Introduction to Project management

Introduction to Software system :

          A system is a collection of interrelated components that work together to acquire some objectives

Example : Management Information System

·      Patient Record

·      Employee Record

·      Billing

·      Medicine Record

A large software system need to be managed efficiently and effectively for this purpose we go to Project management concepts

Project :

It is defined as a set of activities to be performed within a certain time frame using defined resources

Project Management :

A project is temporary endeavor (i.e definite beginning and definite ending)

Project life cycle :

1.    Initializing Process

2.    Planning Process

3.    Executing Process

4.    Monitoring and Controlling Process

5.    Closing Process

Failure in Project:

1.    Time Management

2.    Cost Management

3.    Scope Management

4.    Quality Management

Constraints: The following are the constraints they are :

1.    Scope

2.    Schedule

3.    Cost

4.    Quality

5.    Resource

6.    Risk

Project manager should have the following qualities :The following are the top 10 quality  they are :

1.    Leadership

2.    Communication

3.    Information technology

4.    Accounting

5.    Purchasing

6.    Problem solving

7.    Good timing

8.    Thinking on your feet

9.    Strong focus on safety

10. Inspiration

Methods Of Scheduling

The three methods for project scheduling are:

1. Gantt chart

2. Critical Path Method (CPM)

3. Program evaluation and review technique (PERT)

1.Gantt chart:

2. Critical Path Method (CPM)

Critical path is a sequence of critical tasks/activities and is the largest path in the project network. It gives us the minimum time which is required to complete the whole project. The activities in the critical path are known as critical activities and if these activities are delayed then the completion of the whole project is also delayed.

Rules for designing the Activity-on-Node network diagram:

A project network should have only one start node

A project network should have only one end node

A node has a duration

Node   Representation :

          

Activity label is the name of the activity represented by that node.

Earliest Start is the date or time at which the activity can be started at the earliest.

Earliest Finish is the date or time at which the activity can completed at the earliest.

Latest Start is the date or time at which the activity can be started at the latest.

Latest Finish is the date or time at which the activity can be finished at the latest.

Float is equal to the difference between earliest start and latest start or earliest finish and latest finish.

FORWARD  PATH    EF=ES+DURATION             

BACKWARD  PATH  LS=LF-DURATION

SLACK=        LS-ES

                           OR

                          LF-EF

Example:

ACTIVITIES	PREDECESSOR	DURATION
A		2
B	A	4
C	A	6
D	B,C	8
E	C	1

FORWARD  PASS:

BACKWARD PASS:

NOW TO FIND THE CRITICAL PATH CALCULATE THE SLACK USING THE ABOVE FORMULA LS-ES OR LF-EF

THEREFORE THE CRITICAL PATH OF THE ABOVE PROJECT IS 

START A C E END 

3.Program evaluation and review technique (PERT)

Is  a  technique  adopted  by  organization  to  analyze  and  represent  the  activity  in  a project.  

PERT  is  a  method  to  evaluate  and  estimate  the  time  required  to  complete  a  task  within  deadlines.  

The  main  goal  of  pert  is  to  reduce  the  cost  and  time  needed  to  complete  a  project.

PERT  was  developed  in  1950  by  the  U.S  navy  during  the  cold  war.

It  is  commonly  used  in  conjunction  with  the  critical  path  method .

PERT   has   the   potential  to  reduce  both  the  time  and  cost  required  to  complete  a  project.

 STEPS  IN  THE  PERT  PLANNING   PROCESS:

PERT  planning  involves  the  following  steps:

1.  Identify   the   specific   activities.

2.   Determine   the   sequence  of  those  activities.

3.   Construct   a   network  diagram.

4.   Estimate  the  time  required  for  each  activity.

5.   Determine  the  critical  path.

ESTIMATING  TIME:

A   distinguishing  feature  of  PERT  is  its  ability  to  deal  with 

Uncertainty  in  activity  completion  times  .  for  each  activity,  the  model  usually   include  there  time  estimates.

OPTIMISTIC  TIME(O):    The   shortest  time  in  which  the  activity  can  be  completed.

MOST LIKELY  TIME(M):   The   completion  time  having  the  highest  probability .

PESSIMISTIC   TIME(P):    The  longest  time  that  an  activity  might  require.

DURATION=  O+4M+P/6