System Analysis and design

( Unit 1.3)
Managing the Information Systems Project:

•Introduction;
•Managing the Information Systems Project;
•Representing and Scheduling Project Plans;
• Using Project Management Software
 Project Manager :-
• Through out the SDLC , the Project manager is responsible for
 initiating
 Planning
 Executing and
 Closing down the system development
• PROJECT MANAGEMENT is arguably the most important aspect of an information systems
development project.
• Effective project management helps to ensure that system development project meet customer
expectations and are delivered within the budget and time constraint.
• PROJECT MANAGER is a system ANALYAT with a diverse set of skills.
 Management
 Leadership
 Technical
 conflict management
 Customer relationship
Who is also responsible for initiating, planning, executing and closing down a project.
• PROJECT MANAGER is a very experienced SYSTEM ANALYST
• Understanding the project management process is a critical skill for future success.
  PROJECT:-
A planned undertaking of related activities to reach an objective that has beginning and an end.
 DELIVERABLE :-
An end product of SDLC phase.
 System development projects are undertaken for two primary reasons:
a. to take advantage of business opportunities
b. To solve business problem
  Managing the information system project.
 Triple constraints of project
 Scope
 It define what is part of the project it’s purpose , objectives , boundaries and the work needed
to achieve the final goal.
 (activities, Plan , vision , result , product, service , requirements , expectations)
 Time
 (Schedule project activities , Schedule back on track )
 It is the estimated total amount of time the project team needed to complete all the tasks
and deliver the final result.
 Cost
 ( hiring resources needed to complete the project).
 Human resources , other resources.
• PROJECT MANAGEMENT process involves four phases
I. Initiating the project
II. Planning the project
III. Executing the project
IV. Closing the project
 Managing the information system project.
I. Initiating the project :-
• During project initiation , the project manager performs several activities to assess the size, scope and
complexity of the project and to establish procedure to support subsequent activities.

a. Establishing the project initial team :

• Organizing an initial core of project team members to assist in accomplishing the
project initiation activities.
b. Establishing a relationship with customer
c. Establishing project initial Plan
• defines the activities required to organize the initiation team while it working to define the GOAL and SCOPE
of the project
d. Establishing management procedures : reporting procedure, job assignments and role, project changed
procedures, project funding and billing handling
e. Establishing the project management environment and project workbook:
repository for all project correspondence, inputs, outputs, deliverables, procedures ,Diagram, charts . It is used by all
team members and is useful for AUDITS, identifying future project , performing post project review, orientation of
new team member, communication with management and customers . Diligent recording of all project information in
the WORKBOOK
f. Developing the project charter :
• project charter is short (one page ),
• high level document prepared for the customer that describes what the project will deliver and outlines many of the
key elements of the projects.
• Charter includes the following elements:
 Project title , data of authorization
 Project manager name and contact information
 Project start and completion date
 Key stakeholders, project roles, and responsibilities
 Project objectives and descriptions
ii. Planning the project:-
• Project planning is 2nd phase of project management process that focuses on defining clear ,
discrete activities and the work needed to complete each activity within a single project
 What problem or opportunity does the project address?
 What are the quantifiable results to be achieved?
 What needs to be done?
 How will success be measured?
 How will we know when we are finished?
iii. Executing the project :-
 The third phase of the project management process in which the plans created in the prior phases
(project initiation and planning) are put into action.
 Project execution puts the Baseline Project Plan into action.
 Executing baseline project plan:-
This means that you initiate the execution of project activities, acquire and assign resources, orient and train
new team members, keep the project on schedule, and ensure the quality of project deliverables
 Monitoring project progress against the Baseline Project Plan:-
It is possible, with project schedule charts such as Gantt charts, to show progress against a plan, and it is easy with network
diagrams to understand the ramifications of delays in an activity. Monitoring progress also means that the team leader must
evaluate and appraise each team member, occasionally change work assignments or request changes in personnel, and
provide feedback to the employee’s supervisor.
 Managing changes to the Baseline Project Plan:-
 A slipped completion date for an activity
 A bungled activity that must be redone
 The identification of a new activity that becomes evident later in the project
 An unforeseen change in personnel due to sickness, resignation, or termination
iv. Closing down the project:-
 The final phases of the project management process that focuses on bringing a project to an end.
 Handover all deliverables to your customer.
 Gather the core team to invite feedback about what worked and what didn't.
 Representing and Scheduling Project Plans
 A project manager has a wide variety of techniques available for depicting and documenting
project plans. These planning documents can take the form of graphical or textual reports,
although graphical reports have become most popular for depicting project plans. The most commonly
used methods are Gantt charts and network diagrams.
 Gantt charts do not (typically) show how tasks must be ordered (precedence) but simply show when a
task should begin and when it should end, they are often more useful for depicting relatively
simple projects or subparts of a larger project, showing the activities of a single worker, or
monitoring the progress of activities compared to scheduled completion dates.
 Sometimes a network diagram is preferable; other times a Gantt chart more easily shows certain
aspects of a project. Here are the key differences between these two charts.
Gantt charts visually show the duration of tasks, whereas a network diagram visually shows
the sequence dependencies between tasks.
Gantt charts visually show the time overlap of tasks, whereas a network diagram
does not show time overlap but does show which tasks could be done in parallel.
 Some forms of Gantt charts can visually show slack time available within an earliest start and latest finish
duration. A network diagram shows this by data within activity rectangles.
 Representing Project Plans
Resources :-
• Any person, group of people, piece of equipment, or material used in accomplishing an activity.
• Network diagramming is a critical path scheduling technique used for controlling resources. A critical
path refers to a sequence of task activities whose order and durations directly affect the
completion date of a project.
• You would use a network diagram when tasks:
• Are well defined and have a clear beginning and end point
• Can be worked on independently of other tasks
• Are ordered
• Serve the purpose of the project
 Representing Project Plans
PERT ( Program Evaluation Review Technique):-
 PERT is a technique that uses optimistic, pessimistic, and realistic time estimates to calculate the
expected time for a particular task. This technique can help you to obtain a better time estimate
when there is some uncertainty as to how much time a task will require to be completed.
 The optimistic (o) and pessimistic (p) times reflect the minimum and maximum possible periods of time
for an activity to be completed. The realistic (r) time, or most likely time, reflects the project manager’s “best
guess” of the amount of time the activity actually will require for completion.
 Once each of these estimates is made for an activity, an expected time (ET) can be calculated. Because
the expected completion time should be closest to the realistic (r) time, it is typically weighted four times
more than the optimistic (o) and pessimistic (p) times. Once you add these values together, it must be
divided by six to determine the ET. This equation is shown in the following formula:
 Using Project Management Software
 When using this system (Microsoft project ) to manage a project, you need to perform at least the
following activities:
• Establish a project starting or ending date.
• Enter tasks and assign task relationships.
• Select a scheduling method to review project reports.