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Dr. Henry DengAssistant Professor
MIS Department
UNLV
IS 488 Information Technology Project Management
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Ch7. IT Project plan
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7. Why IT plan Is it clear what the project is supposed to deliver? Is it clear who will be working on the project? Do you have a breakdown of activities? Is it clear when deliverables are due? Do you have established communication channels? Are you clear who the stakeholders are? Do you have milestones and due dates for them? Do you know what resources are available? Do you know what to do if you run into obstacles? Do you know what to do if you need more
cooperation from functional areas? Are you aware of project risks and their impact?
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7. IT project plan In its simplest form, a project plan should
clarify what the project is about and how it will be accomplished.
It helps coordination, communication, and negotiation.
Planning is often avoided, arguments include: “It is time consuming.” “The project is too small to warrant a plan.” “Plans do not often get implemented.” “ We need action not planning.”
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7. Characteristics Positions the project in a broad perspective. Must be comprehensive and inclusive of
important dimensions. Must guide execution. Must start with the project scope that defines
the project outcome. Must guide activities that accomplish what is
described in the project scope statement. Must be treated as a living document. Must be adhered to by all stakeholders
especially the project manager and team members.
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7. Project planning process Confirm Executive Approval Understand Project Requirements Reflect on Issues Identify Milestones Identify Phases Identify Activities Within Phases Identify Tasks within Activities
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7. Project planning process Confirm Executive Approval
All sources of power and influence that could impact a project must be identified.
Executive support must be secured. Understand Project Requirements
All requirements of the project must be identified.
Requirements must be linked to business needs.
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7. Project planning process Reflect on Issues
The project manager is ultimately responsible for the fate of a project.
Issues to address include: Strategic Items - long term viability of a project Tactical Items - day to day operations of project Resourcing Items - human, technology and
other physical resources Acceptance Criteria - to assess deliverables
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7. Project planning process Identify Milestones
Milestones are clearly defined events that have significant importance.
A milestone should lead toward the successful completion of a project.
A milestone is typically accompanied by a deliverable, which can be defined, measured and demonstrated.
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7. Project planning process Identify Phases
Project phases allow large projects to be divided into manageable pieces. Based on prioritized list of user requirements.
Phases are constructed to implement deliverables in a priority order that serves those functions that have the highest needs Risk to business units must be minimized in all
situations.
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7. Project planning process Identify Activities within Phases
Each phase should be divided into activities so that each activity produces a single deliverable.
An activity is defined by a start date and time, an end date and time, and with resources allocated to it.
Identify Tasks within Activities You can further break down activities into the
distinct tasks that are necessary to fulfill the activity.
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7. Project planning constraints The constraints applicable to most projects
are: Budget Time Resources
Human Skills, IS hardware/software, overhead requirements.
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7. Project planning constraints Budget
A Budget is generally assigned to a project during the proposal stage.
Budgetary limitations are also applied at other levels of a project, such as the design phase.
Budget amounts are sometimes shifted between phases to shift project priorities.
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7. Project planning constraints Time
A project starts and ends on specific target dates. Sometimes the start and end dates are
flexible. The project duration is usually divided into
shorter times for different phases, activities and tasks.
PERT/CPM is a good estimating tool for time constraints.
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7. Project planning constraints Resources
Human Skills Required skill-set for the project. Required skills can sometimes overlap among
people. IS Hardware/Software
It is important to plan for the availability of technology ahead of time.
It project manager must ensure that correct hardware/software combination has been selected and ordered in a timely manner.
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7. Project planning constraints Resources
Various resources are applied to a project. Some are only required at specific times while
others are required for the duration of the project.
If timing is critical, resource availability must be carefully planned in response to time constraint.
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7. Project planning pitfalls Every project has unique aspects that make
the planning process unique and problematic. Following a generic recipe is not possible and
should be avoided. Experience from past projects must be well
understood and carefully used otherwise it may prove counter productive.
Human nature is another pitfall People have the tendency to do the easier
tasks; often without realizing it.
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7. Project planning pitfalls Factors that cause projects to fail include:
Lack of good project plan Requirements not understood by the project
team Insufficient funding Unrealistic expectations of stakeholders Lack of project management and leadership
skills
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7. Project planning tools Gantt Charts Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) Critical Path Method (CPM) Program Evaluation and Review Technique
(PERT) Microsoft Project
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7. Project planning and success Acts like a road map for execution. Used as means of primary communication
with all stakeholders. Reflects acceptance by all stakeholders. Reflects collective efforts. Requires broad involvement. Identifies exceptions and contingencies. Provides flexibility due to unpredictable
nature of some events and activities.
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7. Project planning and success It clarifies what needs to be done before the work
starts It makes work manageable by breaking down the
project into phases It defines the confines of each work unit in terms of
time and budget It clarifies who is responsible for a task It gives perspective and links work units to the overall
project It links the project to organizational goals and
objectives It is a source of reference for clarifying issues It provides a base for performance evaluation It provides a base to monitor progress
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7. Project planning and success It provides a base for measuring success It provides a base for establishing communication
channels It helps to create realistic expectations. It helps to generate support for the project. It provides boundaries for triple constraints: cost,
time, requirements It provides the project manager with the opportunity
to demonstrate administrative and leadership skills It provides the project manager with the opportunity
to set standards and describe expectations It reduces uncertainty
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7. Challenges While not cast in stone, a plan must provide a
sense of stability, continuity, and focus. Early adaptors rely on self-training and their
expectations are often changed. Reluctant users may know the business but
are often hesitant to apply new technology in their work.
Expectation gap – between technology potential and its actual benefits.
Knowledge gap – between individuals who know the business and those who know the technology.
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7. Challenges The technology may become mature in the
future and be able to meet current expectations, but it is not fulfilling those expectations now.
Sometimes users are not prepared to wait; they expect the best features now.
Sometimes users develop false expectations because of over sell phenomenon by the internal developers or external vendors.
A good project plan helps form realistic expectations.
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7. Discussion question It is suggested in this chapter that an ‘action’
oriented system development approach is often concerned with short-term objectives and sometimes at the expense of long-term goals. Does this mean that action is not necessary? What is your interpretation?