2.1 Dr. Henry Deng Assistant Professor MIS Department UNLV IS 488 Information Technology Project Management

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Dr. Henry DengDr. Henry Deng

Assistant ProfessorAssistant Professor

MIS DepartmentMIS Department

UNLVUNLV

IS 488 Information Technology Project

Management

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TodayToday

• Questions from PERT/CPM QuizQuestions from PERT/CPM Quiz• Chapter 2 – Aligning IT goals Chapter 2 – Aligning IT goals • EthicsEthics• Discussion questionsDiscussion questions• Mini Case AnalysisMini Case Analysis

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2. Portfolio management2. Portfolio management

• Traditionally, in the fusion of learning Traditionally, in the fusion of learning and managing the technology: and managing the technology: – Short-term vs long-term strategy

– Operational vs strategic decisions– Functional goals vs organizational

objectives– Rapid implementation vs strategic

alignment– Application vs portfolio approach

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2. Project initiation2. Project initiation

• Traditionally, new application ideas Traditionally, new application ideas – came from individuals with technical

skills– proposed to solve problems at hand– were more task specific – helped

• experimentation with technology fitexperimentation with technology fit

• user training and acceptanceuser training and acceptance• functional know howfunctional know how

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2. Success measures2. Success measures

• System features System features

• System reliability, integritySystem reliability, integrity

• User satisfactionUser satisfaction– accuracy

– content– format – ease of use– timeliness

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2. Impact or perceived usefulness2. Impact or perceived usefulness

• Measures of success have Measures of success have moved toward outcome moved toward outcome – system use

– task productivity

– task innovation

– customer (internal and external) satisfaction

– management control

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2. Portfolio questions2. Portfolio questions

• Who is initiating the project?Who is initiating the project?• Who is sponsoring the project?Who is sponsoring the project?• How does the project support the mission How does the project support the mission

of the organization?of the organization?• What is the relative position of a project What is the relative position of a project

on the priority list of the organization?on the priority list of the organization?• How does the project contribute value to How does the project contribute value to

the strategic goals of the organization?the strategic goals of the organization?• How does the project help meet current How does the project help meet current

and future needs of the customer?and future needs of the customer?

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2. Portfolio priorities2. Portfolio priorities

• A project manager who is not familiar with A project manager who is not familiar with core business goals and objectives can core business goals and objectives can not formulate effective IT portfolio.not formulate effective IT portfolio.

• The project manager must be able to The project manager must be able to evaluate the extent to which a project evaluate the extent to which a project serves organizational goals.serves organizational goals.

• There must be a process that defines how There must be a process that defines how a project serves organizational objectives. a project serves organizational objectives.

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2. Organizational priorities2. Organizational priorities

• Senior executives and top management Senior executives and top management are responsible for setting the overall are responsible for setting the overall strategic role of IT for the organization. strategic role of IT for the organization.

• Project management involvement with Project management involvement with strategic planning and decisions strategic planning and decisions regarding selection, development, and regarding selection, development, and implementation of technology provides implementation of technology provides several advantages:several advantages:

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2. Organizational priorities2. Organizational priorities

– PM brings expertise to planning process

– PM develops insights to organizational needs

– PM develops networking and communication channels

– PM develops interorganizational perspective for project integration.

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2. Strategic plan2. Strategic plan

• An organizational An organizational road maproad map that that provides directions. Three important provides directions. Three important questions when developing a questions when developing a strategic plan:strategic plan:– Where are we (strengths and

weaknesses)– Where do we want to go (aspiration and

competitiveness – next five years) – How to get there (resources and

constraints)

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2. Strategic plan and IT PM2. Strategic plan and IT PM

• Creates consistency across projects Creates consistency across projects in support of organizational goals.in support of organizational goals.

• Reduces redundancy (sharing Reduces redundancy (sharing interorganizational resources).interorganizational resources).

• Prioritizes projects (ranking Prioritizes projects (ranking process).process).

• Provides a long term perspective.Provides a long term perspective.

• Provides criteria to measure project Provides criteria to measure project success. success.

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2. Mission2. Mission

• Describes the purpose for which the Describes the purpose for which the organization exists. organization exists.

• Expressed in broad termsExpressed in broad terms

• Positions the organization relative to Positions the organization relative to competition and within the industry.competition and within the industry.

• Example: “Example: “To be the primary provider To be the primary provider of information system security in the of information system security in the western region of the United States western region of the United States within five years.within five years.””

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2. Goals and objectives2. Goals and objectives

• Must be clearly Must be clearly defined defined and must be and must be measurablemeasurable and and doabledoable. .

• More specifically describe how the More specifically describe how the mission is to be implemented.mission is to be implemented.

• Used to evaluate performance.Used to evaluate performance.

• Customer satisfaction is often Customer satisfaction is often considered an important goal. considered an important goal.

• A hierarchy of goals and objectives A hierarchy of goals and objectives exists. exists.

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2. MIS goals2. MIS goals

• The MIS department must develop The MIS department must develop strategies that support strategies that support organizational goals. organizational goals.

• Projects are implementation tools for Projects are implementation tools for organizational goals and objectives.organizational goals and objectives.

• GoalsGoals help us define what we want to help us define what we want to pursue and pursue and strategiesstrategies help us help us accomplish them. accomplish them.

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2. Management support 2. Management support

• Top management support is critical Top management support is critical to the success of any project. to the success of any project.

• This support is needed initially and This support is needed initially and throughout – especially when the throughout – especially when the project is overdue or over budget. project is overdue or over budget.

• The project proposal must clearly The project proposal must clearly describe how the outcome is describe how the outcome is expected to support goals and expected to support goals and objectives.objectives.

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2. Proactive and open communication2. Proactive and open communication

• Minimize the element of surpriseMinimize the element of surprise

• Provide Provide timelytimely, , accurateaccurate, and , and relevantrelevant progress reports to all progress reports to all stakeholders at all times. stakeholders at all times.

• Report lack of expected progress Report lack of expected progress or unanticipated difficulties to or unanticipated difficulties to reduce ‘reduce ‘expectation gap’expectation gap’. .

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2. Public relation 2. Public relation

• Project management job involves constant Project management job involves constant communication, negotiation, and public communication, negotiation, and public relation.relation.

• Your stakeholders include staff, suppliers, Your stakeholders include staff, suppliers, and even opponents of the project. and even opponents of the project.

• Work on your organizational skills, Work on your organizational skills, leadership skills, and coping skills.leadership skills, and coping skills.

• Be persuasive, consistent, and flexible.Be persuasive, consistent, and flexible.• Be realistic; the faith of a project is not Be realistic; the faith of a project is not

decided by facts alone.decided by facts alone.

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2. Ethics …?2. Ethics …?

• ““As everyone struggles to sift spam from As everyone struggles to sift spam from their inboxes, valid messages are their inboxes, valid messages are sometimes overlooked or deleted, which sometimes overlooked or deleted, which makes email less useful and reliable as a makes email less useful and reliable as a channel for communication and legitimate channel for communication and legitimate e-commerce. Spam threatens to undo e-commerce. Spam threatens to undo much of the good that e-mail has much of the good that e-mail has achieved.” achieved.”

Bill GatesBill Gates

• Is spam a question of ethics? What are Is spam a question of ethics? What are your suggestions to curb this problem?your suggestions to curb this problem?

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• How do you know your boss is How do you know your boss is trustworthy? Ethical? trustworthy? Ethical?

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• Ask people what they like about their Ask people what they like about their boss and you may hear: boss and you may hear: – “I like my boss because she treats

everyone the same.”– “I like my boss because she is

reasonable.”– “I like my boss because you always

know what she expects of you.”

• These are simple but effective points. These are simple but effective points.

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2. PM and ethics2. PM and ethics

• Business and ethics. Conflict?Business and ethics. Conflict?

• Individual trait that is formed early in Individual trait that is formed early in life are influenced by family life are influenced by family environment and values; they are environment and values; they are less likely to change later in life. less likely to change later in life. True?True?

• Thought process evolves through Thought process evolves through learning, experience, and interaction learning, experience, and interaction that reaffirm values. that reaffirm values.

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2. PM and trust2. PM and trust

• Frequently ask yourself how your Frequently ask yourself how your decisions affect stakeholders and how decisions affect stakeholders and how they are judged by others?they are judged by others?

• It is critical for the IT project manager to It is critical for the IT project manager to be trusted.be trusted.

• Trust is hard to define – it depends on Trust is hard to define – it depends on character, competency, and ethical character, competency, and ethical standing.standing.

• To build trust, create a work environment To build trust, create a work environment that is free of ‘game play’ and that is free of ‘game play’ and ‘manipulation’. ‘manipulation’.

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2. PM and trust 2. PM and trust

• Trust is built over time.Trust is built over time.• Trusted individuals are given the Trusted individuals are given the

benefit of the doubt in unusual and benefit of the doubt in unusual and difficult situations.difficult situations.

• Be open about your mistakes and Be open about your mistakes and show respect for opinions and show respect for opinions and suggestions of others.suggestions of others.

• Developing a project is more than Developing a project is more than knowing the technical dimensions knowing the technical dimensions of technology alone. of technology alone.

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Q & AQ & A

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2. Discussion question2. Discussion question

• You are on the information technology You are on the information technology steering committee of your organization that steering committee of your organization that approves funding support for systems approves funding support for systems development. You have been asked to analyze development. You have been asked to analyze and recommend and recommend two of the threetwo of the three systems that systems that have been proposed for development by user have been proposed for development by user departments in your organization. One system departments in your organization. One system is intended to improve is intended to improve inter-organizational inter-organizational communicationcommunication, another to improve , another to improve information information system security and privacysystem security and privacy within the within the organization, and the third one is intended to organization, and the third one is intended to improve improve customer satisfactioncustomer satisfaction. Your preliminary . Your preliminary analysis of these proposals suggests: analysis of these proposals suggests:

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– All three systems support organizational strategy, be it in different ways.

– There is sufficient internal technical expertise (human, tools, etc.) to develop any of these systems.

– All three proposals suggest strong economic, political, and environmental reasons for their development.

– User departments feel strongly about their proposals and there are no apparent reasons to suggest any one system is more desirable than others.

• What steps would you take to make and What steps would you take to make and support your recommendation? support your recommendation?

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• Who is responsible when bugs in Who is responsible when bugs in medical software result in patient medical software result in patient deaths?deaths?

• Are computer scientists morally Are computer scientists morally responsible for anticipating and responsible for anticipating and publicizing the problems that could publicizing the problems that could result from the systems they design?result from the systems they design?

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• Many students think ethical choices are Many students think ethical choices are irrelevant to computer science, irrelevant to computer science, engineering, or MIS disciplines and that engineering, or MIS disciplines and that their job is simply to do their employers’ their job is simply to do their employers’ will. However, computer professionals will. However, computer professionals enter the realm of ethical choice in design enter the realm of ethical choice in design whenever they make decisions affecting whenever they make decisions affecting people. Ethical reflection begins with the people. Ethical reflection begins with the assumption that all designs and all assumption that all designs and all implementations involve value choices. implementations involve value choices. Comment. Comment.

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• It has been suggested that more It has been suggested that more ethical mistakes result from failure of ethical mistakes result from failure of imagination than from failure of imagination than from failure of moral principle. If you cannot think of moral principle. If you cannot think of alternative courses of action, you alternative courses of action, you have few choices. A practical aspect have few choices. A practical aspect of ethical reasoning involves of ethical reasoning involves determining whether all available determining whether all available options are exhausted. options are exhausted. Do you Do you agreeagree? ?

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• This chapter suggests that This chapter suggests that ‘‘expectation gapexpectation gap’ can be addressed ’ can be addressed and improved through timely, and improved through timely, relevantrelevant, and , and accurateaccurate information. information. Discuss how information Discuss how information overloadoverload or or redundantredundant information might affect information might affect the expectation gap. the expectation gap.

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• Read and comment on the interview Read and comment on the interview with a project manager at the end of with a project manager at the end of Chapter 2.Chapter 2.

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• ReadRead Hendrich Electronics IncorporatedHendrich Electronics Incorporated at the at the end of this chapter and respond to following end of this chapter and respond to following questions: (work in team)questions: (work in team)

1.1. Do you feel that Anthony is doing the right Do you feel that Anthony is doing the right thing by making Mike prove his products thing by making Mike prove his products worth?worth?

2.2. Do you think that the Hendrich 5000 has what Do you think that the Hendrich 5000 has what it takes to compete with other laptops? it takes to compete with other laptops?

3.3. If you were Mike, what would be your strategy If you were Mike, what would be your strategy at the presentation to convince others that at the presentation to convince others that they should invest in your idea? they should invest in your idea?

Documents

2.1 Dr. Henry Deng Assistant Professor MIS Department UNLV IS 488 Information Technology Project Management