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ASSIGNMENT – MBA – SEM II – Subject Code:MB0033 – SET 1

1. Define Project Management, resource, process and project cycle.Explain the life-cycle of a project?

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, andmanaging resources to bring about the successful completion of specificproject goals and objectives. It is sometimes conflated with programmanagement, however technically a program is actually a higher levelconstruct: a group of related and somehow interdependent projects.

A project is a temporary endeavour, having a defined beginning andend (usually constrained by date, but can be by funding or deliverables,undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, usually to bring aboutbeneficial change or added value. The temporary nature of projects stands incontrast to business as usual (or operations), which are repetitive, permanentor semi-permanent functional work to produce products or services. Inpractice, the management of these two systems is often found to be quite

different, and as such requires the development of distinct technical skillsand the adoption of separate management.

Resources: In project management terminology, resources arerequired to carry out the project tasks. They can be people, equipment,facilities, funding, or anything else capable of definition (usually other thanlabour) required for the completion of a project activity. The lack of aresource will therefore be a constraint on the completion of the projectactivity. Resources may be storable or non storable. Storable resourcesremain available unless depleted by usage, and may be replenished byproject tasks which produce them. Non-storable resources must be renewedfor each time period, even if not utilized in previous time periods.

Process: A project Management process is the management process

of planning and controlling the performance or execution of a project.

Input

Project Management Process Traditionally, project management includes a number of elements: four

to five process groups, and a control system. Regardless of the methodologyor terminology used, the same basic project management processes will beused.

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Input Process Output



The project development stages

Major process groups generally include:• Initiation• Planning or development•

Production or execution• Monitoring and controlling• Closing

Initiation The initiation processes determine the nature and scope of the project.

If this stage is not performed well, it is unlikely that the project will besuccessful in meeting the business’ needs. The key project controls neededhere are an understanding of the business environment and making sure thatall necessary controls are incorporated into the project. Any deficienciesshould be reported and a recommendation should be made to fix them.

The initiation stage should include a plan that encompasses the followingareas:

• Analyzing the business needs/requirements in measurable goals• Reviewing of the current operations• Financial analysis of the costs and benefits including a budget• Stakeholder analysis, including users, and support personnel for the

project

• Project charter including costs, tasks, deliverables, and schedule

Planning and design

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Planning Process Group ActivitiesAfter the initiation stage, the project is planned to an appropriate level

of detail. The main purpose is to plan time, cost and resources adequately toestimate the work needed and to effectively manage risk during projectexecution. As with the Initiation process group, a failure to adequately plangreatly reduces the project's chances of successfully accomplishing its goals.

Project planning generally consists of • determining how to plan (e.g. by level of detail or rolling wave);• developing the scope statement;• selecting the planning team;• identifying deliverables and creating the work breakdown structure;• identifying the activities needed to complete those deliverables and

networking the activities in their logical sequence;

Executing

Executing Process Group ProcessesExecuting consists of the processes used to complete the work defined

in the project management plan to accomplish the project's requirements.Execution process involves coordinating people and resources, as well asintegrating and performing the activities of the project in accordance with theproject management plan. The deliverables are produced as outputs from theprocesses performed as defined in the project management plan.

Monitoring and controllingMonitoring and controlling consists of those processes performed to

observe project execution so that potential problems can be identified in atimely manner and corrective action can be taken, when necessary, to

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control the execution of the project. The key benefit is that projectperformance is observed and measured regularly to identify variances fromthe project management plan.

Monitoring and Controlling includes:• Measuring the ongoing project activities (where we are);• Monitoring the project variables (cost, effort, scope, etc.) against the

project management plan and the project performance baseline (wherewe should be);

• Identify corrective actions to address issues and risks properly (How canwe get on track again);

• Influencing the factors that could circumvent integrated change control soonly approved changes are implemented

In multi-phase projects, the monitoring and controlling process alsoprovides feedback between project phases, in order to implement correctiveor preventive actions to bring the project into compliance with the projectmanagement plan.

Project Maintenance is an ongoing process, and it includes:• Continuing support of end users• Correction of errors•

Updates of the software over time

Monitoring and controlling cycle

In this stage, auditors should pay attention to how effectively andquickly user problems are resolved.

Over the course of any construction project, the work scope maychange. Change is a normal and expected part of the construction process.Changes can be the result of necessary design modifications, differing siteconditions, material availability, contractor-requested changes, valueengineering and impacts from third parties, to name a few. Beyond executingthe change in the field, the change normally needs to be documented toshow what was actually constructed. This is referred to as Change

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Management. Hence, the owner usually requires a final record to show allchanges or, more specifically, any change that modifies the tangible portionsof the finished work.

Closing

Closing includes the formal acceptance of the project and the endingthereof. Administrative activities include the archiving of the files anddocumenting lessons learned. This phase consists of:

• Project close: Finalize all activities across all of the process groups toformally close the project or a project phase

• Contract closure: Complete and settle each contract (including theresolution of any open items) and close each contract applicable to the

project or project phase• Resources: In project management terminology, resources are required to

carry out the project tasks. They can be people, equipment, facilities,funding, or anything else capable of definition (usually other than labour)required for the completion of a project activity. The lack of a resource willtherefore be a constraint on the completion of the project activity. Resourcesmay be storable or non storable. Storable resources remain available unlessdepleted by usage, and may be replenished by project tasks which producethem. Non-storable resources must be renewed for each time period, even if not utilised in previous time periods.

2. What are the roles and responsibilities of a project manager?

Title RoleProject Manager The person responsible for developing,

in conjunction with the Project Sponsor,a definition of the project. The ProjectManager then ensures that the projectis delivered on time, to budget and tothe required quality standard (withinagreed specifications). He/she ensuresthe project is effectively resourced andmanages relationships with a widerange of groups (including all project

contributors). The Project Manager is also responsiblefor managing the work of consultants,allocating and utilising resources in anefficient manner and maintaining a co-operative, motivated and successfulteam.

Responsibilities

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• Managing and leading the project team.• Recruiting project staff and consultants.

• Managing co-ordination of the partners and working groups engagedin project work.

• Detailed project planning and control including:

•

Developing and maintaining a detailed project plan.• Managing project deliverables in line with the project plan.

• Recording and managing project issues and escalating wherenecessary.

• Resolving cross-functional issues at project level.

• Managing project scope and change control and escalating issueswhere necessary.

• Monitoring project progress and performance.

• Providing status reports to the project sponsor.• Managing project training within the defined budget.

• Liaison with, and updates progress to, project steering board/seniormanagement.

• Managing project evaluation and dissemination activities.

• Managing consultancy input within the defined budget.

• Final approval of the design specification.

• Working closely with users to ensure the project meets businessneeds.

• Definition and management of the User Acceptance Testingprogramme.

• Identifying user training needs and devising and managing usertraining programmes.

3. Describe the various steps involved in monitoring and controlling aproject

Project Monitoring and ControlAny project aimed at delivering a product or a service has to go

through phases in a planned manner in order to meet the requirements. It ispossible to work according to the project plan only by careful monitoring of the project progress. It requires establishing control factors to keep theproject on the track of progress. The results of any stage in a project,depends on the inputs to that stage. It is therefore necessary to control all

the inputs and the corresponding outputs from a stage. A project managermay use certain standard tools to keep the project on track. The projectmanager and the team members should be fully aware of the techniques andmethods to rectify the factors influencing delay of the project and its product. The various steps involved in monitoring and controlling a project from startto end are as follows –

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Preliminary work – the team members understand the project plans,project stage schedule, progress controls, tracking schedules, summary of the stage cost and related worksheets. All the member has to understand thetolerances in any change and maintain a change control log. They mustrealize the need and importance of quality for which they have to followstrictly a quality review schedule and frequently discuss on the quality

agendas. They must understand the stage status reports, stage end reports,stage end approval reports. Project Progress – The members must keep a track of the projectprogress and communicate the same to other related members of theproject. They must monitor and control project progress, through the use of regular check points, quality charts, and statistical tables, control the qualityfactors which are likely to deviate from expected values as any deviation mayresult in changes to the stage schedule. The project manager ensures thatthese changes are made smoothly and organizes review meeting with theproject management group. Stage Control – The manager must establish a project check pointcycle. For this suitable stage version control procedures may be followed. The

details are to be documented stage wise. Project files have to be frequentlyupdated with suitable version control number and revision status should bemaintained for each change. Team members are identified who will exercisecontrols at various points of the project. Resources – Plan the resources required for various stage of theproject. Brief both the project team and the key resources about theobjectives of every stage, planned activities, products, organization, metricsand project controls Quality Control – This is very important in any project. Quality controlis possible if the project members follow the quality charts and norms verystrictly.

Schedule Quality Review – It is recommended that quality review bescheduled at the beginning of the stage and also ending of every stage.

Agenda for quality review – create and distribute a quality reviewagenda specifying the objective, products, logistics, roles, responsibilities andtime frame.

Conduct quality review – the quality review is to be conducted in astructured and formal manner. Quality review should focus on productdevelopment and its quality factors. Focus on whether it meets theprescribed quality standard.

Follow up - QR complete product status revised from ‘In progresses to‘QR Complete’. Follow up the actions planned in strict manner which ensuresconformity to the standards.

Review quality control procedures – verify that the qualityobjectives for each product are appropriate and that all participants aresatisfied both with the process and its outcome. The Control of The Project Process And

• Project Progress Controla) Monitor Performance: The team members log in details of actual start date,actual finish date, actual hours worked per task, estimated hours to completethe task, elapsed time in hours to complete the task, any miscellaneous costs

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incurred during a stage. These inputs become the base to monitor theperformance of the project and its stages.b) Update Schedule-Update the schedule for actual start date for tasksstarted, actual finish date for tasks finished, and actual hours worked pertask, latest estimated work in hours to complete the task.

• Update costs - Update the stage cost summary worksheet with actual costs

incurred this period, estimated remaining costs. Miscellaneous costs will beautomatically updated from the scheduler, since they are calculated fromactual work.

• Re-plan stage schedule-Review the tracking Gantt and Cost workbook andidentify any deviation from the baseline. Establish why the deviation hasoccurred. Refer back to the project control factors to help determine theappropriate corrective action and adjust the schedule accordingly. Determineif the stage has exceeded the progress, cost and quality tolerance levelsagreed with the project management team. Review status of open issues anddetermine any further action required on these issues. Review the status of any outstanding quality reviews Review any new change requests.

• Conduct team status review- Conduct a status meeting with the project

team. Items for discussion are achievements this period planned activitiesthat are incomplete or overdue, activities for the next period, new issuesidentified this period, issues closed this period, summary of results of qualityreviews , summary of schedule and cost status, suggested revisions to theplan.

• Create status report – The status report provides a record of currentachievement and immediate expectations of the project. The status has to beeffectively communicated to all interested parties.

• Create Flash report - summarize the accomplishments for the month,schedule status, upcoming tasks for the month and any major issues.Distribute to the project team and project management team

• Project Status Reports - As discussed earlier, the status report provides arecord of current achievements and immediate expectations of the project.A weekly status report includes:- Accomplishments during the period- Items not completed during the period- Proposed activities for the next period- Any predicted slippage to the stage schedule, along with cause andcorrective action.- Any predicted cost overrun along with cause and corrective action.Approvals – Project stage reviews and the decisions taken and actionsplanned need to be approved by the top management. The goals of suchreview are to improve quality by finding defects and to improve productivityby finding defects in a cost effective manner. The group review processincludes several stages like planning, preparation and overview a groupreview meeting and rework recommendations and follow-up.Change ControlControlling the changes in the project is possible through a proper changemanagement process and using necessary tools for controlling the change.Change control is necessary to control the increase of work at various stagesof project and to manage effectively the disruptions in the stages, if any.

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These factors may affect the progress of the project, resulting in deviationsfrom the stage schedules, project and stage cost and project scope.Changing Project Management Process The processes involved in bringing about a change are the following:i. Request for a change- Identify need for a change based on which a formalrequest from either a member of the project team or a client or a coordinator

or Key stakeholder to make a change is to be made.ii. Identify Alternate Solutions – Evaluate the change request and identifyseveral alternative solutions. Assess the alternatives with respect to thefunctional scope, schedule, effort and cost.iii. Decide on the Actions for the change – Present the change request,alternative solutions and recommendation to the project management team. The project management team is required to accept the recommendation,choose an alternative solution, or request further investigation.iv. Implement change – make appropriate schedule and other project planadjustments to accommodate the change, communicate these to teammembers, monitor progress and execute quality control on the changes.

Tools for Changing a process There are various tools which can be used to bring about a change in aprocess. All such tools can be mainly classified into the following two types-a) Change Management System (CMS) – It is a methodology whichrequires collection of all formal documented procedures, defining how projectperformance will be monitored and evaluated, how project plans could beupdated, how various measures can be implemented to control the changeprocess. These procedures may be unique to an organization based on theirproject needs. It also includes procedures to handle the changes that may beapproved without prior review, so that the evolution of baseline can bedocumented.b) Configuration Management (CM) – Identify the configuration items anddefine the naming and numbering scheme, structure the changes, define abackup procedure, and follow the methods for tracking the status of configuration items. Identify and define the responsibility and authority of theCMS.To Understand The Post Closure Activities Along With The Way Of

Reporting And Documentation Project Closure

Any project that is planned properly and executed as per the plan willalso close successfully. For successful completion of a project every aspect of the project should be monitored and controlled.Completion of all activities and benefits

The closure of a project may result in the following benefits –1. It implies that on successful completion of a project, it has not drifted from

its intended course and plans. Otherwise it would have resulted in achange and may also kick start another project affecting the main project.

2. The project member are acknowledged for the completion of the project,motivating them to take up more projects wherein the members would beable to confidently handle and take care of all the problems based upontheir learning from earlier project.

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3. It results in setting up of processes for continued development andimprovement of the final product of any project forthcoming.

4. It results in setting up of improved standard process and estimatingmodels for this type of future projects.

5. It enables resource redeployment.

The deliverable at the end of each stage could be –• A set of specified outputs for each stage of the project• New products or modified existing product• Items that may be less easy to distinguish like parameter setup data

transfer, staff training etc. Post Implementation Review

After every stage of a project is implemented, it may so happen thatthere could be a minor change or modification which has to be reviewed. Areview may by the following form:-

a) Final product review – The product obtained after every stage must

meet the requirements of that stage. If it completely meets the statedobjectives then focus on the issues of maintenance of the processes andproduct performance. If the final product does not completely meet theobjectives then identify the variations in the product and analyze thevariation. Study the factors responsible for the change and evaluate each oneseparately.

b) Outstanding project work review – many a times it is found thatthere may be some item of the project which is still not in its stage finishedform. It may be insignificant as it may be a byproduct of that stage notrequired immediately for the next stage. Then the items that are open shouldbe resolved and necessary steps be taken to close such open items.

c) Project Review- Every aspect of a project from start to end has to bereviewed. The objectives, performance criteria, financial criteria, resourceutilization, slips and gains of time, adherence to the project definition andplans have to be reviewed. All such review details and reports have to be welldocumented for future use.

d) Process review – Every process is important in any project. One mayreview the process to see if any changes can be made to improve itsperformance.

4. What is Risk Management? How can Risks be prioritized?

Risk management may be classified and categorized as:1. Risk assessment and identification The assessment and

identification focuses on enumerating possible risks to the project. Methodsthat can aid risk identification include checklists of possible risks, surveys,meetings and brainstorming and reviews of plans, process and workproducts. The project manager can also use the process database to getinformation about risks and risk management on similar projects.

2. Risk prioritization – focus on the highest risk. Prioritizationrequires analyzing the possible effects of the risk event in case it actuallyoccurs. This approach requires a quantitative assessment of the risk

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probability and the risk consequences. For each risk rate the probability of itshappening as low, medium or high. If necessary, assign probability values inthe ranges given for each rating. For each risk, assess its impact on theproject as low, medium, high or very high. Rank the risk based on theprobability. Select the top few risk items for mitigation and tracking.

3. Risk Control: The main task is to identify the actions needed to

minimize the risk consequences, generally called risk mitigation steps. Referto a list of commonly used risk mitigation steps for various risks from theprevious risk logs maintained by the PM and select a suitable risk mitigationstep. The risk mitigation step must be properly executed by incorporatingthem into the project schedule. In addition to monitoring the progress of theplanned risk mitigation steps periodically revisit project. The results of thisreview are reported in each milestone analysis report. To prepare this report,make fresh risk analysis to determine whether the priorities have

Risk Analysis The first step in risk analysis is to make each risk item more specific.

Risks such as, “Lack of Management buy in,” and “people might leave,” are a

little ambiguous. In these cases the group might decide to split the risk intosmaller specific risks, such as, “manager Jane decides that the project is notbeneficial,” “Database expert might leave,” and “Webmaster might getpulled off the project.” The next step is to set priorities and determine whereto focus risk mitigation efforts. Some of the identified risks are unlikely tooccur, and others might not be serious enough to worry about. During theanalysis, discuss with the team members, each risk item to understand howdevastating it would be if it did occur, and how likely it is to occur. Forexample, if you had a risk of a key person leaving, you might decide that itwould have a large impact on the project, but that it is not very likely. In theprocess below, we have the group agree on how likely it thinks each risk itemis to occur, using a simple scale from 1 to 10 (where 1 is very unlikely and 10is very likely). The group then rates how serious the impact would be if therisk did occur, using a simple scale from 1 to 10 (where 1is little impact and10 is very large). To use this numbering scheme, first pick out the items thatrate 1 and 10, respectively. Then rate the other items relative to theseboundaries. To determine the priority of each risk item, calculate the productof the two values, likelihood and impact. This priority scheme helps push thebig risks to the top of the list, and the small risks to the bottom. It is a usualpractice to analyze risk either by sensitivity analysis or by probabilisticanalysis. In sensitivity analysis a study is done to analyse the changes in thevariable values because of a change in one or more of the decision criteria. Inthe probability analysis, the frequency of a particular event occurring isdetermined, based on which it average weighted average value is calculated.

Each outcome of an event resulting in a risk situation in a risk analysisprocess is expressed as a probability. Risk analysis can be performed bycalculating the expected value of each alternative and selecting the bestalternative.

Ex: Now that the group has assigned a priority to each risk, it is readyto select the items to mange. Some projects select a subset to take actionupon, while others choose to work on all of Project the items. To get started,

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you might select the top 3 risks, or the top 20%, based on the prioritycalculation.

5. What is project management knowledge area? Explain briefly PMIS.

PROJECT INTEGRATION MANAGEMENT

A subset of project management that includes the processes required to

ensure that the various elements of the project are properly coordinated. Itconsists of:

• Project plan development—integrating and coordinating all projectplans to create a consistent, coherent document.

• Project plan execution—carrying out the project plan by performing theactivities included therein.

• Integrated change control—coordinating changes across the entireproject.

PROJECT SCOPE MANAGEMENT

A subset of project management that includes the processes required toensure that the project includes all the work required, and only the workrequired, to complete the project successfully. It consists of: • Initiation—authorizing the project or phase.

• Scope planning—developing a written scope statement as the basis forfuture project decisions.

• Scope definition—subdividing the major project deliverables into smaller,

more manageable components.

PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT

A subset of project management that includes the processes required toensure timely completion of the project. It consists of:

• Activity definition—identifying the specific activities that must beperformed to produce the various project deliverables.

• Activity sequencing—identifying and documenting interactivitydependencies.

• Activity duration estimating—estimating the number of work periods thatwill be needed to complete Individual activities.

PROJECT COST MANAGEMENT

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A subset of project management that includes the processes required toensure that the project is completed within the approved budget. It consistsof:

• Resource planning—determining what resources (people, equipment,materials) and what quantities of each should be used to perform projectactivities.

• Cost estimating—developing an approximation (estimate) of the costs of the resources needed to complete project activities.

• Cost budgeting—allocating the overall cost estimate to individual workactivities.

PROJECT HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

A subset of project management that includes the processes requiredto make the most effective use of the people involved with the project. It

consists of: • Organizational planning—identifying, documenting, and assigning project

roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships.• Staff acquisition—getting the needed human resources assigned to and

working on the project.• Team development—developing individual and group skills to enhance

project performance.

PROJECT RISK MANAGEMENT

Risk management is the systematic process of identifying, analyzing,

and responding to project risks. It includes maximizing the probability andconsequences of positive events and minimizing the probability andconsequences of adverse events to project objectives. It includes: • Risk management planning—deciding how to approach and plan the risk

management activities for a project.

• Risk identification—determining which risks might affect the project anddocument their characteristics.

• Qualitative risk analysis—performing a qualitative analysis of risks andconditions to prioritize their effects on project objectives.

PROJECT PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT

A subset of project management that includes the processes required

to acquire goods and services to attain project scope from outside theperforming organization. It consists of:• Procurement planning—determining what to procure and when.• Solicitation planning—documenting product requirements and identifying

potential sources.• Solicitation—obtaining quotations, bids, offers, or proposals, as

appropriate.

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6. List out the macro issues in project management and explain each.

a) Evolving key success factors (KSF) upfront: In order to providecomplete stability to fulfilment of goals, one need’s to constantly evaluatefrom time to time, the consideration of what will constitute the success of

completing a project and assessing its success before completion. The KSFshould be evolved based on a basic consensus document (BCD). KSF willalso provide an input to effective exit strategy (EES). Exit here does notmean exit from the project but from any of the drilled down elementalactivities which may prove to be hurdles rather than contributors.

b) Empowerment Title (ET): ET reflects the relative importance of members of the organisation at three levels.

i) Team members empowered to work within limits of theirrespective allocated responsibilities the major change frombureaucratic systems is an expectation from theses members toinnovate and contribute to tome and cost.

ii) Group leaders are empowered additionally to act independently

towards client expectation and are also vested with somelimited financial powers.

iii) Managers are empowered further to act independently but tomaintain a scientific balance among time, cost, expectation andperception, apart from being a virtual advisor to the topmanagement.

c) Partnering Decision making (PDM): PDM is a substitute to monitoringand control a senior with better decision making process with work closelywith the project managers as well as members to plan what based can bedone to manage the future better from past experience. The key here isthe active participation of members in the decision making process. Theownership is distributed among all irrespective of levels the term equallyshould be avoided here since ownership is not quantifiable. The rightfeeling of ownership is important.

The PD process is made scientific through:

i) Earned Value management system (EVMS)ii) Budgeted Cost of work scheduled (BCWS)iii) Budgeted cost of work performed (BCWP)iv) Actual cost of work performed (ACWP)

d) Management by exception (MBE): “No news is good news”. If amember wants help he or she located a source and proposed to themanager only if such help is not accessible for free. Similarly a membershould believe that a team leaders silence is a sign of approval should notprovoke comments through excessive seeking of opinions. In short leavepeople alone and let situation perform the demanding act. The bond limitof MBE can be evolved depending on the sensitivity of the nature and sizeof the project.

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ASSIGNMENT – MBA – SEM II – Subject Code:MB0033 – SET 2

1. Providing adequate resources is key to productivity – comment.

Key elements of a Productivity Improvement Program:

Obtain Upper Management Support. Without top managementsupport, experience shows a PIP likely will fail. The Chief Executive Officershould issue a clear, comprehensive policy statement. The statement shouldbe communicated to everyone in the company. Top management also mustbe willing to allocate adequate resources to permit success.

Create New Organizational Components. A Steering Committee tooversee the PIP and Productivity Managers to implement it are essential. TheCommittee should be staffed by top departmental executives with theresponsibilities of goal setting, guidance, advice, and general control. TheProductivity Managers are responsible for the day-to-day activities of

measurement and analysis. The responsibilities of all organizationalcomponents must be clear and well established.

Plan Systematically. Success doesn't just happen. Goals andobjectives should be set, problems targeted and rank ordered, reporting andmonitoring requirements developed, and feedback channels established.

Open Communications. Increasing productivity means changing theway things are done. Desired changes must be communicated.Communication should flow up and down the business organization. Throughpublications, meetings, and films, employees must be told what is going onand how they will benefit.

Involve Employees. This is a very broad element encompassing thequality of work life, worker motivation, training, worker attitudes, job

enrichment, quality circles, incentive systems and much more. Studies showa characteristic of successful, growing businesses is that they develop a"corporate culture" where employees strongly identify with and are animportant part of company life. This sense of belonging is not easy toengender. Through basic fairness, employee involvement, and equitableincentives, the corporate culture and productivity both can grow.

Measure and Analyze. This is the technical key to success for a PIP.Productivity must be defined, formulas and worksheets developed, sources of data identified, benchmark studies performed, and personnel assigned.Measuring productivity can be a highly complex task. The goal, however, is tokeep it as simple as possible without distorting and depreciating the data.Measurement is so critical to success, a more detailed analysis is helpful.

2. Explain the relevance of work breakdown structure in determineresponsibility area. Explain in detail GDM and its key features?

The Global delivery model (GDM) is adopted by an industry or businesssuch that it has a capability to plan design, deliver and serve to any customeror client worldwide with speed, Accuracy, Economy and reliability.

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The key features of GDM are:-

a) Standardization: Ingenious design and development of components andfeatures which like to be accepted by 90% of worldwide customer. Globalstandard of design focusing on highly standardized method and processesof manufacture or development. Adopt block-and-socket concept with

minimum adaptable or connection.b) Modularization: Product or solution split up into smallest possible

individual identifiable entities, with limited individuals functioningcapability but powerful and robust in combination with other modules.

c) Minimum customization: Minimum changes or modifications to suitindividual customers.

d) Maximum micro structuring: splitting of the product modules further intomuch smaller entity identifiable more through characteristics rather thanapplication features. Approach through standardization of these microbialentities even across multiple modules. Application of these microbialentities to rest within multiple projects or products or even as add-ons suitbelated customer needs.

3. What do you understand by Resource Smoothing? What is thesignificance of reviewing ROI?

Resource smoothing is part of the resource levelling process. In itself,resource smoothing is the process that, not withstanding any constraintsimposed during the levelling process, attempts to determine a resourcerequirement that is "smooth" and where peaks and troughs are eliminated.For example, even if 7 units of a given resource are available at any onetime, utilizing 5 of these units each week is preferable to 4 one week, 7 thenext, 2 the next and so on. Even if there is no limit to the amount of any oneresource available, it is still desirable that resource usage is as smooth aspossible. Given that the resource requirements of those activities on thecritical path are fixed, some order or priority needs to be established forselecting which activity and which particular resource associated with thisactivity should be given priority in the smoothing process. In determiningwhich activity should be given priority, a subjective judgment should be madeabout the type of resource (or resources) associated with each activity;priority should be given to the activities whose resources are considered tobe most important. Beyond this consideration, activities should be ranked inorder of total work content and total float or slack available for that activity. Auseful device for prioritizing is to consider the ratio of total work content/totalfloat remaining and give priority to activities with the highest value of thisratio.

Return on Investment (ROI) is the calculated benefit that anorganization is projected to receive in return for investing money (resources)in a project. Within the context of the Review Process, the investment wouldbe in an information system development or enhancement project. ROIinformation is used to assess the status of the business viability of the projectat key checkpoints throughout the project’s lifecycle. ROI may include thebenefits associated with improved mission performance, reduced cost,increased quality, speed, or flexibility, and increased customer and employee

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satisfaction. ROI should reflect such risk factors as the project’s technicalcomplexity, the agency’s management capacity, the likelihood of costoverruns, and the consequences of under or non performance. Whereappropriate, ROI should reflect actual returns observed through pilot projectsand prototypes.ROI should be quantified in terms of dollars and shouldinclude a calculation of the breakeven point (BEP), which is the date when the

investment begins to generate a positive return. ROI should be recalculatedat every major checkpoint of a project to see if the BEP is still on schedule,based on project spending and accomplishments to date. If the project isbehind schedule or over budget, the BEP may move out in time; If the projectis ahead of schedule or under budget the BEP may occur earlier. In eithercase, the information is important for decision making based on the value of the investment throughout the project lifecycle.

Any project that has developed a business case is expected to refreshthe ROI at each key project decision point (i.e., stage exit) or at least yearly.

If the detailed data collection, calculation of benefits and costs, andcapitalization data from which Return on Investment (ROI) is derived was not

required for a particular project, then it may not be realistic or practical torequire the retrofit calculation of ROI once the project is added to the Reviewportfolio. In such a case, it is recommended that a memorandum of record bedeveloped as a substitute for ROI. The memorandum should provide a brief history of the program, a description of the major benefits realized to datewith as much Quantitative data as possible and a summary of the processused to identify and select system enhancements.Some of the major benefits experienced by sites that installed theinformation system that would be important to include in the memorandumare:

a) Decommissioning of mainframe computersb) Reduction/redirection of labourc) Elimination of redundant systemsd) Ability to more cost effectively upgrades all sites with one standardupgrade package.

In each case above, identify the specific site, systems, and labourinvolved in determining the cited benefit. Identify any costs or dollar savingsthat are known or have been estimated. The memorandum will be used astool for responding to any future audit inquiries on project ROI. For theProject Management Review; it is recommended that the project leaderreplace the text on the ROI document through

(1) A note stating which stage of its cycle the project is in;(2) A bulleted list of the most important points from the memorandumof record(3) A copy of the memorandum of record for the Review repository.

In subsequent Reviews of the information system, the ROI slide can beeliminated from the package. There is one notable exception to thisguidance. Any internal use software project in the maintenance phase of its

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lifecycle that adds a new site or undertakes an enhancement or technologyrefresh that reaches the cost threshold established by Standard will need tosatisfy capitalization requirements. It requires all agencies to capitalize itemsacquired or developed for internal use if the expected service life is two ormore years and its cost meets or exceeds the agency’s threshold for internaluse software. The standard requires capitalization of direct and indirect costs,

including employee salaries and benefits for both Federal and Contractoremployees who materially participate in the Software project. Programmanagers are considered to be the source of cost information for internal usesoftware projects. If capitalization data is collected for the project in thefuture, the project would be expected to calculate and track its ROI.

4. Explain the concept of concurrency in High Technology Development.

Always aim one step higher in performance usually; high technologydevelopment has a long gestation period. By the time the product isperfected, it might have become obsolete. This necessitates that the periodbe shortened. The other alternative is to make technology development

futuristic i.e. keeps the aim or target one step beyond what is required.Combination of both will yield better results. Using principles of concurrentengineering, we can start building components as developed and assemblingon ad hoc basis and testing them and making changes taking intoconsideration any new requirements. Every effort to make the productcontemporary will improve the competitive advantage. Build concurrency intoevery activity Building concurrency into every activity is essential to reducethe development cycle time and to counter the technology obsolescence.Many of the tasks that are normally done in a serial fashion can be done inparallel by synchronizing the flow of information. The practices of theconcurrent engineering where the design of the product and all its associatedprocesses are carried out simultaneously based on team work andparticipation. Would not only help in reducing the development cycle time,but also improves the product functionality with regard to requirements.Concurrency can be accomplished in many ways both for productdevelopment as well as technology transfer, user evaluation and production.

5. What are the main utilities of an ERP package?Integration is Key to ERP Systems

Integration is an exceptionally significant ingredient to ERP systems. The integration between business processes helps develop communicationand information distribution, leading to remarkable increase in productivity,speed and performance.

The key objective of an ERP system is to integrate information andprocesses from all functional divisions of an organization and merge it foreffortless access and structured workflow. The integration is typicallyaccomplished by constructing a single database repository thatcommunicates with multiple software applications providing differentdivisions of an organization with various business statistics and information.The Ideal ERP System

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An ERP system would qualify as the best model for enterprise widesolution architecture, if it chains all the below organizational processestogether with a central database repository and a fused computing platform.Manufacturing

Engineering, resource & capacity planning, material planning, workflowmanagement, shop floor management, quality control, bills of material,

manufacturing process, etc.Financials

Accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, general ledger,cash management, and billing (contract/service)Human Resource

Recruitment, benefits, compensations, training, payroll, time andattendance, labour rules, people managementSupply Chain Management

Inventory management, supply chain planning, supplier scheduling,claim processing, sales order administration, procurement planning,transportation and distributionProjects

Costing, billing, activity management, time and expenseCustomer Relationship Management

Sales and marketing, service, commissions, customer contact and aftersales supportERP Systems Improve Productivity, Speed and Performance

Prior to evolution of the ERP model, each department in an enterprisehad their own isolated software application which did not interface with anyother system. Such isolated framework could not synchronize the inter-department processes and hence hampered the productivity, speed andperformance of the overall organization. These led to issues such asincompatible exchange standards, lack of synchronization, incompleteunderstanding of the enterprise functioning, unproductive decisions andmany more.For example: The financials could not coordinate with the procurement teamto plan out purchases as per the availability of money.Implementation of an ERP System

Implementing an ERP system in an organization is an extremelycomplex process. It takes lot of systematic planning, expert consultation andwell structured approach. Due to its extensive scope it may even take yearsto implement in a large organization. Implementing an ERP system willeventually necessitate significant changes on staff and work processes.• Consulting Services - are responsible for the initial stages of ERP

implementation where they help an organization go live with their newsystem, with product training, workflow, improve ERP's use in the specificorganization, etc.

• Customization Services - work by extending the use of the new ERPsystem or changing its use by creating customized interfaces and/orunderlying application code. While ERP systems are made for many coreroutines, there are still some needs that need to be built or customized fora particular organization.

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The ERP implementation process goes through five major stages whichare Structured Planning, Process Assessment, Data Compilation & Cleanup,Education & Testing and Usage & Evaluation.

1. Structured Planning: is the foremost and the most crucial stage where ancapable project team is selected, present business processes are studied,

information flow within and outside the organization is scrutinized, vitalobjectives are set and a comprehensive implementation plan isformulated.

2. Process Assessment: is the next important stage where the prospectivesoftware capabilities are examined, manual business processes arerecognized and standard working procedures are constructed.

3. Data Compilation & Cleanup: helps in identifying data which is to beconverted and the new information that would be needed. The compileddata is then analyzed for accuracy and completeness, throwing away theworthless/unwanted information.

Advantages of ERP Systems

There are many advantages of implementing an EPR system. A few of themare listed below:

• A perfectly integrated system chaining all the functional areas together• The capability to streamline different organizational processes and

workflows• The ability to effortlessly communicate information across various

departments\• Improved efficiency, performance and productivity levels

Disadvantages of ERP SystemsWhile advantages usually outweigh disadvantages for most

organizations implementing an ERP system, here are some of the mostcommon obstacles experienced:

• The scope of customization is limited in several circumstances• The present business processes have to be rethought to make them

synchronize with the ERP• ERP systems can be extremely expensive to implement• There could be lack of continuous technical support

6. Explain three levels of SCMo documentation. Explain PILIN.

It is possible today to establish a system aligned with an organizationsupply chain. It can be an add-on to existing ERP systems. The main objectives are:

i. Prevention of stock-out and over supplyii. Early warnings, elimination of bull-whip effectiii. Optimized allocation in bottleneck situations due to network-wide

inventory and demand transparency.

The main principles behind is the integration of supply chainparticipants, exchange of demand and inventory information, transparency &visibility of inventories and demands for multi-level supply chain. It also

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eliminates time lags in the information flow and ensures synchronization of demand information. SCMo set up (initialisation): The main steps for the setare;

a) Determination of the potentially critical part of the supply networkcriteria.

b) Mapping of structures a) high shortage risk and effect, long lead andreaction times, high total inventory cost, frequent engineeringchanges.

Main features- The main features of such systems are:i. Releases and Interactions Planning- it is a simple way to create

project plan.ii. Dashboard- It is a quick project status reporting tool.iii. To-Do lists_ Identify and list the integrated assignmentsiv. Integrated QA_ Bug tracking, test cases management, user

story-to-bugs traceability, QA stats and charts.v. Time Tracking- Create more accurate estimate of time.

A typical iteration plan methodologya) Add release (iterations will be generated automatically)b) Add user storiesc) Assign user stories on iterations (control team velocity)d) To plan next iteration just assign required user stories and control

remaining velocity units.e) View assigned tasks and bugsf) Change bugs statusg) Add spent timeh) Spent time report could be added form To-do list. To simplify time

calculation today’s time shown in the form.i) Bugs status could be changes right from the To-do list as well. So

developer spends less time on frequent actions.

PILLINGrowing realization that sustainable identifier infrastructure is required

to deal with the vast amount of digital assets being produced and storedwithin universities. PILIN is a particular challenge for e-research communitieswhere massive amount of data are being generated without any means of managing this date over any length of time. The broad objectives are to:

I. Support adoption and use of persistent identifiers and sharedpersistent identifier management services by the projectstakeholders.

II. Plan for a sustainable, share identifier management infrastructurethat enables persistence of identifiers and associated services overarchival lengths of time.

III. Deploying a worldwide site consolidated solution for exchangesever 2003 at Microsoft.

IV. Pictures

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V. Using Microsoft exchange server 2003 to consolidate more than 70messaging sites worldwide into seven physical locations.

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