Project PlanningTechniques

U08784 Software Project ManagementRosemary Phillimore

Project Planning

Client Requirements

Start End

Project

Outline Project Plan

Start End

ProjectStages

Stage Plan

(may be one phase

of a largerdevelopment)

Phase Plan

Maternity

Pathology

Accidents

Others

Mar Apr May Jun July Aug SepProjects

Levels of Breakdown

Project

Stage 1 Stage 2

Task A

Task B

Task X Task Y

Activities Deliverables

Task/Activity/Deliverablechecklists

should be defined

Project Plan

Maternity Phase

Define Interface Needs

Design Interface

Prototype Interface

Implement in Admissions

Implement for Doctors

Mar Apr May Jun

Deliverables/Milestones RequirementsDefinition

EvaluationReport

ProductAcceptance

End ofStage

End ofStage

End ofStage

End ofStage

End ofStage

Stage Plan

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Design Stage of Maternity Phase Week

Staff Task

MP Design Interface

All Review with A Team

MP/DV Test Design on PDA Modules

All Review and Update

MP Specify Changes

DV Implement Prototype

DV/RS Test with Midwives

RS Test with Dr. Medway

All Review and Update

All Progress Meeting

Products/Tasks/Reviews

Stage Plan

Starting Products

Test

Review

Accept

BaselineProducts

Task

Task

Task

Task

TaskTask

Task

Task

Task

Mid-Stage Reviews End-Stage Review

Progress Reviews

Product Breakdown

Reports

Project Products

Technical Products

Software Documents

Quality Products

Management Products

PlansQA Plans QC Results

Stage Plans

Products

Technical Quality Man'mentTask AActivity A1Activity A2Activity A3

Task BActivity B1Activity B2

Task CActivity C1

Product Breakdown Products to be Delivered Quality Criteria Quality Review Procedures

Work Breakdown Tasks List Dependency between Tasks

Making a Stage Plan

Inputs Actions

Estimate Time for Each Task Consider Required Deadlines Draw activity Network Identify the Critical Path Document the Plan

Documenting the Plan

Product Breakdown

(Hierarchy Chart)

Project Schedule(Network Diagram)

Stage Plan(Gantt Chart)

Risk Analysis(Matrix)

Task

Risk

Easy to understandDrawn to scaleCan show resources against tasks Can show milestones Can show holidays/regular meetingsCan plot 'actuals' against predictions

Bar Charts ( Gantt Charts )

Time

Tasks

Not Drawn to ScaleIllustrate dependencies between tasksHighlight those tasks on the critical pathHighlight slack (or float) in the process

Networks

Not Drawn to ScaleIllustrate dependencies between tasksHighlight those tasks on the critical pathHighlight slack (or float) in the process

Networks

Milestone A Milestone B

A

B

C DE

F G HI J

KL M

N

Network Notation

Node

Earliest start time

Latest start time

Activity Name Activity

Duration

Critical Path

Dummy Activity

Network Notation

Activity Name Activity

Duration

DurationThe time required for the completion of the activity. This may be calculated knowing the resources available or may be calculated knowing how much time is available to complete the activity (the appropriate resources may be allocated later). See notes on activity timings at the end of this tutorial

Activity NameBy carefully analysing all aspect of the project both the technical and non-technical, a list can be made of the activities that need to be completed in order to achieve the project aims. This list is the basic data for drawing up the project network.

Network Notation

Activity Name Activity

Duration

ACTIVITY TIMINGSEach activity in the network is given a time. It is estimated as being the time required for the work to complete the task. In PERT (programme evaluation and review techniques), three such estimates are required for every activity: 

Optimistic time i.e. the best time possible for completing the activityPessimistic time i.e. worst possible timeThe most likely time

 These three times are used to give a weighted mean from the formula: 

Time = Optimistic time + 4*Most likely time + Pessimistic time6

Network Notation

Node

Earliest start time

Latest start time

The earliest time by which this event can be reached and subsequent activities can begin. For the first event this is zero, for other events it is calculated by adding all the durations of events leading up to that event. If there are two or more paths into an event then the one with the longest duration becomes the earliest event time. The latest start time is the time at which an event can occur if the total end date is not to be affected. Working from right to left calculate and enter latest event times by subtracting duration times. Where there is more than one path the correct latest time will be the smallest of the alternatives.

Events (nodes)

Events or nodes are points in time, do not have duration but represent the start and finish of activities. They often coincide with a deliverable (some significant tangible products that has to be completed) or a milestone (a point in the project where an assessment of progress made) of some sort. They are a point in time and have no duration but they can be used to show the earliest time at which following events may start and the latest time at which preceding events may finish.

Network Notation

Critical Path

Dummy Activity

The Critical PathThis is a path through the project where a series of tasks have no slack or float in their duration such that if one task on the path goes beyond its deadline then all the subsequent tasks slip and the project deadline is jeopardised. The critical path is the longest path from start to finish. For all activities on the critical path the Earliest Event time and the latest start time are the same. There may be more than one critical path in a system

Dummy ActivitiesDummies are added to a network in order to clarify dependencies where an ordinary arrow cannot reflect this correctly. Dummy activities have no duration. They may be used freely when first drawing the network. Unnecessary dummies should be eliminated later to simplify the diagram

Network Analysis

ACTIVITY DURATION DEPENDS(Months) ON

10 Requirements Analysis 315 Develop test plan 220 Systems Design 4 1025 Write test drivers 6 1530 Prepare test data 2 15, 1040 Code system 4 2050 System test 4 40, 30, 2560 Document system 2 2070 Install 4 50, 60

Network Analysis

Planning Packages Project Managers Workbenches Work Recording Packages

Spreadsheets Decision Support Packages

Estimators Project Breakdown and Templates

IPSE / CASE

Microsoft Project Planner is on Brookes Network

Tools for Project Management