Transcript Web Project Management

Web Project Management
INBS 540 DFA – Winter 2009
Barbaros Ozdogan
[email protected]
Course Requirements
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Class Participation – 10%
Online Discussion – 20%
Assignments – 30%
Course Project – 40%
What we’ll learn…
• What Project Management for the Web is
• What the Project Manager does
• Stages in a full website development project
(you can apply these to any smaller project too)
• Deliverables for each stage
• Keys to Success, Obstacles to avoid
• Key documentation to make life easier
What is a “project”?
A project is a sequence of :
- Unique,
- Complex
- Connected activities
- that has a beginning and an end (a deadline)
- and is carried out to meet a given goal within
budget, and according to specification.
Wysocki, Beck, and Crane
Comments on the definition(1/2)
• An activity is a chunk of work
• A project has never happened before, and is
never likely to happen again under the
same conditions
• While some tasks may overlap, many tasks
are dependent on the completion of other
tasks.
• The development of a system represents a
goal.
Comments on the definition (2/2)
• Projects have a completion date. The
deadline is beyond the control of anybody
working on the project.
• Projects have resource limits
• The System must satisfy the business, user,
and management expectations and
specifications.
Illustration: Work through Time
Gantt Chart for Telephone Survey
Days
1 2
Define Survey Objectives
Define Survey Target
Acquire Contact List
Draft Survey Questionnaire
Pre-test Survey
Review Pre-test Results
Revise Survey Questionnaire
Sign-off Final Survey
Collect Data
Enter Data
Analyse Data
Prepare Summary Report
Execute Results Meeting
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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
A Pert Chart, or Network
Diagram
Prepare
Mailing
Labels
This diagram shows the necessary sequence and
interdependencies of activities
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to achieve the project objective.
ID Target
Customers
1
SUSAN
Review &
Finalize
Comments
Develop Draft
Questionnaire
2
SUSAN
3
RICHARD
Print
Questionnaire
Mail
Questionnaire
/Get Responses
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8
RICHARD
SUSAN
Develop Data
Analysis
Software
6
Activity Number
ROBERT
Accountable
Person
TOM J
Develop
Software
Test Data
7
TOM J
Test
Software
9
ROBERT
What is a “project”?
• SIMPLY, a project is a body of WORK
accomplished through TIME, by specific
people (and/or RESOURCES), that
accomplishes a unique RESULT
• WORK = TIME + RESOURCES
…leads to RESULT
Some Quick Vocabulary:
• The PM’s word for WORK is “SCOPE”
• TIME means you have a “SCHEDULE”
• RESOURCES have a COST, from the
client’s “BUDGET”
• In a successful project, the RESULT is
CLIENT SATISFACTION
In other words…
• Scope = Schedule + Budget
…leads to Client Satisfaction 
• The PM’s goal is to complete the project
ON-SCHEDULE and WITHIN BUDGET
Scope = Schedule + Budget = 
• One of the biggest challenges is managing
the Scope of a project:
Clients often request more features,
Even little requests can creep up on you…
This is called “Feature Creep” or…
…you guessed it: “Scope Creep” 
What does a Project Manager do?
• Manages the Scope, Schedule, and Budget
of a Project
• Facilitates communication with the Client
and the Development Team
• “Protects” the team from the client
(& vice versa)
• Takes responsibility for successful delivery
What is Project
Management?
• For any systems development project, effective
project management is necessary to ensure that
– the project meets the deadline,
– is developed within an acceptable budget,
– and fulfills expectations and specifications.
• Project management is the process of defining,
planning, directing, monitoring, and controlling the
development of an acceptable system at a minimum
cost within a specified time frame.
Project Management
Objectives of Project Management:
To effectively manage time, costs, and resources while
providing high-quality solutions and deliverables.
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Scope and Objectives
Project Approach
Work Effort and Schedule
Organization and Staffing
Professional Fees
Key Risks and Action Plan
What?
How?
When?
Who?
How Much?
What Can Go Wrong?
Project Management
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Scope and Objectives (What?) - What kind of engagement is it and what are the desired
business outcomes of the engagement?
Approach to Completing Work and Key Deliverables (How?) - What structured
approaches, methodologies, and tools will be employed to get the work done, what is the
sequence of the work, and what are the key deliverables the work will produce?
Work Effort and Schedule (When?)- What is the estimated workday effort by skillset
required to complete the work and what is the timeframe?
Organization and Staffing (Who?) - How will the members be organized and what are
the different roles and responsibilities?
Professional Fees and Out-of-Pocket Expenses(How much?) - Is the engagement fixed
fee or time and materials, what is the billing schedule, and what out-of-pocket expenses
will the client incur?
Key Risks and Action Plan (What can go wrong?)- What are the key engagement risks
that could impede the desired outcome and what are the mitigating strategies to be
employed?
The Project Management Process:
“planning the work and then working the plan”
1-Define the
Project
Objective
Clear definition of the deliverables between the customer and project manager
Divide and sub-divide the project into manageable pieces.
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE.
2-Breakdown
the
Work
Structure
Work
Packages
Define the specific activities and place them in order of execution.
3-Sequence the
Work
Packages
Create a network diagram that has an activity number and a responsible person.
4-Develop a
Network
Diagram
Estimate a cost and time
for each activity
A roadmap to ensure
that the project is
completed on time and
within budget.
5-Make a
Time & Cost
Estimate for
each Activity
6-Develop a
baseline plan
Project Management
• Different organizations take different approaches to project
management.
– One approach is to appoint a project manager from the ranks
of the team (once it has been formed).
– This approach is a result of the self-directed team
paradigm.
– But many organizations have found that successful project
managers apply a unique body of knowledge and skills that
must be learned.
– These organizations tend to hire and/or develop
professional project managers who are assigned to
one or more projects at any given time.
How the PM fits in
• Different organizations have different ways
of working
• “Team” of 1: you’re the PM, designer &
developer
• Team of many: you have dedicated
designers & programmers
Types of Web Projects
• Design & develop a complete web site
• Redesign an existing web site
• Add functionality to a web site
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registered user’s area with login
E-commerce functionality
Add new section of content
Your ideas?
Stages of a Web Project
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Strategy – what are the business goals? What is the project plan?
Discovery – what does the team need to know to create the solution?
Design – design the architecture & look of the web site; create the graphics
Technical Build – create the backend and program the front-end
QA – make sure everything works as it should
Launch – get client sign-off and go live! Review the project for lessons learned
Maintenance – keeping the site fresh
Strategy Phase
• This was your Marketing class
• Establish the business goals for the web
project
Definition Phase
• Starts with a Kickoff Meeting, with people
from each group present
• Design, Technical, and QA teams need to
learn about the client & business goals
• Should lead to documents such as:
Creative Brief, User Experience, Functional
Requirements, Technical Requirements
Project Definition
• PM creates a Project Plan, including
Schedule & Budget
• This phase defines the Scope of the Project
Design Phase
• Information Architecture, Graphic Design,
and Content Development
(typically, copy writing and/or merchandising)
• May also include the Technical Design
(but we’ll talk about that in the Technical Phase)
• The PM needs to ensure each group is in
close communication
– What if you design something that can’t be built in the time/budget alloted?
Information Architecture
• “IA” is the structure of the web site – what
goes where, how they connect, and how
usable the site will be
• Needs a Creative Brief or User Experience
document to work from
• Creates User Scenarios, Site Map, and
Wireframes (or “schematics”)
The Value of IA
• While discovery documents are verbal
descriptions of the project’s goals, the Site
Map and Wireframes (aka Schematics) are a
visual presentation of the web site
• These “blueprints” are useful to client, PM,
designers, technical team, QA team
• A tangible document that gives everyone a
common direction
Added Value of IA - Usability
• Works with Usability Principles & Usability
Testing to create a design that helps site
visitors accomplish their tasks
• Happy visitors = achieving business goals
Graphic Design - Purpose
• Graphic designers create the “look & feel”
of the site
• Ensure that the site supports the client’s
brand identity & image
• Work closely with IA’s to make the site
easy to use 
Graphic Design - Process
• Typically presents 2-3 design directions to
the client (aka design “comps” or compositions)
• May take 2-3 revision cycles to gain client’s
sign-off – you need to manage this!
• Produce all the graphics for the site build
(graphic production stage)
• May require a Style Guide, instructions on
future additions to the site
Technical Phase
• Includes server configuration, database
design, programming, and html coding
• Technicians, DBAs, Programmers, and
Sitebuilders
• Works with IA to develop system’s Inputs
& Outputs, and usable interactivity
Technical documentation
• Technical Requirements are based on User
Experience or Functional Requirements
• Used to communicate with programmers,
DBA, etc.
• May need Process Flows from IA
QA Phase – “Quality Assurance”
• Nothing “works” until QA says it does
• QA creates a Test Plan from the User
Experience and the IA
• Uses a QA Issue Log to document
issues/bugs/flaws to the team
• PM needs to use QA to ensure a quality
product
Launch Phase
• Time to get client sign-off on the project
• Soft-launch
• Full launch often coordinated with a
marketing campaign, press releases, etc.
• Your team has worked hard to get here –
time to throw a party!
• …And don’t forget to get paid!
Site Maintenance
• One of the Web’s strengths is the ability to
update a site quickly and often
• Who will update the site?
• Will they use hand-coded HTML? A full
content-management system? A simple
back-end tool? Remember this in your
Project Plan!
The Keys to Successful Projects
(and the pitfalls to avoid)
Successful Project Management
Implies
The cooperative efforts of a team
The use of certain managerial techniques
The use of specialized communication
software when the team is composed of
distant partners
The use of a common language to
communicate...
Causes of Failed Projects
• Failures and limited successes far outnumber successful
systems. Why?
– Many systems analysts and information technologists
are unfamiliar with or undisciplined in the tools and
techniques of systems analysis and design.
– Many projects suffer from poor leadership and
management.
• Project mismanagement can sabotage the best
application of the systems analysis and design
methods.
Causes of Failed Projects
• One of the most common causes of project failure is
taking shortcuts through or around the methodology.
– Project teams often take shortcuts for one or more of
the following reasons:
• The project gets behind schedule and the team wants
to ‘catch up.’
• The project is over budget and the team wants to
make up costs by skipping methodology steps.
• The team is not trained or skilled in some of the
methodologies activities and requirements, so they
skip them.
Causes of Failed Projects
• Another common cause of project failures is poor expectations
management.
– All users and managers have expectations of the project.
– Over time, these expectations change and takes the form of scope
creep.
• Scope creep is the unexpected growth of user expectations and
business requirements for an information system as the project
progresses.
– Unfortunately, the schedule and budget are rarely modified at the
same time.
• The project manager is ultimately held accountable for the inevitable
and unavoidable schedule and budget overruns.
• The users' expectations of schedule and budget does not change as the
scope changes.
Causes of Failed Projects
• A similar problem is caused by feature creep.
– Feature creep is the uncontrolled addition of technical features to
a system under development without regards to schedule and
budget.
• Each unplanned feature, however impressive, adds time and costs to
the overall schedule.
• Cost overrun problems:
– Many methodologies or project plans call for an unreasonably
precise estimate of costs before the project begins.
– Poor estimating techniques.
– Schedule delays.
Causes of Failed Projects
• Poor people management can also cause
projects to fail.
• Another cause of project failure is that the
business is in a constant state of change.
– If the project’s importance changes, or if the
management and business reorganizes, all
projects should be reassessed for compatibility
with changes, and importance to the business.
Standard Project Problems
• Lack of a particular competence, needed to achieve the goal, in the
team members
• Lack of an equipment or component
• Technical solution not known
• Individual lack of motivation to achieve project goal (the productivity of a
workgroup seems to depend on how the group members see their own goals in relation
to the goals of the organization)
• Project member does not communicate his difficulties. (hope creep)
• A task overrun the task deadline (work but no progress)
• Conflicts between project members
• Team member add features or functions to the deliverables...
Reasons for IT Project Failure
(based on 1000 IT managers, Standish Group 1995)
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Incomplete requirements
Lack of user involvement
Lack of resources
Unrealistic expectations
Lack of executive support
Changing requirements and specifications
Lack of planning
Elimination of need for the project
Lack of IT management
Technology illiteracy
Summary:How to carry out
a project successfully
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Defining the scope of the project
Planning the Project
Implementing the plan (executing)
Controling and monitoring progress
Completing the project
The Actions in Project Management:
The four C
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Communicate
Coordinate
Cooperate
Control
Communicate and Motivate
• To generate a common desire to reach the
objective
• To transform the goal into reality
• To provide a reward system coherent with
project goals
Need to Coordinate (organize)
• To avoid the dispersion of efforts (bad use
of resources)
• to define the task of each project participant
• to have clear responsibility for the project
and for each tasks right from the beginning
• to plan the necessary resources in terms of
manpower, competencies , equipment,
finance, ….
Task of Project Control
• Motivate participants
• Control realization of tasks (budget, time,
quality)
• Project scheduling
• Estimate consequences of incidents (
rescheduling,…)
To solve all the above problems we need a
“talented” PROJECT MANAGER
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This section provides an overview of the responsibilities of the project manager,
the skills needed to successfully manage projects, and how these skills can be
developed.
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Responsibilities of the Project Manager
Skills of the Project Manager
Developing the Skills of a Project Manager
Approaches to Effective Delegation
Methods a Project Manager can Manage and
Control Changes to the Project
– To read more about talent read the attached
presentation.PDF file.
Dozen Rules For A Project Manager
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Understand the problems, opportunities, and expectations of a project manager.
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Recognize that project teams will have conflicts, but this is a natural part of
group development.
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Understand who the stakeholders are and their agendas.
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Realize that organizations are very political and use politics to your advantage.
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Realize that project management is “leader intensive” but that you must be
flexible.
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Understand that project success is defined by 4 components: budget, schedule,
performance criteria, and customer satisfaction.
DOZEN RULES OF A PROJECT MANAGER:
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Realize that you must build a cohesive team by being a motivator, coach,
cheerleader, peacemaker, and conflict resolver.
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Notice that you team will develop attitudes based on the emotions you exhibitboth positive and negative.
9)
Always ask “what-if” questions and avoid becoming comfortable with the status
of the project.
10) Don’t get bogged down in minutiae and lose site of the purpose of the project.
11) Manage your time efficiently.
12) Above all plan, plan, plan.
“Failing to plan, is planning to fail”
“Failing to plan, is planning to fail”
The Course Project
• Describe the project, list the phases &
documentation students will deliver
• Guidelines for choosing the project they want to
do… scope requirements, if any
• Discuss student ideas for their project, so they
have an idea how to write their proposal