Introduction to Project
Management
Information Technology
Project Management,
Fifth edition
Learning Objectives
Understand the growing need for better project management, especially
for information technology projects.
Explain what project is, list various attributes of projects, and describe
the triple constraint of projects.
Describe project management and discuss key elements of the project
management framework including project stakeholders, the project
management knowledge areas, common tools and techniques, and
project success.
Discuss the relationship between project, program, and portfolio
management and the contributions they each make to enterprise success.
Understand the role of the project manager by describing what project
managers do, what skills they need, and what the career field is like for
information technology project managers.
Introduction
• Many organizations today have a new or renewed interest in
project management.
• Computer hardware, software, networks, and the use
interdisciplinary and global work teams have radically
changed the work environment.
• The US spends $2.3 trillion on projects every year, or one-
quarter of its gross domestic product, and the world as a
whole spends nearly $10 trillion of its $40.7 gross product on
projects of all kinds.
Motivation for studying Information
Technology (IT) Project Management
• IT Projects have a terrible track record, as described
in the “What went wrong?” section.
• A 1995 Standish Group study (CHAOS) found that
only 16.2% of IT projects were successful in meeting
scope, time, and cost goals.
• Over 31% of IT projects were canceled before
completion, costing over $81 billion in the U.S. alone.
Advantages of using Formal Project
Management
• Better control of financial, physical, and human resources
• Improved customer relations
• Shorter development times
• Lower costs
• Higher quality and increased reliability
• Higher profit margins
• Improved productivity
• Better internal coordination
• Higher worker morale (less stress)
What is a Project
• A project is “a temporary endeavor undertaken to
create a unique product, service, or result” (PMBOK
Guide, Third Edition 2004)
• Operation is work done to sustain the business
• Projects end when their objectives have been
reached or the project has been terminated.
• Projects can be large or small and take a short or long
time to complete.
Project attributes
• A project:
• Has a unique purpose
• Is temporary
• Is developed using progressive elaboration
• Requires resources, often from various areas
• Should have a primary customer or sponsor
– The project sponsor usually provides the direction
and funding for the project
• Involves uncertainty
Project and Program Managers
• Project managers work with project sponsors, a project
team, and other people involved in a project to meet
project goals.
• Program: group of related projects managed in a
coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available
from managing them individually (PMBOK Guide, Third
edition 2004)
• Program managers oversee programs and often act as
bosses for project managers.
The triple constraint of Project
Management
Successful project management means meeting all
three goals (scope, time, and cost)- and satisfying the
project’s sponsor!
What is project Management
• Project Management is “the application of
knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to
project activities to meet project requirements”
(PMBOK Guide, Third Edition 2004)
• Project managers strive to meet the triple
constraint by balancing project scope, time and
cost goals.
Project Stakeholders
• Stakeholders are the people involved in or affected by
project activities
• Stakeholders include:
• The project sponsor
• The project manager
• The project team
• Support staff
• Customer
• Users
• Suppliers
• Opponents to the project
Project management tools and techniques
• Project management tools and techniques assist
project managers and their teams in various aspects
of project management.
• Some specific ones include:
– Project charter, scope statement, and WBS (scope)
– Gantt charts, network diagrams, critical path analysis, and
critical chain scheduling (time)
– Cost estimates and earned value management (cost)
Super tools
• “Super tools” are those tools that have high use and
high potential for improving project success, such as:
• Software for task scheduling (such as project management
software)
• Scope statements
• Requirements analysis
• Lessons-learned reports
• Tools already extensively used that have been found to
improve project importance include:
» Progress reports
» Kick-off meetings
» Gantt Charts
» Change requests
Project Success
There are several ways to define project success
The project met scope, time, and cost goals
The project satisfied the customer/ sponsor
The results of the project met its main
objective, such as making or saving a certain
amount of money, providing a good return on
investment, or simply making the sponsors
happy.
What helps projects succeed?
1. Executive support 7. Firm basic requirements
2. User involvement 8. formal methodology
3. Experienced project 9. Reliable estimates
manager
4. Clear business objectives 10. Other criteria such as small
milestones, proper planning,
5. Minimized scope competent staff, and ownership.
6. Standard software infrastructure
Program and project Portfolio
Management
• “A program is a group of related projects managed in
a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not
available from managing them individually”. (PMBOK
Guide, Third edition 2004)
• A program manager provides leadership and
direction for the project managers heading the
projects within the program.
Ten most important skills and competencies
for Project Managers
• People skills
• Leadership
• Listening
• Integrity, ethical behavior, consistent
• Strong at building a trust
• Verbal communication
• Strong at building a team
• Conflict resolution and conflict management
• Critical thinking, problem solving
• Understands, balances priorities.
Importance of leadership skills
• Effective project managers provide leadership by
example.
• A leader focuses on long-term goals and big picture
objectives while inspiring people to reach those
goals.
• A manager deals with the day to day details of
meeting specific goals
• Project managers often take on the role of both
leader and manager.
