Computer Engineering 203 R Smith Organizations 12/2007 1 What is Engineering Management? Engineering Management is the management of activities and tasks needed to define and deliver specific products. The goal is to deliver what the customer wants on-time and on-budget while meeting the required quality goals. Management does not directly produce anything!
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Computer Engineering 203 R Smith Organizations 12/20071
What is Engineering Management?
Engineering Management is the management of activities and tasks needed to define and deliver specific products.
The goal is to deliver what the customer wants on-time and on-budget while meeting the required quality goals.
Management does not directly produce anything!
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How do Engineering Management and Project Management relate?
The completion of deliverables always entails elements of Project Management.– The activities that define Project Management are
always there.– Formally assigned to someone.– Informally assumed by a member of the team.
What is not included?– Elements of people management.
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What are the activities?
Typically the activities include:– Ensuring the project requirements are defined
Customer Legal Time, budget and resource Quality
– Making sure communications with all stakeholders occurs– Coordinating all the resources involved– Developing and maintaining the overall plan
What does professional responsibility require?
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Why is Project Management needed?
The goal is better, faster, cheaper. There is no longer mystery surrounding
software development, there are no more engineers in white coats in a glass room.
Today’s market place is hyper competitive and anyone can play.– It only takes a PC to get started.– There is no room for mistakes.
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Why is Project Management needed?
Meeting the constraints placed on the products is increasingly complex.– Legal requirements and liability both as a function
of new laws and the ways in which software is used.
– Quality, software is used in increasingly critical areas of our environment.
– Time, customers no longer tolerate endless slips. – Mistakes are costly in terms of resources, dollars
and in human terms.
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The Environment
Each project is executed in its own environment.
Understand your projects environment. A good manager understand the project
environment and adapts the development process to that environment.
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Elements of the Environment
The work itself The customer Budget/Schedule The team Your organization Your management
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Organizational Structures
Formal/Informal Organization– The difference between what is on the formal
organization chart and what really happens– Informal organizations exist for many reasons,
company size, expertise of individuals, personal loyalties.
– The formal organization runs on authority, while influence drives the informal organization.
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Organizational StructuresClassical
Where does Project Management fit within the organization?
Classic structures/roles– Line
The functional manager– Is responsible for delivering product– Has people responsibility
– Staff Project/Program managers
– Coordinating and integrating activities across functional lines
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Organizational StructuresClassical
Types of Organizations– Product Line
Formed around the delivery of independent products. Examples Word, Excel
– Functional Formed around the delivery of services common across
multiple products. Examples File Systems, Communications Drivers Advantages:flexibility,experience,less duplication Disadvantages:project authority,poor response time, less
integration.
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Organizational StructuresClassical
Types of Organizations– Project
Formed around the delivery of a specific set of functions or delivery to a specific customer.
Examples are military contracts, releases of new hardware.
Advantages:clear authority, improved communication, more integration.
Disadvantages:isolation, duplication of function, competition among projects.
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Organizational StructuresClassical
– Matrix Specific type of Project Organization Reporting lines still remain in functional or product
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Organizational StructuresOutsourcing
Out Sourcing Old and New– Companies have out sourced components for as
long as there has been mass production.– Automobile manufactures, appliance
manufactures.– Components are interchangeable from one
component manufacturer to another.– Each manufacturer could concentrate on what it
did best.
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Organizational StructuresOutsourcing
Early in the Computer business the work was so new it was only done by small groups of developers.
As companies grew centers of expertise started.
This lead to internal out sourcing.
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Organizational StructuresOutsourcing
Early examples:– Sunnyvale, Minneapolis, Zurich– Cupertino, Portland, Cork
All within the same company, but often in different divisions.
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Today’s variations
Tele-commuting Virtual teams
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Organizational Structures for InternalOutsourcing
Characteristics– Common goals– At some level a common boss
Issues– Communication– Different day to day priorities– We/They
Whose profit do we maximize?
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Organization StructuresOutsourcing
Why out source today– Lower costs– Focus expertise– Available manpower– Out source non-critical functions
Separate Companies– Separate objectives
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Organizational StructuresOutsourcing
Issues– Communications– Day to day controls– Priorities– Long term commitments
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Organizational StructuresOpen Source
Is this a technical or management problem?– Schedule, quality, support, legal
Consumer or provider? Virtual team Extent of control
– What is the extent of control needed?– Balancing risks
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Where does Project Management fits in the organization?
How old and how large is the company?– In older larger organizations individuals have less impact.– Rules and procedures are well established
Executive management has a big impact on an organization.
– How are executives compensated?– How are budgets determined?
Is Project Management productive labor? Choose between developers or project managers
Role of influence
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Programs and Projects
These terms may be loosely defined even within a given organization.
Projects generally refer to the collection of activities working toward a single deliverable.
Programs contain multiple Projects and Products and can have multiple deliverables.
Programs are typically larger and have more complex interfaces.
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Programs and Projects
The titles Program Manager and Project Manager do not always correspond to what they are managing.
– For example a Program Manager could be managing a Project.
– Or a Project Manager could be managing a Program.
Again the individuals and executives involved have a great impact, especially in younger, smaller organizations.
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Project Characteristics
What distinguishes one project from another?– Size
Number of features People Length of time
– Where are the parts of the project located?– What is the team like?
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Project Characteristics
– What is the make up of the team?– Are there critical requirements?– Are the requirements, schedule and cost fixed or
flexible?– Is there a critical quality requirement?
Examples– Web projects– Flight control software
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Product Managers
Product Manager’s roles again differ by organization.– Generally they have responsibility for gathering
requirements.– Generally they are responsible for one or more products
that have ongoing deliveries.– Product Manager’s roles can vary from strictly
marketing/requirements with other individuals having Project/Program Manager responsibility, to roles that include the Project/Program Manager responsibilities.
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How Line and Project Management Differ?
Line Management – Authority over at least some people
Direct control– Involved day to day in the development of the project– Makes technical decisions– May act as a project manager for specific products or
projects. Project Management
– May have control of the budget– Has no direct control over people– Coordinates and reports status to senior management
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Influence and Authority
Authority flows from the formal structure of the organization.
Influence flows from the informal organization.
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Influence and Authority
Line Management typically works through authority, while Project Management works through influence.
The tools of authority– Reviews, warnings and raises – Assignments
The tools of influence– Visibility and recognition– Personal contact
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Influence and Authority
Typically how far does authority go?– How much freedom do you have in giving rewards?– Can you fire someone?– Developers are very good at ignoring management.
There is always going to be someone you need to influence