1 EE97 Lectures Senior Project Design Fall 2006 Lecture 9 Planning: Project Management: Milestones, Schedule, and Making the Commitment 11-03-06.

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EE97 LecturesSenior Project Design

Fall 2006

Lecture 9Planning: Project Management:

Milestones, Schedule, and Making the Commitment

11-03-06

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Quote for the Day

“When I do talk with students, my goal is to help them develop what I consider to be two of the

most important forms of intelligence: the ability to read other people, and the ability to

understand oneself. Those are the two kinds of intelligence that you need to succeed at chess

— and in life”

—Bruce PandolfiniNational Chess Master

Teacher and Author

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My Senior Project Our project is to create an subsystem to a home

entertainment system to show videos, play music, an operate the television

Our part is to build the controller platform which consists of several hardware module with associated software and a main software application

The subsystem parts: Overall controller platform Several hardware modules Software for the hardware modules Software application

How do we do this?

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Tasks

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John Lennon

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” Meaning: inevitably something bad will

happen to the plan This does NOT mean you should not

make a plan in the first place!

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Lee Marvin

“Improve. Adapt. Overcome” From: The Dirty Dozen (movie) Meaning: just make a plan,

stuff will happen, then you make a new plan

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Dwight D. Eisenhower

“The plan is nothing. Planning is everything.” Meaning: something will happen and the

plan will have to change Since you have a strong skill and

competency in planning, you can readily make a new plan

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The moral to the story is…

No matter how thorough you plan is… The project will always turn out

differently from you initial thoughts and design…

Writing a thorough plan and design focuses your thoughts and actions…

It saves time, money, and effort!

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Three Approaches to Planning Approach #1: project is designed in

advance to facilitate planning Know what to do before your are doing it

Approach #2: we’ll make it up as we go along Allows maximum flexibility Allows for fun and spontaneity

Approach #3: plan the project, build consensus, implement Focuses all stakeholders, oversight to all

activities, and commitment to make it happen

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The Three ApproachesApproach #1:Full Design

PROS

• Makes planning easier

CONS

• Costs money• Consumes time• Limits vision & breakthrough• Reduces flexibility

Approach #2:Open-ended

PROS

• Follow the fun

CONS

• Finish date unknown• Costs are unknown• It may not be so much fun after all• Nobody knows what is next

Approach #3:Planned

PROS

• Reduces risk• Shortens cycle time• Predictable & manageable• Include stakeholders• Known commitments

CONS

• Takes effort

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Product Development Planning (1)

Identify the tasks and milestones of the project Build on the tasks you identified while

scoping the project in your proposal For each major task:

A milestone is created to monitor progress Each milestone has a clearly defined

deliverable E.g., Prototype complete -> working prototype E.g., Experimental results -> raw data E.g., Computer simulation -> computer model

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Product Development Planning (2) Tasks & Subtasks

Major tasks are decomposed into sub tasks Subtasks: specific activities for a specific

project module Define start & end of tasks and subtasks Durations are in weeks or days, not months Significant to the project Not: “Develop concepts”, but: e.g.,

Create alternative concepts for power supplies Fabricate plastic housing Generate assembly code for sorting algorithm

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Project Plan (A Guideline)

Introduction System overview

System Engineering description and diagram Project assumptions

Risks and contingencies Architecture

Key specifications Functional description Design description

Organization: who is responsible for what and by when Detailed plan: dates and durations

Tasks & subtasks: resources associated with each Milestones

Acceptance test criteria and plan Bibliography

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How to Plan

It’s a cycle, not a straight path Identify success Create the plan, then evaluate for

success Analyze time, risk, capabilities at each

step Modify the plan as you implement Update and keep it current

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A Planning Cycle (A Guideline)

Define Success

Identify Opportunity

Explore Possibilities

Select Most Viable Alternative

Plan the Details

Analyze Risk/Capabilities

Evaluate

Implement / Modify

Update

Use SWOT&

Risk AnalysisAt Each Step

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Step 1: Identify Opportunities

Identify what needs to be done Use creativity and brainstorming

techniques to work out the unknowns

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Step 2: Define Success

What is the end state? What benefit will be derived at the

end state? Is there a tangible deliverable that is

required? What is the quality of the end state

need to be?

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Step 3: Evaluate Possibilities

Use creativity methods and brainstorming tools

Bring in experts to help secure the details and subtleties

Generate many alternatives as possible

Combine and recombine to optimize Define an acceptance criteria

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Step 4: Select Most Viable Alternative

Select the best option Make sure you have the capabilities,

skills, time, budget, and resources to carry it to completion

Improve on your best option if possible

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Step 5: Plan the Details

Make sure you a good picture of the current situation

Work out the details (the tactics) of the most efficient and most effective method of achieving the end state

Answer the questions: who, what, when, where, how, why, and at what cost in time, money, and effort

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Step 6: Analyze Risk/Capabilities

Identify the possible dreaded outcomes that may impact the detail task or subtasks

Evaluate possible mitigation path Decide on a contingency plan if the

dreaded outcome occurs

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Step 7: Implement/Modify

March down the intended path Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate

new information as it becomes available

Modify plan by reviewing all process steps

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Step 8: Update

Review the opportunities and confirm you the path to success remains the same

Make changes to your plan Update all documentation Communicate all changes and

impacts to stakeholders

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Gantt Chart Useful tool for analyzing and planning a

complex projects Visualize the relationship of tasks to each

other: duration and completion Form a baseline to scheduling when the

tasks need to be started and completed Assist in the allocation of resources

required to complete the project Determine the critical path: the tasks that

must be completed in a specific amount of time by a certain date

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Gantt Chart (2)

Source: http://www.ee.umanitoba.ca/programs/undergraduate/courses/coursehome/c24400/24_400/Pages/2003.html

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Gantt Chart (3)

Source: http://www.ee.umanitoba.ca/programs/undergraduate/courses/coursehome/c24400/24_400/Pages/2003.html

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Critical Path Analysis Tool to assist in schedule management of

complex projects Identifies tasks which must be completed

on time in order for the entire project to be completed on time

Gantt chart may not make the immediate time constraints obvious

Identifies the minimum time required by the project

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Types of Tasks

Serial

Parallel

Interdependent

S ETask

S ETask

S ETaskTask

S ETask

S ETask

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Linking the Tasks

S ETask S

E

Task

S

E

Task

S ETask S ETask S ETask S ETask

Circles represent events Arrows represent activities Numbers over the arrows represent durations Numbers in the circle represent specific events or accomplishments Red denotes the critical path is the longest path Slack time is gaps in time between activities

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2

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Constructing a Critical Path (1)

List all activities

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Constructing a Critical Path (2)

Plot the activities using circle/bar format

5 days

High level design1 2

ID Task Name Duration

1 High level design 5 days2 Hardware platform selection 5 days3 Hardware module functional spec 10 days4 Hardware module system engineering 5 days5 Hardware module design 10 days6 Programming of hardware modules 5 days7 Programming of software applicaions 10 days8 Write system acceptance test plan 10 days9 Write system regression test plan 10 days10 Integrate modules 5 days11 Conduct integration test and debug 5 days12 Conduct system testing 5 days13 Debug and fix 5 days14 Regression testing 5 days15 Deliver prototype 5 days

31 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 2 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29 1 4 7 10 13October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006

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Stakeholder Analysis

KeepSatisfied

KeepInformed

ManageClosely

Monitor(Minimum

Effort)

Power

High

Low

HighLow Interest

Identify stakeholder Prioritize

High Power, High Interest – you must fully engage and make the greatest efforts to satisfy

High Power, Low Interest – keep satisfied, but don’t make them bored what you say

Low Power, High Interest – keep adequately informed; make sure no issue is brewing; these people can help with the details

Low Power, Low Interest – monitor, do not harass, watch for any danger

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The Project Proposal – CriteriaTopic Sub-Topic Maximum Grade

Mission WhatFor WhomWhen

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Problem StatementValue/ReasonExpected Outcome

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Theory HistoryCritical Items

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Schedule TaskMilestones

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R/C RisksContingencies

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Bibliography 1

Maximum grade is 13

Criteria was based upon minimum from guideline and topics presented in class

Revision is allowed and expected

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The Project Proposal – Outcome

Topic Average Std Dev

Mission 2.48 1.00

Problem 2.32 1.09

Theory 1.5 0.82

Schedule 1.68 0.72

R/C 1.06 0.79

Bibliography 0.9 0.31

Total 9.86 2.93

If you are thinking grades… A: 12, 13 B: 10, 11 C: 8, 9 D: 6, 7 F: 5 and under

High was 13 Low was 1