1&2 Chapters
1&2 Chapters
Project Planning:
What is Project Plan?
Once a project is found to be possible, computer code project managers undertake
project design. Project designing is undertaken and completed even before any
development activity starts. Project designing consists of subsequent essential
activities: Estimating the subsequent attributes of the project:
Project size: What’s going to be the downside quality in terms of the trouble and
time needed to develop the product?
Cost: What proportion is it reaching to value to develop the project?
Duration: How long is it to reach design plate amended development?
Effort: What proportion of effort would be required?
The effectiveness of the following design activities relies on the accuracy of those
estimations.
planning force and alternative resources
workers organization and staffing plans
Risk identification, analysis, and abatement designing
Miscellaneous arrangements like quality assurance plans, configuration,
management arrangements, etc.
Precedence ordering among project planning activities:
The different project-connected estimates done by a project manager have already
been mentioned. The below diagram shows the order in which vital project coming
up with activities is also undertaken. It may be simply discovered that size
estimation is the 1st activity. It’s conjointly the foremost basic parameter supported
that all alternative coming up with activities square measure dispensed, alternative
estimations like the estimation of effort, cost, resource, and project length also are
vital elements of the project coming up with.
Project Execution
What is an Execution Meeting?
Execution Meeting is the discussion for defining the operational phase of project
management. It is responsible for all the activities from eliciting the requirements to
the development and testing of a product.
It includes brainstorming by individuals to follow a structured approach for
accomplishing the project’s tasks using a definite framework.
In the Execution Meeting, the stakeholders conceptualize the requirements into
executable operations and then, provide details of activities, strategies, protocols
timelines, and resource allocation for those operations.
It plays an important role in assuring that the project adheres to relevant requirements
and best industry standards so that it can be easily adopted in the market.
Purpose and Significance of Execution Meeting
Execution Meetings are organized so that the project managers can have greater
control over the project activities and make sure that they are aligned with the
standards.
Purpose
Considering the system and procedures: This Execution Meeting takes into
consideration the systems and procedures defined for project completion. For
example, the process of interacting with the ERP consultants to manage your
enterprise resources or consulting with third-party service providers for your project.
Managing the project’s task: It includes all the operational details and information
about the roles of various team members of the project. It also describes whether a
resource needs to be picked from the other team to manage the project tasks or
activity.
Highlighting the information: It highlights the various information that has to be
delivered to the clients and stakeholders of the project. It covers all the details about
deliverables, timelines, and updates on progress. It also defines the abstraction of
information using which we can decide what and how much information should be
delivered.
Project Monitoring and Controlling:
This phase of Project Management involves tracking the project’s progress,
comparing actual results to the project plan, and making changes to the project as
necessary. In the project management process, in that third and fourth phases are not
sequential in nature. These phase will run regularly with the project execution phase.
These phase will ensure that project deliverable are need to meet.
During the monitoring phase of the project management phases. The manager will
respond to the proper tracking the cost and effort during the process. This tracking
will not ensure that budget is also important for the future projects.
Project Termination
There can be many reasons for the termination of a project. Though expecting a
project to terminate after successful completion is conventional, at times, a project
may also terminate without completion. Projects have to be closed down when the
requirements are not fulfilled according to given time and cost constraints. This phase
of Project Management involves completing the project, documenting the results, and
closing out any open issues.
Some reasons for failure include:
Fast-changing technology
The project running out of time
Organizational politics
Too much change in customer requirements
Project exceeding budget or funds
Once the project is terminated, a post-performance analysis is done. Also, a final
report is published describing the experiences, lessons learned, and recommendations
for handling future projects.
Causes of Project Failure:
Any organization that experiences a project failure may suffer financial losses, missed
opportunities, and reputational harm. To reduce risks and guarantee effective project
outcomes, project managers and stakeholders must both have a thorough understanding
of the main reasons for project failure.
What is Project Failure?
When a project cannot complete its tasks within the predetermined spending limit and
time frame, it is considered a failure. Nonetheless, the stakeholders typically assess the
project’s success or failure based on their assessment and level of satisfaction with the
result. In addition, certain initiatives are deemed unsuccessful if they fall short of the ROI
goal or the financial projection. There are several reasons for this, but the good news is
that with the aid of some project management fundamentals, you can overcome each
challenge and ensure the success of your next project—and the one after that and the one
after that.
Major Causes of Project Failure in Project Management:
1. Poor Planning
As Benjamin Franklin once observed, “You plan to fail when you don’t plan.” Project
failures are mostly caused by inadequate planning. The success of a project greatly
depends on how well the scope, responsibilities of each participant, and timeline are
defined. Unprecedented dangers and problems are exposed to a project when there is no
clear planning. After the project is underway, trying to solve problems will inevitably
result in the waste of valuable time.
Solution: The likelihood of a failure is significantly decreased when all the details are
outlined and a realistic approach is taken.
2. Kitchen Sink Syndrome
When project requirements change during the course of work and expand beyond the
original plan, you end up with more tasks and responsibilities than expected. This
situation is known as scope creep or requirement creep, or kitchen sink syndrome. While
requirement creep can be obvious with sudden additional requests, it often happens
gradually over time.
For example, if you planned to create five advertisements for a new product launch, and
then the stakeholder asks to add two more online blogs for a different product, it adds
strain on your current resources and may delay the original tasks. Changes in project
scope are a leading cause of missed deadlines and project failures.
Solution: It’s crucial to clearly define, communicate, and agree on the project scope
before starting the work.
3. Inconsistently Defined Resources
Planning shouldn’t just focus on schedules, meetings, and duties. It’s also important to
consider human, financial, intellectual, and structural resources. When these factors
aren’t clearly defined, project deadlines can be missed, putting the project’s success at
risk. Many times, businesses start a project without having all the resources they need,
like money, tools, team members, time, or space.
Solution: Creating a resource management plan ahead of time is a smart way to prevent
project failures.
4. Setting Unrealistic Deadlines
Project failures often happen when you schedule complex tasks with tight deadlines. It’s
essential to carefully assess all aspects of the project and determine the time needed for
each phase. Additionally, leaving room for unexpected events is a practical approach to
ensure the project’s quality.
Solution: Before setting deadlines, it’s important to consider every aspect of the project.
Consulting with your team and team leader before making commitments is advisable.
5. Lack of Transparency
To avoid failures, it’s crucial to ensure complete project visibility for everyone involved.
Transparency should be maintained not only with the project manager but also with other
team members.
Solution: Clear guidelines, effective communication, regular meetings, proper document
management, and honesty in commitments help maintain the necessary transparency.
Project management software has proven effective in this regard.
6. Poor Communication
According to PMI’s report, ineffective communication poses a significant risk to project
budgets, with approximately $75M of every $135M at risk due to communication
breakdowns. Insufficient communication can lead to workflow misunderstandings and
ultimately result in poor returns on investment or revenue loss. Effective communication
is pivotal for project success or failure.
Solution: Utilize appropriate project management tools to facilitate active interaction
among team members and the project manager.
7. Unrealistic Expectations
Expecting to complete a project quickly, with limited resources, often leads to
disappointment. Project managers sometimes set unrealistic expectations by
overestimating their team’s capabilities. This approach can compromise project quality
and ultimately lead to failure.
Solution: Avoid overburdening the team and prioritize quality over quantity to ensure
satisfactory outcomes.
8. Inadequate Monitoring
Simply planning, communicating, and assigning tasks is not enough for project success.
Project managers must actively monitor progress to ensure adherence to plans.
Solution: Implement techniques like Earned Value management and Gemba walks to
monitor project progress closely and make timely adjustments.
9. Lack of Risk Management
Project failure can result from ignoring potential risks, which can escalate unfavorable
circumstances into catastrophes. To reduce or eliminate risks, the project must be started
with well-thought-out risk management procedures.
Solution: Identify risks early in the project, rank them according to importance, and put
preventative and corrective actions in place to successfully manage them.
10. Lack of detail Control
Success in project management depends on project monitoring, but it can be quite
challenging to maintain track of the details of multiple projects at once. As such, it is
imperative that you keep track of your project’s development, if it is on schedule, and
whether the budget is being handled. You can still make any necessary adjustments to any
departures from the original design in this way.
Solution: To monitor work, make sure deadlines are met, and efficiently manage funds,
put in place a strong project monitoring system.
Time constraint
A time constraint is a restriction on how long a project can take, setting due dates and
benchmarks. Projects often have deadlines to meet market needs or corporate goals.
Failure to meet deadlines can lead to missed opportunities, increased expenses, or loss of
competitive advantage. Effective time management techniques such as meticulous
planning, resource allocation, and regular progress evaluation are crucial to ensure
projects stay on track. Tools like Gantt charts and critical path analysis can help manage
time constraints effectively.
A time constraint is a set amount of time that a project has to be finished.
A project’s ability to meet timelines is essential to its success and is frequently
stakeholders’ top concern.
Setting goals, assigning resources, and scheduling work are all components of
efficient time management.
There might be a domino effect from one project aspect’s delay on other activities
and the project’s timeframe.
Effective time management techniques include the use of scheduling tools and
critical route analysis.
Modifications to the project’s needs or scope may affect its schedule and
necessitate revisions to meet deadlines.
Reducing risks that can result in delays is crucial to meeting the deadline.
Scope constraint
A scope constraint comprises parameters and restrictions on the amount of work for a
project, outlining deliverables, objectives, and requirements. Effective scope
management is vital to project success, as uncontrolled modifications or expansions
beyond the original scope can lead to scope creep, resulting in increased expenses,
delays, or conflicts. To prevent scope creep and ensure alignment with project goals,
project managers involve stakeholders early to define and document the project scope,
establish change control procedures, and continuously monitor scope throughout the
project lifecycle.
The project’s bounds are established by the scope constraint, which specifies what
will be included and excluded.
It entails specifying the project’s deliverables, goals, and specifications.
Uncontrolled modifications or additions to the project scope, known as scope
creep, can result in delays and cost overruns.
Clear communication with stakeholders is essential to effective scope management
in order to define and approve the project’s scope.
Verifying the scope of a project guarantees that all of its deliverables adhere to the
set specifications.
In order to avoid scope creep, scope management is keeping an eye on and
managing modifications to the project’s scope.
Effective scope management necessitates striking a balance between stakeholder
expectations, project limitations, and available resources.
Cost constraint
A cost constraint limits the amount of money allocated to a project, usually through a set
budget that must be carefully monitored to ensure expenses stay within authorized
spending caps. Cost management involves estimating, budgeting, and regulating
expenses to maximize resource usage and produce value within the budgeted amount. To
prevent cost overruns and maintain financial sustainability, project managers must
precisely estimate expenses, monitor expenditures, identify cost-saving opportunities,
and implement cost control mechanisms. Techniques such as earned value management,
variance analysis, and cost-benefit analysis are commonly employed to keep costs under
control and empower project managers to make informed decisions.
A cost constraint is a project’s financial limitations.
It covers all project-related expenses, such as labor, materials, overhead, and
resources.
Estimating costs entails projecting the costs necessary to finish the project.
Effective resource allocation is necessary for cost management in order to adhere
to the project budget.
Throughout the course of a project, costs are tracked and monitored through the
implementation of cost management procedures.
Budgetary contingency reserves are frequently incorporated to cover unanticipated
circumstances or hazards that may affect expenses.
Proactive risk management, frequent monitoring, and precise forecasting are
necessary for effective cost management.
Cost-benefit analyses are frequently carried out to assess the financial
sustainability of project choices and expenditures.
Other Common Project Constraints to Consider
In addition to the three project limitations of scope, cost, and time, you could also run
into risks, resources, and quality restrictions during the course of the project.
Risk
Project risks are any unexpected events that might have an impact on your work. There
are some positive project risks, but the majority are bad. For instance, a new technology
might be become available while your project is underway. This technology could make
your project go more quickly, or it could increase market rivalry and lower the worth of
your finished product. some risks can be of the following:
Lack of Clarity
High Costs
Low Performance
Resources
Resources and project cost restrictions are tightly related since these requirements come
with a financial cost. Project quality may suffer, costs may rise, and schedules may be
delayed in the absence of appropriate resource allocation.
Some Resources include:
People
Software
Equipments or materials
Quality
How well your project deliverables live up to your initial expectations is the measure of
project quality. Since project quality is your project’s final product, every project
limitation has an impact on it. Yet, project quality also has its own limitations because
there are elements of the project that can be low quality even though they have nothing to
do with money, schedule, resources, risk, or scope.
Some Quality include:
Too many project changes
Poor design or development skills
Communication Gap.
The Management Spectrum | 4 P’s in Software Project Planning:
For properly building a product, there’s a very important concept that we all should know
in software project planning while developing a product. There are 4 critical components
in software project planning which are known as the 4P’s namely:
Product
Process
People
Project
These components play a very important role in your project that can help your team
meet its goals and objective. Now, Let’s dive into each of them a little in detail to get a
better understanding:
People
The most important component of a product and its successful implementation is human
resources. In building a proper product, a well-managed team with clear-cut roles defined
for each person/team will lead to the success of the product. We need to have a good
team in order to save our time, cost, and effort. Some assigned roles in software project
planning are project manager, team leaders, stakeholders, analysts, and other IT
professionals. Managing people successfully is a tricky process which a good project
manager can do.
Product
As the name inferred, this is the deliverable or the result of the project. The project
manager should clearly define the product scope to ensure a successful result, control the
team members, as well technical hurdles that he or she may encounter during the building
of a product. The product can consist of both tangible or intangible such as shifting the
company to a new place or getting a new software in a company.
Process
In every planning, a clearly defined process is the key to the success of any product. It
regulates how the team will go about its development in the respective time period. The
Process has several steps involved like, documentation phase, implementation phase,
deployment phase, and interaction phase.
Project
The last and final P in software project planning is Project. It can also be considered as a
blueprint of process. In this phase, the project manager plays a critical role. They are
responsible to guide the team members to achieve the project’s target and objectives,
helping & assisting them with issues, checking on cost and budget, and making sure that
the project stays on track with the given deadlines.
Overview of project life cycle models:
What is a project life cycle?
The project life cycle is a framework project managers use to help them plan and execute
projects strategically and effectively to meet project goals.
Project life cycle definition:
The project life cycle consists of a series of steps, phases, or stages a project goes through
from beginning to finish—sometimes linearly and sometimes not. There are usually five
phases of the project life cycle: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure.
Characteristics of the project life cycle include:
A start and finish with distinct phases
Project objectives defined at the beginning
A plan for achieving the objectives
Deliverables and tasks to be completed
Systems for managing projects
A list of stakeholders
Project Clarity: Gives a clear knowledge of the aims and purposes of the project.
Strategic Alignment: Ensures that the project’s results are in line with the
organization’s overarching strategy by coordinating it with its strategic goals.
Communication Hub: By acting as a communication tool to make sure everyone is
aware of the project’s details and is on the same page, you can improve
communication.
Decision Framework: Ensures that decisions align with the project’s goals,
objectives, and scope by providing a framework for decision-making throughout
the project’s lifecycle.
Project Success: Raises the possibility that the initiative will succeed. It guarantees
the project is finished effectively, on schedule, and on budget.
Risk Management: By identifying possible hazards and pertinent mitigation
techniques, it aids in the management of project risks.
Stakeholder Guidance: Outlines the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder,
assisting in making sure that everyone is aware of what is expected of them.
Project integration management:
No two projects are the same in terms of deliverables, budget, and timeline. To ensure all
projects meet requirements and objectives, many companies use project integration
management as a standard practice.
Project integration management involves coordinating all project elements, from
delegating tasks and managing resources to communicating with stakeholders. By taking
a holistic approach to managing projects and their interdependencies, it allows you to
execute projects while keeping the big picture in mind.
To succeed in integrated project management, read on to learn about this practice in
detail, including the key steps and skills required.
What is project integration management?
Project integration management involves coordinating all elements of a project, including
tasks, resources, stakeholders, and deliverables. The purpose of project integration
management is to ensure that processes run efficiently and meet predefined goals .
You need project integration management when there are interactions between different
processes and teams. When projects have competing objectives or scheduling conflicts,
project integration management helps you make cost or schedule trade-offs that enable
your team to complete the project and meet stakeholder expectations.
Here’s a project integration management example: Let’s say the marketing team requires
data from the sales team in order to produce a report for stakeholders. Project integration
management is used to ensure that the data from the sales team is properly handed off to
the marketing team and that the deliverable meets requirements.
Project integration management also involves overseeing the five project management
phases that occur during the project lifecycle.
These five phases include:
Project initiation: The aim of this phase is to establish the vision and goals for the project
and secure stakeholder approval through project objectives. This phase consists of
creating the project charter to provide an overview of the project, a clear road map, and
the stakeholder register to specify the stakeholders involved.
Project planning: The planning process is where you set up the project infrastructure to
help you achieve the project goals within time, budget, and resource constraints. You’ll
create more detailed project documents to help your team understand the project vision
and what’s required to see it through.
Project execution: This is when you’ll put your project plan into action and get the
project underway. Most of the budget will be spent during this phase to produce the
deliverables. It also includes activities such as stakeholder engagement and
communications, quality assurance, and team development.
Project performance: This phase involves supervising the progress of the project and
comparing it against the original plan. It means taking corrective action when there are
blockers or delays.
Project closure: This is where you formally close out the project by getting approval from
the client or stakeholder. Records and lessons learned from the project should be archived
for future reference.
The 7 steps of project integration management:
Project integration management offers a holistic approach to project planning and
execution. The practice consists of seven processes to effectively coordinate project
activities. Let’s break them down.
1. Create project charter:
Projects typically start out with the creation of a project charter, a short document that
provides an overview of the project and identifies the project manager and key
stakeholders.
A project charter includes the following:
Scope
Objectives and deliverables
Project team members
Project risks
Benefits or returns on investment
Budget
Business case
A project charter essentially acts as a foundation on which you can further plan your
project. It also helps you gain buy-in from stakeholders, which enables you to move
forward quickly and autonomously within the project scope.
The next phase is project execution, in which the project manager takes charge of the
day-to-day work that must be done, such as:
This phase ensures that tasks are being carried out effectively according to the project
plan and scope statement.
Any knowledge or expertise gained during this step contributes to the company’s overall
body of knowledge, which is useful for future strategic endeavors.
The purpose of this step is to keep the project on track. If there are any deviations from
the project plan, they need to be identified and corrected.
Changes to projects can sometimes be stressful if not handled properly, but with a change
control process in place they don’t have to be.
That’s why change requests must be assessed to ensure they don’t exceed the scope or
approach scope creep, which refers to the increase in requirements during the project
lifecycle. Some companies even have a dedicated change control board to review change
requests related to budget, timelines, and resources, for example.
An example of project change is if the client asks for additional assets, in which case
you’ll need to evaluate the level of impact on the project.
Use a change control log to document all change requests, including which ones were
approved, the associated costs and resources, and how they impact the project timeline.
Smooth integration of change requests to current project activities is crucial for the
success of the overall project.
After all project work is complete and deliverables are shipped and approved by the
client, it’s time to close the project.
Project closure serves as a reference for future endeavors and provides insight on how to
improve the project integration management system.
Project scope refers to the detailed description of the deliverables, objectives, tasks, and
goals that need to be achieved within a project.
It describes the project’s parameters, restrictions, and roles, outlining what is and isn’t
part of the project’s work. Project scope, which essentially establishes the parameters for
what will be completed in project planning, execution, and control to guarantee that the
project’s goals are realized within the predetermined time, money, and resource
restrictions.
The Scope is the part of the Project Management that is responsible for the boundaries,
objectives, and deliverables of the Project. In other words, it is the total amount of
activities or tasks that need to be done under the Project Execution.
1. It includes all the information about the breakdown of the project tasks and
deliverables so that they can be easily managed.
2. Defining the Project’s scope is an integral part of the project definition and
execution phase.
3. Thus, it plays a crucial role in highlighting the precise objectives of the Project.
The Project Scope Management Process includes sequential steps and activities to define
the scope as per the requirements and goals aligned with the business process. In other
words, Project Scope Management is the process of defining, articulating, controlling,
and managing the Scope Statement of our Project.
It is responsible for assuring that the project deliverables accurately meet the
Project Goals and Objectives. This process does not execute in a single go.
Instead, it has several steps that are followed one by one to efficiently handle the
Project’s Scope.
This is the first step in which we conceptually define the Project Scope. Here, we initiate
the Scope Management Process by collecting the requirements for the Detailed Project
Scope Statement. After identifying the various stakeholders of the project and their
domains, the various inputs from the different stakeholders are refined and documented
in a detailed way. Hence, this step includes the collaboration among the stakeholders at
various levels while gathering the requirements, boundaries, and scope of the Project.
2. Write a Project Scope Statement
After identifying the scope of the Project, we write a Project Scope Statement outlining
various factors of the Project such as goals and objectives, Project deliverables,
exclusions and constraints, assumptions, milestones, and the Scope baseline. In other
words, we can say that the Scope is a Concept in Project Management but when we
define this concept and document it according to specific requirements, it becomes the
Project Scope Statement for that Project. Therefore, a Project Scope Statement helps the
Agile to understand the deliverables and milestones of the Project.
After the Scope has been identified and written as a scope statement, the next step is to
convert all the activities, tasks, or actions into a tangible document which is called the
Scope Management Plan. It outlines the key aspects including the procedures and
processes for handling the Scope. Along with this, it also assures that Scope aligns with
the project objectives in case of any updates or modifications.
This step involves defining the scope baseline of the project. The project activities may
seem to go beyond the project scope that we defined. Thus, a control plan is framed in
this step so that project tasks can be ensured to be executed within the defined scope of
the Project. When the Project Experts approve the Scope Statement defined for the
Project, it is documented in the Work Breakdown Structure and WBS Dictionary.
It is called the Scope Baseline of the Project which is the finalized Scope Statement of
the Project.
Thus, in Scope Management, the Scope Baseline incorporates the Scope statement as
well as the Work Breakdown Structure to provide the reference point to manage and
control the Scope.
5. Monitor and Control your Project Scope during the Project Life Cycle
Since monitoring and validation of any task is critical for the business, the Project
Experts verify that the various boundaries, deliverables, and other scope variables align
with the specified business requirement. Also, there can be some cases where we need to
reduce or limit the Project Scope due to the unrealistic expectations from the Project.
Hence, in this step, we can limit the Project Scope by using the Change Control Process,
creating the Gantt Chart, and refining the Change Control Management, so that the
Project remains within the precise scope.
So, with the above steps, the Scope of the Project can be easily identified and managed.
Let us see how much importance these steps hold for a successful project execution.
Defines Project Boundaries: Clearly defining the project scope helps in setting the
boundaries of the project. It specifies what is included in the project and, equally
important, what is not included. This prevents scope creep, which occurs when
additional work is added to the project without proper authorization.
Sets Clear Objectives: A well-defined scope provides clear objectives for the
project team. It helps everyone involved understand what needs to be achieved,
ensuring a shared understanding of the project’s goals.
Guided Decision Making: With a defined scope, project managers can make
informed decisions about what tasks, activities, and features are necessary to
achieve the project goals. It helps in prioritizing work and allocating resources
appropriately.
Start with Clear Objectives: Clearly define the project objectives and goals from
the outset. Understanding what the project aims to achieve will help in defining its
scope accurately.
Use a Structured Approach: Utilize a structured approach, such as the Work
Breakdown Structure (WBS), to break down the project into smaller, more
manageable components. This helps in identifying all the deliverables and tasks
that need to be included in the scope.
Set Boundaries and Constraints: Clearly define the boundaries and constraints of
the project scope. This includes specifying what is included within the scope (in-
scope) and what is not included (out-of-scope), as well as any limitations or
constraints that may impact the project.
Proper Documentation: Document the project scope in detail, including all
requirements, deliverables, assumptions, and constraints. Use a scope statement or
scope document to capture this information and ensure that everyone involved in
the project is on the same page.
Communicate Clearly and Consistently: Maintain open and transparent
communication with all stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle. Clearly
communicate the scope, objectives, and any changes or updates to ensure that
everyone is informed and aligned.