Information Technology Project Management - Example

Project (Student’s Name) (University Name) 07-November-2013 Project overview The project is for construction of piping system of water. A project plan will be developed after this, and this will be presented for approval. The activities of the project will commence upon approval of the project plan and the availability of all the resources needed to implement it. Table of activities 1   study 3mo Mon 12/2/13 Mon 2/17/14   2   Preliminary Design 3mo Tue 2/18/14 Thu 5/8/14 1 3   Tendering 2mo Fri 5/9/14 Thu 7/3/14 2 4   Monitoring and controlling 9mo Fri 5/9/14 Thu 1/15/15 2 5   Awarding 1mo Fri 7/4/14 Thu 7/31/14 3 6   Mobilization 1mo Fri 8/1/14 Thu 8/28/14 5 7   Engineering 1mo Fri 8/1/14 Thu 8/28/14 5 8   Material procurement 2mo Fri 8/1/14 Thu 9/25/14 5 9   Construction work 6mo Fri 9/26/14 Thu 3/12/15   9.1   In-line Isolation 2mo Fri 9/26/14 Thu 11/20/14 "7,6,8" 9.2   concrete works 2mo Fri 11/21/14 Thu 1/15/15 10 9.3   "Connecting valves, washouts, air release valves" 2mo Fri 11/21/14 Thu 1/15/15 10 9.4   road crossing 1mo Fri 11/21/14 Thu 12/18/14 10 9.5   Laying pipes 2mo Fri 1/16/15 Thu 3/12/15 "11,12,13" 10   project completion 1mo Fri 3/13/15 Thu 4/9/15 "4,14" 11   Warranty period 24mo Fri 4/10/15 Thu 2/9/17 15 12   Close out 3mo Fri 2/10/17 Thu 5/4/17 16               Gantt chart Pert chart Project evaluation and review technique (PERT) which is an analysis tool that can also be used by the manager to schedule the project’s activities. Work breakdown structure This process relies on the work break down structure that is decomposed to output the activity list and work break down structure updates (Schwalbe 2010). This is the step where a graphical representation of the project hierarchy is made. Such illustrations help the project management team to look at the project from different angles and identify potential loopholes in the project. This bird-eye view of the project helps create reference points for various activities required in the project phases. This is followed by another best practice of ‘verifying the scope and getting the feedback’. Since timeliness is a crucial component of projects, verification of the scope is also critical in the progress of the project cycle. Thus verification can be done as each major task is completed in the case of a long project. However, for a small project which is not phased, it can be done after the completion of the whole project. Verification involves getting express comments on the project. On the other hand feedback counts for getting customer opinions which are invaluable for continuous improvement in future projects. Last is the best practice of monitoring and controlling the scope. Here, the actual management and controlling of the project takes place to ensure that work is carried out under the decided scope. It aims to avoid, as much as possible, the possibility of adding to the scope. To work on this, there should be good change management process and in case of changes the budgeting and schedule should be adjusted. Typical to this construction project is the following work breakdown structure. Assumptions: (a) The project will take 522 days or 24 months to complete (b) The project team will be working eight hours five days a week excluding Saturday and Sunday (c) There are enough resources to ensure that the project goes to completion (d) There are no overtimes and the team works through public holidays within the week Network diagram Thus, activity O-1 can start at 0. With a time of 3, it can finish at 0+3 = 3. This establishes the earliest start for all activities that begin at node 2. Hence, 1-2 can start no earlier than time 3. Activity 2-3 has an early finish of 3+6= 9, and activity 2-4 has an early finish of 3+3 =6. At this point, it is impossible to say what the earliest start is for 3-5; that will depend in which activity, 3-4 or 2-4, has the latest EF. Consequently, it is necessary to computers ES and EF along the lower path. Assuming an ES of 0 for activity 1-3, its EF will be9, so activity 3-4 will have an ES of 9 and an EF of 9+5 = 14. Considering that the two activities entering node 4 have EF time of 6 and 14, the earliest that activity 4-5 can start is the larger of these, which is 14. Hence, activity 4-5 has an ES of 14 and an EF of 14 +3 = 17. Now compare the EFs of the activities entering the final node. The large of these, 17, is the expected project duration. The LF and LS times for each activity can now be determined by working through the network (from right to left). The LF for the two activities entering node 5 is 17 – the project duration. In other words, to finish the project in 17 months, these last two activities must both finish by that time. In the case of activity 4-5, the LS necessary for an LF of 17 is 17-3 = 14. This means that both activities 2-4 and 3-4 must finish no later than 14. Hence their LF times are 14. Activity 3 has an LS time of 14-5=9, making the LF of activity 1-3 equal to 9, and its LS equal to 9-9=0 Activity 2-, with an LF time of 14, has an LS time 14-2 = 12. Activity 2-5 has an LF of 17 and therefore an LS 17-6=11. Thus, the latest 2-4 can start is 12 in order to finish by week 17. Since activity 1-2 precedes both of these activities, it can finish no later than the smaller of these, which is 111. Hence, activity 1-2 has an LF of 11 and an LS of 11-4 = 7 Program Evaluation and Review through PERT Activities: A) study B) Preliminary Design C) Tendering D) Monitoring and controlling E) Awarding F) Mobilization G) Engineering H) Material procurement I) Construction work J) project completion K) Warranty period L) Close out M) N) O) Critical path P) Critical path will be Study, Preliminary Design, Tendering, Awarding, Construction work, project completion, Warranty period and Close out Q) R) S) T) U) V) W) X) Y) Z) AA) AB) AC) References AD) AE) Lewis, P. J., 2002. Fundamentals of project management. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. AF) AG) Schwalbe, K. (2009). Information technology project management (6th ed.). Cambridge, AH) AI) MA: Course Technology. AJ) AK) AL) AM) AN) AO) AP) AQ) AR) AS) AT) AU) AV) AW) AX) AY) AZ) BA) BB) Appendix 1 BC) BD) BE) BF) BG) BH) BI) BJ) BK) BL) BM) BN) Appendix 2 BO) Read More