SELECTING PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Transcription

1 SELECTING PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Information needs People at different levels within an organization have different information needs. Information should be made available to all as needed, in a standardized manner, and as a matter of routine. 1

2 Information Hierarchy Lower Management At the lower level, first line supervision needs to know: what is expected to be accomplished and when, how many workers will be required to carry out the scheduled work. Information Needs Middle Management Middle management must have total visibility and control of the project, which means that they must have access to all of the available information and reports. These include: schedules, critical path analysis, critical mass detection, schedule summary, manpower staffing, progress (detailed and summary), backlog, remaining manpower and cost, etc. 2

3 Information Hierarchy Upper Management Upper management usually requires a minimum of information, such as: the summary progress report, a schedule summary critical path analysis Communication Flow Information must flow "up" and "down" the organization. There are a number of interactions between departments that result from the information flow. Sometimes the information is re-processed as a result of some impact on schedule, manpower and/or cost, which may result in a re-issue of schedules, etc. to reflect any changes. 3

4 Communication Flow General Information Project management software comes in many different levels of sophistication and at prices ranging from US$25 to US$20,000 Software does not make project managers more effective, rather more efficient PM Software does not teach how to: Define scope Communicate with project sponsors Make team assignments 4

5 Types of PM Projects There are generally three types Small Projects in one Functional area Large Cross-Functional Projects for Executives or Clients Multi-Project Environments Small-Projects, One Functional Area Planning focused on durations rather than work estimates and resource capacity No need to track project budget Status reports are limited to completion date tracking Roll-up of the projects is not done (they are not consolidated) in the work portfolio Overall utilization of the people who work on the project are not strictly managed 5

6 Small-Projects, One Functional Area The needs are Gantt and PERT charts Don t invest in expensive software with long learning curves Some features will never be used If the organization intends to manage its projects with greater precision in the future, then a more sophisticated tool will be necessary Small-Projects, One Functional Area If the needs are to automate: The laying out of project plans Producing status reports Produce Gantt and PERT Charts Then the low end PM software tools are sufficient For under US$100, you can get Turbo Project, Milestones Simplicity, Project Vision, Quick Gantt MS Project and Primavera s Sure Trak can also be considered 6

7 Larger Cross-Functional Projects for Executive or Clients Larger Scale projects impacts more than one functional area The demand on the PM and the PM software also increases Static start and Finish dates may no longer be applicable,there is a need for systems that can: Simulate the project Reschedule and Optimise the Project Projects for Executive or Clients Budgets are important issues in planning and tracking Project plans are built on estimates of work hours and predecessor relationships There is a need to schedule and budget for both internal and external resources 7

8 Projects for Executive or Clients Software should provide: Earned Value Reporting Slack and Delay Reports Resource Leveling Capability Software cost will be from US$300 to US$500 MS Project Primavera Products Multi-Project Environments Characterized by: A mature Project Environment Utilization is managed across all projects Executives have accountability portfolios of projects There is a need for project management protocols Consistency to project planning and tracking Need to roll-up projects 8

9 Multi-Project Environments Multiple projects require consistent information so managers can: Prioritize projects Allocate resources Schedule and track a pool of people Requires an organization process for portfolio management a consistent PM methodology that is scalable Requires software that can identify conflicts and resolve them Multi-Project Environments Managers may also need the PM software to: Do detailed budgets Mimic the organizations cost accounting system Provide accounting data sooner than the accounts department can provide it Provide sophisticated risk assessment tools, resource loading and performance tracking features also 9

10 Multi-Project Environments PM Software cost from US$400 to US$20,000 These are networkable (LAN Capable) Products may include: MS Project Primavera Project Planner Open Plan, Cobra, Enterprise PM, Micro Planner X-Pert 10