8 6 6 6

Developing the Network Plan After all activities have been defined, they are graphically portrayed in a network diagram. Two network planning techniques were developed in the 1950’s: Program evaluation and review technique (PERT) Critical path method (CPM) 13 10 10 7 10 7 9 7 7 7

Gantt Charts Gantt charts, or bar charts, are popular due to their simplicity. Activities are listed down the left-hand side. A time scale is shown along the bottom. 14 11 11 8 11 8 10 8 8 8

Gantt Charts (Cont.) Do not display the interrelationships of activities. If one activity is delayed, it is not obvious how that will affect other activities. Most project management software can show interdependencies with arrows. 15 14 14 9 14 9 11 9 9 9

Network Principals Different formats can be used to draw the diagram: Activity in the box (AIB) a.k.a. activity on the node (AON) Activity on the arrow (AOA) 17 16 16 10 16 10 12 10 10 10

Activity in the Box (AIB) Each activity is represented by a box. The activity description is written in the box. Each box is assigned a unique activity number. Activities have a precedential relationship. Some activities may be done concurrently. 18 17 17 11 17 11 13 11 11 11

Activity on the Arrow (AOA) Each activity is represented by an arrow. The activity description is written above the arrow. The tail of the arrow designates the start of the activity. The head of the arrow designates the completion of the activity. 19 18 18 12 18 12 14 12 12 12

Activity on the Arrow (AOA) (Cont.) Activities are linked by circles called events. An event represents the finish of activities entering it and the start of activities leaving it. Each event is assigned a unique number. 20 19 19 13 19 13 15 13 13 13

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Dummy Activities Used in the AOA format. Consumes zero time. Represented by a dashed arrow. Needed for: Helping in the unique identification of activities. Showing certain precendential relationships. 22 20 20 14 20 14 16 14 14 14

Loops Not allowed because it portrays a path of activities that perpetually repeats itself. 23 21 21 15 21 15 17 15 15 15

Laddering Used for projects that have a set of activities that are repeated several times. 24 22 22 16 22 16 18 16 16 16

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Preparing the Network Diagram Ask the following questions regarding each activity: Which activities must be finished immediately before this activity can be started? Which activities can be done concurrently with this activity? Which activities cannot be started until this activity is finished? 26

Preparing the Network Diagram (Cont.) Should flow from left to right. Not drawn to a time scale. Can vary in how detailed the diagram should be. AIB vs. AOA is a matter of personal preference. AIB is the most common in project management software packages. 27 24 24 17 24 17 20 17 17 17

Information System, Defined An information system (IS) is: a computer-based system that accepts data as input, processes the data, and produces useful information for users. 28

Planning for Information Systems Development The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is used to help plan, execute and control IS development projects. Many people view the SDLC as a classic problem-solving approach. 29 25 25 18 25 18 22 18 18 18

Steps of the SDLC Problem definition System analysis System design System development System testing System implementation 30 28 28 19 28 19 23 19 19 19

Project Management Software Allow the project manager and the project team to plan and control projects interactively. Contain many common features: Create list of tasks Track resources Track budgets Generate a variety of reports 31