What is a Project?

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Definition of a Project

• Sequence of tasks
• Planned from beginning to end
  
• Bounded by time, resources, & required results


• Defined outcome and "deliverables"



• Deadline



• Budget
• limits number of people, supplies, and capital





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Tasks vs Projects

• Responding to email



• Making coffee



• Writing a letter to a prospect



• Hooking up a printer



• Producing a customer newsletter



• Catering a party



• Writing a book



• Implementing a computer network




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Five Features of a Project

• Defined beginning, end, schedule, and approach



• Use resources specifically allocated to the work



• End results have specific goals (time, cost, performance/quality)



• Follows planned, organized approach



• Usually involves a team of people




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Resources (and Constraints)

• Time



• People



• Money



• Equipment



• Facilities




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What Makes a Project Successful

• Organized, well planned approach



• Project Team Commitment



• Balance among



• Time



• Resources



• Results



• Customer Satisfaction




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Program

• A recurring project



• Happens predictably



• New plan



• New end result



• New set of resources




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Review of Project Elements

• Well defined goal



• Expectation of time commitment



• Underlying costs to achieve



• Described plan of achievement



• Listing of goal’s major sub-elements



• Description of risks or unknown factors



• Success measurement techniques




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Additional Elements in Defining the Project

• Funding sources and expectations



• Problem background information



• Critical reference document



• Project methodologies - management and operation



• Required capital equipment



• Necessary computer hardware & software




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Critical Project Factors

• Computer system as major technology component



• New characteristic - requires research



• Narrow domain to fit imposed semester deadline



• Commercial competition



• Acceptable risk factors




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Phases of a Project

• Conceptualization



• Feasibility



• Preliminary planning



• Detailed planning



• Execution



• Testing



• Termination




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Phase 1: Initiating

• Recognize the project should be done



• Determine what the project should accomplish



• Define the overall project goal



• Define general expectations of customers, management,
  or other stakeholders as appropriate



• Define the general project scope



• Select initial members of the project team




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Phase 2: Planning

• Refining the project scope



• Listing tasks and activities



• Optimally Sequencing activities



• Developing a working schedule and budget for assigning resources



• Getting the plan approved by stakeholders




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Phase 3 - Executing

• Leading the team



• Meeting with team members



• Communicating with stakeholders



• Fire-fighting to resolve problems



• Securing necessary resources to complete the project plan




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Phase 4 - Controlling

• Monitoring deviation from the plan



• Taking corrective action to match actual progress with the plan



• Receiving and evaluating project changes requested



• Rescheduling the project as necessary



• Adapting resource levels as necessary



• Changing the project scope



• Returning to the planning stage




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Phase 5 - Closing

• Acknowledging achievement and results



• Shutting down the operations and disbanding the team



• Learning from the project experience



• Reviewing the project process and outcomes



• Writing a final project report






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