Projects
„„Unique, one-time operations designed to Unique, one-time operations designed to accomplish a specific set of objectives in a accomplish a specific set of objectives in a limited time frame.limited time frame.””
Processes in an organization
Usual business
processes
Projects
Changes &Uncertainty
Routines ®ular tasks
Main characteristics of projects
• Uniqe set of tasks and processes• Narrow focus, specific performance objectives• The end of the project is definite:
– Limited time-frame– Objectives reached or – it is proven, that objectives cannot be reached
anymore
• Budget is limited• It can be planned• It is always risky
Project management
• Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives.
• Project-like management: managing non-project processes as projects
Project Manager (Stevenson)
Responsible for:
Work (tasks) QualityHuman Resources TimeCommunications Costs
Other roles in the project
• Project-coordinator: negotiate with the functional leaders, report to the project manager
• Project champion: strong person who promotes and supports the project
• Projectmanagement-team members
• Project-workers: deliver the tasks
Project Life Cycle (Stevenson)
Concept
FeasibilityFeasibility
PlanningPlanning
ExecutionExecution
TerminationTermination
Man
agem
ent
Cost of changing in the life cycle
Planning, preparation
Definintion Implementation, execution
Closing the
project
Time
Costs
Influence of the stakeholders
Cost of changing
Problem tree diagramA problem tree is a problem analysis tool that illustrates the cause and effect
relationship of problems using a hierarchical tree diagram. • by arranging the problem statements in hierarchical order • and depicting the problem statements in a boxed article.
Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram• A Fishbone Diagram is a problem analysis tool that
illustrates the cause and effect relationships of problems and is often use in the quality management discipline.
Objective tree• An objective tree is an objective formulation tool that depicts
graphically the hierarchy of objectives. It is formulated by initially inverting the statements found in the problem tree (often used in tandem).
Logical Framework Matrix
Pre-conditions
4. Activities (inputs)
3. Outputs (results)
2. Immediate objective
1. Startegic goal
4. Risks and assumptions
3. Means of verifi-cation2. Indicators
1. Objectives-structure
Work Breakdown Structure
• a tool used to define and group a project's discrete work elements (or tasks) in a way that helps organize and define the total work scope of the project
GANTT charts
• A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule.
• Gantt charts illustrate the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and summary elements of a project.
• Some Gantt charts also show the dependency relationships between activities.
• Gantt charts can be used to show current schedule status using percent-complete shadings, or colored lines and a vertical "TODAY" line.
GANTT charts
ID Activities Who is responsible?
Time intervals
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8
9
10.
11.
The Network Diagram
• Network (precedence) diagram
• Activity-on-arrow (AOA)
• Activity-on-node (AON)
• Activities
• Events
The Network Diagram• Path
– Sequence of activities that leads from the starting node to the finishing node
• Critical path– The longest path; determines expected project
duration
• Critical activities– Activities on the critical path
• Slack– Allowable slippage for path; the difference the
length of path and the length of critical path
Project Network – Activity on Arrow
1
2
3
4
5 6
Locatefacilities
Orderfurniture
Furnituresetup
InterviewHire andtrain
Remodel
Move in
AOA
Project Network – Activity on Node
a
b
c
e
f
Locatefacilities
Orderfurniture
Furnituresetup
Interview
RemodelMove in
d
Hire andtrain
g
AON
FINISHSTART
Time Estimates
• Deterministic
– Time estimates that are fairly certain
• Probabilistic
– Estimates of times that allow for variation
Deterministic time estimates
1
2
3
4
5 6
8 weeks
6 weeks
3 weeks
4 weeks9 weeks
11 weeks
1 week
Locate
facilities
Order
furniture Fu
rnitu
re
setup
InterviewHire
and train
Remodel Move in
Solution
P a t h L e n g t h( w e e k s )
S l a c k
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 61 - 2 - 5 - 61 - 3 - 5 - 6
1 82 01 4
206
Critical PathCritical Path
Probabilistic Time Estimates
• Optimistic time
– Time required under optimal conditions
• Pessimistic time
– Time required under worst conditions
• Most likely time
– Most probable length of time that will be required
1-3-4a
3-4-5d
3-5-7e
5-7-9f
2-4-6b
4-6-8h
2-3-6g 3-4-6
i
2-3-5c
Optimistictime
Most likelytime
Pessimistictime
Sample: a research-projectSurvey on students• Task 1: literature overview• Task 2: design questionaire• Task 3: collect a sample of subjects• Task 4: printing questionaires• Task 5: fieldwork• Task 6: analyse data• Task 7: writing up• Task 8: prepare a presentation• Task 9: presenting to the customer
Problem: converting table data to AoA and AoN
Activity
Immediatepredecessor
Duration
a - 2
b a 3
c b 2
d b 1
TPT = ? Float = ?
Solution: TPT from critical path analysis
• Identify all the paths and their duration:a-b-c = 7
a-b-d = 6
• The path with the longest duration is the critical path, and it sets the TPT = 7
• Identify the floats:The non-critical activities have floats. Here the only non-
critical is the d. Its float is the time that it can use up without increasing the TPT. This time it is: 7 – 6 = 1