1 WEB1P Lecture 2 Introduction, web project management & risk management.

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WEB1P Lecture 2

Introduction, web project management & risk management

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Web project management

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Web project management

• How are web projects special?

• Activities in creating a web site

• Project management methodologies

• Project life cycles

• Activity planning

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Content formatsContent type Web format examples

Text HTML, data in a database, PDF, SGML

Image JPEG, GIF files, TIFF, bitmaps, Computer graphics metafile, Flash, Shockwave

Audio MP3, MPEG, MIDI, QuickTime, RealAudio, NetShow, embedded in Flash/Shockwave, Speech synthesis data

Video MPEG video, RealVideo, Netshow, AVI, MOV, QuickTime, SGI Movie format, Streaming video

Document stylesheet

Cascading Stylesheets

Web app types/archives/programs

Interactive chat (Ichat), DEC Document Transfer Format, GNU tar format, Javascript, Perl

Multimedia/ VRML

Shockwave, mBed multimedia data, VRML data file, WebActive 3d data

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What needs to be done?

• Business content – e-commerce aspects• Presentation – content on web site• Technical content – client-side, server-side

programs, databases etc• Server configuration• Site naming, capacity, security,

maintenance planning, content management……

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Stages in traditional IS development

• Project initiation and PID

• Requirements engineering

• System design• Software construction• Hardware purchase

• Integration and system testing

• Installation and cut-over

• Project close-down• Maintenance

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Typical activities for website development

• Feasibility study/web strategy

• Project initiation/assemble team

• Define site requirements, characteristics

• Plan site: architecture, functions, appearance

• Plan and acquire content

• Create/acquire supporting software

• Acquire and commission web server/ ISP agreement

• Site test, launch and handover

• Maintenance/update of site

• Evaluation

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What is special about web projects?

• Lack of standards for development

• Short time-scales (1 – 6 months)

• Interactive development

• More diverse teams

• Parallel working• Outsourced jobs• Problems with

communication and coordination

• Use of new tools and technologies

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• Piecemeal development can have undesirable effects

• Consider a framework for organising development

• This is known as a Project Management Methodology

• Takes tasks from project life cycle.

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Existing methods

• Answer the question:

What do traditional methods do to help web site development?

• Life cycles: waterfall, Boehm spiral, prototyping

• PRINCE2, Agile methods: DSDM, Extreme programming, RAD, JAD

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Project life cycles

• …or SDLCs (System Development Life Cycle)

• Relate to IS development

• Can they be applied to web development?

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THE WATERFALL MODELTHE WATERFALL MODEL

Analysis

Design

Implementation

Maintenance

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Prototyping

• Prototype = working model of one or more aspects of the new system

• Constructed to test or validate understanding or assumptions

• Prototyping integral to agile methods such as JAD, RAD, extreme programming

• Types of prototyping:– Throw-away prototyping– Evolutionary prototyping

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• Boehm Spiral

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PM methodologies

• Structured, e.g. PRINCE2, SSADM

• Agile/Prototyping, e.g. RAD, DSDM

• “Socio-technical” e.g. Soft Systems Methodology

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PRINCE2 Process Model

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PRINCE2 Concepts

• PRINCE2 distinguishes between– Technical task of delivering products– Management aspects

• Involvement of the End User (EU) throughout

• Scopes projects using work breakdown structures and stages

• Can be tailored to different types of project

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PRINCE2 Stages

• Large project divided into stages to provide regular formal assessment points

• Stages produce specific products• Exception reports if tolerances exceeded• Mid-stage and end-stage assessments• Stages end at key control points – project

board gives approval to move onto next stage

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Advantages and disadvantages of PRINCE2

Advantages• Controlled and

organised start, middle and end

• Regular reviews Involvement stakeholders

• Good communications channels

Disadvantages• Time-consuming?• Too complex for most

developments• Expensive?

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Agile methods

• Acknowledge need for flexibility • Focuses on keeping code simple, testing

often, delivery of components as soon as they are ready

• Client approval as project progresses• Take into account the way teams work• Emphasis on communication and

collaboration

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Dynamic System Development Model

•Developed from Rapid Application Development methodology

•Most project methodologies deliver functionality at expense of timescale and cost

•DSDM prioritises functionality to meet timescale and cost (MoSCoW)

•(www.dsdm.org)

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Core techniques

• Time boxing

• MoSCoW prioritisation

• Modelling

• Prototyping

• Testing

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Time-boxing

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DSDM - MoSCoW

• M = Must haves – critical to project success

• S = Should haves – important but not critical

• C = Could haves – could be left out with impacting on project

• W = Won’t haves – can be left out and done later

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DSDM – Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages• Control• User involvement• Direction• Prototyping• Testing

Disadvantages

• Buy-in by Organisation and people

• New roles and processes - training

• Need full application of principles

• Knowledge and skills to apply

• Suitability of project

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Website development - Typical activities

• Feasibility study/web strategy• Project initiation/assemble team

– Project initiation document

– Work planning (WBS, schedule, resources)

• Define site requirements, characteristics– Use-case scenarios

– Wireframe prototypes

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• Plan site: architecture, functions, appearance• Content

– Content map – Plan and acquire content

• Technical– Create/acquire supporting software– Infrastructure planning– Acquire and commission web server/ ISP agreement

• Site test, launch and handover• Maintenance/update of site• Evaluation

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Intangibles:

• Agree content format, sources, delivery dates for content providers

• Capacity planning and server configuration• Security planning• Implement change control/content management• Determine site performance metrics• Determine maintenance types and schedule• Plan for evaluation

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Current ideas for website development

• Often combination of Waterfall and prototyping project life cycles, some working in parallel

• “Agile” methodologies used for development• Workflow – borrowed from editing industries• Benchmarking – experience from previous

projects, other web site developments• Need for experienced staff

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Web project phases, work stages and deliverables

Phase Work stage Deliverables

Preproduction 1. Project clarification

2. Solution definition

Project brief; outline budget and schedule

From Friedlein (2001)

Consultancy recommendations

3. Project specification Project specification document

Production 4. Content Content delivery plan; asset tracking mechanism; content preparation; storyboards

5. Design and construction Project milestones; change control documents

6. Testing, launch and handover

Testing; marketing initiatives; handover briefing and documentation

Maintenance 7. Maintenance Maintaining plan/SLA; training and development

Evaluation 8. Review and evaluation Project review; site performance analysis

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Activity planning

• Why we plan the development activities

• Creating a project schedule

• Work breakdown structure

• Gantt chart

• How do you produce plans

• Have a go

• Two tools……

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Work breakdown structure

• Reduces complexity by breaking work down into manageable parts

• Helps identify main stages of work/reduces risk of forgetting stages

• Ensures tasks happen in the right order

• Reduces risk of repeating tasks

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WBS

Stage 4Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

3rd Activity

1st Activity 2nd Activity

1st Activity 2nd Activity

5th Task

6th Task

4th Task

1st Task

3rd Task

2nd Task

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Gantt chart

• (Hentry Gantt, American engineer)

• Shows WBS against a time axis

• Shows duration of each task

• Shows dependencies between tasks

• Used to show when the project will finish

• Used to monitor progress

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GANTT CHART

Stage A

Stage C

Stage D

Stage B

Time Units

1 8765432

A

C

Calendar dateActivities Last Update

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Project management summary

• Web development project activities

• Some project management methodologies and life cycles

• Ways of scheduling the work.