Project Planning Techniques U08784 Software Project Management Rosemary Phillimore
Jan 02, 2016
Project PlanningTechniques
U08784 Software Project ManagementRosemary Phillimore
Project Planning
Client Requirements
Start End
Project
Outline Project Plan
Start End
ProjectStages
Stage Plan
(may be one phase
of a largerdevelopment)
Phase Plan
Maternity
Pathology
Accidents
Others
Mar Apr May Jun July Aug SepProjects
Levels of Breakdown
Project
Stage 1 Stage 2
Task A
Task B
Task X Task Y
Activities Deliverables
Task/Activity/Deliverablechecklists
should be defined
Project Plan
Maternity Phase
Define Interface Needs
Design Interface
Prototype Interface
Implement in Admissions
Implement for Doctors
Mar Apr May Jun
Deliverables/Milestones RequirementsDefinition
EvaluationReport
ProductAcceptance
End ofStage
End ofStage
End ofStage
End ofStage
End ofStage
Stage Plan
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Design Stage of Maternity Phase Week
Staff Task
MP Design Interface
All Review with A Team
MP/DV Test Design on PDA Modules
All Review and Update
MP Specify Changes
DV Implement Prototype
DV/RS Test with Midwives
RS Test with Dr. Medway
All Review and Update
All Progress Meeting
Products/Tasks/Reviews
Stage Plan
Starting Products
Test
Review
Accept
BaselineProducts
Task
Task
Task
Task
TaskTask
Task
Task
Task
Mid-Stage Reviews End-Stage Review
Progress Reviews
Product Breakdown
Reports
Project Products
Technical Products
Software Documents
Quality Products
Management Products
PlansQA Plans QC Results
Stage Plans
Products
Technical Quality Man'mentTask AActivity A1Activity A2Activity A3
Task BActivity B1Activity B2
Task CActivity C1
Product Breakdown Products to be Delivered Quality Criteria Quality Review Procedures
Work Breakdown Tasks List Dependency between Tasks
Making a Stage Plan
Inputs Actions
Estimate Time for Each Task Consider Required Deadlines Draw activity Network Identify the Critical Path Document the Plan
Documenting the Plan
Product Breakdown
(Hierarchy Chart)
Project Schedule(Network Diagram)
Stage Plan(Gantt Chart)
Risk Analysis(Matrix)
Task
Risk
Easy to understandDrawn to scaleCan show resources against tasks Can show milestones Can show holidays/regular meetingsCan plot 'actuals' against predictions
Bar Charts ( Gantt Charts )
Time
Tasks
Not Drawn to ScaleIllustrate dependencies between tasksHighlight those tasks on the critical pathHighlight slack (or float) in the process
Networks
Not Drawn to ScaleIllustrate dependencies between tasksHighlight those tasks on the critical pathHighlight slack (or float) in the process
Networks
Milestone A Milestone B
A
B
C DE
F G HI J
KL M
N
Network Notation
Node
Earliest start time
Latest start time
Activity Name Activity
Duration
Critical Path
Dummy Activity
Network Notation
Activity Name Activity
Duration
DurationThe time required for the completion of the activity. This may be calculated knowing the resources available or may be calculated knowing how much time is available to complete the activity (the appropriate resources may be allocated later). See notes on activity timings at the end of this tutorial
Activity NameBy carefully analysing all aspect of the project both the technical and non-technical, a list can be made of the activities that need to be completed in order to achieve the project aims. This list is the basic data for drawing up the project network.
Network Notation
Activity Name Activity
Duration
ACTIVITY TIMINGSEach activity in the network is given a time. It is estimated as being the time required for the work to complete the task. In PERT (programme evaluation and review techniques), three such estimates are required for every activity:
Optimistic time i.e. the best time possible for completing the activityPessimistic time i.e. worst possible timeThe most likely time
These three times are used to give a weighted mean from the formula:
Time = Optimistic time + 4*Most likely time + Pessimistic time6
Network Notation
Node
Earliest start time
Latest start time
The earliest time by which this event can be reached and subsequent activities can begin. For the first event this is zero, for other events it is calculated by adding all the durations of events leading up to that event. If there are two or more paths into an event then the one with the longest duration becomes the earliest event time. The latest start time is the time at which an event can occur if the total end date is not to be affected. Working from right to left calculate and enter latest event times by subtracting duration times. Where there is more than one path the correct latest time will be the smallest of the alternatives.
Events (nodes)
Events or nodes are points in time, do not have duration but represent the start and finish of activities. They often coincide with a deliverable (some significant tangible products that has to be completed) or a milestone (a point in the project where an assessment of progress made) of some sort. They are a point in time and have no duration but they can be used to show the earliest time at which following events may start and the latest time at which preceding events may finish.
Network Notation
Critical Path
Dummy Activity
The Critical PathThis is a path through the project where a series of tasks have no slack or float in their duration such that if one task on the path goes beyond its deadline then all the subsequent tasks slip and the project deadline is jeopardised. The critical path is the longest path from start to finish. For all activities on the critical path the Earliest Event time and the latest start time are the same. There may be more than one critical path in a system
Dummy ActivitiesDummies are added to a network in order to clarify dependencies where an ordinary arrow cannot reflect this correctly. Dummy activities have no duration. They may be used freely when first drawing the network. Unnecessary dummies should be eliminated later to simplify the diagram
Network Analysis
ACTIVITY DURATION DEPENDS(Months) ON
10 Requirements Analysis 315 Develop test plan 220 Systems Design 4 1025 Write test drivers 6 1530 Prepare test data 2 15, 1040 Code system 4 2050 System test 4 40, 30, 2560 Document system 2 2070 Install 4 50, 60
Network Analysis
Planning Packages Project Managers Workbenches Work Recording Packages
Spreadsheets Decision Support Packages
Estimators Project Breakdown and Templates
IPSE / CASE
Microsoft Project Planner is on Brookes Network
Tools for Project Management