Systems Management project management, planning and analysis tools BY ENG. AHMAD BASSIOUNY AIR CRAFT FACTORY

What we will cover today Project management What is it What does it involve Methodology Planning and Analysis tools Especially Network Analysis Practical session - Network Analysis!

Project management

What is it

What does it involve

Methodology

Planning and Analysis tools

Especially Network Analysis

Practical session - Network Analysis!

Project Management What is Project Management? Why is it important? What does it involve: What practical techniques can we learn and apply?

What is Project Management?

Why is it important?

What does it involve:

What practical techniques can we learn and apply?

Project Management “ A whole framework of logical and progressive management planning and decisions, perceptiveness, the liberal application of common sense, proper organisation, effective commercial and financial management, painstaking attention to documentation, and a clear grasp of proven and long-established principles of management and leadership”. (Lock)

“ A whole framework of logical and progressive management planning and decisions, perceptiveness, the liberal application of common sense, proper organisation, effective commercial and financial management, painstaking attention to documentation, and a clear grasp of proven and long-established principles of management and leadership”. (Lock)

What is Project Management? A way of exercising control A way of preventing mistakes A way of maximizing efficiency Why is it important? Project success and failure...

A way of exercising control

A way of preventing mistakes

A way of maximizing efficiency

Why is it important?

Project success and failure...

Types of project “ Practical” projects Classic “industrial” subjects e.g. construction Projects with tangible “production” outcomes “ Management” projects Organisational projects e.g. Relocations May not have such a tangible outcome “ Research” projects More difficult to fit in the mould Outcomes may be undefined!

“ Practical” projects

Classic “industrial” subjects e.g. construction

Projects with tangible “production” outcomes

“ Management” projects

Organisational projects e.g. Relocations

May not have such a tangible outcome

“ Research” projects

More difficult to fit in the mould

Outcomes may be undefined!

Types of management Cost Time Performance Quality The relationship between cost, time and performance Balance of objectives The importance of good communication

Cost

Time

Performance

Quality

The relationship between cost, time and performance

Balance of objectives

The importance of good communication

Project management in our contexts Large vs small scale projects Relevance of “proper” techniques Formal considerations Functional and line management Matrix organization Authority and responsibility What’s the best approach?

Large vs small scale projects

Relevance of “proper” techniques

Formal considerations

Functional and line management

Matrix organization

Authority and responsibility

What’s the best approach?

PRINCE2 Projects in Controlled Environments Complete project management philosophy Useful framework regardless of scale Not suggesting direct use (in most cases) but approach can remind us of important considerations

Projects in Controlled Environments

Complete project management philosophy

Useful framework regardless of scale

Not suggesting direct use (in most cases) but approach can remind us of important considerations

PRINCE2 environment Key elements: Organization Plans Controls Project Board Manages project overall Responsibilities/Interests: Executive, User, Technical

Key elements:

Organization

Plans

Controls

Project Board

Manages project overall

Responsibilities/Interests:

Executive, User, Technical

PRINCE2 environment Project manager “ executive” manager - plans, monitors, co-ordinates overall project Stage manager manages parts of projects, focus on schedule/quality/cost targets Project assurance team Business, Technical & User coordinators

Project manager

“ executive” manager - plans, monitors, co-ordinates overall project

Stage manager

manages parts of projects, focus on schedule/quality/cost targets

Project assurance team

Business, Technical & User coordinators

Project definition Need for clear scope User specification User needs analysis Feasibility studies Operational requirements Whats and Hows

Need for clear scope

User specification

User needs analysis

Feasibility studies

Operational requirements

Whats and Hows

Cost estimation Estimating - an art on its own! Confidence Price and profit Optimism and pessimism Coding costs Purpose Rigidity Elements Material Labour/time Equipment

Estimating - an art on its own!

Confidence

Price and profit

Optimism and pessimism

Coding costs

Purpose

Rigidity

Elements

Material

Labour/time

Equipment

Contracting Contracting out Buying turnkey systems Work packaging Making things clear Contract terms and conditions Keep everything Explicit In writing

Contracting out

Buying turnkey systems

Work packaging

Making things clear

Contract terms and conditions

Keep everything

Explicit

In writing

Planning & scheduling What’s the difference? Planning Comes first Estimating, sequencing, time analysis Importance of network analysis Scheduling Follows on, and extends, the plan Allocates resources The working details to implement the plan

What’s the difference?

Planning

Comes first

Estimating, sequencing, time analysis

Importance of network analysis

Scheduling

Follows on, and extends, the plan

Allocates resources

The working details to implement the plan

Approaches to planning Free planning Planning with minimum constraint A certain solution? Idealistic? Target planning Practically focused Unduly constrained? Dangers of undue compromise Whichever, must be realistic and honest

Free planning

Planning with minimum constraint

A certain solution?

Idealistic?

Target planning

Practically focused

Unduly constrained?

Dangers of undue compromise

Whichever, must be realistic and honest

Monitoring the plan The key questions: Where should we be? Where are we? And thus What do we need to do? What can go wrong? Estimating errors Execution errors Importance of honesty (again) Key danger - the “knock-on”effect

The key questions:

Where should we be?

Where are we?

And thus

What do we need to do?

What can go wrong?

Estimating errors

Execution errors

Importance of honesty (again)

Key danger - the “knock-on”effect

Planning (& scheduling) tools Timetabling Bar charting (Gannt charts) Simple bar charts Linked bar charts Problems Complexity Rescheduling

Timetabling

Bar charting (Gannt charts)

Simple bar charts

Linked bar charts

Problems

Complexity

Rescheduling

Network analysis Not as intuitive … Inappropriate for resource scheduling BUT Much more powerful notation Prevent constraints being missed Allow prioritisation Criticality quantified by task duration and interdependence

Not as intuitive …

Inappropriate for resource scheduling BUT

Much more powerful notation

Prevent constraints being missed

Allow prioritisation

Criticality quantified by task duration and interdependence

Network analysis Notation systems Arrow systems (activity-on-arrow) ADM, CPM/CPA, PERT Good for initial freehand planning Node systems (activity-on-node) PDM (Precedence Diagram Method) Good for checking Quite acceptable to use either – or both!

Notation systems

Arrow systems (activity-on-arrow)

ADM, CPM/CPA, PERT

Good for initial freehand planning

Node systems (activity-on-node)

PDM (Precedence Diagram Method)

Good for checking

Quite acceptable to use either – or both!

Example of ADM

Example of PDM

ADM Logic diagram – not to “scale” Activities (arrows) Events (nodes) ID numbers Dependencies Durations Dummy activities

Logic diagram – not to “scale”

Activities (arrows)

Events (nodes)

ID numbers

Dependencies

Durations

Dummy activities

PDM Again, logic diagram Activities are nodes Other data in boxes within the node Extra data explicit Concepts otherwise as for ADM

Again, logic diagram

Activities are nodes

Other data in boxes within the node

Extra data explicit

Concepts otherwise as for ADM

ADM in practice Brainstorm & rough out plan Check logic (precedence) Estimate durations Perform analysis Forward pass Backward pass Establish CPA and float Review

Brainstorm & rough out plan

Check logic (precedence)

Estimate durations

Perform analysis

Forward pass

Backward pass

Establish CPA and float

Review

Resource scheduling Views of resource scheduling Utilisation of actual resource Identifying what’s available How to deploy it as efficiently as possible Identifying what’s needed and what’s surplus? Establishment of requirement for bought-in resource Subcontracting Purchasing

Views of resource scheduling

Utilisation of actual resource

Identifying what’s available

How to deploy it as efficiently as possible

Identifying what’s needed and what’s surplus?

Establishment of requirement for bought-in resource

Subcontracting

Purchasing

Resource scheduling in practice What can be scheduled? People Equipment Materials Money Preferred vs constrained (target) scheduling Relation to the CPA Gannt charting

What can be scheduled?

People

Equipment

Materials

Money

Preferred vs constrained (target) scheduling

Relation to the CPA

Gannt charting

Gannt (linked bar) chart example

The seven steps of scheduling (after Lock) Define the objectives Divide into manageable parts Decide in detail what has to be done and in what sequence Estimate durations Calculate project lengths and assess significance Reconcile programme with resources Assign jobs

Define the objectives

Divide into manageable parts

Decide in detail what has to be done and in what sequence

Estimate durations

Calculate project lengths and assess significance

Reconcile programme with resources

Assign jobs

Software for analysis and scheduling Why use a computer? Speed and flexibility… … for large projects! Ease of review and distribution Multiproject scheduling Off-the-shelf products “ Serious” software MS Project

Why use a computer?

Speed and flexibility…

… for large projects!

Ease of review and distribution

Multiproject scheduling

Off-the-shelf products

“ Serious” software

MS Project

Managing progress The need for review and updating Collecting data Role of good communications Dealing with real-world crises The importance of accuracy and honesty Corrective actions What-ifs and risk analysis

The need for review and updating

Collecting data

Role of good communications

Dealing with real-world crises

The importance of accuracy and honesty

Corrective actions

What-ifs and risk analysis

Managing costs Cost reporting vs cost control Cost management factors … many and varied! The Total Cost approach Holistic, cooperative… … Difficult? Budget milestone monitoring Achievement analysis Requires quantification of work done Importance of work breakdown in cost management

Cost reporting vs cost control

Cost management factors

… many and varied!

The Total Cost approach

Holistic, cooperative…

… Difficult?

Budget milestone monitoring

Achievement analysis

Requires quantification of work done

Importance of work breakdown in cost management

Managing quality What is quality? On time on budget? Fitness for purpose? Customer satisfaction? Contractual quality definitions Quality systems Quality plans The importance of commitment

What is quality?

On time on budget?

Fitness for purpose?

Customer satisfaction?

Contractual quality definitions

Quality systems

Quality plans

The importance of commitment

Closure When does a project end? “ The end of a continuous process” Lifecycles Handover Signoff Records Archives Retrievability Post mortem?

When does a project end?

“ The end of a continuous process”

Lifecycles

Handover

Signoff

Records

Archives

Retrievability

Post mortem?