Software Project Management Week 5: Work Breakdown Structures and a Case Study COMP3711 Software Project Management 1
Project Planning: A 12 Step Program 1) Set goal and scope 2) Select lifecycle 3) Set org./team form 4) Start team selection 5) Determine risks 6) Create WBS 7) Identify tasks 8) Estimate size 9) Estimate effort 10) Identify task dependencies 11) Assign resources 12) Schedule work COMP3711 Software Project Management 2
Partitioning Your Project You need to decompose your project into manageable chunks ALL projects need this step Divide and Conquer Two main causes of project failure Forgetting something critical Ballpark estimates become targets How does partitioning help this? COMP3711 Software Project Management 3
Project Elements A Project: functions, activities, tasks COMP3711 Software Project Management 4
WBS Chart Example COMP3711 Software Project Management 5
WBS Outline Example 0.0 Retail Web Site 1.0 Project Management 2.0 Requirements Gathering 3.0 Analysis & Design 4.0 Site Software Development 4.1 HTML Design and Creation 4.2 Backend Software 4.2.1 Database Implementation 4.2.2 Middleware Development 4.2.3 Security Subsystems 4.2.4 Catalog Engine 4.2.5 Transaction Processing 4.3 Graphics and Interface 4.4 Content Creation 5.0 Testing and Production COMP3711 Software Project Management 6
WBS Types Process WBS a.k.a Activity-oriented Ex: Requirements, Analysis, Design, Testing Typically used by PM Product WBS a.k.a. Entity-oriented Ex: Financial engine, Interface system, DB Typically used by engineering manager Hybrid WBS: both above This is not unusual Ex: Lifecycle phases at high level with component or featurespecifics within phases Rationale: processes produce products COMP3711 Software Project Management 7
Product WBS COMP3711 Software Project Management 8
Process WBS COMP3711 Software Project Management 9
Outline WBS w/gantt COMP3711 Software Project Management 10
WBS by PMI Process Groups COMP3711 Software Project Management 11
WBS List of Activities, not Things List of items can come from many sources SOW, Proposal, brainstorming, stakeholders, team Describe activities using bullet language Meaningful but terse labels All WBS paths do not have to go to the same level Do not plan more detail than you can manage COMP3711 Software Project Management 12
WBS & Methodology PM must map activities to chosen lifecycle Each lifecycle has different sets of activities Integral process activities occur for all Planning, configuration, testing Operations and maintenance phases are not normally in plan (considered post-project) Some models are straightened for WBS Spiral and other iterative models Linear sequence several times Deliverables of tasks vary by methodology COMP3711 Software Project Management 13
WBS Techniques Top-Down Bottom-Up Analogy Rolling Wave 1 st pass: go 1-3 levels deep Gather more requirements or data Add more detail later Post-its on a wall COMP3711 Software Project Management 14
WBS Techniques Top-down Start at highest level Systematically develop increasing level of detail Best if The problem is well understood Technology and methodology are not new This is similar to an earlier project or problem But is also applied in majority of situations COMP3711 Software Project Management 15
WBS Techniques Bottom-up Start at lowest level tasks Aggregate into summaries and higher levels Cons Time consuming Needs more requirements complete Pros Detailed COMP3711 Software Project Management 16
WBS Techniques Analogy Base WBS upon that of a similar project Use a template Analogy also can be estimation basis Pros Based on past actual experience Cons Needs comparable project COMP3711 Software Project Management 17
WBS Techniques Brainstorming Generate all activities you can think of that need to be done Group them into categories Both Top-down and Brainstorming can be used on the same WBS Remember to get the people who will be doing the work involved (buy-in matters!) COMP3711 Software Project Management 18
WBS Basis of Many Things Network scheduling Costing Risk analysis Organizational structure Control Measurement COMP3711 Software Project Management 19
WBS Guidelines Part 1 Should be easy to understand Some companies have corporate standards for these schemes Some top-level items, like Project Mgmt. are in WBS for each project Others vary by project Break down until you can generate accurate time & cost estimates Ensure each element corresponds to a deliverable COMP3711 Software Project Management 20
WBS Guidelines Part 2 How detailed should it be? Not as detailed as the final MS-Project plan Each level should have no more than 7 items It can evolve over time What tool should you use? Excel, Word, Project Org chart diagramming tool (Visio, etc) Specialized commercial apps Re-use a template if you have one COMP3711 Software Project Management 21
Recreation and Wellness Intranet Project (A running casestudy) Project Objectives: By providing this application on our current Intranet, we can help employees improve their health, resulting in lower health care costs and improved productivity. The system will allow employees to register for companysponsored recreational programs and wellness classes, track data on involvement in these programs, and offer incentives for people to join the programs and do well in them. COMP3711 Software Project Management 22
Scope Statment Project Justification: Senior management at MYH, Inc. suggested this project to help improve employee health and reduce health care premiums, which are 20 percent above the industry average. Estimated savings are $30/employee per year for four years. COMP3711 Software Project Management 23
Scope Statment Product Characteristics and Requirements: 1. The new system must run on the existing intranet using current hardware and software as much as possible. 2. The new system must be very user-friendly. 3. The main requirements of the system are to: Allow employees to register for company-sponsored recreational programs, such as soccer, softball, bowling, jogging, walking, and other sports. Allow employees to register for company-sponsored classes and programs to help them manage their weight, reduce stress, stop smoking, and manage other health-related issues. Track data on employee involvement in these recreational and health-management programs. Offer incentives for people to join the programs and do well in them (i.e., incentives for achieving weight goals, winning sports team competitions, etc.). COMP3711 Software Project Management 24
Scope Statment Summary of Project Deliverables Project management-related deliverables: Business case, charter, team contract, scope statement, WBS, schedule, cost baseline, status reports, final project presentation, final project report, lessons-learned report, and any other documents required to manage the project. Product-related deliverables: 1. Requirement definition: Define the requirements for the new system. Includes developing and administering a survey to current employees to help determine desired programs, courses, incentives, and content and features for the new system. COMP3711 Software Project Management 25
Scope Statment Product-related deliverables (contd.): 2. Web site design: An initial design of the new intranet site will include a site map, suggested formats, appropriate graphics, and design of the required features like registration, tracking, etc. The final design will incorporate comments from users on the initial design. 3. Web site development: The intranet site will include content for the programs, classes, and incentives as well as features for registration, tracking, and incentives management. 4. Testing: Testing will include the development of test plans to document how the system will be tested, who will do the testing, and how bugs will be reported. 5. Training: Training will be provided for the new system, both on-line and in-class. 6. Roll out and support: There will be a well-defined plan for rolling out the new system, supporting users, and providing updates, enhancements, or other support, as required. 26
Scope Statment Project Success Criteria: Our goal is to complete this project within six months for no more than $200,000. The main goal is improve employee health to negotiate lower insurance premiums. Even having this program should help us negotiate lower premiums, and tracking improvements in employee health will provide solid evidence for lower premiums and have other benefits, like improved morale and productivity. 27
WBS 1. Project Management 2. Requirements Definition 3. Web Site Design 3.1 Registration for recreational programs 3.2 Registration for classes and programs 3.3 Tracking system 3.4 Incentive system 4. Web Site Development 4.1 Registration for recreational programs 4.2 Registration for classes and programs 4.3 Tracking system 4.4 Incentive system 5. Testing 6. Training, Roll Out, and Support 28
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