480 10/27/2015 copyright © 2010 jeff brewer purdue university 1 it project management lecture 4...

C&IT480

04/20/23 Copyright © 2010 Jeff Brewer Purdue University 1

IT Project Management

Lecture 4 Objectives:Understand the ‘Systems View’ of Project

Management and its implications for project success

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Projects Cannot Be Run In Isolation!

Projects must operate in a

broad organizational

Environment

Project managers need to take

a holistic or systems view of a project and understand how it is or will be situated within the larger organization

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Projects Cannot Be Run In Isolation!

“There is so much talk about the system. And so little understanding.”

• By: Robert M. Pirsig•“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”

C&IT480 Example to think about

The sales and marketing department has approached the IT department about adding a “shopping cart” feature to the web site. It would allow customers to place orders online, adding and removing items until they are ready to process their order (check out). The IT department is very excited because it would be a very cool technology to work with and put on the site.

But, someone, ideally senior management and the project manager, needs to take a step back and ask…


C&IT480 Questions???

Before we implement that feature, we need to examine how this will affect and be affected by other projects already underway?

What are our competitors doing? When should this be done in relation to other projects waiting

to start? What legacy systems must we interact with? Who is the key sponsor and how much support do we really

have etc…


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“Systems Thinking”

allows projects to be viewed in the context of the entire environment including both inside and outside of the organization

Opposite of analytical thinking.Analytical thinking, things are broken into

progressively smaller parts and more highly specialized disciplines.•CIT180, CIT280, CIT380

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Systems thinking individuals look at the “whole organism” rather than just the parts.

Harold Kerzner wrote: “the ability to analyze the total project, rather

than the individual parts is the first prerequisite for successful project management”

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the ability to examine a problem or issue by first understanding the environment it exists within, before reducing the problem or issue into smaller components and finally managing the resolution of the problem or issue

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‘System’ Definition

“An organized or complex whole; an assemblage of things or parts interacting in a coordinated way.”

CharacteristicsThe whole is greater than the sum of its parts

(body)They are dynamic and exhibit some kind of

behaviorScope is in the eye of the beholder

(or stakeholder)

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‘Systems View’

review of the interrelationship of Forces in the various subsystems

Is a dynamic process that integrates all activities into a meaningful total system

Systematically assembles and matches the part of the system into a unified whole

Seeks an optimal solution or strategy in solving a problem

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Systems Terminology

Elements – smallest part of a system being studied (assignable activity or task)

Subsystems – a system is made up of subsystems, smaller systems that are part of a larger system such as the human heart is a subsystem of the human body or the accounts receivable subsystem is a part of the financial software system of the organization (subprojects or summary tasks)

Attributes – quantitative and qualitative characteristics of systems (Project; Cost/budget and Progress Data)

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Systems Terminology

Environment – anything that lies beyond the decision maker’s control yet influences the behavior or outcome of the system

Boundary – what separates the system from the environment.

Most of what a Project Manager does exits on the boundary!

C&IT480 Project Environment


Controlled Project

Elements

Project Boundary

Organization Boundary

The World The

Environment

Pressure

Pressure

Pressure

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Systems Terminology Cont.

Objectives – human-made systems are designed to do something.

Constraints - every system has limitations forced on them from internal forces or external forces and sometimes the limits are self controlled (Scope, Time, Cost; the triple constraints and others)

Requirement – a partial need to satisfy the objective

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System Structure – elements and subsystems are linked together by some form of relationship. (Hierarchical & Network)

X

A B C

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

d g

f

c

b

a

e

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Inputs, Process, Outputs – Human-made systems accomplish things by converting inputs into outputs through a defined process

Requirements “black magic” Completed Application

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Open and Closed SystemsClosed – self contained, focus on internal

workings (machine). Ignore the environment’s influence.

Open – just the opposite, they interact with the environment and adapt. (humans, organizations, projects)

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Systems Terminology

Integration – “Systems Integration”; All of the elements “assemblage of parts”, must work in unison and adapt to changing environmental requirements for the system to perform optimally. Performed by Systems IntegratorsManaged by Project Managers

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Impact on Project Management

Organizations are Open SystemsThey must interact with the environment to surviveManagers must:

• Appreciate the need to assess forces in the environment• Understand the forces that significantly affect their org.• Integrate these forces into the organization’s goals,

objectives, and operationsRole of the Project Manager

• Every project is influenced by outside forces, these alone should not be allowed to dictate the conduct of the project

• Must manage the behavioral and social aspects of the project

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Impact on Project Management

Organizations are Open Systems - examples of projects due to forces in the environment:The family leave act2002 Sarbanes-Oxley or “public company

accounting reform act and investor protection act”2004 Tsunami (Indonesia) reconstruction, delayed

outsourced tasks2005 Katrina – New Orleans2008 Hurricane Gustav – Gulf Coast just west of

New Orleans2008 – 2009 - ? USA recession

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A Systems View of Project Management

A systems approach emerged in the 1950s to describe a more analytical approach to management and problem solving

Made up of three parts:Systems philosophy: View things as systems,

interacting components working within an environment to fulfill some purpose

Systems analysis: problem-solving approachSystems management: Address business,

technological, and organizational issues before making changes to systems

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A Systems View of Project Management

The project management “systems” approach:1. First take on a systems philosophy, understand the

environment

2. Then conduct your systems analysis and finally

3. Perform systems management

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IT Project Management

Lecture 4 Summary:Understand System View toward Projects

Homework #1 Due Friday (tomorrow)

Lecture 5: Project & Product Methodologies

480 10/27/2015 copyright © 2010 jeff brewer purdue university 1 it project management lecture 4...

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