I've taught various workshops on Project Management over the years. This workshop complements the Problem Solving Workshops that I've taught. This 3 part presentation pulls together techniques that will enable project leaders to deliver projects on time. Project Management is ground that has been covered by many people many times in the past and this presentation builds on that work, incorporates my experience and hopefully integrates it in a way that provides some new insights. This is the 2nd of a 3 part presentation.

1. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 1
ARA TRAINING
ARA TRAINING
PDCA Project Management
Cookbook
A.R. Alvarez

2. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 2
ARA TRAINING
Preamble
 Objective:
 Provide a Practical and Straightforward Approach to Project Mgt
 Emphasis on New Product Development; But Methodology Covered Can
Be Applied to Pretty Much Any Type of Project
 Included:
 Best Practices in Scheduling, Resourcing, Uncertainty & Risk Mgt with
Special Emphasis on Resolving Schedule Conflicts
 Introduction to Problem Solving (Separate Workshop Available)
 Phase Gate Architecture
 Incorporation of Agile/Scrum Concepts In General Project Mgt
 Review Meeting Templates
 Excluded:
 New Product Portfolio Management (Separate Workshop)
 Detailed Project Phase Gate Meeting Templates

3. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 3
ARA TRAINING
Project Management Outline
 Part 1: Project Management Set-Up(Plan)
 Project Management Principles
 Goals & Objectives
 Risk Management
 High Level Scheduling Concepts
 The Market Window- Development Team Capability Conundrum
 Part 2: Project Management Execution (Do)
 Detailed Project Scheduling & Schedule Uncertainty
 Project Team Meetings
 Project Management Toolkit
 Part 3: Project Management Oversight (Check & Act)
 Project Phase Gate Reviews
 Project Management Reviews
 Project Feedback & Response
 Appendix

4. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 4
ARA TRAINING
What You Need to Know
You Need to Know Where You’re Going
You Need to Know Where You Are
You Need to Know if You’re Off Track

5. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 5
ARA TRAINING
What You Need to Do
Start With The End in Mind:
Define Success Criteria / Vital Signs
(If Project is Long, > 30 Days, …)
Develop a Roadmap:
Breakdown Success Criteria into Gates
Track The Path:
Develop Leading Indicators for Critical Steps & Tasks

6. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 6
ARA TRAINING
What
We
Want
To
Achieve
How
We
Intend
To
Achieve It
How
We
Work
To
Achieve It
“Customer”
Inputs
Project
Plan
Project
Execution

7. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 7
ARA TRAINING
PDCA: Project Mgt
1 After 1st Cycle
Replace “Set”
With “Adjust”
Plan
(Set Goals, Resources & High Level Schedule)
Do
(Detailed Schedule, Daily /
Weekly Checks & Pull-in)
Check
(Mgt & Milestone Reviews)
Act
(Adjust Resources, Goals, & Schedule)

8. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 8
ARA TRAINING
Recap: Project Planning Time Horizons
 High Level (Macro) Schedule Milestones
 Provide General Direction; Can Be Fairly Generic
 Provide Touch Points for Mgt and Sales (or Customers)
 Enable Organizational Prioritization: Revenue & Strategic Impact
 But … Breaking Down Long Term Plan Into Finer & Finer Detail (At Some
Point) Doesn’t Provide Greater Certainty; Quickly Get to Diminishing Return
 Working Level (Micro) Project Schedule Deliverables
 Provide Detailed Direction For Near Term Tasks to Keep Prj on Track
 Critical Alignment Tool for Project Team Focus
 Specific to Project; Identify Key Tasks That Need Completion
 Enable Team Prioritization: Time, Risk, Uncertainty
Balance Macro & Micro to Minimize Administrative Overhead
While Keeping Project on Track

9. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 9
ARA TRAINING
Project Management Tactics
 Micro-Managing vs. Abdication
 Micro-Managing: Specifying “How” Rather Then “What”, Over-Monitoring
 Abdication: No Follow-up, No Measures, No Help
 Schedules
 Commitment vs. “Best Effort” vs. “Try”
 Ownership
 Speed vs. Quality vs. Cost
 Costs
 Know The Total Project Costs; Nothing Hidden
 Know The Cost Per Day; Buy Time
 Cost Questions Only Gets Asked if You Miss Your Goals
 Risks
 Launch With Best Possible Understanding of Main Risk Points
 Plan Contingencies Accordingly
 Communicate Risks on On-Going Basis
 FMEA Can Be Useful to Highlight Risks & Mitigation Plans
Time
Quality
CostPerformance

10. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 10
ARA TRAINING
ARA TRAINING
Project Detailed
Scheduling

11. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 11
ARA TRAINING
Project Scheduling
What are The Biggest Challenges in
Project Scheduling?
 Managing Critical Path / Slack ?
 Balancing Priorities?
 Access to Resources / Budget?
 Driving Near Term Detail?
 Uncertainty / Variation?
 Other?

12. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 12
ARA TRAINING
Project Scheduling & Uncertainty
Project Scheduling Often Treated
as If It is Deterministic*
That is Fundamentally Wrong
Why?
* From Books, Blogs, Consultants, Friends & Family, . . .

13. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 13
ARA TRAINING
How Do You
Schedule Invention?
(In a Non-Deterministic World)

14. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 14
ARA TRAINING
Triangulation (BC, MLC, WC)?
Monte Carlo?
Fuzzy Logic?
Bayesian Estimates?
Systematic Wild Guesses?
Do as You’re Told?

15. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 15
ARA TRAINING
Schedules & The Knowledge “Gap”
Baseline vs. Goal:
The Larger The Gap, The Less You Know
Goal “Gap” = Knowledge “Gap”
To Close the Knowledge “Gap” Need Cycles of Learning (COL)
Beware of Overconfidence
(How Much Do You Really Know?)
Baseline
Goal 1
Goal 2
Knowledge
Gap
Time
Goal

16. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 16
ARA TRAINING
Knowledge Gap and Cycles of Learning
Easy
# COLs ?
Time/Cycle
Medium
# COLs ?
Time/Cycle
Hard
# COLs ?
Time/Cycle
Define Your Problem
Which Bucket ?
What’s Your Batting Average ?
What Did You Learn ?

17. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 17
ARA TRAINING
What is a Cycle of Learning?
1. Problem Identification/Hypothesis
2. Specify Desired Outcome
3. Prioritized Input / Output
4. Data Collection & Analysis
5. Perform Work/Experiment
5. Confirmation of Effects
6. Process Standardization (if Done)
7. Planning Next Step (Learning Cycle)
Plan
Do
Check
Act
Deming’s PDCA Cycle

18. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 18
ARA TRAINING
Scheduling Invention
 Point 1: Complexity is Not Your Friend
 Save Invention For Where it Adds Value
 Eliminate/Minimize it Everywhere Else
 “Buy” Knowledge
 Point 2: Identify & Isolate Uncertainty
 Easier Said Then Done
 Prioritize Time-to-Information on High Uncertainty Paths
 Problem Solving Techniques Can Be Effectively Applied
 Point 3: Estimate ‘Learning’ Required
 Two Parts: 1) How Many (PDCA) Cycles?, 2) Time Per Cycle
 What Impacts # of Cycles?
 What Impacts Time Per Cycle?

19. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 19
ARA TRAINING
Handling Multiple Tasks
Temporal Budget Per Task
0
2
4
6
8
L H M M M H L L H M
T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 T10
0
5
10
15
20
L H M M M H L L H M
T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 T10
0
20
40
60
80
L H M M M H L L H M
T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 T10
Ten Tasks – Ten COLs Days Per Cycle Per Task
10 Sub-Tasks (or Threads) Require Resolution to Complete Task
Batting
Average?

20. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 20
ARA TRAINING
Multi-Level Problem
Two Tasks in Final Level
Six Tasks in 1st Level Four Tasks in 2nd Level
Three Level Problem, Multiple Tasks Per Level
0
5
10
15
L H M M M L
T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6
COL
Days/Cycle
Total Days
0
2
4
6
8
10
M L H M
T1 T2 T3 T4
COL
Days/Cycle
Total Days
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
M L
T1 T2
COL
Days/Cycle
Total Days
‘Knowledge Gap’
Reduced Incrementally
at Each level

21. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 21
ARA TRAINING
“Solution” to Prj Uncertainty Scheduling
 Use COL Methodology to Forecast Non-Deterministic Steps
 Decide on Approach (One vs. Multiple Levels)
 Budget Your Cycles
 If Complete Budget, But No Solution Then Need to Reset
 Mis-Scoped?
 Right Resources?
 Right Frame or Approach?
 Other?
 Use PERT (or Favorite Method) to Keep Track of Tasks
 Apply Best Practices (Scrubbing, Schedule Monitoring, etc.) to
Minimize Deviations
Combine COL Forecasting
With Conventional Scheduling Methods

22. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 22
ARA TRAINING
Project Scheduling Tactics Summary
 Minimize Complexity Up Front at Project Start
 Focus on Learning to Reduce Areas of Greatest Uncertainty
 Drive Near Term Detail
 Back 1 - 2 Weeks, Forward 2 – 4 Weeks
 Update/Scrub Weekly (More on This Later)
 Manage Critical Path / Slack
 Keep All Tasks on Critical Path (Opposite of What Normally Taught)
 Finish Tasks as Soon as Possible; i.e. Don’t Make Non-Critical Items Critical
 Plan, Then “Break” Plan
 Buffers: Should You?
 Fit Tool to Problem (Don’t Over Do It)?
 Simple (Most) Projects = Simple Scheduling Tool
 Complex Project = Sophisticated Scheduling Tool
If You Can't Make a Plan, How Can You Manage a Project?

23. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 23
ARA TRAINING
 Scheduling Tool:
 Schedule for Completion of Complex Task & Related Sub-Tasks
 Projects Completion Time, Monitors Task Schedule Adherence
 Various Types:
 PERT = Program /Project Evaluation & Review Technique (US Navy)
 CPM = Critical Path Method (du Pont/Remington-Univac)
 Gantt Chart = Time Line or Bar Chart
 "Ideal" Chart = Combination PERT/Timeline
 Many Software Pgms Available: Loading, Cost, Leveling, Etc.
Project Scheduling Tools
Identify
Variables
Screen
Variables
Rifleshot
Experiments
Statistical
DOEs
Solution
Convergence
Solution
Release
WW1 WW6 – WW12 WW15WW3 WW16

24. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 24
ARA TRAINING
Simplified Project Plan Construction
 Breakdown Project into Activities to Be Scheduled in Period
 Create Work Breakdown (Tree Diagram Useful)
 Identify Tasks With Greatest Degrees of Uncertainty (Quality Tools Useful)
 Prioritize Tasks WRT Degree of Uncertainty, Criticality, etc.
 Estimate COL & Time / COL for Activities With Learning Gaps
 Estimate Operating Time for ‘Deterministic’ Activities
 Place Activities in Time Sequence
 What Has To Be Done Sequentially
 What Can Be Done Simultaneously
 If Completion Date Specified
 Start With Completion Date, Work Backwards
 If Date Can’t Be Met, Can Project Scope Be Modified?
 What Activities Can Be Eliminated or Made Optional
 What Activities Can Be Adjusted to Make Date
 Can a Revised Date Be Negotiated?

25. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 25
ARA TRAINING
Gantt Charts
 Advantages:
 Plan, Schedule, & Progress All Shown
 If Duration Unsure: Keeps "All" Tasks Moving, “Nothing” Missed
 Useful When: Project has Unrelated Legs, Events Sequence Variable, a Lot
of Overlap Time Exists Between Events
 Easy to Do With Excel or Just About Any Graphics SW
 Disadvantages:
 Simplicity can Preclude Showing Detail to Detect Slips
 Dependencies Not Shown Explicitly
 Awkward to Maintain For Large Projects
 Disadvantages Led to Network-Based Project Management Tools
Optional
Task
Time
Gantt
Chart

26. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 26
ARA TRAINING
 Like Gantt Charts, PERT Charts Involves Identifying Tasks Required to
Complete Project, Time Needed to Complete Each Task, and Attempts to
Identify the Minimum Time Required to Complete Project
 Unlike Gantt Charts PERT Chart Explicitly Make Visible Dependencies
 Most SW Packages for PERT; Allow Probabilities & Perform “What Ifs”
 Can Drive Yourself Crazy Doing Multiple Estimates, Probabilities, & “What Ifs”
 Can Be Overkill For Many (Most?) Projects
PERT Charts Optional

27. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 27
ARA TRAINING
PERT Construction
I. Right Team: Managers, Team Members, Experts, …
II. Generate & Record Tasks / Duration (WBS & Similar Tools)
III. Sequence Activities: Sequential & Simultaneous Flow
1) I.D. Longest Sequential Path: Implementation Path (IP)
2) I.D. 2nd Longest Sequence That Support Main IP & Can be Done in Parallel
3) Identify Places Where There are Necessary Connections; i.e. What Tasks in IP Can't Start
Until Parallel Paths are Complete?
IV. Give Time Duration (Cycles-of-Learning)
V. Calculate Shortest Implementation
 Identify Critical Path (CP)
 Identify No Slack (And Nearly No Slack) Paths
VI. Calculate Earliest Start, Earliest Finish, Latest Start & Latest Finish Times
VII. Locate Jobs with Slack Time
VIII. Review & Revise (Scrub)
 Meet Schedule? What are the Risk Points?
 More Parallelism Possible?
 Multiple Critical Paths?
 What Can be Sped Up?
Optional

28. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 28
ARA TRAINING
Problems & Delays are Inevitable
Good Planning Leads to Smaller Problems
Smaller Problems Give You Opportunity to Recover
Project Schedule Example

29. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 29
ARA TRAINING
ARA TRAINING
Project Team
Meetings

30. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 30
ARA TRAINING
Project Management Hierarchy
Phase Gate
Review
Bi-Monthly or
Monthly Review
Weekly Prj
Team Meeting
Team Working
Meetings
Eyes
Speedometer
Odometer
Map
After Agile Game Development With Scrum, C. Keith 2010
Different Measures &
Monitors Keep You On
Track When Driving
Same Applies
to Projects

31. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 31
ARA TRAINING
Types of Project Meetings
 Team Working / Ad Hoc Problem Solving Meetings
 Purpose: Team Problem Solving
 Type of Meeting: Working Meeting
 Outcome: Varies, But Typically an Action or Solution Plan (Experimental,
Information Gathering, …) Outlining the Next Few Steps
 Weekly Team Project Review Meetings
 Purpose: Team Coordination
 Type of Meeting: Coordination and Working Meeting
 Outcome: Varies as Required to Keep Project on Track
 Bi-Monthly or Monthly Management Review Meetings
 Purpose: Management Review Meeting & Problem Escalation
 Type of Meeting: Status Update
 Outcome: Varies, Resource Re-allocation, Priority Shift, …
 Phase Gate Review Meetings
 Purpose: Decide Whether Project Meets Phase Gate Criteria
 Type of Meeting: Decision Meeting
 Outcome: Pass / Fail & Appropriate Action Items

32. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 32
ARA TRAINING
Team Working Meetings
 What are You Looking For?
 Clarity on the Problem Topic:
 Is There a Clear Problem Definition?
 Is There Clear Separation Between Fact, Conjecture, and Hypothesis?
 Hidden Biases
 Potential Solution Paths
 What to Do:
 Utilize Good Problem Solving Tools
 Balance Being ‘Loose’ Enough to Capture Contributing Ideas, But Not so ‘Loose’ That
Dissolve into Entropy – Stay on a Convergent Path
 Decide if Escalation Required – Get Help (Do it Earlier Rather Than Later)
 Establish Recovery Plans and/or Contingency Plans as Required
 Insure Required Cross-Functional Coordination
 Summarize, Issue Minutes and Update Action Items
 How Long Should it Take: 30 – 60 Minutes
 Who Should Be There: The Best People to Contribute to Solution
 Who Should Run It?
Drive Toward Convergence

33. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 33
ARA TRAINING
Weekly Team Prj Meeting
 What are You Looking For?
 Are You on Schedule? That Day? Looking Forward?
 Barriers to Meeting Commitments That Need Team’s or Exec Mgt’s Attention
 Opportunities to Pull in Schedule (To Make Up for Inevitable Unforeseen Problems)
 Highlight Risk Items, White Spaces, Resource Gaps, Skill Set Holes, etc.
 What to Do:
 Focus on Deliverables, Highlight Key Decisions That Need to Be Made
 Focus and Drive Decision or Path Closure; Which Ones are Not Closing?
 Decide if Escalation Required – Get Help (Do it Earlier Rather Than Later)
 Establish Recovery, Pull-In or Contingency Plans as Appropriate/Required
 Insure Required Cross-Functional Coordination
 Track Action Items, Make Sure Checklists Exist and Are Being Used
 Summarize, Issue Minutes and Update Action Items
 How Long Should it Take: 30 – 60 Minutes
 Who Should Be There: Design, PE, TE; Apps, Yield, Marketing, ... (As Required)
 Who Should Run It?
Keep Your Schedule Current!

34. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 34
ARA TRAINING
Weekly Project Meeting: Schedule
 Be Rigorous: Drive Near Term Detail
 At Weekly Team Meeting: What Happened Last Week?
 What Should Happen Next Week? The Week After That? After That?, …
 What Are The Tasks Ahead With Greatest Degree of Variability/Uncertainty?
 Keep Schedule Up-to-Date
 Be Schizophrenic: Plan, Break Plan, Re-Plan
 Pull in One Day at a Time; Start The Day After You Make Your Schedule
 “Pay for a Day” (What is the Cost of a One Day Delay in The Project?)
 Be Proactive – Always Be Looking Ahead
 “Only The Paranoid Project Schedulers Survive”
 Expect “Surprises”, Be Prepared
 Look For and Eliminate “White Spaces” and Uncertainty
 Scrub Periodically (1 – 4 Times / Month) Depending on Project Duration
 Common Scheduling Problem: Ignoring Obvious Problem
 Have a Recovery Plan if (When?) Get Behind

35. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 35
ARA TRAINING
Be Proactive
Always Be Looking Ahead

36. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 36
ARA TRAINING
Project Scrubbing
 Purpose: Provide “Outsider’s” Perspective in How to Pull-in Schedule
 Form of Knowledge (Experience) - Based Problem Solving
 Solicited Critique
 Non-Defensive
 Open
 Who Does it: 1 - 3 Peers; Peer + 1 Recommended
 What Can You Scrub?
 Schedule
 Resources
 Risks
 Technical Hypothesis / Proposed Solutions
 What Else?
 Keep Sessions Short (15 - 20’)

37. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 37
ARA TRAINING
Sample Schedule Pull-in Questions
 Up Front:
 Do We Have To Make “It”? Can We Buy “It” Instead?
 Would a Development Partner Enable Us to Go Faster?
 Can The Product Definition Be Modified to Reduce Risk and/or Allow Us to Go
Faster?
 Are We Re-Using Common Blocks (Design, Test, Technology, etc.) to The
Maximum?
 Are We Inventing Only Where We Need to & Where Value is Added?
 At Any Point:
 What (Low-Value) Activities Can Be Eliminated or Reduced in Scope?
 Could More Activities Take Place Concurrently? (i.e. C.O.L in Parallel)
 How Can We Reduce The Time for Each C.O.L.?
 Resources:
 Would More Resources Help? Are They Available Internally?
 If Not, Could We Find Contract Resources Outside?
 Is There a Skill Set Missing That Would Enable Us to Go Faster?

38. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 38
ARA TRAINING
Burndown Chart"SampleBurndownChart" by Pablo Straub
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SampleBurndo
wnChart.png#/media/File:SampleBurndownChart.png
 Provides Simple Visual Overview of Task Rate of Completion & Whether on Track
 Aims to Track Progress on Daily Basis; Popularized by Scrum Prj Mgt
 Shows Remaining Effort to Complete Iteration/Work Quantum – Typically 20 to 30 Days
 Tasks Broken Down in ¼ to ½ Day Increments for Granularity/Tracking
Pros?
Cons?
Ref: J. Wenzel provides a good tutorial in “Burn Down Chart Tutorial: Simple Agile Task Tracking”, & also spreadsheet templates for creating
Burndown Chartsg http://joel.inpointform.net/software-development/burn-down-charts-tutorial-simple-agile-project-tracking/

39. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 39
ARA TRAINING
Monitoring Progress
After K.G. Cooper EMR Fall 1993 & SCRUM Burn Down Tutorial 2010
Real
Progress
Perfect
Monitoring
The Better Your Metrics/Vital Signs The Better Your Monitoring
How Much Can Granularity Help?
Remaining
Effort
Time

40. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 40
ARA TRAINING
Rework
Work To
Be Done
Work
Done
•• Rework ••
Known
Undiscovered
Work
Being Done
X
After K.G. Cooper, EMR Fall 93
The Better Your Metrics/Vital Signs
The Better You Can Manage Rework

41. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 41
ARA TRAINING
Your Personal Weekly Check-In
 Types of Weekly Meetings
 Weekly Team Meeting: High Level Coordination & Help; Not Problem Solving
 Ad Hoc Problem Solving Meetings
 Weekly Personal Project Planning Meeting (For Yourself)
 Personal Weekly Project Planning Meeting
 What are You Looking For?
 Are You on Schedule? That Day? Looking Forward?
 Highlight Risk Items, White Spaces, Resource Gaps, Skill Set Holes, etc.
 What to Do:
 Track Action Items, Make Sure an Appropriate Checklists Exist and You’re Using It
 Focus on Decision or Path Closure; Which Ones are Not Closing
 Decide if Escalation Required – Get Help (Do it Earlier Rather Than Later)
 Establish Recovery Plans and/or Contingency Plans as Required
 Are You Getting Required Cross-Functional Coordination?
 Summarize and Update Action Items
 How Long Should it Take: 30 – 60 Minutes
Keep Your Schedule Current!

42. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 42
ARA TRAINING
Project Management Tools
 Goal Setting
 Your Weekly Check-In Meeting
 Work Breakdown Studies & W3s
 Checklists
 Problem Solving
 Decision Making

43. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 43
ARA TRAINING
Work Breakdown Studies
 Breaks Down Project Deliverables into Manageable Units / Tasks
 ‘Best Granularity’: Tasks Reflect 1 – 10 Days of Effort (< ~ 80 Hrs)
 Can Effectively Support Organizational Learning & Memory
Milestone
Days
Tasks
Goals
Sequence
Deliverables
Who

44. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 44
ARA TRAINING
“Smart” Goals
 “Smart”: Specific, Measurable, Attainable & Agreed Upon,
Relevant, Time Specific
 Clear Goals Have Much Greater Chance of Being Accomplished
 To Set a Specific Goal Need 3 To 6 “Ws”
 Who: Who Is Responsible?
 What: What Needs to Be Done?
 When: When Does it Need to Be Done By
 Why: Reasons, Purpose or Benefits Of Goal
 Which: Identify Requirements and Constraints
 Where: Identify Location (If Applicable)
Minimum
Optional

45. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 45
ARA TRAINING
Project Checklists
 Why Use Checklists?
 Help Manage Complexity:
 How Many Activities Comprise a Project?
 How Many Different Parallel Paths Have to Come Together?
 How Can You Make Sure That Something Isn’t Being Missed?
 Vehicle to Capture Learning From Experience (Yours and/or Someone Else’s)?
 Memory Management Device
 Can Limit Mistakes Regarding What is Known
 Why Not Use Checklists?
 In a Culture of Weak Accountability, Responsibility Shifts From Individual to The
Checklist ( “It Wasn’t on The Checklist” Excuse); Don’t Let This Happen to You!
 Can Get Too Long (Items Keep Getting Added, No Priorities); Obscures Rather
Than Illuminates
 Can Overwhelm Main Objective
 Poor Checklists: Long, Vague, Hard to Use
 Effective Checklists: Precise, To The Point, Easy to Use, Brief, Simple
Checklists Manage Activities, Not Projects!

46. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 46
ARA TRAINING
Problem De-Bug
How Do You Get
Started?
How Do You
Organize the
Team?
How Do You
Track Progress?

47. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 47
ARA TRAINING
Problem Bug Matrix
Responsible: Name Fix Schedule
Problem Type
(E / M / H)
Hypothesis COL
(Act/Fcst)
Confirm Contain
Root
Cause
Doc
1
2
3
4
5
 Example of Work Breakdown
 Simple Way of:
 Assigning Ownership
 Defining Issue
 Clarifying Hypothesis
 Tracking Schedule
 Efficient Communication
 How to Generate Hypothesis?
 How to Prioritize Which to Pursue?

48. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 48
ARA TRAINING
Integrated Problem Solving
Data
Driven
Knowledge
Driven
Question
Driven
Integrate

49. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 49
ARA TRAINING
Utilize Simple Tools

50. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 50
ARA TRAINING
Ask & Answer Simple Questions
 What is The Problem?
 Why is it a Problem?
 What Are The Goals?
 How Long Will it Take to Solve?
 How Much Will it Cost to Solve?

51. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 51
ARA TRAINING
Avoid Artificial Constraints
 Constraints Will Always Exist
 Real Constraints Need to Be Respected, But Also Challenged
 Where Can Constraints Appear During Problem Solving?
 How Do You Become Aware & Overcome Constraints?
Sub-Conscious Assumed Very Real
Constraints

52. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 52
ARA TRAINING
Fit Method to Problem
Different Problems May Require Different
Approaches
Use as Simple an Approach as Possible
Be Adaptive

53. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 53
ARA TRAINING
Best Practices in Problem Solving
(Don’t Over-Complicate)
 Clear, Concise Problem Definition
 Starts With Broad Perspective
 Gets Alignment Across Organizations
 Breaks Down Problem
 Questions Data, Knowledge Base, Assumptions
 Critically Focuses Data
 Eliminates Artificial Constraints
 Drives Convergence & Critical Path
 Is Self-Correcting
 Balances Planning & Doing
 Balances Root Cause Fix & Containment
 Is Properly Tracked & Progress Communicated
 Appropriately Documented
Describe Problem
(With Data)
Propose
Hypotheses
Test Hypotheses
(With Data)
Implement
Appropriate Fix

54. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 54
ARA TRAINING
Low Knowledge
Level
High Knowledge
Level
Screening Factorials RSM
Statistical DOE Framework
The Knowledge Line
DuPont

55. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 55
ARA TRAINING
Data Driven: Good Data
 When is Data Bad ?
 Under- vs. Over- Standing
 Causality vs. Correlation
 Data (Sample) Bias
 Sufficiency
 . . .
Don’t Take “Data” at Face Value

56. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 56
ARA TRAINING
Knowledge Driven: Good Knowledge
 When is Knowledge Bad ?
 Under- vs. Over- Standing
 Applicability
 Capturing & Using Knowledge
 . . .
Don’t Take “Knowledge” at Face Value

57. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 57
ARA TRAINING
Question Driven:
The Basic Critical Question(s)
 How do You Know This to Be True?
 Response to Information or Descriptive Claim
 Why Should I (We/They) Do This?
 Response to Action, Suggestion, Recommendation . . .
 What is it About ____ That Makes it Good (Bad/OK)?
 Response to Value Judgment
After Dennis Matthies
Get Good at Asking Insightful Questions

58. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 58
ARA TRAINING
Question Driven: More Good Questions
 When (History) ? Where ? Why ?
 How ? Does it Interact ?
 What is Being Assumed?
 “Solved” Before ?
 “5 Whys = How”
 Who Can Help?
 . . .

59. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 59
ARA TRAINING
Question Driven: Assumptions
 You Seem to Be Assuming ______. Do I Understand
You Correctly?
 Your Reasoning Depends on The Assumption That
________. Why Have You Based Your Reasoning on
______ Instead of ______?
 What Background Information or Data Are Your
Assumptions Based On? Would Knowing ________
Change Your Assumption in Some Fashion?
Reference ??

60. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 60
ARA TRAINING
Prioritizing Assumption Evaluation
Consequence of Assumption
Assumption
Validity
Low High
High
Low
Verify /
Double-Check
Underlying
Support
Accept
Investigate &
Reframe
Reframe

61. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 61
ARA TRAINING
Assumptions: Constraints
 Assumptions About Constraints Common
 Sometimes They are Unconscious
 Sometimes They are a Conscious Assumption
 How Do You Uncover Them?

62. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 62
ARA TRAINING
Project Management Outline
 Part 1: Project Management Set-Up(Plan)
 Project Management Principles
 Goals & Objectives
 Risk Management
 High Level Scheduling Concepts
 The Market Window- Development Team Capability Conundrum
 Part 2: Project Management Execution (Do)
 Detailed Project Scheduling & Schedule Uncertainty
 Project Team Meetings
 Project Management Toolkit
 Part 3: Project Management Oversight (Check & Act)
 Project Phase Gate Reviews
 Project Management Reviews
 Project Feedback & Response
 Appendix
Part 3
Next

63. Project Mgt – Part 2
ARA (Feb’16)- © 2016 - 63
ARA TRAINING
PDCA Project Management
Plan
(Set Goals, Resources & High Level Schedule)
Do
(Detailed Schedule, Daily /
Weekly Checks & Pull-in)
Check
(Mgt & Milestone Reviews)
Act
(Adjust Resources, Goals, & Schedule)