life cycle models for high-technology projects applying systems thinking to managing projects...

Life Cycle Models for High-Technology ProjectsApplying Systems Thinking to Managing Projects

Russell D. ArchibaldFellow PMI and APM/IPMA, PMP, MSc

PMI-São Paulo 4th International SeminarSáo Paulo, Brazil, December 9-10 2004

Dec. 9-10 2004 Russ Archibald PMI-Sao Paulo 4th International Seminar

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Purpose of My Presentation To enhance your ability to:

Develop the best life cycle model for your projects

Document your Project Life Cycle Management System/PLCMS

Improve your PLCMS through systems thinking


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Presentation Outline

1. Categorizing Projects2. Project Life Cycle Models &

PLCMS3. Hi-Tech Project Categories &

Their Life Cycles4. Improving the PLCMS5. Conclusions


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1. Categorizing Projects Projects:

Are the common denominator for all aspects of project management

Exist in many sizes & types Produce many different products &

results Can be classified in many different

ways


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Recommended Major Categories1. Aerospace/

Defense2. Business &

Organizational Change Projects

3. Communication Systems Projects

4. Event Projects5. Facilities Projects

6. Information Systems

7. International Development

8. Media & Entertainment

9. Product/Service Development

10. Research & Dev.


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2. Project Life Cycle Models & PLC Management Systems Many life cycle models are in use They portray a project as an overall

process or system Their purposes include:

To enable all to understand overall process To capture best experience, enable

improvement To relate roles, responsibilities, systems and

tools to all elements of the project


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Generic Life Cycle: 4 Phases Concept

Initiation, identification, selection Definition

Feasibility, development, demonstration, design prototype, quantification

Execution Implementation, realization, production &

deployment, design/construct/commission, installation and test

Closeout


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Generic Life Cycles Apply to any project Too broad to be very useful,

practical Need to be tailored to the project

category…

… And key environmental factors


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3 Parameters to Work With:

1. Number & definition of phases & sub-phases

2. Their inter-relationships: sequential, overlapping, repeated

3. Number, definition and placement of key decision points


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Identify Deliverables: Each Phase and Sub-Phase Documents related to the project:

Objectives, scope, plans, schedules, reports, authorizations, work orders, etc.

Documents related to the product: Specs, drawings, product cost, reports, etc.

Physical products or results: Mock-ups, models, prototypes, test articles,

tooling, equipment, software, facilities, materials, etc.


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Defining Decision Points Key events/milestones – ‘gates’ – at

start & end of a phase or sub-phase Decisions typically authorize project

manager & team to: Complete current phase, start next Revise objectives, scope, schedule Re-plan, re-start, repeat previous work Terminate or put project on hold


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Deliverables & Decision Points Decisions are often made based on

contents or results of key deliverables

Therefore these two elements are closely linked

You can’t make good decisions without adequate information


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Documenting a Project Life Cycle Management Process Define the life cycle:

Select the life cycle model to be used Name phases, sub-phases decision points Establish inter-relationships among them Portray the result: flow chart, narrative

Specify authorizing documents: Purpose & levels of approval authority For initiation & major changes


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Documenting PLCMS (Cont’d) Identify key roles & define

responsibilities Identify major deliverables by phase Specify issue escalation procedures Specify differences for:

Major vs minor projects, or Other project classes within a sub-

category


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3. Hi-Tech Project Categories & Their Life Cycles

4 (of 10) basic hi-tech categories: Communication Systems Information Systems Product & Service Development Research & Development


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Hi-Tech in Other Categories Defense/Aerospace:

Very advanced, specialized life cycles prescribed by DOD & NASA

Facilities: Very mature, specialized life cycle models

Hi-tech projects within programs in these and other categories can be placed in one of the preceding 4 hi-tech categories


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Two Types of Hi-Tech Life Cycle Models Predictive:

Waterfall, Prototyping, Rapid Application Development/RAD, Incremental Build, Spiral

Adaptive: Adaptive Software Development/ASD,

Extreme Programming/XP, SCRUM


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Predictive Life Cycle Models Waterfall

Linear ordering phases, sequential or overlapping, no phase repeated

Prototyping Functional requirements and physical

design specs are generated simultaneously Rapid Application Development/RAD

Based on an evolving prototype that is not thrown away


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Predictive LC Models (Cont’d) Incremental Build

Decomposition of large development effort into a succession of smaller components

Spiral Repetition of the same set of life-cycle

phases such as plan, develop, build, and evaluate until development is complete


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Adaptive Life Cycle Models Adaptive Software Development/ASD:

Mission driven, component based, iterative cycles, time boxed cycles, risk driven, change tolerant

Extreme Programming/XP Teams of developers, managers, and

users; programming done in pairs; iterative process; collective code ownership


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Adaptive LC Models (Cont’d) SCRUM (as in rugby)

Similar to above adaptive models with iterations called “sprints” that typically last 30 days

Defined functionality to be met in each sprint

Active management role throughout


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XP Resources

www.extremeprogramming.org/index/html

www.industriallogic.com www.xprogramming.com www.objectmentor.com/home http://c2.com/cg/wiki?ExtremeProgrammingRoadmap

http://www.extremeprogramming.org/index/html

http://www.extremeprogramming.org/index/html

http://www.industriallogic.com/

http://www.xprogramming.com/

http://www.objectmentor.com/home

http://c2.com/cg/wiki?ExtremeProgrammingRoadmap

http://c2.com/cg/wiki?ExtremeProgrammingRoadmap


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Impact of Environment on Life Cycle Model Selection Project environment is of primary

importance in selecting a LC model for a given project category: Organizational characteristics Familiarity with involved technology Competitive demands (schedule,

other) Other

Software Life Cycle Models - Examples

Source: “The Project Manager’s Guide to

Software Engineering’s Best Practices”ISBN 0-7695-1199-6IEEE Computer Society Press order #

BP01199Chapter 7, “Software Life Cycle Process

Management”

IEEE/EIA Standard 12207 Life Cycle Processes & Roles

Simplified Project Life Cycle Model - Software

Waterfall Life Cycle Model- Software

Incremental Life Cycle Model- Software

Incremental Waterfall Development Model - Software

Evolutionary Life Cycle Model - Software

Spiral Model of Development - Software

NASA’s Project Life Cycle Model

Stage-GateTM Life Cycle ProcessSource: Cooper et al 2001 see www.prod-dev.com

http://www.prod-dev.com/


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4. Improving the PLCMS

1. Document the integrated project life cycle model

2. Document & describe the PLCMS3. Re-engineer the integrated process

Apply systems thinking: TOC

4. Implement the improvements5. Repeat these steps as required


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Re-Engineer the PLCMS Identify system constraints, gaps &

weaknesses Relate poor results to constraints &

identify benefits to their removal Look for speed bumps, accelerators Redesign the PLCMS to remove

constraints


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Implement Improvements Obtain approval to conduct tests

and analyses Plan, approve & execute the

improvement project to implement the revised PLCMS


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Rational Unified Process/RUP Process framework for

Software development Software customization

Also a ‘process product’ developed and maintained by IBM Rational: Integrated with a suite of SW tools Available on CD-ROM or via Internet


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Six Best Practices in RUP1. Develop SW iteratively2. Manage requirements3. Use component-based architectures4. Visually model SW5. Continuously verify SW quality6. Control changes to the SW

For info:www.maxwideman.com/papers/acquisition/

intro.htm


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Apply Theory of Constraints/TOC (Source: Leach 2000)

1. Identify system constraints2. Decide how to exploit system

constraints3. Subordinate all else to above decision4. Elevate the system constraints5. Does the new constraint limit output?Yes: Back to step 1 No: Beware inertia


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5. Conclusions

1. Project categories are important: Based on end results best way (?) Sub-categories also needed Further classification within

categories and sub-categories needed

(see http:/projectcategories.org -- and join our team!)


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5. Conclusions (Cont’d)

2. Project life cycle models must be designed for each category/sub-category

Define and inter-relate phases & sub-phases

Identify deliverables for each of these

Define & relate decision points


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3. Project Life Cycle Management System PLCMS must be well defined:

For each project category/sub-category

Enables application of systems thinking to improve the process


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4. Two types of life cycle models are used for high-technology projects:

Predictive AdaptiveWith several variations within each of these

Selection depends on the key environmental factors affecting the project


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5. Systematic improvement of PLCMS is achieved through:

Re-engineering the total system Application of TOC to total PLCMS or

to a given phase

6. Such improvement must be a major project management goal in every organization


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Further Reading Archibald: Managing High-

Technology Programs and Projects, 3rd ed 2003 Chapters 2 and 3

Download this paper 18 additional references given in

the paper


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Thanks for Listening Questions? Download this paper and/or slides at

www.russarchibald.comgo to ‘Author:Recent Papers’ &select title of paper

Contact me: [email protected]

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