Is Anyone Good At Project Management? Options

[muntahunta]

I have one bit of coursework due tommorow and I have no idea what to do.

I really need help understanding what I have to do... then it'll probably be easy... the assignment is written out so bad its disgraceful.

if your good at it and have 5 mins to read the assignment, please post here and i'll upload it.
Cheers

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[OrganisedConfusi...]

I can have a read. I'm a Systems Engineer so Project Management is part of my job.

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[muntahunta]

cheers man
ill upload it here

 Ass1.doc ( 35.5K ) Number of downloads: 159


im really struggling understanding what i have to write about.

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[fkalich]

I have one bit of coursework due tommorow and I have no idea what to do.

I really need help understanding what I have to do... then it'll probably be easy... the assignment is written out so bad its disgraceful.

if your good at it and have 5 mins to read the assignment, please post here and i'll upload it.
Cheers

ok, i looked. I took this stuff long ago, too long. well it seems to me his is not asking for quantitative analysis. you can bull **** your way though this. but you need to organize what he has written. i think what you say badly written, is intended to be that way, the top part has to be organized coherently, and then the bs questions answered. focus on what he asks. but you have to keep reworking the top part until you get a coherent perspective, in context of what you have been taught in the class.

i am not being much help, been too long. don't give up though, things will make sense, but 2 days would have been better. just keep at it and don't be discouraged, it will become more clear after a number of reads.

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This post has been edited by fkalich: Mar 17 2008, 03:04 PM

[OrganisedConfusi...]

Christ on a bike that is some mad assignment. The assignment info has half the amount of text as you're expected to right lol

It is fairly easy though I'd say. Question 1 talk about the failings of the project. Why was it so far behind schedule? Lack of communication between A and B was a huge thing. No Phase Reviews or Update Meetings it seems and team A didn't even know the Gantt Chart timelines that B were running to and where they were up to. So mainly discuss the communication failings.

Question 2 involved why things could have been delayed. Such as team B may have struggled to get in touch with the customers for the project and may have therefore struggled to get the requirements from them. By struggled to get in touch I mean when in meetings they haven't asked the right questions to get the required information from them and also it could have been delayed through failing to give the correct resources to a task and failing to update key documents such as the Gantt Chart.

Question 3 is easy and asks how to improve this. So things like frequent meetings between the two, sharing project documents and giving constant updates and also using tools to help collect requirements efficiently such as Viewpoint Analysis and Systemic Textual Analysis to fully understand what the customer wants. And also use things like Quality Function Deployment. Also what may be of use is for them to have a left shifted V diagram process so most of the work occurs early on with testing done against each of the initial stages to make sure errors are spotted early on and can be changed before they start costing twice the amount.

I hope I've given you some ideas. If you need more just ask

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This post has been edited by OrganisedConfusion: Mar 17 2008, 02:59 PM

[muntahunta]

thanks to both of you
this isnt just guitarmaster class anymore... its just masterclass i love how everyone can play guitar, allows me to get intouch with people with experiences in everything

I didnt know i had this assignment due tommorow until this morning, they changed the hand in date without telling me, i found out through a friend on the same course.

you've both been a great help and if i get stuck i know where to ask

Thanks
Chris

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[fkalich]

thanks to both of you
this isnt just guitarmaster class anymore... its just masterclass i love how everyone can play guitar, allows me to get intouch with people with experiences in everything

I didnt know i had this assignment due tommorow until this morning, they changed the hand in date without telling me, i found out through a friend on the same course.

you've both been a great help and if i get stuck i know where to ask

Thanks
Chris

i looked again. it looked easier the second time. it will clear up.

try to categorize things as you can, to simplify things. for example you have the requirements. consider that just one unit. try to group all the elements as you can to simplify things. i see some assumptions, those could be weak points. for example, the assumption that A thought he had enough staff. How did he know that? read your notes, and look for the things he brought out in lecture.

at first I thought "holy ****". but now I figure this is doable. but look at your notes, not just the assignment, to put in your head what he will be looking for.

anyway I am impress to see guys your age doing this stuff.

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This post has been edited by fkalich: Mar 17 2008, 03:27 PM

[muntahunta]

lol, im 20, nearly 21

for some reason i have to do this for teaching 11-16 year olds.

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[fkalich]

lol, im 20, nearly 21

for some reason i have to do this for teaching 11-16 year olds.

i sent your task to a friend, who did IT project management for Sprint Telecom. I will send his comments later today to you. I expect he can give you some advice.

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[fkalich]

OK, my friend who did this type of work sent me this. at the end by Program Manager he means that you had several projects going on here, but no overall umbrella program manager.



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I have read over the document including the assignment at the end. Here are some things to consider about doing the assignment.


Item #1 - What has gone wrong:


Subcontractor has no repeatable process, reluctance to document progress
High level milestones not sufficient for tracking progress
Requirements identified for B are too high level
B working directly with C without A's involvement
Lack of Program Management for the entire project
Item # 2- Blame for project delay and disruption:


Key off Director A's ideas on page 3
Consider lack of overall control by Company A
Item # 3 - Lessons learned for future projects


Need detailed requirements in addition to high level requirements that are ongoing

Agreed upon detail of required reporting throughout each phase between all entities

Establish dialogue between all three entities
Milestones need to be measurable

Program management needed in addition to project management

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This post has been edited by fkalich: Mar 17 2008, 06:06 PM

[muntahunta]

im loving you both

your making my really bad day so much better

thankyou :D:D

im in your debt

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[Goliath]

I'm a project manager for a construction company but sounds like you've got it in hand, if you REALLY need my input to read that epic word document then I'll take a stab, but I'm guessing it's taken care of.

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[dusty]

to paraphrase Organised Confusion

Buddah on a Scooter!!!!

and you have to hand it in by tomorrow. cant you just tell him the dog eat your homework

Any way seriously; you can do this, you have been given some excellent advive from OC and fkalich, particularly rhe advice on Programme Management in this regard i would certainly mention the requirement for third party programme management considering the relationship between client and company A's directors. this is down to the client to organise and control because do not forget they are farming this out due to lack of internal resource or expertise. added to this the network rail company are ultimately responsible for the correct and safe operation of the network and the systems used to do so, engaging a contractorr does not discharge this responsibility and a high court would consider this. (may get you marks for considering this)

other key things include is the absolute need for front end requirements management, this usually done by the client project sponsor before a business case is even written, it is only after this point can the optioneering and investment analysis be considered as it sets out the clients specifications in clear unambiguous terms and then lends its self to a clear work break down structure. (which eventually filters in to the project plan.)

regular project control organisation (PCO) meetings with all parties at regular intervals chaired by company A would have avoided many of the circumstance in this situation and it is Company A's failing that these were not instigated.

there is a quality mangement standard applicable to projects you may want to look this up, (i cant remember what it is but similar to BS ISO9002)

cant help you much on the IT component but you may also want to mention the fact that company A should have controled the master project file and as such should have not had to have demanded documents from company B, if company b did not use similar knowledge management tools the both parties should have agreed an common tool when drawing up the contract.

dont fall in to the trap that he is trying to set up; that company B has the majority share of the blame.

hop i have helped and not confused you any further, if you are loosing the will to live with this assignement then stick to the pointers that the other two have given and you should be OK.

jsut so that you know i am an engineering manager in the power industry and a scenario like this is usually seen as another day at the office and as i am usually the client in this situation i ahve certainly learnt the hard way.

P.S
i start my MBA in May so i may be asking for advice in return

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[dusty]

found the quality standard

BS ISO 10006:2003

link to British standards site

http://www.bsi-global.com

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[muntahunta]

cheers people, you've all been brilliant, i'll let you know what mark i get when i get my results

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[MickeM]

Was the assignment handed in already? Looks like you got all the help you need but i'll just chip in a bit.

The way I found to work the best is to manage a project overview template. Thats just an Excel sheet if you like to keep it simple KISS always works the best imho.

There you'd define the phases
planning
system specification
approval
program specification
approval
testing
approval
Installation
approval
Phase out

The project group that's formed should always contain the neccessary ppl, in this case ppl from all involved groups A, B and C (or if that was the programming language, I just browsed through the paper) + the customer. And the customer should always approve the documents before the next phase would start. SOX reqirement. The project group reports upwards in the hirearchy so the manager should not find out they are late while golfing.

Along the way you keep and uphold documentation.

Next part of the pot (project overview template) is to define the steps within each phase and assign personel to them and plan the time.
I know in your assignment you're thrown in right in the middle but a POT would still be of use to define where things went wrong and how much. The POT runs along a calendar line where the first column starts with day 1 and the last with the suggested finished date.
If possible assigne ppl from A to make the system and program specs and B performs the development and C does their thing (whichever that was)
Involve A in the testing, customer approves the system spec and program specs before you have a go.

Now when you're here you can calculate from how much time has passed where you should be in the POT. Add mile stones for each part that's been finished. (each big part). Make a budget line along the projects to see how much you've spent and what's left.
Compare that to where you actually are.
Then bs away in your report with your analysis and colclusions and suggestion on how to move further. Claim more money is needed to finish the project (always is).
Make priotities of what to finish first, the crucial matters, and put the least important things last. They can be finished afterwards if possible.
I think the big flaws in that project were
- lack of customer involvement (is that why B had a hard time collecting information)
- lack of A's supervision (that's why the POT were never followed. There would been a clear signal if something was late)

Good luck on your ass1.

--
POT
* Make an Excel sheet
* On rows, type in the big phases name and draw a colored bar along the time x-axis
* Divide the big phases into smaller tasks
* Draw colored bars along the x-axis for these aswell (days or weeks)
* Assign ppl from A and B to each task (1 person will fininsh a 30 days task in 30 days, 2 ppl in 15 days) Make sure that shows in the POT
Compare the reality to the POT and write your report accordingly
Errors
- Project group hasn't had frequent (weekly?) meetings and hasn't contained the right ppl (if one existed even)
- B has been unlear on the status (solved if a project group had existed)
- A hasn't had control if the project (- " - )
- Management hasn't been informed of the progress (- * - )

Where there not enough resources A + B ?
A could have been involved in the specification and testing parts while B sticks to coding.
Customer involved in testing

Read up on:
Enron
SOX
ISO certification

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