PM DeepDive

The Framework- Niraj Agarwal

May 2011Slide 1

Agenda

Business Enterprises – Project, Programs & Operations

Project Management

Project Manager

Project Phases

Project Life Cycle

Stakeholders

Organizational Structures

Slide 2May 2011

Business Enterprises

• Projects—Unique and Temporary. Project Product details are elaborated progressively.

• Operations—Ongoing and Repetitive. Product details are fully known before starting the product creation. Example: auto-parts manufacturing .

• Programs—Combination of both above. They are a series (in a sequence, one after another) of related but separate Projects and have ingredients of ongoing operations. Example: Publishing of a weekly magazine.

May 2011Slide 3

Project

• Temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product , service or result.

• Has a definite beginning and end and interrelated activities

• Projects are unique – characteristics are progressively elaborated

- Progressively: proceeding in steps

- Elaborated: worked with care and detail

• Scope of project should remain constant even as characteristics are “progressively elaborated”. For example, the project scope or the product will be broadly described early in the project and made more explicit and detailed as the project team develops a better and more complete understanding of the objectives and deliverables.

• The driving forces that create the stimuli for a project are typically referred to as problems, opportunities, or business requirements.

Slide 4May 2011

Project vs. Operations

Slide 5May 2011

Projects

• Unique

• Finite duration-temporary

• Objective oriented

• Require cross-functional skills

• Value measured

Operations

• Repeated

• Ongoing

• Operation oriented

• Require functional skills

• Volume measured

Programs

• Programs are groups of projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available from managing the projects individually

• Most programs have elements of ongoing operations

- Series of repetitive or cyclical undertakings

• Projects are often divided into “subprojects” for more manageability

- Often contracted out to external organizations

Slide 6May 2011

Project Management

The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations from a defined project – balancing the following:

• Scope, time, cost, and quality

• Stakeholders’ expectations

• Requirements (needs) vs. unidentified requirements (expectations)

Slide 7May 2011

Project ManagementGoals

• Enhance the probability of project success

• Focus on objective - Scope, Time, Cost, Quality

• Effective response to rapid changes

• Manage utilization of resources effectively

• Address stakeholders interests

• Minimize and Manage Risks effectively

• Achieve project goals

• Document Lessons Learnt

• Create re-usable data and information for future use

• Fulfill Stakeholders expectations

• Accomplish Customer Satisfaction!

Slide 8May 2011

Project Manager

• The individual responsible for managing a project and achieving project goals, requirements and customer satisfaction.

• He/She is in charge of the project and has to direct and coordinate project effort and has to make all necessary decisions for ensuring project success.

• He/She has to consistently produce key deliverables.

• As far as the project is concerned, the buck stops at him or her!

May 2011Slide 9

Project Management Skills

• General Business Management (consistently producing results expected by stakeholders)

• Leading (establishing direction, aligning resources, motivating)

• Communicating (clear, unambiguous, and complete)

• Negotiating (conferring with others to reach an agreement)

• Problem Solving (definition and decision making)

- Distinguish causes and symptoms

- Identify viable solutions

• Influencing Organization (understanding power and politics)

May 2011Slide 10

Project Phases

• Project Phases are marked by the completion of a deliverable which is a tangible, verifiable, measurable work product or output.

• Deliverables from one phase are usually reviewed for completeness and accuracy and approved before work starts on the next phase. Phase-end reviews are also called phase exits, phase gates, or kill points

• Set of defined work procedures to establish management control

• Generally in sequential logic, designed to ensure proper definition of the product

• Generally a project life-cycle consists of four phases :

◦ Concept, Design, Execution/Implementation, Finish or closeout

Slide 11May 2011

Project Phases

May 2011Slide 12

Project Life Cycle

• Project Life Cycle defines:

- Technical work performed in each phase

- Who is involved in each phase

• Project Phases can overlap – “Fast Tracking”

• Common Characteristics of Project Life Cycles:

- Cost and Staffing levels are low at start and move higher towards the end

- Probability of successfully completing project is low at beginning, higher towards the end as project continues

- Stakeholder influence is high at the beginning and progressively lowers as project continues

Slide 13May 2011

Project Life CycleCost and Staffing levels

Slide 14May 2011

Project Life CycleStakeholder influence

Slide 15May 2011

Project Life CyclePutting it together

May 2011Slide 16

Project Life Cycle and Product Life Cycle Relationships

Following Figure illustrates the product life cycle starting with the business plan, through idea, to product, ongoing operations (and Maintenance) and product divestment (Disposal).

May 2011Slide 17

Stakeholders

Individuals or Organizations that are directly or indirectly involved

• Positively or Negatively impacted by the outcome of the Project

• Can influence project effort or the outcome of the project effort

• Often have conflicting expectations and objectives

• In general, differences should be resolved in favor of the customer –individual(s) or organization(s) that will use the outcome of the project

• Stakeholder management is a proactive task

- Project Mangers must determine all stakeholders and incorporate their needs into the project

Slide 18May 2011

Organizational Structures

The organization’s structure often constrains the availability ofresources for the project.

• Functional

• Projectized

• Matrix

Slide 19May 2011

Organizational StructuresFunctional

• A hierarchy where each employee has one clear superior.

• Staff is grouped by specialty, such as production, marketing,engineering, and accounting.

• Project work is done independently within each department.

Slide 20May 2011

Organizational StructuresProjectized

• Team members are often collocated.

• Most of the organization’s resources are involved in project work.

• Project managers have a great deal of independence and authority.

• Departments either report directly to the project manager or provideservices to the various projects.

Slide 21May 2011

Organizational StructuresMatrix

Maintains the functional (vertical) lines of authority while establishing a relatively permanent horizontal structure to interact with all functional units supporting the projects.

• Weak matrix

• Balanced matrix

• Strong matrix

Slide 22May 2011

Organizational StructuresWeak matrix

• Maintains many of the characteristics of a functional organization.

• The project manager’s role is more like that of a project coordinator or project expeditor.

Slide 23May 2011

Organizational StructuresBalanced matrix

• In-between weak and strong.

• The project manager has more authority than in a weak matrix.

• The PM is more likely to be full-time than part-time as in a weak matrix.

Slide 24May 2011

Organizational StructuresStrong matrix

• Similar in characteristics to a projectized organization.

• There is likely to be a department of project managers, which are full-time.

Slide 25May 2011

Organizational StructuresInfluence on Projects

Slide 26May 2011

Pop QuizQuestion 1

What is the definition of a project? Choose two.

A. A group of interrelated activities that create a unique benefit to the organization

B. Through the use of project management techniques, which are repeatable processes, a series of actions that are performed to produce the same result multiple times

C. A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result

D. A process used to generate profit, improve market share, or adhere to legal requirements

E. A time - constrained endeavor with assigned resources responsible for meeting the goals of the project according to the quality standards

May 2011Slide 27

Pop QuizQuestion 2

What is the term for a group of related projects managed in a coordinated fashion?

A. Life cycle

B. Phase

C. Process group

D. Program

May 2011Slide 28

Pop QuizQuestion 3

Which of the following general management skills does a project manager employ up to 90 percent of their time?

A. Programming

B. Communications

C. Leadership

D. Problem solving

May 2011Slide 29

Pop QuizQuestion 4

A project manager has the most authority under which organizational structure?

A. Project-based

B. Functional

C. Balanced matrix

D. Strong matrix

May 2011Slide 30

Pop QuizQuestion 5

What is one disadvantage of a project - based organization?

A. The organization doesn‘t work on anything that isn’t project-related.

B. Costs are high because specialized skills are required to complete projects in this type of structure.

C. The functional managers have control over which team members are assigned to projects.

D. Once the project is completed, the project team members may not have other projects to work on.

May 2011Slide 31

Thank You!