MB0033: Project

Management
[Assignment SET1 & SET2]

Name : P. Srinath
SMDUE ID : 520923307
Center : Mehbub College Campus, Secunderabad
Subject Code : MB0033
Subject : Project Management
 ASSIGNMENT MBA SEM II Subject Code:
MB0033 SET 1
1. Define Project Management, resource, process and project cycle.
Explain the life-cycle of a project?
Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and
managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific
project goals and objectives. It is sometimes conflated with program
management, however technically a program is actually a higher level
construct: a group of related and somehow interdependent projects.
A project is a temporary endeavour, having a defined beginning and
end (usually constrained by date, but can be by funding or deliverables,
undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, usually to bring about
beneficial change or added value. The temporary nature of projects stands in
contrast to business as usual (or operations), which are repetitive, permanent
or semi-permanent functional work to produce products or services. In
practice, the management of these two systems is often found to be quite
different, and as such requires the development of distinct technical skills
and the adoption of separate management.
Resources: In project management terminology, resources are
required to carry out the project tasks. They can be people, equipment,
facilities, funding, or anything else capable of definition (usually other than
labour) required for the completion of a project activity. The lack of a
resource will therefore be a constraint on the completion of the project
activity. Resources may be storable or non storable. Storable resources
remain available unless depleted by usage, and may be replenished by
project tasks which produce them. Non-storable resources must be renewed
for each time period, even if not utilized in previous time periods.
Process: A project Management process is the management process
of planning and controlling the performance or execution of a project.

Input

Input Process Output

Project Management Process

Traditionally, project management includes a number of elements: four
to five process groups, and a control system. Regardless of the methodology
or terminology used, the same basic project management processes will be
used.

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 The project development stages

Major process groups generally include:

Initiation
Planning or development
Production or execution
Monitoring and controlling
Closing

Initiation
The initiation processes determine the nature and scope of the project.
If this stage is not performed well, it is unlikely that the project will be
successful in meeting the business needs. The key project controls needed
here are an understanding of the business environment and making sure that
all necessary controls are incorporated into the project. Any deficiencies
should be reported and a recommendation should be made to fix them.

The initiation stage should include a plan that encompasses the following
areas:
Analyzing the business needs/requirements in measurable goals
Reviewing of the current operations
Financial analysis of the costs and benefits including a budget
Stakeholder analysis, including users, and support personnel for the
project
Project charter including costs, tasks, deliverables, and schedule

Planning and design

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 Planning Process Group Activities
After the initiation stage, the project is planned to an appropriate level
of detail. The main purpose is to plan time, cost and resources adequately to
estimate the work needed and to effectively manage risk during project
execution. As with the Initiation process group, a failure to adequately plan
greatly reduces the project's chances of successfully accomplishing its goals.

Project planning generally consists of

determining how to plan (e.g. by level of detail or rolling wave);
developing the scope statement;
selecting the planning team;
identifying deliverables and creating the work breakdown structure;
identifying the activities needed to complete those deliverables and
networking the activities in their logical sequence;

Executing

Executing Process Group Processes

Executing consists of the processes used to complete the work defined
in the project management plan to accomplish the project's requirements.
Execution process involves coordinating people and resources, as well as
integrating and performing the activities of the project in accordance with the
project management plan. The deliverables are produced as outputs from the
processes performed as defined in the project management plan.

Monitoring and controlling

Monitoring and controlling consists of those processes performed to
observe project execution so that potential problems can be identified in a
timely manner and corrective action can be taken, when necessary, to

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 control the execution of the project. The key benefit is that project
performance is observed and measured regularly to identify variances from
the project management plan.

Monitoring and Controlling includes:

Measuring the ongoing project activities (where we are);
Monitoring the project variables (cost, effort, scope, etc.) against the
project management plan and the project performance baseline (where
we should be);
Identify corrective actions to address issues and risks properly (How can
we get on track again);
Influencing the factors that could circumvent integrated change control so
only approved changes are implemented

In multi-phase projects, the monitoring and controlling process also

provides feedback between project phases, in order to implement corrective
or preventive actions to bring the project into compliance with the project
management plan.

Project Maintenance is an ongoing process, and it includes:

Continuing support of end users
Correction of errors
Updates of the software over time

Monitoring and controlling cycle

In this stage, auditors should pay attention to how effectively and

quickly user problems are resolved.
Over the course of any construction project, the work scope may
change. Change is a normal and expected part of the construction process.
Changes can be the result of necessary design modifications, differing site
conditions, material availability, contractor-requested changes, value
engineering and impacts from third parties, to name a few. Beyond executing
the change in the field, the change normally needs to be documented to
show what was actually constructed. This is referred to as Change

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 Management. Hence, the owner usually requires a final record to show all
changes or, more specifically, any change that modifies the tangible portions
of the finished work.

Closing

Closing includes the formal acceptance of the project and the ending
thereof. Administrative activities include the archiving of the files and
documenting lessons learned.
This phase consists of:
Project close: Finalize all activities across all of the process groups to
formally close the project or a project phase
Contract closure: Complete and settle each contract (including the
resolution of any open items) and close each contract applicable to the
project or project phase
Resources: In project management terminology, resources are required to
carry out the project tasks. They can be people, equipment, facilities,
funding, or anything else capable of definition (usually other than labour)
required for the completion of a project activity. The lack of a resource will
therefore be a constraint on the completion of the project activity. Resources
may be storable or non storable. Storable resources remain available unless
depleted by usage, and may be replenished by project tasks which produce
them. Non-storable resources must be renewed for each time period, even if
not utilised in previous time periods.

2. What are the roles and responsibilities of a project manager?

Title Role
Project Manager The person responsible for developing,
in conjunction with the Project Sponsor,
a definition of the project. The Project
Manager then ensures that the project
is delivered on time, to budget and to
the required quality standard (within
agreed specifications). He/she ensures
the project is effectively resourced and
manages relationships with a wide
range of groups (including all project
contributors).
The Project Manager is also responsible
for managing the work of consultants,
allocating and utilising resources in an
efficient manner and maintaining a co-
operative, motivated and successful
team.

Responsibilities

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 Managing and leading the project team.
Recruiting project staff and consultants.
Managing co-ordination of the partners and working groups engaged
in project work.
Detailed project planning and control including:
Developing and maintaining a detailed project plan.
Managing project deliverables in line with the project plan.
Recording and managing project issues and escalating where
necessary.
Resolving cross-functional issues at project level.
Managing project scope and change control and escalating issues
where necessary.
Monitoring project progress and performance.
Providing status reports to the project sponsor.
Managing project training within the defined budget.
Liaison with, and updates progress to, project steering board/senior
management.
Managing project evaluation and dissemination activities.
Managing consultancy input within the defined budget.
Final approval of the design specification.
Working closely with users to ensure the project meets business
needs.
Definition and management of the User Acceptance Testing
programme.
Identifying user training needs and devising and managing user
training programmes.

3. Describe the various steps involved in monitoring and controlling a

project

Project Monitoring and Control

Any project aimed at delivering a product or a service has to go
through phases in a planned manner in order to meet the requirements. It is
possible to work according to the project plan only by careful monitoring of
the project progress. It requires establishing control factors to keep the
project on the track of progress. The results of any stage in a project,
depends on the inputs to that stage. It is therefore necessary to control all
the inputs and the corresponding outputs from a stage. A project manager
may use certain standard tools to keep the project on track. The project
manager and the team members should be fully aware of the techniques and
methods to rectify the factors influencing delay of the project and its product.
The various steps involved in monitoring and controlling a project from start
to end are as follows

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 Preliminary work the team members understand the project plans,
project stage schedule, progress controls, tracking schedules, summary of
the stage cost and related worksheets. All the member has to understand the
tolerances in any change and maintain a change control log. They must
realize the need and importance of quality for which they have to follow
strictly a quality review schedule and frequently discuss on the quality
agendas. They must understand the stage status reports, stage end reports,
stage end approval reports.
Project Progress The members must keep a track of the project
progress and communicate the same to other related members of the
project. They must monitor and control project progress, through the use of
regular check points, quality charts, and statistical tables, control the quality
factors which are likely to deviate from expected values as any deviation may
result in changes to the stage schedule. The project manager ensures that
these changes are made smoothly and organizes review meeting with the
project management group.
Stage Control The manager must establish a project check point
cycle. For this suitable stage version control procedures may be followed. The
details are to be documented stage wise. Project files have to be frequently
updated with suitable version control number and revision status should be
maintained for each change. Team members are identified who will exercise
controls at various points of the project.
Resources Plan the resources required for various stage of the
project. Brief both the project team and the key resources about the
objectives of every stage, planned activities, products, organization, metrics
and project controls
Quality Control This is very important in any project. Quality control
is possible if the project members follow the quality charts and norms very
strictly.
Schedule Quality Review It is recommended that quality review be
scheduled at the beginning of the stage and also ending of every stage.
Agenda for quality review create and distribute a quality review
agenda specifying the objective, products, logistics, roles, responsibilities and
time frame.
Conduct quality review the quality review is to be conducted in a
structured and formal manner. Quality review should focus on product
development and its quality factors. Focus on whether it meets the
prescribed quality standard.
Follow up - QR complete product status revised from In progresses to
QR Complete. Follow up the actions planned in strict manner which ensures
conformity to the standards.
Review quality control procedures verify that the quality
objectives for each product are appropriate and that all participants are
satisfied both with the process and its outcome.

The Control of The Project Process And

Project Progress Control
a) Monitor Performance: The team members log in details of actual start date,
actual finish date, actual hours worked per task, estimated hours to complete
the task, elapsed time in hours to complete the task, any miscellaneous costs

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 incurred during a stage. These inputs become the base to monitor the
performance of the project and its stages.
b) Update Schedule-Update the schedule for actual start date for tasks
started, actual finish date for tasks finished, and actual hours worked per
task, latest estimated work in hours to complete the task.
Update costs - Update the stage cost summary worksheet with actual costs
incurred this period, estimated remaining costs. Miscellaneous costs will be
automatically updated from the scheduler, since they are calculated from
actual work.
Re-plan stage schedule-Review the tracking Gantt and Cost workbook and
identify any deviation from the baseline. Establish why the deviation has
occurred. Refer back to the project control factors to help determine the
appropriate corrective action and adjust the schedule accordingly. Determine
if the stage has exceeded the progress, cost and quality tolerance levels
agreed with the project management team. Review status of open issues and
determine any further action required on these issues. Review the status of
any outstanding quality reviews Review any new change requests.
Conduct team status review- Conduct a status meeting with the project
team. Items for discussion are achievements this period planned activities
that are incomplete or overdue, activities for the next period, new issues
identified this period, issues closed this period, summary of results of quality
reviews , summary of schedule and cost status, suggested revisions to the
plan.
Create status report The status report provides a record of current
achievement and immediate expectations of the project. The status has to be
effectively communicated to all interested parties.
Create Flash report - summarize the accomplishments for the month,
schedule status, upcoming tasks for the month and any major issues.
Distribute to the project team and project management team
Project Status Reports - As discussed earlier, the status report provides a
record of current achievements and immediate expectations of the project.
A weekly status report includes:
- Accomplishments during the period
- Items not completed during the period
- Proposed activities for the next period
- Any predicted slippage to the stage schedule, along with cause and
corrective action.
- Any predicted cost overrun along with cause and corrective action.
Approvals Project stage reviews and the decisions taken and actions
planned need to be approved by the top management. The goals of such
review are to improve quality by finding defects and to improve productivity
by finding defects in a cost effective manner. The group review process
includes several stages like planning, preparation and overview a group
review meeting and rework recommendations and follow-up.
Change Control
Controlling the changes in the project is possible through a proper change
management process and using necessary tools for controlling the change.
Change control is necessary to control the increase of work at various stages
of project and to manage effectively the disruptions in the stages, if any.

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 These factors may affect the progress of the project, resulting in deviations
from the stage schedules, project and stage cost and project scope.
Changing Project Management Process
The processes involved in bringing about a change are the following:
i. Request for a change- Identify need for a change based on which a formal
request from either a member of the project team or a client or a coordinator
or Key stakeholder to make a change is to be made.
ii. Identify Alternate Solutions Evaluate the change request and identify
several alternative solutions. Assess the alternatives with respect to the
functional scope, schedule, effort and cost.
iii. Decide on the Actions for the change Present the change request,
alternative solutions and recommendation to the project management team.
The project management team is required to accept the recommendation,
choose an alternative solution, or request further investigation.
iv. Implement change make appropriate schedule and other project plan
adjustments to accommodate the change, communicate these to team
members, monitor progress and execute quality control on the changes.

Tools for Changing a process

There are various tools which can be used to bring about a change in a
process. All such tools can be mainly classified into the following two types-
a) Change Management System (CMS) It is a methodology which
requires collection of all formal documented procedures, defining how project
performance will be monitored and evaluated, how project plans could be
updated, how various measures can be implemented to control the change
process. These procedures may be unique to an organization based on their
project needs. It also includes procedures to handle the changes that may be
approved without prior review, so that the evolution of baseline can be
documented.
b) Configuration Management (CM) Identify the configuration items and
define the naming and numbering scheme, structure the changes, define a
backup procedure, and follow the methods for tracking the status of
configuration items. Identify and define the responsibility and authority of the
CMS.
To Understand The Post Closure Activities Along With The Way Of
Reporting And Documentation

Project Closure
Any project that is planned properly and executed as per the plan will
also close successfully. For successful completion of a project every aspect of
the project should be monitored and controlled.
Completion of all activities and benefits
The closure of a project may result in the following benefits
1. It implies that on successful completion of a project, it has not drifted from
its intended course and plans. Otherwise it would have resulted in a
change and may also kick start another project affecting the main project.
2. The project member are acknowledged for the completion of the project,
motivating them to take up more projects wherein the members would be
able to confidently handle and take care of all the problems based upon
their learning from earlier project.

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 3. It results in setting up of processes for continued development and
improvement of the final product of any project forthcoming.
4. It results in setting up of improved standard process and estimating
models for this type of future projects.
5. It enables resource redeployment.

The deliverable at the end of each stage could be

A set of specified outputs for each stage of the project
New products or modified existing product
Items that may be less easy to distinguish like parameter setup data
transfer, staff training etc.

Post Implementation Review

After every stage of a project is implemented, it may so happen that
there could be a minor change or modification which has to be reviewed. A
review may by the following form:-

a) Final product review The product obtained after every stage must
meet the requirements of that stage. If it completely meets the stated
objectives then focus on the issues of maintenance of the processes and
product performance. If the final product does not completely meet the
objectives then identify the variations in the product and analyze the
variation. Study the factors responsible for the change and evaluate each one
separately.
b) Outstanding project work review many a times it is found that
there may be some item of the project which is still not in its stage finished
form. It may be insignificant as it may be a byproduct of that stage not
required immediately for the next stage. Then the items that are open should
be resolved and necessary steps be taken to close such open items.
c) Project Review- Every aspect of a project from start to end has to be
reviewed. The objectives, performance criteria, financial criteria, resource
utilization, slips and gains of time, adherence to the project definition and
plans have to be reviewed. All such review details and reports have to be well
documented for future use.
d) Process review Every process is important in any project. One may
review the process to see if any changes can be made to improve its
performance.

4. What is Risk Management? How can Risks be prioritized?

Risk management may be classified and categorized as:

1. Risk assessment and identification The assessment and
identification focuses on enumerating possible risks to the project. Methods
that can aid risk identification include checklists of possible risks, surveys,
meetings and brainstorming and reviews of plans, process and work
products. The project manager can also use the process database to get
information about risks and risk management on similar projects.
2. Risk prioritization focus on the highest risk. Prioritization
requires analyzing the possible effects of the risk event in case it actually
occurs. This approach requires a quantitative assessment of the risk

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 probability and the risk consequences. For each risk rate the probability of its
happening as low, medium or high. If necessary, assign probability values in
the ranges given for each rating. For each risk, assess its impact on the
project as low, medium, high or very high. Rank the risk based on the
probability. Select the top few risk items for mitigation and tracking.
3. Risk Control: The main task is to identify the actions needed to
minimize the risk consequences, generally called risk mitigation steps. Refer
to a list of commonly used risk mitigation steps for various risks from the
previous risk logs maintained by the PM and select a suitable risk mitigation
step. The risk mitigation step must be properly executed by incorporating
them into the project schedule. In addition to monitoring the progress of the
planned risk mitigation steps periodically revisit project. The results of this
review are reported in each milestone analysis report. To prepare this report,
make fresh risk analysis to determine whether the priorities have

Risk Analysis
The first step in risk analysis is to make each risk item more specific.
Risks such as, Lack of Management buy in, and people might leave, are a
little ambiguous. In these cases the group might decide to split the risk into
smaller specific risks, such as, manager Jane decides that the project is not
beneficial, Database expert might leave, and Webmaster might get
pulled off the project. The next step is to set priorities and determine where
to focus risk mitigation efforts. Some of the identified risks are unlikely to
occur, and others might not be serious enough to worry about. During the
analysis, discuss with the team members, each risk item to understand how
devastating it would be if it did occur, and how likely it is to occur. For
example, if you had a risk of a key person leaving, you might decide that it
would have a large impact on the project, but that it is not very likely. In the
process below, we have the group agree on how likely it thinks each risk item
is to occur, using a simple scale from 1 to 10 (where 1 is very unlikely and 10
is very likely). The group then rates how serious the impact would be if the
risk did occur, using a simple scale from 1 to 10 (where 1is little impact and
10 is very large). To use this numbering scheme, first pick out the items that
rate 1 and 10, respectively. Then rate the other items relative to these
boundaries. To determine the priority of each risk item, calculate the product
of the two values, likelihood and impact. This priority scheme helps push the
big risks to the top of the list, and the small risks to the bottom. It is a usual
practice to analyze risk either by sensitivity analysis or by probabilistic
analysis. In sensitivity analysis a study is done to analyse the changes in the
variable values because of a change in one or more of the decision criteria. In
the probability analysis, the frequency of a particular event occurring is
determined, based on which it average weighted average value is calculated.
Each outcome of an event resulting in a risk situation in a risk analysis
process is expressed as a probability. Risk analysis can be performed by
calculating the expected value of each alternative and selecting the best
alternative.
Ex: Now that the group has assigned a priority to each risk, it is ready
to select the items to mange. Some projects select a subset to take action
upon, while others choose to work on all of Project the items. To get started,

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 you might select the top 3 risks, or the top 20%, based on the priority
calculation.

5. What is project management knowledge area? Explain briefly PMIS.

PROJECT INTEGRATION MANAGEMENT

A subset of project management that includes the processes required to

ensure that the various elements of the project are properly coordinated. It
consists of:

Project plan developmentintegrating and coordinating all project

plans to create a consistent, coherent document.
Project plan executioncarrying out the project plan by performing the
activities included therein.
Integrated change controlcoordinating changes across the entire
project.

PROJECT SCOPE MANAGEMENT

A subset of project management that includes the processes required to

ensure that the project includes all the work required, and only the work
required, to complete the project successfully. It consists of:

Initiationauthorizing the project or phase.

Scope planningdeveloping a written scope statement as the basis for
future project decisions.
Scope definitionsubdividing the major project deliverables into smaller,
more manageable components.

PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT

A subset of project management that includes the processes required to

ensure timely completion of the project. It consists of:

Activity definitionidentifying the specific activities that must be

performed to produce the various project deliverables.
Activity sequencingidentifying and documenting interactivity
dependencies.
Activity duration estimatingestimating the number of work periods that
will be needed to complete Individual activities.

PROJECT COST MANAGEMENT

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 A subset of project management that includes the processes required to
ensure that the project is completed within the approved budget. It consists
of:

Resource planningdetermining what resources (people, equipment,

materials) and what quantities of each should be used to perform project
activities.
Cost estimatingdeveloping an approximation (estimate) of the costs of
the resources needed to complete project activities.
Cost budgetingallocating the overall cost estimate to individual work
activities.

PROJECT HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

A subset of project management that includes the processes required

to make the most effective use of the people involved with the project. It
consists of:

Organizational planningidentifying, documenting, and assigning project

roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships.
Staff acquisitiongetting the needed human resources assigned to and
working on the project.
Team developmentdeveloping individual and group skills to enhance
project performance.

PROJECT RISK MANAGEMENT

Risk management is the systematic process of identifying, analyzing,

and responding to project risks. It includes maximizing the probability and
consequences of positive events and minimizing the probability and
consequences of adverse events to project objectives. It includes:

Risk management planningdeciding how to approach and plan the risk

management activities for a project.
Risk identificationdetermining which risks might affect the project and
document their characteristics.
Qualitative risk analysisperforming a qualitative analysis of risks and
conditions to prioritize their effects on project objectives.

PROJECT PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT

A subset of project management that includes the processes required

to acquire goods and services to attain project scope from outside the
performing organization. It consists of:
Procurement planningdetermining what to procure and when.
Solicitation planningdocumenting product requirements and identifying
potential sources.
Solicitationobtaining quotations, bids, offers, or proposals, as
appropriate.

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6. List out the macro issues in project management and explain each.

a) Evolving key success factors (KSF) upfront: In order to provide

complete stability to fulfilment of goals, one needs to constantly evaluate
from time to time, the consideration of what will constitute the success of
completing a project and assessing its success before completion. The KSF
should be evolved based on a basic consensus document (BCD). KSF will
also provide an input to effective exit strategy (EES). Exit here does not
mean exit from the project but from any of the drilled down elemental
activities which may prove to be hurdles rather than contributors.
b) Empowerment Title (ET): ET reflects the relative importance of
members of the organisation at three levels.
i) Team members empowered to work within limits of their
respective allocated responsibilities the major change from
bureaucratic systems is an expectation from theses members to
innovate and contribute to tome and cost.
ii) Group leaders are empowered additionally to act independently
towards client expectation and are also vested with some
limited financial powers.
iii) Managers are empowered further to act independently but to
maintain a scientific balance among time, cost, expectation and
perception, apart from being a virtual advisor to the top
management.
c) Partnering Decision making (PDM): PDM is a substitute to monitoring
and control a senior with better decision making process with work closely
with the project managers as well as members to plan what based can be
done to manage the future better from past experience. The key here is
the active participation of members in the decision making process. The
ownership is distributed among all irrespective of levels the term equally
should be avoided here since ownership is not quantifiable. The right
feeling of ownership is important.

The PD process is made scientific through:

i) Earned Value management system (EVMS)

ii) Budgeted Cost of work scheduled (BCWS)
iii) Budgeted cost of work performed (BCWP)
iv) Actual cost of work performed (ACWP)

d) Management by exception (MBE): No news is good news. If a

member wants help he or she located a source and proposed to the
manager only if such help is not accessible for free. Similarly a member
should believe that a team leaders silence is a sign of approval should not
provoke comments through excessive seeking of opinions. In short leave
people alone and let situation perform the demanding act. The bond limit
of MBE can be evolved depending on the sensitivity of the nature and size
of the project.

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 ASSIGNMENT MBA SEM II Subject Code:
MB0033 SET 2
1. Providing adequate resources is key to productivity comment.

Key elements of a Productivity Improvement Program:

Obtain Upper Management Support. Without top management

support, experience shows a PIP likely will fail. The Chief Executive Officer
should issue a clear, comprehensive policy statement. The statement should
be communicated to everyone in the company. Top management also must
be willing to allocate adequate resources to permit success.
Create New Organizational Components. A Steering Committee to
oversee the PIP and Productivity Managers to implement it are essential. The
Committee should be staffed by top departmental executives with the
responsibilities of goal setting, guidance, advice, and general control. The
Productivity Managers are responsible for the day-to-day activities of
measurement and analysis. The responsibilities of all organizational
components must be clear and well established.
Plan Systematically. Success doesn't just happen. Goals and
objectives should be set, problems targeted and rank ordered, reporting and
monitoring requirements developed, and feedback channels established.
Open Communications. Increasing productivity means changing the
way things are done. Desired changes must be communicated.
Communication should flow up and down the business organization. Through
publications, meetings, and films, employees must be told what is going on
and how they will benefit.
Involve Employees. This is a very broad element encompassing the
quality of work life, worker motivation, training, worker attitudes, job
enrichment, quality circles, incentive systems and much more. Studies show
a characteristic of successful, growing businesses is that they develop a
"corporate culture" where employees strongly identify with and are an
important part of company life. This sense of belonging is not easy to
engender. Through basic fairness, employee involvement, and equitable
incentives, the corporate culture and productivity both can grow.
Measure and Analyze. This is the technical key to success for a PIP.
Productivity must be defined, formulas and worksheets developed, sources of
data identified, benchmark studies performed, and personnel assigned.
Measuring productivity can be a highly complex task. The goal, however, is to
keep it as simple as possible without distorting and depreciating the data.
Measurement is so critical to success, a more detailed analysis is helpful.

2. Explain the relevance of work breakdown structure in determine

responsibility area. Explain in detail GDM and its key features?

The Global delivery model (GDM) is adopted by an industry or business

such that it has a capability to plan design, deliver and serve to any customer
or client worldwide with speed, Accuracy, Economy and reliability.

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 The key features of GDM are:-

a) Standardization: Ingenious design and development of components and

features which like to be accepted by 90% of worldwide customer. Global
standard of design focusing on highly standardized method and processes
of manufacture or development. Adopt block-and-socket concept with
minimum adaptable or connection.
b) Modularization: Product or solution split up into smallest possible
individual identifiable entities, with limited individuals functioning
capability but powerful and robust in combination with other modules.
c) Minimum customization: Minimum changes or modifications to suit
individual customers.
d) Maximum micro structuring: splitting of the product modules further into
much smaller entity identifiable more through characteristics rather than
application features. Approach through standardization of these microbial
entities even across multiple modules. Application of these microbial
entities to rest within multiple projects or products or even as add-ons suit
belated customer needs.

3. What do you understand by Resource Smoothing? What is the

significance of reviewing ROI?

Resource smoothing is part of the resource levelling process. In itself,

resource smoothing is the process that, not withstanding any constraints
imposed during the levelling process, attempts to determine a resource
requirement that is "smooth" and where peaks and troughs are eliminated.
For example, even if 7 units of a given resource are available at any one
time, utilizing 5 of these units each week is preferable to 4 one week, 7 the
next, 2 the next and so on. Even if there is no limit to the amount of any one
resource available, it is still desirable that resource usage is as smooth as
possible. Given that the resource requirements of those activities on the
critical path are fixed, some order or priority needs to be established for
selecting which activity and which particular resource associated with this
activity should be given priority in the smoothing process. In determining
which activity should be given priority, a subjective judgment should be made
about the type of resource (or resources) associated with each activity;
priority should be given to the activities whose resources are considered to
be most important. Beyond this consideration, activities should be ranked in
order of total work content and total float or slack available for that activity. A
useful device for prioritizing is to consider the ratio of total work content/total
float remaining and give priority to activities with the highest value of this
ratio.
Return on Investment (ROI) is the calculated benefit that an
organization is projected to receive in return for investing money (resources)
in a project. Within the context of the Review Process, the investment would
be in an information system development or enhancement project. ROI
information is used to assess the status of the business viability of the project
at key checkpoints throughout the projects lifecycle. ROI may include the
benefits associated with improved mission performance, reduced cost,
increased quality, speed, or flexibility, and increased customer and employee

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 satisfaction. ROI should reflect such risk factors as the projects technical
complexity, the agencys management capacity, the likelihood of cost
overruns, and the consequences of under or non performance. Where
appropriate, ROI should reflect actual returns observed through pilot projects
and prototypes.ROI should be quantified in terms of dollars and should
include a calculation of the breakeven point (BEP), which is the date when the
investment begins to generate a positive return. ROI should be recalculated
at every major checkpoint of a project to see if the BEP is still on schedule,
based on project spending and accomplishments to date. If the project is
behind schedule or over budget, the BEP may move out in time If the project
is ahead of schedule or under budget the BEP may occur earlier. In either
case, the information is important for decision making based on the value of
the investment throughout the project lifecycle.
Any project that has developed a business case is expected to refresh
the ROI at each key project decision point (i.e., stage exit) or at least yearly.

If the detailed data collection, calculation of benefits and costs, and

capitalization data from which Return on Investment (ROI) is derived was not
required for a particular project, then it may not be realistic or practical to
require the retrofit calculation of ROI once the project is added to the Review
portfolio. In such a case, it is recommended that a memorandum of record be
developed as a substitute for ROI. The memorandum should provide a brief
history of the program, a description of the major benefits realized to date
with as much Quantitative data as possible and a summary of the process
used to identify and select system enhancements.
Some of the major benefits experienced by sites that installed the
information system that would be important to include in the memorandum
are:

a) Decommissioning of mainframe computers

b) Reduction/redirection of labour
c) Elimination of redundant systems
d) Ability to more cost effectively upgrades all sites with one standard
upgrade package.

In each case above, identify the specific site, systems, and labour
involved in determining the cited benefit. Identify any costs or dollar savings
that are known or have been estimated. The memorandum will be used as
tool for responding to any future audit inquiries on project ROI. For the
Project Management Review; it is recommended that the project leader
replace the text on the ROI document through

(1) A note stating which stage of its cycle the project is in

(2) A bulleted list of the most important points from the memorandum
of record
(3) A copy of the memorandum of record for the Review repository.

In subsequent Reviews of the information system, the ROI slide can be

eliminated from the package. There is one notable exception to this
guidance. Any internal use software project in the maintenance phase of its

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 lifecycle that adds a new site or undertakes an enhancement or technology
refresh that reaches the cost threshold established by Standard will need to
satisfy capitalization requirements. It requires all agencies to capitalize items
acquired or developed for internal use if the expected service life is two or
more years and its cost meets or exceeds the agencys threshold for internal
use software. The standard requires capitalization of direct and indirect costs,
including employee salaries and benefits for both Federal and Contractor
employees who materially participate in the Software project. Program
managers are considered to be the source of cost information for internal use
software projects. If capitalization data is collected for the project in the
future, the project would be expected to calculate and track its ROI.

4. Explain the concept of concurrency in High Technology Development.

Always aim one step higher in performance usually; high technology

development has a long gestation period. By the time the product is
perfected, it might have become obsolete. This necessitates that the period
be shortened. The other alternative is to make technology development
futuristic i.e. keeps the aim or target one step beyond what is required.
Combination of both will yield better results. Using principles of concurrent
engineering, we can start building components as developed and assembling
on ad hoc basis and testing them and making changes taking into
consideration any new requirements. Every effort to make the product
contemporary will improve the competitive advantage. Build concurrency into
every activity Building concurrency into every activity is essential to reduce
the development cycle time and to counter the technology obsolescence.
Many of the tasks that are normally done in a serial fashion can be done in
parallel by synchronizing the flow of information. The practices of the
concurrent engineering where the design of the product and all its associated
processes are carried out simultaneously based on team work and
participation. Would not only help in reducing the development cycle time,
but also improves the product functionality with regard to requirements.
Concurrency can be accomplished in many ways both for product
development as well as technology transfer, user evaluation and production.

5. What are the main utilities of an ERP package?

Integration is Key to ERP Systems
Integration is an exceptionally significant ingredient to ERP systems.
The integration between business processes helps develop communication
and information distribution, leading to remarkable increase in productivity,
speed and performance.
The key objective of an ERP system is to integrate information and
processes from all functional divisions of an organization and merge it for
effortless access and structured workflow. The integration is typically
accomplished by constructing a single database repository that
communicates with multiple software applications providing different
divisions of an organization with various business statistics and information.
The Ideal ERP System

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 An ERP system would qualify as the best model for enterprise wide
solution architecture, if it chains all the below organizational processes
together with a central database repository and a fused computing platform.
Manufacturing
Engineering, resource & capacity planning, material planning, workflow
management, shop floor management, quality control, bills of material,
manufacturing process, etc.
Financials
Accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, general ledger,
cash management, and billing (contract/service)
Human Resource
Recruitment, benefits, compensations, training, payroll, time and
attendance, labour rules, people management
Supply Chain Management
Inventory management, supply chain planning, supplier scheduling,
claim processing, sales order administration, procurement planning,
transportation and distribution
Projects
Costing, billing, activity management, time and expense
Customer Relationship Management
Sales and marketing, service, commissions, customer contact and after
sales support
ERP Systems Improve Productivity, Speed and Performance
Prior to evolution of the ERP model, each department in an enterprise
had their own isolated software application which did not interface with any
other system. Such isolated framework could not synchronize the inter-
department processes and hence hampered the productivity, speed and
performance of the overall organization. These led to issues such as
incompatible exchange standards, lack of synchronization, incomplete
understanding of the enterprise functioning, unproductive decisions and
many more.
For example: The financials could not coordinate with the procurement team
to plan out purchases as per the availability of money.
Implementation of an ERP System
Implementing an ERP system in an organization is an extremely
complex process. It takes lot of systematic planning, expert consultation and
well structured approach. Due to its extensive scope it may even take years
to implement in a large organization. Implementing an ERP system will
eventually necessitate significant changes on staff and work processes.
Consulting Services - are responsible for the initial stages of ERP
implementation where they help an organization go live with their new
system, with product training, workflow, improve ERP's use in the specific
organization, etc.
Customization Services - work by extending the use of the new ERP
system or changing its use by creating customized interfaces and/or
underlying application code. While ERP systems are made for many core
routines, there are still some needs that need to be built or customized for
a particular organization.

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 The ERP implementation process goes through five major stages which
are Structured Planning, Process Assessment, Data Compilation & Cleanup,
Education & Testing and Usage & Evaluation.

1. Structured Planning: is the foremost and the most crucial stage where an
capable project team is selected, present business processes are studied,
information flow within and outside the organization is scrutinized, vital
objectives are set and a comprehensive implementation plan is
formulated.
2. Process Assessment: is the next important stage where the prospective
software capabilities are examined, manual business processes are
recognized and standard working procedures are constructed.
3. Data Compilation & Cleanup: helps in identifying data which is to be
converted and the new information that would be needed. The compiled
data is then analyzed for accuracy and completeness, throwing away the
worthless/unwanted information.

Advantages of ERP Systems

There are many advantages of implementing an EPR system. A few of them
are listed below:
A perfectly integrated system chaining all the functional areas together
The capability to streamline different organizational processes and
workflows
The ability to effortlessly communicate information across various
departments\
Improved efficiency, performance and productivity levels

Disadvantages of ERP Systems

While advantages usually outweigh disadvantages for most
organizations implementing an ERP system, here are some of the most
common obstacles experienced:
The scope of customization is limited in several circumstances
The present business processes have to be rethought to make them
synchronize with the ERP
ERP systems can be extremely expensive to implement
There could be lack of continuous technical support

6. Explain three levels of SCMo documentation. Explain PILIN.

It is possible today to establish a system aligned with an organization

supply chain. It can be an add-on to existing ERP systems.
The main objectives are:
i. Prevention of stock-out and over supply
ii. Early warnings, elimination of bull-whip effect
iii. Optimized allocation in bottleneck situations due to network-wide
inventory and demand transparency.

The main principles behind is the integration of supply chain

participants, exchange of demand and inventory information, transparency &
visibility of inventories and demands for multi-level supply chain. It also

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 eliminates time lags in the information flow and ensures synchronization of
demand information. SCMo set up (initialisation): The main steps for the set
are;

a) Determination of the potentially critical part of the supply network

criteria.
b) Mapping of structures a) high shortage risk and effect, long lead and
reaction times, high total inventory cost, frequent engineering
changes.

Main features- The main features of such systems are:

i. Releases and Interactions Planning- it is a simple way to create
project plan.
ii. Dashboard- It is a quick project status reporting tool.
iii. To-Do lists_ Identify and list the integrated assignments
iv. Integrated QA_ Bug tracking, test cases management, user
story-to-bugs traceability, QA stats and charts.
v. Time Tracking- Create more accurate estimate of time.

A typical iteration plan methodology

a) Add release (iterations will be generated automatically)
b) Add user stories
c) Assign user stories on iterations (control team velocity)
d) To plan next iteration just assign required user stories and control
remaining velocity units.
e) View assigned tasks and bugs
f) Change bugs status
g) Add spent time
h) Spent time report could be added form To-do list. To simplify time
calculation todays time shown in the form.
i) Bugs status could be changes right from the To-do list as well. So
developer spends less time on frequent actions.

PILLIN
Growing realization that sustainable identifier infrastructure is required
to deal with the vast amount of digital assets being produced and stored
within universities. PILIN is a particular challenge for e-research communities
where massive amount of data are being generated without any means of
managing this date over any length of time. The broad objectives are to:

I. Support adoption and use of persistent identifiers and shared

persistent identifier management services by the project
stakeholders.
II. Plan for a sustainable, share identifier management infrastructure
that enables persistence of identifiers and associated services over
archival lengths of time.
III. Deploying a worldwide site consolidated solution for exchange
sever 2003 at Microsoft.
IV. Pictures

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 V. Using Microsoft exchange server 2003 to consolidate more than 70
messaging sites worldwide into seven physical locations.

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