Telecommunications Project Management

Week 5

Scope Management

Organizational Structure

Scope Management

“Set of processes to ensure that the project delivers the work that was specified and to restrict the activities to what is needed for its completion with success.

Definition of Scope

First major taskBoundaries in terms of features &

functions for the product or service to be delivered (or retired)

Schedule for delivery & budget

Project Charter

Executive sponsor outlines the project high-level objectives

Also defined by a Market Service Description (MSD)

Due to project charter:Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)Project plan of record agreed on

Plan of Record

First StepEnsures all project participants share a

collective vision regarding:Project objectivesBasic assumptionsGovernance (authority & responsibilities)

Project Execution

Scope management focuses on keeping project on track with evolving project environment

Scope Initiation

Project initiation is the set of activities that end with the definition of a “project charter”

Prompted by:Need analysisFeasibility studyRFP

Define the position of the product within the company’s portfolioType of innovationMarket potentialsIdentify opportunities and threats

Project Charter

Brief summary of the contour of the project General description of scope How project objectives mesh with corporate strategy Identify project manager – define authority General description of project content PM structure Identifies project sponsor and expected customers Telecom

Understanding of current and emerging technologies New consumer trends Potential competitors Existing and forthcoming rules and regulations

Scope Planning

ArtJudgment, wisdom, and courage to satisfy stakeholders

ScienceTools to facilitate decision making such as WBS

Match outline in the project toTriple constraintsPhase in life cycle technologyType of innovationIn case of mismatch PM needs to inform Project

Sponsor and Project Owner of undue risks

Market Service Description (MSD)

Describes how the project fits into the product portfolio of the company and target market

Describes value to potential customers Characterizes the project boundaries:

Regulations Competitive landscape Effects of new service on existing customers or legacy services – also effects

on internal operations Rough Order of Magnitude Analysis (ROMA)

Expected revenues Financial costs Resources required Risk assessment Risk reduction plan Exit strategy

Scope Definition

WBS – “a deliverable-oriented grouping of project elements which organizes and defines the total scope of a project. Each descending level represents an increasingly detailed definition of a project component.”

WBS is a hierarchal representationStarts from very generalProgresses toward smaller elementsElements at bottom called work packages (WPs)

Work Package

Work a single person can perform in 2-3 weeks

Clear beginning and end datesLogically related to its predecessors and

successor tasksDetails of the execution unneeded

SMART Objectives

SpecificMeasurableAchievableRealisticTime

Work Package Checklist

Higher the number of positive answers – more subdivision needed

Is there a need to improve the accuracy of the cost and duration estimates?

Is there more than one person assigned to the work package?

Does the work package include more than one functional activity?

Is there a need to know precisely the timing of activities within the work package?

Is there a need to cost-out activities internal to the work package?

Work Package Checklist

6. Are there dependencies between the internal activities of a work package and other work packages?

7. Are there significant interruptions in the execution of the internal activities of the work package?

8. Are there different precursor activities to the individual activities internal to the work package?

9. Is there any acceptance testing applicable to the deliverable before the entire work package can be done?

10. Are there any intermediate deliverables that are useful to the project, such as generating a positive cash flow?

11. Are there any specific risks to internal activities which require focused attention?

Telecom Work Package

Only highest level of WBS specified Details typically left to functional

organizations executing the tasks 2 key implications

Due to project planning team having limited knowledge to compose WBS into WPs, scope definition has large element of risk – Especially when new market or technology is involved

Margin of error in ROMA is high – high probability of misjudging the time and costs needed

Technical Plan

Statement of Work (SOW)All WPs that must be executed and

integrated with each other to deliver planned services

Telecom servicesNetwork technologyOperations support systemsMethods and procedures

Technical Service Description (TSD)

Technical features of the servicePerformance expectations

CapacityPerformanceAvailabilityReliability

Translated into requirements on equipment & engineering rules for network

Define equipment configuration, quality objectives, and quality measures

TSD Aspects

Access to core network Network topology Numbering or addressing plan Frequency plan Physical installation of network

Layout for physical installation Procurement, warehousing, deployment of equipment and policies of

spares Backup and emergency procedures Training of personnel Customer support Network support Change control procedures Disaster recovery

TSD Aspects

Operation Support Systems (OSS)ProvisioningConfiguration and inventory managementNetwork element managementMaintenanceAccounting and billingSecurity

Case Study

EZ Pass

Sources of Scope Change

Internal FactorsChange project priorities due to

Major reorganizationsChanges in sponsorship or fundingChanges in resources availabilityPremature definition of scope

External factorsNew market demandsChanges in regulationsNew industry configurations (mergers or spin-offs)

Scope Creep

Results from changes in customer profile or expectations

FactorsFocus on the wrong applications or lack of

knowledge of end-user applicationAddressing wrong set of customers or end-users,

especially if customers needs not correctly represented

Contradictory requirementsRequirement instability

Scope Management Principles

Subjectivity Experience Understanding trends in technology Individual ambitions Ideological or sociopolitical motives

Outsmart the competition Maintain employment Gain markets

Process needed to make sense of incoming information and adjust project scope Project estimates in terms of cost and duration changeable

Frequency of change dependent upon innovation level Cost of modifications to the project increases with progress in the

implementation Tracking and warning system helpful

Problem resolution sought to rectify project trajectory – with sufficient analysis and discussion

Change Control Policy

1. Stakeholders that can request a change

2. Document change request including urgency, severity, and reason – also effect on project cost/schedule

3. Process for examining and validating the request

4. Document the decision and consequence

5. Communication process concerning decision

Scope Verification

Tracking and Issue ManagementData collection and processingInformation distribution to team members and

stakeholdersFacilitate work and not impede it

Inform team members of individual assignmentsRemind them of forthcoming eventsTrack and document issues raised and their resolutionsCollect performance data and feedbackProcess the data and distribute information on variances

and any changes to the plan

Scope Verification

Project TerminationCauses

Changes in technology made service obsoleteUnexpected technical or technological

difficultiesMarket expectations and customer profile

changeProject sponsor lost interest or powerCompany structure change

Organizational Structure

Organizational Structures

Organizational Work FlowAuthority – power granted by individualsResponsibility – obligation incurred by

individuals in their roles within organizationAccountability – answerable for satisfactory

completion of an assignmentAccountability = authority + responsibility

Growth of Trust

Even though a problem exists, both the project and functional manager deny that any problem exists.

When the problem finally surfaces, each manager blames the other.

As trust develops, both managers readily admit responsibility for the problems.

The project and functional managers meet face-to-face to work out the problem.

The project and functional managers begin to formally and informally anticipate problems.

Traditional Organization

Two centuries oldP.92

Traditional Organization

Advantages Easier budgeting and cost control possible Better technical control possible

Specialists can be grouped to share knowledge and responsibilityPersonnel can be used on many different projects

Flexibility in use of manpower Continuity in the functional disciplines: policies, procedures,

and lines of responsibility easily understandable Good control over personnel Communication channels well established Quick reaction capability exists

Traditional Organization

DisadvantagesNo one individual directly responsible for the total

projectNo project-oriented emphasisCoordination becomes complexDecisions favor strongest functional groupsNo customer focal pointResponse to customer needs is slowDifficult to pinpoint responsibilityMotivation and innovation decreased

Line-Staff Organization (Project Coordinator)

P.99

Line-Staff Organization

Unsuccessful due to:Upper-level management not ready to cope with the

problems arising from shared authorityUpper-level management was reluctant to relinquish

any of its power and authority to project managersLine-staff project managers who reported to a

division head did not have any authority over a project in other divisions

Pure Product (Projectized) Organization

P.100

Pure Product Organization

Advantages Complete line authority over the project Participants work directly for the project manager Strong communication channels Rapid reaction time Personnel have loyalty to project – increased morale with

product identification Focal point for out-of-company relations Flexibility in determining time, cost, and performance trade-

offs Upper-level management has more free time for executive

decision making

Pure Product Organization

DisadvantagesHigh cost to maintain this due to duplication of

effort, facilities, and personnelRetain personnel on a project long after neededTechnology suffers – outlook to future to improve

company’s capabilities for new programs hamperedLack of opportunity for technical interchange

between projectsLack of career continuity and opportunities for

project personnel

Matrix Organizational Form

P.102

Matrix Organization

Matrix Organization Ground Rules:Participants full-time on projectHorizontal and vertical channels of communicationQuick and effective means of conflict resolutionHorizontally and vertically oriented managers

willing to negotiate for resourcesHorizontal line permitted to operate as a separate

entity except for administrative purposes

Matrix Organization

Key Questions:If each functional unit is responsible for one aspect

of a project, and other parts are conducted elsewhere, how can a synergistic environment be created?

Who decides which element of a project is most important?

How can a functional unit answer questions and achieve project goals and objectives that are compatible with other projects?

Matrix Organization

Advantages PM maintains maximum project control over all resources including cost

and personnel Policies and procedures can be set up independently for each project PM has authority to commit company resources Rapid response possible for changes, conflict resolution, and project needs Functional organization exist as support Each person has a “home” after project completion Key people shared = program cost minimized Strong technical base developed – knowledge available for all Conflicts minimal Better balance of time, cost, and performance Rapid development of specialists and generalists Authority and responsibility shared Stress distributed among the team

Matrix Organization

Disadvantages Multidimensional information flow Multidimensional work flow Dual reporting Continuously changing priorities Management goals different from project goals Potential for continuous conflict and conflict resolution Difficulty in monitoring and control Each project organization operates independently – possible duplication More effort and time to initially define policies and procedures Functional managers may be biased Balance of power between functional and project organizations must be

watched Rapid response time possible for individual problem – reaction time can be slow People may feel they do not control their own destiny - due to reporting to

multiple managers

Matrix Organization

Other possible undesired results:Project priorities and competition for talent may

interrupt the stability of the organizationLong-range plans suffer as company is caught up in

meeting schedules and fulfilling requirements of temporary projects

Shifting people from project to project may disrupt training

Lessons learned may not be communicated to other projects

Matrix Organization Pathologies

Power Struggles – horizontal vs. vertical hierarchy Anarchy – formation of organizational islands during periods of

stress Groupitis – confusing the matrix as being synonymous with group

decision making Collapse during economic crunch – flourish during growth and

collapse during lean times Excessive overhead – how much supervision necessary? Decision strangulation – too many people involved in decision

making Sinking – pushing the matrix to the depths of the organization Layering – matrix within a matrix Navel gazing – overly involved in the internal relationships of the

organization

Matrix Organization Situations

1. Complex, short-run products are organization’s primary output

2. Complicated design calls for both innovation and timely completion

3. Several kinds of sophisticated skills needed in designing, building, and testing the product

4. Rapidly changing marketplace calls for significant changes in products

Matrix Organization Requirements

Training in matrix operationsTraining in how to maintain open

communicationsTraining in problem solvingCompatible reward systemsRole definitions

Matrix Organization

P. 110

Philosophy of Management

P. 112

Strong, Weak, & Balanced Matrix

Strong MatrixPM has more influence over the worker

Weak MatrixLine Manager has more influence over

worker

Most common denominator is where the command of technology resides

Which Organizational Form is Best?

Dependent upon:Project sizeProject lengthExperience with project management organizationPhilosophy and visibility of upper-level managementProject locationAvailable resourcesUnique aspects of the project

Which Organizational Form is Best?

Additional factors:Diversity of product linesRate of change of product linesInterdependencies among subunitsLevel of technologyPresence of economics of scaleOrganizational size