A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. Projects can vary in size and duration. The Denver International Airport project faced challenges including changing requirements, cost overruns, delays and technical issues that led to it being over budget and behind schedule. Successful project management requires balancing scope, time and cost, and relies on skills such as leadership, communication and problem solving. The Project Management Institute provides standards and certifications to disseminate best practices. Project managers must coordinate teams and resources to deliver projects successfully.

1. Project Management
Systems
4/16/2013

2. What Is a Project?
• A project is “a temporary endeavor
undertaken to create a unique product,
service, or result” (PMBOK® Guide 2004, p.
5)
• Projects can be large or small and take a short
or long time to complete

3. What is a project?
• One definition
– ‘a specific design or plan’
• Key elements
– non-routine
– specific objectives
– planned
– predetermined time span
– constrained resources

5. Denver International
Airport – Scope
• Designed to be the
largest US airport.
• Estimate cost: $1.7
billion.
• Budget: $2.08 billion.
• Planned finish date:
Oct. 1993.

7. Denver International AP
• Repeated design changes due to
changing requirements
from United Airlines
• Malfunctioning computerized
baggage system
• Inter-terminal transit
breakdowns.
• Millworkers’ union strike.

8. DIA – Cost & Time
2
2.5
4.8
4
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Cost Time
Estimate
Actual

9. DIA – Success?
• Public relations
disaster.
• 2006 blizzard
shredded Teflon roof.
• Death of Luis Jimenez
when “Mustang” head
fell on him.

10. PM Three-Legged Stool
Scope
Cost
Time
Project Success

11. Project Management
Skills
• Leadership
• Communications
• Problem Solving
• Negotiating
• Influencing the Organization
• Mentoring
• Process and technical expertise

12. The Role of the Project
Manager
• Planning
• Scheduling
• Coordinating
• Coaching
• Project succeeds or fails based on you!

13. Position of planning
• Feasibility study - decide if project is worth doing
• Plan how you are going do it, then do it
feasibility study
planning
project
Is it worth doing?
How do we do it?
Do it!

14. Project Management
Institute (PMI)
• Disseminates industry
best practices.
• Provides training and
certifications.
• Project Management Body
of Knowledge (PBMOK)

16. Functional vs. Project
Manager
Functional manager Project manager
Clear authority; quasi-
permanent; can direct
Low authority; temporary;
must convince
Established organization Developing organization
Long-term relationships Short-term relationships
Small set of skills managed Diverse set of skills
managed

17. PM Tools: Software
• Low-end
– Basic features, tasks management, charting
– MS Excel, Milestones Simplicity
• Mid-market
– Handle larger projects, multiple projects, analysis
tools
– MS Project (approx. 50% of market)
• High-end
– Very large projects, specialized needs, enterprise
– AMS Realtime
– Primavera Project Manager

18. Project Management
Tools and Techniques
–Project charter, scope statement, and
WBS (scope)
–Gantt charts, network
diagrams, critical path
analysis, critical chain scheduling
(time)
–Cost estimates and earned value
management (cost)

19. JJ - Software Project
Management, Oct 2010
Tools: Gantt Chart

20. Tools: Network Diagram

21. Adages
• Brooks’ Law
Adding manpower to a late software
project makes it later.
• Throwing money at a project doesn’t
solve the problem
• Taking resources away from a project
doesn’t always make it easier either