Ch. 5: Project Planning
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Good Quote:
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Plans are only good intentions unless they
immediately degenerate into hard work
Lame excuses for not planning:
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Takes too much time
Customers don’t know what they want
If we commit, we will be held accountable
Ch. 5.0: Reasons for Project
Planning
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Establish directions for project team
Support objectives of parent
organization
Make allowance for risk
Put controls on the planned work
Ch. 5.0: Project Planning in
Information Systems
View of several authors in the field of IS:
Popularized Name
Planning Process
“Units” Breakdown
System Development
Life Cycle (SDLC)
4 to 6 or 7 “phases”
(no name)
7 “steps”
(no name)
6 “planning sequences”
Ch. 5.0: Contents of Project
Planning Chapter
Initial project coordination
Systems integration
Sorting out the project
Work breakdown structure (WBS) and linear
responsibility charts
 Interface coordination through integration
management
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Ch. 5.1: Initial Project Coordination:
Senior Management’s Role
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Delineate the firm’s intent
Outline scope of project
Describe how project’s results reinforce
firm’s goals
Ch. 5.1 The Project Launch
Meeting
Project Launch Meeting
=
Visible symbol of top management’s
commitment to the project
Ch. 5.1 Major Issues at Project
Launch Meeting
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Existence of well-defined set of project
objectives
Precise nature of scope statement
Uniqueness of project
Ch. 5.1: Detail/Length of
Project Launch Meeting
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For routine projects:
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“Touch base”, short meeting
Unique projects:

Extensive discussion
Ch. 5.1: Potential Traps for
Project Launch Meeting
Trap
Effect
Go deeper than
“most aggregated
level” (level 1)
Make ballpark
estimate of budget
and time
No team
integration
Preliminary
estimate gets cast
in stone
Ch. 5.1: Expected Outcome of
Project Launch Meeting
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Establish technical scope
Participants accept performance
responsibility
Tentative overall schedules and budgets
Creation of a Risk Management Group
Ch. 5.1: Major Risks Considered
at Project Planning Initiation
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Market reaction to new process/product
Project being stopped due to patent
awarded to a competing innovation
Ch. 5.1: Risk Management
Plan Includes:
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Project technology
Project schedule
Project resource base
Myriad of other risk factors
Makeup of project risk management
group
Ch. 5.1: Composite Plan
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Combination of Risk Management Plan
and Project Launch Meeting action
items
Approved by all participating functional
groups
Endorsed by PM and sent up the
management ladder for approval
Ch. 5.1: From Composite Plan
to Project (Master) Plan
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Modify composite plan with written
“change orders”
Approve updated plan with functional
unit involved and senior management
Iterate this process until no more
changes are proposed
Hold post-planning review meeting
Ch. 5.1: Carefully Determine
Set of Deliverables!
Typical Scenario:
1.
2.
3.
Marketing over-promises deliverables
Engineering may not be able to
produce deliverable on time
Marketing is unable to deliver on time
Ch. 5.1: Marketing’s Objections to
Early Involvement of Engineering
Style
Cost
Probably true
Probably false
Sales specialists
know firm’s
products and
services
Sales specialists
know about cost,
designs and lead
times
Engineers are
argumentative
Cost of bringing
engineers to a
meeting drives
up sales cost
Ch. 5.1: Why Involve the
Customer in Planning?

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Easier
Faster
Give customer a voice
Cheaper (to do things right the first
time)
Ch. 5.1: Multifunctional Teams
(Concurrent Engineering)
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Used when a system must be installed
in a larger, more complex system
Integrates through cross functional
groups
Ch. 5.1: Project Plan Elements
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Overview
Objectives
General approach
Contractual aspects
Schedules
Resources
Personnel
Evaluation methods
Potential problems
Ch. 5.1: Project Charter
Generated through negotiations involving the
many parties at interest in the project
Ch. 5.1: Classic SDLC (Left)
vs. Aaron et. al. Model (Right)
Feasibility
Analysis
Design
Build
Closure
Ongoing Use
Concept Evaluation
Requirement Identification
Design
Implementation
Test
Integration
Validation
Customer Test and Evaluation
Operations and Maintenance
Ch. 5.2: Three Main Objectives
of Systems Integration
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Performance
Effectiveness
Cost
Ch. 5.3: Even Planning
Process
a)
b)
c)
Make list of activities of similar
importance in sequential order 
Level 1
Break each level 1 process into subprocesses as under a)  Level 2
Continue to lower process levels
until no further breaking is possible
Ch. 5.3: Illustration of “Even
Planning Process”
Ch. 5.3: Form Useful for “Even
Planning Process”
Ch. 5.3: Tree Diagram Used in
Hierarchical Planning
Ch. 5.3: Strategic Factors in
Project Planning
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Project mission
Top management support
Project’s action plan
Ch. 5.4: Example of a Work
Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Ch. 5.4: Steps in Designing a
WBS
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List task breakdown in succeedingly
finer levels
Construct a responsibility matrix
Establish pricing control
Schedule milestones
Identify problems
Generate Project Master Schedule
Ch. 5.4: Linear Responsibility
Chart
Ch. 5.5: Planning and Design
using Multidisciplinary Teams
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Generate integrated base for project
design
Add software for conflict detection
Add software to generate production
plan
Generate knowledge base
Ch. 5.5: Example of Interface
Map
Ch. 5.5: Project Phases and
Phase Gates in the SDLC
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Feasibility

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System
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Requirement Specifications
Design
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Project Proposal
Design Specs
Build
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Programmer’s and User’s Manuals
Ch. 5.5: Coordination Structure
Model of Project Management