It Project Management | Course Paper

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CONTENTS

THE SOFTWARE QUALITY FOCUS 2

QUESTION 1: SELECTED EXERCISES 2

Exercise 11 Project Tracking 2

Exercise 12 Risk Assessment 7

Exercise 13 Refining your project plan (using software) 9

Exercise 14 Initiating 11

Exercise 15 Planning 16

Exercise 16 Executing 18

Exercise 17 Controlling 21

QUESTION 2: THE NORTHWEST AIRLINES CASE STUDY 25

1.. 25

2.. 27

3. 29

REFERENCE 38

APPENDIX – FLYDRAGON PROJECT PERT CHART 39

Figure List

Figure 1 Calendars of Project FlyDragon 4

Figure 2 Tracking Gantt Chart of Project FlyDragon 6

Figure 4 ResNet 1996 Application Development Gantt Chart 16

Figure 5 ResNet 1996 Office Implementation Gantt Chart 17

Figure 6 Simple and Unfriendly Interface of NWA*ƒ*…½*ƒ”€¡ PARS 30

Figure 7 ResNet Project Team Organization Char 31

Figure 8 The friendly and flexible Interface of ResNet deliverable (output) 35

Figure 9 Selling Impact of ResNet 36

Figure 10 FlyDragon Project PERT Chart 39

Table List

Table 1 McFarlan Risk Questionnaire of FlyDragon Project 7

Table 2 List of ResNet Project Leaders (Managers) 11

Table 3 Action list of the project manager and senior management in project initiation 11

Table 4 The Cost contrast between four types of airline tickets sales 14

Table 5 The major reasons for choosing a site 15

Table 6 Weekly Status Report of FlyDragon Project 22

Table 7 List of quality management related issues 28

Table 8 The Three ResNet Projects (three phases) 30

Table 9 ResNet Benefits review made in 1996 36

The software quality focus

Question 1: Selected exercises

Exercise 11 Project Tracking

n Begin organizing your project files by making decisions on the relevance of materials

and make some estimates for tracking your project. Refine your project plan.

To estimate, tracking and refine the project plan, there are a lot of files can be used,

include illustrations and reports. Here, after WBS (Work Breakdown Structure), we use

Calendars, Network Chart, Critical Path, Gantt Chart, PERT, especially Tracking Gantt

Chart after WBS (Work Breakdown Structure), and use rate of progress management

report. They can further carry out each work package to concrete date, and establish a

baseline to allow further tracking, then the project can be refined at this phase. Here

noticeable is, register actual progress in schedule regularly, is the chief guarantee for

project progress tracking. The project managers should not only insist their staff register

actual progress, but also have accountability to ensure whether the registers are truth.

Otherwise, the project would have high possibility that get into trouble.

For this project, the WBS (both in Tabular Form and Chart), Network Chart, and Critical

Path have issued in Assignment I; the Calendar and Tracking Gantt Chart will been

showed here, and the Gantt Chart and PERT will been showed in Exercise 13.

*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚¤ Calendars:

Figure 1 Calendars of Project FlyDragon

*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚¤ Tracking Gantt:

Figure 2 Tracking Gantt Chart of Project FlyDragon

Exercise 12 Risk Assessment

Prepare a Risk Assessment for your project, using the abridged format in the example

below. See p277 and the Dayton Tire Co use of McFarlan*ƒ*…½*ƒ”€¡s risk

questionnaire. Determine the abridged McFarlan Risk Questionnaire risk score (weight) or

the project due to the following technology factors. (Sum of risk score *ƒ*…½*ƒ”€

Weight).

Factor Risk Score Weight

1 Is additional hardware required at the Project? NoneCPU type changePeripheral/storage

device changesTerminalsChange of platform Low = 0 Low = 1 Low = 1 *ƒ*…

½*ƒ*…“Med = 2 High = 3 1

2 Which hardware is new to the Project organization? NoneCPU type

changePeripheral/storage device changesTerminalsCompany server or workstations Low =

0 Low = 1 Med = 2 Med = 2 High = 3 *ƒ*…½*ƒ*…“ 3

3 Is special non-standard hardware required? NoneYes Low = 0 *ƒ*…½*ƒ*…“High = 3 5

4 Is the SET software for secure transactions a first of a kind for the Project? NoYes Low =

0 Med = 2 *ƒ*…½*ƒ*…“ 3

5 Is the system networked (online to multiple locations)? NoShared system in one

locationTwo or more locations Low = 0 Low = 1 Med = 2 *ƒ*…½*ƒ*…“ 1

6 What is the system complexity? StraightforwardAverageComplex with many interactions

Low = 1 Med = 2 *ƒ*…½*ƒ*…“High = 3 3

7 How knowledgeable are the Project team in the proposed application area?

LimitedUnderstands concepts but no experienceHas implemented similar systems before

High = 3 Med = 2 *ƒ*…½*ƒ*…“Low = 1 5

Table 1 McFarlan Risk Questionnaire of FlyDragon Project

Total Risk Score = *ƒ*…½*ƒ”€“ risk score*ƒ*…½*ƒ”€Weight

= 1*ƒ*…½*ƒ”€1 + 3*ƒ*…½*ƒ”€3 + 0*ƒ*…½*ƒ”€5 + 2*ƒ*…½*ƒ”€3 + 2*ƒ*…½*ƒ”€1

+ 2*ƒ*…½*ƒ”€3 + 2*ƒ*…½*ƒ”€5 = 1 + 9 + 0 + 6 + 2 + 6 + 10 = 38

n Do you consider this score to be high, medium or low? Please justify your answer.

The highest score is 59 and the lowest score is 18, so the average score is 38.5, and

weighted average score is 33.7. I feel that our score just is 38, and is feasible. It is not too

high, and there is not too much risk involved. If say the risk, the main risk is that most

Chinese IT staff are good at the most Network development and traditional software

development, but no enough experience of E-Commerce development. If can not control

well, there is a high possibility that the progress of project will delay.

n How could you reduce risk due to technical factors? What other measures would you

take to manage risk, specifically with relevance to this project.

The main possible risk problem is lack of E-Commerce development experience. It is a

resource problem both on Human Resource and technical resource. To reduce risk on

technical factors, following measures would been taken.

*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚¤ Engage skilled professional act as the Project Assistant.

*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚¤ Recruit Senior Software Engineer act as the Software Development Grouper.

*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚¤ Put related skill requirement into the programmer recruitment requirements.

*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚¤ Engage related professional expert to tutor new professional development

staff.

*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚¤ Exert the function of Project QC Assistant Project Superintendent, duly

monitor the progress and the emerged & emerging technical related problem.

*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚¤ Insist the progress, decidedly take action when the delay trend just has

emerged. Especially when the problems occur on the Critical Path. The action simply

saying is *ƒ*…½*ƒ‚°increase resources*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚±, the concrete actions/measures such

as: crashing, and fast tracking.

Except technical factor, I consider the Human and Communication factors are the other

important factors in this project (actually in any project). Especially the Communication

factor. The most development staffs are the technical oriented staffs. Usually they are good

at and pleasure in resolving technical problem, but lack of human relationship and

communication. I consider, act as the leaders of the project, should bring up their

communication ability increasing, and react on active communication and coordination.

Exercise 13 Refining your project plan (using software)

1. Arrange some calendar-time estimates within the design phase. Use a Gantt Chart.

Notice: The red bar path in the Gantt Chart above is the Critical Path.

2. Using the same data used in the Gantt Chart, prepare a PERT Style Chart.

Due to the too large size of the PERT Chart, so the PERT Chart of Project FlyDragon has

been put in Appendix.

Exercise 14 Initiating

n Examine the actions of the project manager and senior management in project initiation.

n What do you notice?

n How important was the relationship between Peeter and Arvid?

The Project Leaders (Managers):

Full Name Job of Department Position of the Project

Fay Beauchine Vice President of Reservation Project Sponsor

Peeter Kivestu Marketing Director Project Director (Manager)

Arvid Lee IS Department ResNet IS Project Manager, Team Leader

Kathy Krammer Christenson IS Department Former Marketing Analyst ResNet

Application Develop-ment Manager, Team Leader

Table 2 List of ResNet Project Leaders (Managers)

The actions of the project manager and senior management in project initiation:

Senior Management Project Manager

Evaluate current system (Service Oriented)

Identify the business goal (Sales Oriented)

Select Project Manager Communicate related Department (Leaders)

Select Project team leaders

Define Project scope (include expert analysis)

Select Project team members

Plan Beta Project and apply budget plan

Approve Beta Project and budget plan Develop Beta Project

Prepare business justification

Approve Project, audit budget plan, define Project phases (sub-project), appoint

Project*ƒ*…½*ƒ”€¡s Leaders Develop Project Charter

Table 3 Action list of the project manager and senior management in project initiation

Using the own words of textbook, the actions are:

*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚¤ Quickly assembling a strong project team

*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚¤ Getting key stakeholders involved in the project early

*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚¤ Preparing detailed analysis of the business problem and developing project

measurement techniques

*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚¤ Using a phased approach

*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚¤ Preparing useful, realistic plans for the project

NWA is a functional type organization, but it behaves as a balanced matrix type

organization during beta ResNet Project and a strong matrix type organization during the

formal ResNet Project. Because of it equips part-time staff to beta ResNet Project but

full-time staff to the formal ResNet Project. Almost all managers (include Project

Managers/Leaders and senior managers) form common understandings about the business

requirements of ResNet Project. Although NWA is a functional type organization, but it

gives enough regard to its project, and very carefully disposes the possible risks of

planning project. NWA uses Sales and Marketing ideas to instruct its operational

transactions and Project Plans. Giving people a deep impression that *ƒ*…½*ƒ‚°having

business orientation first, then having Project definition*ƒ*…½*ƒ‚±. And this idea has

been impressed in almost all mangers and staffs. So the project is business oriented; the

Project Leaders also are business oriented; and this is why so many staffs forwardly assist

& join the Project. In the Project Initiation phase, mostly things are informal, but the

Project Managers possess of enough rights, this is the most key factor so that they can

implement the Project Initiation so fast. The next, the effectual communication between