DEV234

Project Management For .NET Developers

Marc Gusmano

Director of Emerging Technologies

The Information Management Group

The Information Management Group

A Microsoft Solution Provider and Authorized Technical Education Center

Consulting, knowledge transfer and online learning solutions based on Microsoft technologies

Founded 1987, based in Chicago, IL USA

Corporate information: www.imginc.com

Today’s Focus

Project Managers, Leads on small to medium projects (size, complexity)

Who would like some simple, proven techniques, and tools

To help their projects get more predictable results

To help assure user buy in

To help make more informed tradeoff decisions

– “In a world without data, opinion prevails”

Sources Of Tools And Techniques

Project Management Institutehttp://www.pmi.org

Microsoft Solutions Frameworkhttp://www.microsoft.com/msf

Microsoft ITG, Operations best practices

20 yrs experience on software projects Managing projects, project mgrs, teaching, consulting, test, analysis, support, methodology

How Are Things Working Today?

Software-development projects fail all the time, no matter what their size

According to the Standish Group In a 2000 Study

Only 28% of software projects could be classed as complete successes (they were executed on time and on budget)

23% failed outright (meaning that they were abandoned)

Those numbers are improvements over a 16% success rate and a 31% failure rate (when the first study was done, in 1994)

Why do Projects fail? incomplete requirements

13%

lack of user involvement

12%

lack of resources

11%

unrealistic expectations

10%lack of executive

support9%

changing requirements or

specifications9%

lack of planning8%

didn't need it any longer

8%

other20%

Why do Projects succeed? Other5%

Ow nership5%

Proper Planning5%

Competent Staff5%

Firm Basic Requirements

5%Small Milestones

10%

Expereinced Project Mgr

15%

Clear Business Objectives

15%

Executive Management

Support15%

User Involvement20%

Why Do I Need Project Management?

Does anyone care?WHAT gets done

WHEN it gets done

HOW much it costs

Do you need resources from outside your group; have dependencies on other groups?

Would you like an “insurance” policy?To increase a project’ s predictability

A Framework For Project Management

Guidance to help organizations be more successful delivering IT Solutions:

Faster,

With fewer people,

Less risk,

While enabling higher quality results

A collection of principles, processes and best practices

Project Startup Considerations

Project Breaking New Ground? Yawn Oh my God!

How Much Cross Org involvement needed Intra-group

Company Wide, Worldwide

Level of Visible Organizational Sponsorship A Lot Very little

Alignment w/Business Objectives High Low

Tradeoff Flexibility for Time Most Least

Team Expereience Working Together A Lot Very little

Proj Mgr prior experience A lot Very little

The more your answers lean to the right, the more structure, process you need on your project.

Project Startup Risk Factors

Starting Up A Project

Structure the project and define scope The amount of structure, process is a function of the risks involved

Project Initiation, Scope Planning, Scope Definition (from Project Mgmt Institute)

Key DeliverablesProject Definition Document (Vision, Charter)

Project Issues, Risks, Communication Plan

MSF Team Model

CommunicationCommunication

Delivering the solution Delivering the solution within project constraintswithin project constraints

Satisfied Satisfied customerscustomers

Enhanced user Enhanced user effectivenesseffectiveness

Smooth deployment and Smooth deployment and ongoing operationsongoing operations

Approval for release only Approval for release only after all quality issues are after all quality issues are identified and addressedidentified and addressed

Building to Building to specificationspecification

DevelopmentDevelopment

TestTest

ReleaseRelease ManagementManagement

UserUserExperienceExperience

ProductProductManagementManagement

Program Program ManagementManagement

MSF Process Model

Vision/Scope Vision/Scope ApprovedApproved

Project Plans Project Plans ApprovedApproved

Scope Scope CompleteComplete

Release ReadinessRelease ReadinessApprovedApproved

DeploymentDeploymentCompleteComplete

Defining The Scope

Res

ourc

es

Features

Schedule

Where To Start? A few simple best practices

Project Definition DocumentHow do people know

– What this project is about and – “Who gets a vote, who only gets a opinion”

Project ScheduleWhat needs to get done by when

Who is responsible

Communication PlanHow do people know

– Where and when to look for project “stuff“– How raise issues, bugs, request changes…

1-Envisioning

Milestone:Vision-Scope Approved

Current State Infrastructure AssessmentFeature proposalMilestone Review ReportProject StructureRisk AssessmentTeam Lead Project Progress ReportTeam Member Project Progress ReportVision Scope Document

Envisioning – Key Deliverables

Where To Start: “Tools R Us”?

Project Definition DocumentMSF: Vision Scope

PMI : Project Charter

Other PM Websites

Project ScheduleMicrosoft Project

Excel, Visio, Word, Outlook

Others…??

Communication PlanWord, Excel, Custom Web page

SharePoint, Project ServerOthers…??

Project Definition Document

Suggested Content Areas

Why are we doing this

How will we know we are successful

Who needs to help, know about the project

Assumptions, Exclusions, Dependencies

Issues, Risks

BusinessNeed

ProjectObjectives

ProjectDeliverables

Roles &Responsibilities

Assumptions,Exclusions

SuccessCriteria,Metrics

Risks, Issues

ProjectTradeoffMatrix

Project Schedule

Focus on Deliverables and Milestones ~1day to 1 week durationConsider: How often will you update the scheduleConsider Checklists for detailed activities

Duration-Based versus Effort-Based EstimatingResource Tracking may require up to 50-75% more maintenance time (make sure it’s worth it)Contact field allows e-mail notifications

Option: Roles and Responsibilities using custom view

Develop A Communication Plan

How does it happen today – is it working well?

How do team members, stakeholders find out about project “stuff”?

Meetings

E-Mail (official, ad-hoc)

Phone calls

Hallway conversations

E. S. P. – Psychic Hotline?????

Don’t forget about new people joining the project

Key Project Communications

What Project “stuff” do people needOverall Project Status

Detail Project Status

Key Decisions, Changes

Schedule, Budget

Issues, Risks

Project Deliverables, Milestones

How do they know?Where to look???

When to look???

2-Planning

Milestone:Project Plans Approved

Planning - Key Deliverables

Availability Plan

Backup and Recovery Plan

Budget Plan

Capacity Plan

Communications Plan

Deployment Plan

Development Plan

End-User Support Plan

Master Project Plan

Microsoft Support Plan

Migration Plan

Monitoring Plan

Operations Plan

Performance Plan

Pilot Plan

Purchasing and Facilities Plan

Security Plan

Support Plan

Test Plan

Training Plan

MSF Application Model

BusinessBusinessServicesServices

UserUserServicesServices

DataDataServicesServices

Application 1Application 1 Application 2Application 2

Design Process Overview

Logical DesignLogical DesignConceptual DesignConceptual Design

ScenariosPhysical DesignPhysical Design

Components,User Interface, and Physical Database

Objects and Services,User Interface, and Logical Database

3-Developing

Milestone:Scope Complete

Developing - Key Deliverables

Testing and Bug Reporting

Traceability Audit

4-Stabilizing

Milestone:Release Readiness Approved

Stabilizing - Key Deliverables

Pilot Review

Release Signoff Form

Test Specification

5-Deploying

Milestone:Deployment Complete

Deploying - Key Deliverables

Post Project Analysis

Project Close-out Report

ResourcesResourcesProject Management Institute http://www.pmi.org

Microsoft Solutions Framework http://www.microsoft.com/msf/

Gantthead: IT Project Mgmt http://www.gantthead.com/

SW Program Mgrs Network http://www.spmn.com/

http://www.4pm.com/

http://www.pmforum.org/

http://www.allpm.com

SummarySummary

Start small1 thing you can sustain is better than 5 that you can’t

Just enough process Look at the size, complexity, risks of your project

The simpler the better

Look around, see what works for peersWebsites, Books, Professional Orgs

Community Resources

Community Resourceshttp://www.microsoft.com/communities/default.mspx

Most Valuable Professional (MVP)http://www.mvp.support.microsoft.com/

NewsgroupsConverse online with Microsoft Newsgroups, including Worldwidehttp://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx

User GroupsMeet and learn with your peershttp://www.microsoft.com/communities/usergroups/default.mspx

evaluationsevaluations

© 2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.© 2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.This presentation is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.This presentation is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.