Managing System Projects - Chapter 3 Notes

Project Management

Involves planning, scheduling, monitoring & controlling IT projects.

Project Triangle

Balancing cost, scope, and time against constraints in project management.

Project Manager

Responsible for planning, leading, organizing, and controlling all project tasks.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Helps organize and manage a project by breaking it down into smaller tasks.

Gantt Chart

A horizontal bar chart representing tasks, showing planned and actual progress.

PERT Chart

A network diagram display of task patterns and relationships, identifying the critical path.

Critical Path

The longest sequence of dependent tasks determining the project's duration.

Dependent Tasks

Tasks that must be completed sequentially before the next can begin.

Successor Tasks

Tasks that can start simultaneously after a predecessor task is completed.

Critical Path Analysis

Monitoring critical tasks that impact the completion date of the project.

Task Duration

Estimated time needed to complete a task, often measured in person-days.

Slack Time

The amount of time a task can be delayed without affecting the project's completion.

Risk Management

Identifying, analyzing, and monitoring risks to minimize their impact on a project.

Risk Response Plan

A proactive effort to anticipate risks and describe actions to mitigate them.

Qualitative Risk Analysis

Evaluating risks by estimating probability and degree of impact.

Quantitative Risk Analysis

Determining the actual impact of risks in terms of cost, time, and scope.

Project Monitoring

Comparing actual project progress with the project plan and verifying milestones.

Structured Walk-through

A review process where team members assess each other's work for quality assurance.

Project Scheduling

Creating a timetable and assigning tasks to team members.

Budget Issues

Challenges related to cost overruns that can derail a project's financial plan.

Schedule Issues

Problems with timetables or project timelines indicating mismanagement or conflicts.

Microsoft Project

A dominate project management software used for planning, scheduling, and reporting.

Cost Tracking

Monitoring and managing expenses throughout the project lifecycle.

Task Patterns

A logical sequence in a WBS that determines the order of task execution.

Contingency Plan

Actions to be taken if identified risks occur during a project.

Peer Review

Process where project team members evaluate each other's work for quality assurance.

Project Status Reports

Regular updates prepared by the project manager based on team progress.

Project Status Meetings

Regularly scheduled meetings involving project stakeholders to discuss progress.

Resource Scheduling

Assigning and managing resources to ensure project tasks are completed efficiently.

Historic Analysis

Reviewing past project performance data to inform future decisions and planning.

Task Dependencies

Relationships between tasks that dictate the order of work.

Project Goals

Objectives that an information system must achieve for it to be considered successful.

Microsoft Project Server

A risk management-capable software designed for large-scale project management.

What-If Analysis

Modeling process used in quantitative risk analysis to analyze potential changes.

Budget Forecasting

Creating accurate estimates of all costs associated with the entire project lifecycle.

Project Changes

Modifications to the project scope, schedule, or budget that require careful management.

Agile Methodology

A flexible project management approach that focuses on iterative development and quick responses.

Performance Monitoring

The ongoing evaluation of project progress against set benchmarks and standards.

Task Summary

A compilation of project tasks along with their descriptions and duration estimates.

Risk Identification

The process of listing potential risks that may impact the project negatively.

Project Lifecycle

The stages a project goes through from initiation to completion, involving several methodologies.

Stakeholder Management

The process of engaging with stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations.

Deliverables

Specific results or outputs that must be produced during a project.

Scope Creep

The uncontrolled expansion of project scope without adjustments to time, cost, and resources.

Milestone

A significant point or event in the project timeline used to measure progress.

Change Management

The process of managing changes to the project effectively and with minimal disruption.

Resource Allocation

Distributing available resources in the most efficient manner to achieve project goals.

Feasibility Study

An analysis to determine the viability of a project idea or solution before implementation.

Project Charter

A document that formally authorizes a project and outlines its objectives and scope.

Value Management

A strategy aimed at maximizing the project's value and minimizing waste during execution.

Lessons Learned

Insights gained from project experiences that can inform future project decisions and practices.

Agile Frameworks

Structured approaches to implementing Agile methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban.

Scrum Master

A facilitator in the Scrum framework responsible for ensuring the team follows Agile practices.

Sprint Planning

A meeting where the team plans the work to be completed in the upcoming sprint.

Backlog Refinement

The ongoing process of reviewing and prioritizing the product backlog to ensure it is ready for future sprints.

User Story

A short, simple description of a feature from the perspective of the end user.

Burndown Chart

A graphical representation of work left to do versus time in a sprint or project.

Velocity

A measure of the work completed in a sprint, typically calculated in story points.

Kanban Board

A visual tool that represents tasks in columns to show their status and flow through a process.

Daily Stand-up

A brief meeting each day where team members share updates on their progress and challenges.

End-User Testing

Evaluation of a project by real users to assess its functionality and usability before launch.

Iterative Process

A method of developing products through repeated cycles (iterations) of testing and improvements.

Continuous Integration

A practice of frequently merging code changes into a central repository, followed by automated testing.

Cross-Functional Teams

Teams composed of members with different skill sets working together towards a common goal.

Feature Freeze

A point in the development cycle where new features are no longer added, allowing focus on fixing defects.

Deployment Pipeline

A set of automated processes that allow for the delivery of code changes to production environments.

Retrospective

A meeting held at the end of a sprint to discuss what went well and what could be improved.

Product Increment

The sum of all the completed product backlog items at the end of a sprint.

Stakeholder Feedback

Input from stakeholders on project outcomes, which informs future iterations and adjustments.

Release Planning

Defining the scope and timeline of a project release, incorporating stakeholder priorities.

Definition of Done

A shared understanding of what it means for work to be considered complete, ensuring quality and acceptance.

Incremental Delivery

Delivering a product piece by piece, allowing for user feedback and adjustments throughout the process.

Change Control Process

A systematic approach to managing any changes in project scope, ensuring they are reviewed and approved.