SWE 342

Software Project Management

Introduction to Project
Management
(Framework)
Dr. Khalid Alsirhani
[email protected]
 Overview:
• Many organizations today have a new or renewed interest in
project management.
• Computer hardware, software, networks, and the use of
interdisciplinary and global work teams have radically changed the
work environment.
• The Project Management Institute reported that the number of
project- related jobs reached almost 66 million in 2017. By 2027,
employers will need 87.7 million individuals working in project
management.
• according to PMI’s Pulse of the Profession® report, Organizations
waste $97 million for every $1 billion spent on projects.
Motivation for Studying Project Management:
• A 1995 Standish Group study (CHAOS) found that only 16.2% of
IT projects were successful in meeting scope, time, and cost goals;
over 31% of IT projects were canceled before completion.

• A PricewaterhouseCoopers study found that overall half of all

projects fail and only 2.5% of corporations consistently meet their
targets for scope, time, and cost goals for all types of project.
Advantages of Using Formal Project Management:

1. Better control of financial,

physical, and human
resources. 5. Higher quality and increase
reliability.
2. Improved customer
relations. 6. Higher profit margins.
3. Shorter development 7. Improved productivity.
times. 8. Better internal coordination.
4. Lower costs. 9. Higher worker morale.
Introduction (Framework)

1. What is Project ? 7. Project Management Offices

2. What is the Project Management? 8. Role of the Project Manager

3. Project, Program and portfolio 9. Project Assumption and Constraints

4. Project influences 10. Risk and Issues

5. Project Management data, Informatio, and report 11. Project Stakeholders

6. Tailoring
What is the meaning of "project"?
According to PMI, a project is temporary endeavor undertaken to produce a
unique product, service, or result”

Another definition for a project is a unique venture with a beginning and an

end, conducted by people to meet established goals within parameters of cost,
schedule and quality.
– Buchanan & Boddy92

Projects are goal-oriented, involve the coordinated undertaking of interrelated

activities, are of finite duration, and are all, to a degree unique.
– Frame 95
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Characteristics of a project:
v A project is done only one time.
• If it is repetitive, it is not a project.
v A project is temporary, it should have a definite start and end time.
v A project has a unique purpose.
v A project should have specific performance requirements.
v A project requires resources, often from various areas.
v A project should have a primary customer or sponsor.
• The project sponsor usually provides the direction and
funding for the project.
v A project involves uncertainty.
v Project Initiation Context
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Characteristics of a project:
A project can create:

v A product that can be either a component of another item, an enhance

of another item, or an end item in itself.

v A service or a capability to perform a service.

v A result, such as an outcome or document.

v An improvement of an existing product or service line.

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 Example of IT projects:

• A team of students creates a smartphone application and sells it online.

• A company develops a driverless car.

• A small software development team adds a new feature to an internal

software application for the finance department.

• A college upgrades its technology infrastructure to provide wireless

internet access across the whole campus.

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 The impact of projects:

v Project drive change in organization.

• A project is aimed at moving an organization from one state to another

in order to achieve a specific objective.

• The successful completion of a project results in the organization

moving to the future state and achieving the specific objective.

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 The impact of projects:
v Project enable business value creation.

• Value is the net quantifiable benefit derived from a business endeavor.

The benefit may be tangible, intangible, or both.

• Tangible elements are physical objects that can be touched, perceived,

and measured, while intangible elements cannot be touched.

• Example:

• Monetary assets, Utility, tools, Market share, Goodwill, Brand

recognition, Patents, trademarks, and trade names 11
 The impact of projects:
v Project initiation context.

• Satisfy stakeholder requests or needs.

• Create improve or fix products, processes, or services.

• Implement or change business or technological strategies.

• Meet regulatory, local, social requirements.

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 The impact of projects:
v Project initiation context.

• Satisfy stakeholder requests or needs.

• Create improve or fix products, processes, or services.

• Implement or change business or technological strategies.

• Meet regulatory, local, social requirements.

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 When Project will end?
• The project reaches its end when the project objective has been
achieved.

v Project can be:

• Terminated: due to a change in strategy or because it may not be

feasible.

• Stopped: when there is no longer a need for the project.

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 Why the project start?
• Market demand
ü Automobile company building fuel efficient car
• Strategic & business need
ü Company started project to build own research facility.
ü Company started project to build futuristic technology.
• Social need
ü Private company building charity hospital for controlling diseases
• Environmental consideration
ü Government authorized new project to clear rivers.
• Customer request
ü Customer requested to automated their financial processes.
• Technological advancement
ü Mobile company launched new project to build smaller & more powerful mobiles.
• Legal requirements
ü Project authorized by Taxi company to upgrade security framework a per new government policies.

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What is project management?
The definition of project management is an application of
knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to
meet the project requirements.”

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The Importance of Project Management:
vEffective project management helps individuals, groups, and public and
private organizations to:

ü Meet business objectives

ü Satisfy stakeholder expectations
ü Be more predictable
ü Increase chances of success
ü Deliver the right products at the right time
ü Resolve problems and issues
ü Respond to risks in a timely manner

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The Importance of Project Management:
vPoorly managed projects or the absence of project management may
result in:

ü Missed deadlines
ü Cost overruns
ü Poor quality
ü Rework
ü Unsatisfied stakeholders
ü Loss of reputation for the organization

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Project, Program and portfolio
 What Is a Program?
vA program is “a group of related projects, subprograms and program activities managed
in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control which is not available/obtainable
from managing them individually”

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 What Is a Program?

vExamples of common programs in the IT field include infrastructure, applications

development, and user support.

vA program manager provides leadership and direction for the project managers heading
the projects within the program.

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What Is a Program?

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What Is a Program?

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 What Is a Portfolio?
vA portfolio is “ a collection of projects, programs, sub portfolios and operations and that
are managed as a group to achieve strategic objectives.”

vPortfolio managers help their organizations make wise investment decisions by helping to
select and analyze projects from a strategic perspective

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What Is a Portfolio?

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What Is a Portfolio?

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Project, Program and portfolio Summary:

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 What Is a Operations?
v Operations are “ongoing endeavors that produce repetitive outputs, with resources
assigned to do basically the same set of tasks according to the standards institutionalized
in a product life cycle”

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Project or Operation?

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Project or Operation?

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Relationship of Project, Program, Portfolio,
and Operations Management:

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Project and Program Managers:

vProject managers work with project sponsors, project team,

and other people involved in a project to meet project goals.

vProgram managers oversee programs; often act as bosses for

project managers.

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Project Management Compared to Project
Portfolio Management:
Notice that the main distinction is a
focus on meeting tactical or strategic
goals.

Tactical goals are generally more

specific and short term than strategic
goals, which emphasize long-term
goals for an organization. Individual
projects often address tactical goals,
whereas portfolio management
addresses strategic goals.

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Project influences:
Influences

Enterprise Environmental Internal Organizational Process

Factors Assets

Processes
External Policies
and Procedures

Corporate
External
Knowledge Base
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Enterprise Environmental Factors (Internal):

• EEFs Internal to the organization

Ø Organizational culture, structure.

Ø Employee capability.
Ø Resource availability.
Ø Information technology software.
Ø Geographic distribution of facilities and resources.
Ø Infrastructure.
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Enterprise Environmental Factors (Internal):

• EEFs External to the organization

Ø Marketplace conditions.
Ø Physical environmental elements.
Ø Financial considerations.
Ø Government or industry standards.
Ø Commercial databases.
Ø Social and cultural influences and issues.
Ø Legal restrictions.
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Organizational Process Assets (OPAs):

• Processes, policies, and procedures.

• Lessons Learned, past projects information.

• Templates.

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Project Management data, Information, and
Reports:

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Tailoring:

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 Tailoring:

Ø Tailoring is necessary because each project is unique; not every process,

tool, technique, input, or output identified in the PMBOK® Guide is
required on every project.

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Project Management Offices:

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Project Management Offices Types:
• Supportive (The degree of control is Low)
ØProvide a consultative role to projects by supplying templates, best practices, training,
access to information, and lessons learned from other projects.
• Controlling (The degree of control is moderate)
Ø Provide support and require compliance (use od specific templates, forms, and tools).

• Directive (The degree of control is High)

Ø Take control of the projects by directly managing the projects.
Ø Project managers are assigned by and report to the PMO.

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44
Project Manager:

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The role of the project manager:

v The role of the project manager (PM) is that of an enabler.

v The primary job of PM is to ensure that all work is completed on time,
within budget, and scope, and at the current performance level.
v The PM must see that the PCTS are met, so the PM's responsibility is
to manage the project not do the project. Also:
v Run interference for the team.
v Get scarce resources that team members need.
v Buffer the team from outside forces that would disrupt work.
v Provide leadership.
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The role of the project manager:
ü The PM should facilitate planning.
ü Effective PMs require a balance of technical, interpersonal, and conceptual skills.
ü Technical and conceptual skills are acquired by way of work experience and
formal education.
ü Interpersonal skills are just as important as technical and conceptual skills.

v The textbook list the following important interpersonal skills:

1. Leading 7. Political and cultural awareness

2. Team building 8. Negotiation
3. Motivation 9. Trust building
4. Communication 10. Conflict management
5. Influencing 11. Coaching
6. Decision making

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The PMI Talent Triangle:

Project Manager Competencies

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The PMI Talent Triangle:

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Ten Most Important Skills and Competencies for
Project Managers:
1. People skills
2. Leadership
3. Listening
4. Integrity, ethical behavior, consistent
5. Strong at building trust
6. Verbal communication
7. Strong at building teams
8. Conflict resolution, conflict management
9. Critical thinking, problem solving
10. Understands, balances priorities
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Importance of Leadership Skills:

v Effective project managers provide leadership by example

v A leader focuses on long-term goals and big-picture objectives while

inspiring people to reach those goals

v A manager deals with the day-to-day details of meeting specific goals.

v Project managers often take on the role of both leader and manager

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 Project Assumptions and constraints:
An assumption is what you believe to be true. These are expected events or
circumstances during your project’s life cycle. You make assumptions based on your
experience or the information available on hand.

Project Assumptions Examples

• You will get the resources you need.

• During the rainy season, cheap labor will be available.
• All relevant stakeholders will come to the next meeting.
• Your team members have all the required skills.
• All equipment is in good condition.
• The supplier will deliver on time.
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Project Assumptions and constraints:

Assumptions and constraints play a

vital role in the planning process as
the foundation of your project
management plan.

Assumptions and constraints are

an important part of your project.
They need to be identified,
controlled, and monitored
continuously
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Project Assumptions and constraints:

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 The Triple Constraint of Project Management:
Project managers strive to meet the triple constraint (project scope, time, and cost goals) and also
facilitate the entire process to meet the needs and expectations of project stakeholders.

Scope: What work will be done as part of the project? What unique product, service, or result
does the customer or sponsor expect from the project? How will the scope be verified?

Time: How long should it take to complete the project? What is the project’s schedule? How will
the team track actual schedule performance? Who can approve changes to the schedule?

Cost: What should it cost to complete the project? What is the project’s budget? How will costs
be tracked? Who can authorize changes to the budget?

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The Triple Constraint of Project Management:

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Understanding project constrains:
One of the common causes of project failures is that the
project sponsor demands that the project manager must
finish the job by a certain time, within budget, and the at a
given magnitude or scope, while achieving specific
performance levels. In other words, the sponsor dictates all
four of the project constrains. This doesn't work.

The relationship among the PCTS contains can be

written as the following:

! = #(%, ', ()
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Project Stakeholder:
• Stakeholders are defined as “ Individuals, groups, or organizations who
are actively involved in the project, or whose interests may be positively
or negatively affected as a result of project execution or successful
project completion.”

• Stakeholders may be internal or external to the project.

• Directly or indirectly

• Impact/influence or be impacted/influenced by the project

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Project Stakeholder:

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Project Management Framework:

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10 Project Management Knowledge Areas:

Ø Knowledge areas describe the key competencies that project

managers must develop.

Ø Project managers must have knowledge and skills in all 10

knowledge areas (project integration, scope, time, cost, quality,
human resource, communications, risk, procurement, and stakeholder
management)

Ø We will cover all the 10 areas in this class.

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Project Management Tools and Techniques:
ü ‘Man is a tool-using animal. Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is
all.’ Thomas
ü Project management tools and techniques assist project managers and their teams
in various aspects of project management
ü Some specific ones include
ü Project charter, scope statement, and (Work Breakdown Structure) WBS
(scope).
ü Gantt charts, network diagrams, critical path analysis, critical chain scheduling
(time).
ü Cost estimates and earned value management (cost).

See Table 1-1 for many more 62

Super Tools:
“Super tools” are those tools that have high use and high
potential for improving project success, such as:
• Software for task scheduling (such as project management software)
• Scope statements
• Requirements analyses
• Lessons-learned reports
Tools already extensively used that have been found to improve
project importance include:
• Progress reports
• Kick-off meetings
• Gantt charts
• Change requests 63
Project Management Tools and Techniques:
The tools and techniques can be listed based on their purpose, as follows:

1. Data gathering: benchmarking, brainstorming, check sheets, checklists, focus

groups, etc..
2. Data analysis: alternatives analysis, assessment of other risk parameters, etc..
3. Data representation: affinity diagrams, cause-and-effect diagrams, control
charts, flow charts,
4. Decision making: multi-criteria decision analysis and voting
5. Communication: feedback and presentations
6. Interpersonal and team skills: active listening, communication styles
assessment, conflict management, etc..
7. Ungrouped: several other tools fit in this category
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 What Went right?
Follow-up studies by the Standish Group Showed improvement in the statistics
for IT projects:

1. The number of successful projects (those completed on time, on budget with a

satisfactory result) was 29 percent in 2015 based on a sample of over 50,000
soft- ware development projects worldwide.
2. The number of failed projects (those canceled or not used after implementation)
was 19 percent.
3. The success rates of projects by size, showing that 62 percent of small projects
were successful from 2011 to 2015

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Why the Improvements?
The reasons for the increase in successful projects vary.

Ø First, the average cost of a project has been more than cut in
half.
Ø Better tools have been created to monitor and control progress
Ø Better skilled project managers with better management
processes are being used.

Ø The fact that there are processes is significant in itself.

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 Project Success:
• How do you define the success or failure of a project?

• There are a few common criteria for measuring the success of a project :
– The project met scope, time, and cost goals
– The project satisfied the customer/sponsor
– The results of the project met its main objective, such as making or saving
a certain amount of money, providing a good return on investment, or
simply making the sponsors happy

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Example:
• We have a project to upgrade 500 desktop computers within three
months for $300,000. When can we consider the project
successful?

Ø If all 500 computers were upgraded and met other scope requirements,
the work was completed in three months or less, and the cost was
$300,000 or less, and
Ø The users of the computers or their managers are satisfied.

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Why do some IT projects succeed and others
fail?
v The factors that contribute most to the success of IT projects are listed in
order of importance:

1. Executive sponsorship 6. Agile process

2. Emotional maturity 7. Modest execution
3. User involvement 8. Project management expertise
4. Optimization 9. Clear business objectives
5. Skilled resources

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Top Three Reasons Why Federal Technology
Project Succeed:
A U.S. government report listed the top three reasons why federal technology
projects succeed:

1. Adequate funding
2. Staff expertise
3. Engagement from all stakeholders

Notice that the CHAOS study list does not include adequate funding.

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What the Winners Do …
Recent research findings show that companies that excel in project delivery
perform four significant best practices:

Ø Use an integrated project management toolbox (use standard/advanced PM tools,

lots of templates)
Ø Grow project leaders, providing them with career opportunities, training, and
mentoring.
Ø Develop a streamlined project delivery process. All projects go through clear
stages and clearly define key milestones.
Ø Measure project health using metrics, like customer satisfaction or return on
investment.

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Best Practice:
• A best practice is “an optimal way recognized by industry to achieve a
stated goal or objective”

• Robert Butrick suggests that organizations need to follow basic

principles of project management, including these two mentioned earlier
in this chapter:
Ø Make sure your projects are driven by your strategy. Be able to
demonstrate how each project you undertake fits your business
strategy, and screen out unwanted projects as soon as possible.
Ø Engage your stakeholders. Ignoring stakeholders often leads to
project failure. Be sure to engage stakeholders at all stages of a
project, and encourage teamwork and commitment at all times.
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 Classification of Projects:
• Originally project management techniques tended to be applied to
large construction or defense projects.
• Many new style projects exist which vary in size, length and
complexity. They can include installing ICT systems, office moves,
testing a new product, acquiring or merging with another
organization, an internal change program and a host of other areas of
work.
• Whether in manufacturing, financial services, retail, health service or
local government there is usually one person, the project leader who
is in charge

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 Classification of Projects:
v According to Funding:
– Private Sector project
– Government sector project
– Grant project
– Loan Project
v According to the Foreign aided project:
– Joint venture project
– Bilateral project (KOICA, DANIDA)
– Multilateral project
v According to Techniques:
– Labor intensive technique
– Capital intensive technique

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 Classification of Projects:
v According to Function:
– Disaster prevention projects
– Development projects
– Service sector projects
– Environment friendly projects
v According to the Orientation:
– Product oriented (window 10, building, roads, bridges)
– Process oriented (repair of a boiler)

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 Classification of Projects:
v According to Nature of project:
– Simple
– Complex
– Innovative
– Emergency
v According to time frame and speed:
– Normal
– Crash

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