Systems Analysis & Design - Managing IS Project

Managing IS Project

Managing the IS Project

Managing the Information Systems Project

Representing and Scheduling Project Plans

Managing the Information Systems Project
Project?
* a planned undertaking of related activities to reach an objective that have a beginning and an end

Project management process
1. Initiating the project
2. Planning the project
3. Executing the project
4. Closing down the project

Initiating the project
1. Establishing the project initiation team
2. Establishing a relationship with the customer
3. Establishing the project initiation plan
4. Establishing management procedures
5. Establishing the project management and project workbook

Project Planning
1. Describing project scope, alternatives, and feasibility
2. Dividing the project into manageable tasks
3. Estimating resources and creating a resource plan
4. Developing a preliminary schedule
5. Developing a communication plan
6. Determining project standards and procedures
7. Identifying and assessing risk
8. Creating a preliminary budget
9. Developing a statement of work
10. Setting a baseline project plan

Representing and Scheduling Project Plans

• Representing Project Plans
• PERT and Gantt Chart
• Using project management software
• Microsoft Project
• Primavera, KickStart etc

PERT vs. Gantt

PERT chart

All us to show dependencies explicitly
Allow us to calculate critical path
Can tell us how one task filling behind affects other tasks

Gantt charts

Allow us to record progress of project
Allow us to see what tasks are falling behind
Allow us to represent overlapping tasks

Project Management Tools
An example is MS Project

Allow us to specify tasks, dependencies, etc

Allow us to specify progress on tasks, etc

Can generate either PERT or Gantt charts (whichever we want) from data entered

PERT CHART

PERT CHART - the making
Steps:
1. Identify each activity to be completed in the project
2. Determine:

a. Optimistic time (o) - min
b. Realistic time (r) - “best guess”
c. Pessimistic time (p) - max
d. Calculate ET:

ET = o + 4r + p

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3. Determine the sequence of the activities and precedence relationships among all activities
Example :

4. Determine the critical path(CP)
* CP - delay in completion of an activity will result in delaying the entire project
* slack time - the amount of time that an activity can be delayed without delaying the project
* calculate T_E (sum of the ET for each activity from LR)
* calculate T_L (time an activity can be completed without delaying the project - RL)

** CP = activities slack time equals to zero