Project Planning and Management

Lecture 4
outline

• overview – planning and management

• project planning
• project management

• Video: Harley Davison – Birth of the V-Rod

overview
• “planning”
› identifying key activities and ordering them in sequence to be
performed
• “scheduling”
› putting a time frame around the plan based on time estimates
• “project management”
› planning: what and when and by whom
› directing: assigning/directing
› controlling: evaluating, measuring, correcting
› administrating: developing/implementing policies and procedures
project planning

• several aspects:
› develop scheme for scheduling and committing resources
› results in map showing product design process activities scheduled
› procedure to develop needed information and distributing in to the
right people at the right time

• each company has a way of doing things

› often unstated, the way things are done
› changing this requires changing habits
» often difficult, but often done
» done to regain market share, meet competition
› key feature of concurrent engineering
» continuous improvement of product and product development
process
background for developing a design project plan
• types of design projects
› variation of existing product
› improvement of existing product
› new product – single/small run
› new product – mass production
• members of design teams
› different individuals, different roles
» product design engineer, product manager, manufacturing
engineer, detailer, drafter, technician, etc.
• structure of design teams
› projects require team members with different expertise
› teams have different structures (e.g. 5 types)
» functional organization (13%)
» functional matrix (26%)
» balanced matrix (16%)
» project matrix (28%)
» project team (16%)
background for developing a design project plan
• structure of design teams
› some more successful than others
background for developing a design project plan
• planning for deliverables
› progress measured by deliverables
» drawings, models, prototypes, etc.
› part of engineering but also part of coordinating and monitoring
progress
• models:
› analytical
› graphical
› physical – prototypes
» proof-of-concept
» proof-of-product
» proof-of-process
» proof-of-production
five steps in planning

• project plan defines tasks to be completed (WBS)

› keeps project under control
› used to measure progress

• for each task:

› objectives
› personnel/time requirements
› schedule relative to other tasks, projects, programs
› cost estimates
five steps in planning

• 1) identify tasks
› WBS
› generates check list – nothing is forgotten
› specific as possible
› level of detail depends on purpose and who will use it
» too little – not enough planning
» too much – obscures tasks and milestones
› large projects:
» produce un-detailed schedule covering entire project
• supplemented by more detailed schedules
• become clearer over time
• 2) objectives for each task
› each task characterized by clear objective
› information contained in deliverables
five steps in planning
• 3) estimate personnel, time, other resources
› identify who and for how long involved in meeting objectives
› estimate total time
• “design takes time”
› usually 2X original estimate
» pessimistic view:
• take best estimate, double it, increase units by one step
• 1 day = 2 weeks!
five steps in planning

• 4) develop sequence – scheduling

› can be complex
› goals:
» finish task before results are required
» make use of all personnel all of the time
• for each task identify:
› precessors
› successors
• some tasks are interdependent
› need information from each other
• can then identify sequence of events
five steps in planning

• bar/Gantt chart
› list activities and times
› bars indicate start/finish
» hollow – planned
» filled – actual
› advantage – shows start/finish
› disadvantage – relationships between activities
five steps in planning
five steps in planning

• 5) estimate costs
project management

• the “buck” stops at the manager’s desk

› “The complete responsibility for success or failure is with the
management.” – Henry Ford
• most important attribute of a good manager:
› good judgment, especially with people
› better gained through experience than school
management techniques

• approaches taken/techniques used have large effect

on stimulating or depressing worker productivity
› must understand people, exercise awareness
• management accomplishes goals through
subordinates – must effectively utilize workforce
› effective supervision – genuine interest in employees
• productive managers have:
› technical competence
› leadership skills
› sound administrative/business ability
• must eliminate fear
management techniques

• old way – Management by Objectives (MBO)

› based on employees needing focus for their efforts
› rewarded for reaching goals
› OK, but:
» emphasis on individual goals
» lack of flexibility
» concentrated on specific goals to detriment of team
performance
» rewards quantity, not quality
› this led to other approaches
management techniques

• new way – Total Quality Management (TQM)

› embody product quality principles
› emphasize quality management methods
effective project management

• remember “project management”:

› planning
› directing
› controlling
› administrating

• projects characterized by:

› start/finish
› time frame
› established to accomplish something that didn’t exist, only done
once

• after planning, scheduling, and assigning tasks, must:

› monitor
› control
effective project management

• monitoring
› schedules used for monitoring
› don’t have to be rigid
» things change
» serves as a yardstick to measure progress, to show where and
how to change plans
› progress must be continually monitored
» where are we?
» can we meet commitments?
• if not, must divert/reallocate resources, revise schedules
» don’t always want to do, but is mandatory
» combine with technical reviews
effective project management

• controlling
› adjustment of work when needed
» to meet overall time and money commitments
› must take appropriate action in light of information gained from
monitoring
› scheduling/monitoring not control
» must be deliberately exercised
• what actions must be taken to keep project on schedule
• implementation of these actions
› most common error
» not acting soon enough
• delayed due to:
– poor monitoring
– not facing facts
– e.g. solution to problem around corner
– but: when it becomes clear that won’t work, must stop
– redirect efforts – saves time and money
questions?

• Video: Harley Davison – Birth of the V-Rod