Peak LAN Project

Kirk BaringerMeagan BeemanAllison BentonYolanda BoydThomas Guess

Project Information•Peak Systems, located in Meridian, Louisiana•Information Systems Consultants•Project: City of Meridian’s social welfare agency•Goal: to build complete Local Area Network (LAN)•Budget $90,000 to be completed in 26 days

Project Team Risk•Team Size•Three people•Team Composition• Project Manager and two interns•Is this enough manpower?

Project Team Risk

•Team Size•Three people•Team Composition• Project Manager and two interns•Is this enough manpower?

Project Team Risk•Team Size•Three people•Team Composition• Project Manager and two interns•Is this enough manpower?

Budget Risk•Established budget is $90,000•Do not cut corners•Cheaper Hardware•Hardware and Software compatibility•Hardware reliability•Is this a realistic budget?

Timeline Risk•Project complete in one month•Allot of hardware•Hardware• Locating and purchasing•Delivery•Testing•Multiple suppliers•Is this enough time?

External Access Risk•Security•Wired always better•Privacy Act information•Wireless less secure•Physical vs. internet based database•Database corruption

User Account Risk•List must be accurate•Names, roles, and permissions• Log on problems•Access problems•Earlier enough in project

Risk Assessment•Mapping out risks can be beneficial for a project.•Helps prepare a team for what might occur.•Scenario analysis is the most commonly used technique for analyzing risks.

Risk Assessment MatrixRisk Event Likelihood Impact Detection Difficulty When

Team Size Very High High Very Low Continuous

Budget High Very High Low Continuous

Availability of hardware and software

Moderate High Moderate Installation

Secure external/wirelessaccess High High High Installation

User priorities & authorizations -can’t log on Low Moderate High Start-up

Project Team RiskRisk Management Matrix

Risk Event Response Contingency Plan Trigger Who is Responsible

Team size Add personnel Sub-contract if possible and within budget

Workload compared to timeline

Peak ProjectManager working with City of Meridian

Budget Increase budget or downsize project

Negotiate with the City of Meridian

At the earliest point it becomes obvious the budget is too small

City of MeridianAnd Peak project manager

Availability of hardware and software

Send bids out to several suppliers

See if extras can be placed on standby and returned if unused

From the onset of the LAN project if there are shortages

Peak project manager

Secure external/wirelessaccess

Set up tests to ensure this system is working and secure

Have alternate ways for remote employees to access the server

At the earliest point this system can be tested and doesn’t work.

Peak Project manager

User priorities & authorizations -can’t log on

Have a standby system while transitioning to the new LAN or work weekends and off peak hours

Have a secondary server system on standby and don’t take the entire LAN down until the new system is running

At the earliest point the LAN can be tested, run tests periodically throughout the installation to help catch glitches.

Peak Project manager

Team Size

Risk Event Response Contingency Plan Trigger Who is Responsible

Team size Add personnel Sub-contract if possible and within budget

Workload compared to timeline

Peak ProjectManager working with City of Meridian

• Add personnel if needed• Sub-contract if within budget• Use the workload compared to the timeline as the trigger • Responsibility lies with both, Peak and the City of Meridian

Team Budget

• Increase the budget if possible or downsize the scope• Negotiate the budget with the city of Meridian• When it becomes obvious the budget is too small - trigger • Responsibility lies with both, Peak and the City of Meridian

Budget Increase budget or downsize project

Negotiate with the City of Meridian

At the earliest point it becomes obvious the budget is too small

City of MeridianAnd Peak project manager

Risk Event Response Contingency Plan Trigger Who is Responsible

Availability of SW & HW

• Send our multiple bids to suppliers of needed SW & HW• Research whether extras can be ordered and held/returned • If there are shortages this is an immediate trigger• The Peak project manager is solely responsible for this

Risk Event Response Contingency Plan Trigger Who is Responsible

Availability of hardware and software

Send bids out to several suppliers

See if extras can be placed on standby and returned if unused

From the onset of the LAN project if there are shortages

Peak project manager

Secure external/internal access

• Frequently test to ensure the system is working and secure• Establish alternate ways for remote employees to access• Earliest point system is tested and fails - trigger • Responsibility lies with Peak project manager

Risk Event Response Contingency Plan Trigger Who is Responsible

Secure external/wirelessaccess

Set up tests to ensure this system is working and secure

Have alternate ways for remote employees to access the server

At the earliest point this system can be tested and doesn’t work.

Peak Project manager

Priorities: Authorizations/user log on

• Stand-by system while transitioning to new LAN• Work weekends and during non-peak hours to test

• Establish secondary server for temporary back-up• Test LAN early and often; if it fails - trigger • Responsibility lies with Peak project manager

Risk Event Response Contingency Plan Trigger Who is Responsible

User priorities & authorizations -can’t log on

Have a standby system while transitioning to the new LAN or work weekends and off peak hours

Have a secondary server system on standby and don’t take the entire LAN down until the new system is running

At the earliest point the LAN can be tested, run tests periodically throughout the installation to help catch glitches.

Peak Project manager

Performing Monte Carlo Simulation

• A Monte Carlo simulation helps predict risk by using data to predict trends

• Performing a risk analysis will assist both PEAK and the City of Meridian in determining if the LAN project can be completed on time and within budget

• Having statistical data will allow the project manager to make sound decisions

Benefits of Monte Carlo Simulation• Allows for testing of theories before

launching the LAN project• Provides statistical validity to the City by

measuring probability that the project will meet its stated goals

• Reveals trends that can be modified to decrease risk

• Assists the project manager in communicating ways that the project can be restructured for enhanced quality, efficiency and cost

Steps to Perform • Define the problem to be solved• Can project be completed on

time and within budget?• Define the drivers/variables of the

problem• What might some of the delays

and hidden costs be?

Steps Cont.• Define the uncertainty for the

variables• Assign best, most likely and

worst case estimates to the identified variables

• Analyze the model using simulation• Create a model that will

compute the assigned formulas to create estimates

•End