Central Pacific University Case
THE FOLLOWING
PREVIEW
HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR
PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
COUGAR GROUP
&
SYSTEM ANALYSIS
CLASS
MATE
PRESENT
BY COUGAR
GROUP AT SAINT XAVIER
UNIVERSITY, CHICAGO
INFORMATION
GATHERING
INTERACTIVE METHODS
www.groups.google.com/group/cpu-cougars
www.sxu.edu
Chapter 3
Project Management
Chapter 3 – Case study Introduction

PERT



Milestone
Activity
Very important tool to manage time for a project
Case E-1: PERT Diagram
20
A4
D6
B5
10
F4
30
C1
G15
50
E2
40
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Gather reports
Gather reports and data capture forms
Gather qualitative documents
Analyze reports
Understand corporate culture
I4
60
H14
K15
80
J3
70
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
Analyze records and forms
Interview users
Administer questionnaires
Summarize interviews
Summarize survey results
Prototype system
90
Case E-2: Critical Path
20
A4
D6
B5
10
F4
30
C1
E2
40
G15
50
I4
60
H14
K15
80
90
J3
70
Path name
Total length
10 – 30 – 50 – 60 – 80 – 90
5 + 4 + 15 + 4 + 15 = 43
10 – 20 – 50 – 70 – 80 – 90
4 + 6 + 14 + 3 + 15 = 42
10 – 40 – 50 – 60 – 80 – 90
1 + 2 + 15 + 4 + 15 = 37
10 – 20 – 50 – 60 – 80 – 90
4 + 6 + 15 + 4 + 15 = 44
10 – 30 – 50 – 70 – 80 – 90
5 + 4 + 14 + 3 + 15 = 41
10 – 40 – 50 – 70 – 80 – 90
1 + 2 + 14 + 3 + 15 = 35
The critical path is 10 – 20 – 50 – 60 – 80 – 90 which take 44 days to complete
Case E-3
70
F,4
A,5
10
B,1
20
C,2
30
G,2
40
D,1
80
Dummy
50
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Write objectives
Determine whom to interview
Write questions
Prepare Interviewer
Interview senior management
Interview Operations Management
I,2
E,3
H,1
60
F.
G.
H.
I.
Interview Operation Management
Record and analyze observations
Summarize management interviews
Summarize operations interviews
Case E-4
70
F,4
A,5
10
B,1
20
C,2
30
I,2
G,2
40
D,1
Dummy
80
E,3
50
H,1
60
Path name
Total length
10 – 20 – 30 – 40 – 70 – 80
1 + 1 + 2 + 4 + 2 = 10 = Longest of all
10 – 20 – 30 – 40 – 80
1+1+2+2=6
10 – 20 – 30 – 40 – 60 – 80
1+1+2+3+1=8
10 – 20 – 30 – 50 – 40 – 70 – 80
1+1+1+4+2=9
10 – 20 – 30 – 50 – 40 – 80
1+1+1+2=5
10 – 20 – 30 – 50 – 40 – 60 – 80
1 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 =7
The critical path is 10 – 20 – 30 – 40 – 70 – 80
Case E-5
Activity
Predecessor
Duration
None
2
B. Determine report and screen contents
A
4
C. Create report prototypes
B
3
D. Create screen prototypes
B
4
E. Obtain report prototype feedback
C
1
F. Obtain screen prototype feedback
D
2
G. Modify report prototypes
E
2
H. Modify screen prototypes
F
4
G,H
2
A. Determine overall prototype screens and report
I. Obtain final approval
E-5 PERT Diagram
40
E,1
60
G,2
C,3
A,4
10
I,2
B,4
20
30
80
D,4
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F,2
50
Determine over all prototype screens and reports
Determine report and screen contents
F.
Create report prototypes
G.
Create screen prototypes
H.
Obtain report prototype feedback
I.
90
H,4
70
Obtain screen prototype feedback
Modify report prototypes
Modify screen prototypes
Obtain final approval
Chapter 4
Information Gathering, Interactive Methods
i
Chapter 4: E-1
Discuss what types of
structure each interview
had
Pyramid Structure
Pyramid structure
start with a
specific
question…
What specifically
is the problem you
are experiencing
with your firewall
Have you considered
other methods to
improve the security of
corporate data?
What do you think would make
security more effective here?
In General, how do you feel about the security of
data VS the importance of internet access?
… and end with a
general one.
Kendall & Kendall
4-12
Interview 1
Respondent
Interviewer
Topic
Structure
Evidence
: Dorothy (Dot) Matricks, manager, Personal Computers
: Anna Liszt
: find out about usage of PCs on campus currently
: Pyramid
: At the beginning of the interview there are some broad
questions asked but as the interview winds down, the
questions get more specific.
Good Question : What else would be useful?
Bad Question : Is it the same system you run today?
Suggestion
: Ask more probing questions more often to be sure that she is
capturing all of the specifics she needs.
Diamond-Shaped Structure
Diamond structure
begin with a specific
question…
What 5 kinds of
information are
tracked by the free
web site usage
service you use?
What are the promotional
activities you feature on
your web site in exchange
for this service?
What is the value of the usage
information to you as a Webmaster?
Move toward general
questions….
What is the value of the usage information
to you as a Webmaster?
What are 2 surprising items
concerning end user behavior
on your site that you have
discovered by using this
service?
… and end with a
specific question.
Kendall & Kendall
Are “cookies” a better
way to measure end
user site usage?
4-14
Interview 2
Respondent
Interviewer
Topic
Structure
Evidence
: Mike Crowe, maintenance expert, PCs
: Anna Liszt
: PCs maintenance
: Diamond
: The interview started with closed questions then went to open
and probing questions and returned to closed questions
Good Question : What else would be useful?
Bad Question : How many people are working on maintenance?
Suggestion
: Change Location as Mike was being interrupted during the
interview.
Funnel structure
Pyramid structure
begin with a
general
question…
What are your reactions to the new
web-based procurement system?
What departments are
involved in implementing it?
What items will be
available for
purchase on the
web site?
Is there any
essential item
that has been
excluded from
the site?
Kendall & Kendall
… and end with a
specific one.
4-16
Interview 3
Respondent
Interviewer
Topic
Structure
Evidence
: Cher Ware, software specialist, personal computer systems
: Anna Liszt
: Managing software system
: Funnel
: The questions start out very broad and narrow down into
more specific questions.
Good Question : How do you determine what machines or labs have a new
package installed?
Bad Question : Do site Licenses add further complication?
Suggestion
: More probing questions, keep user focused on topic.
Interview 4
Respondent
Interviewer
Topic
Structure
Evidence
: Paige Prynter, financial analyst
: Anna Liszt
: Financial needed at CPU
: Pyramid
: Very specific questions to start interview and more general
ones as the interview progresses.
Good Question : Do you receive financial information on Software?
Bad Question : All Other Questions
Suggestion
: Ask more than 5 questions, ask probing questions, ask open
ended questions.
Interview 5
Respondent
Interviewer
Topic
Structure
Evidence
: Hy Perteks, director, Information Center
: Anna Liszt
: PC Administration
: Pyramid
: Interviewer asks specific questions and then expands out to
more generalized questions.
Good Question : What are some of the problems?
Bad Question : Do you have an expert in each software package?
Suggestion
: Probing and follow up questions
Chapter 4: E-2
Discussion ways that Anna
might improve her questions
for next time.
Interview 1
The interview with Dot contained a lot of information. This is
mostly because of Dot's position in the company. However, it
seems as though (for a time) anna lost control of the
interview. The prime example of this is when she asks Dot
about the specific weaknesses of the system and dot
basically dumps a lot of hardware issues on her. Many of
these issues could have been delt with a little more if she
just asked some more probing questions. Also, it seems as
though Anna (the interviewer) is trying to find out specifics
of the old system but she never gets too much info. She
wants to know what some of the good parts are but never
gets that information other then "Easy to use".. great.. but
how was it easy to use.
Interview 2
The interview with Mike is really short which is the
fundamental problem for this interview. In order for Anna to
get a more focused Mike (who is taking phone calls during
the interview time) perhaps she should have scheduled it for
a different office instead of when he was on the job. At the
very least, Mike would have more time to focus. Since he
mentions the warranty several times (because it is very
important to him) she could have asked a few more probing
questions on that topic.
Interview 3
The interview with Cher just seems to go downhill right
away. To start off with the first question that she is asked she
never really answers. and the follow-up is either never really
answered either or is not answered correctly. Anna is trying
to find out a rough number of software packages that they
use but does not seem to get that information. Barely even a
rough estimate. but she never asks specifically. She rarely
asks any probing questions either instead seeming to
gravitate towards more of the open ended style of
questions.
Interview 4
The interview with Paige is closed question paradise. Anna
goes and starts asking some good closed ended questions
but never asks anything really probing. For example, she
asks about site licenses but never follows up with anything
like "who are they from" how many of these do you have? It
just seems like the whole interview is rushed and that there
is no depth to the conversation.
Interview 5
In the Information Center interview, it looks like she is not
asking to many probing questions. Mr. Perteks says "We do a
lot of training" never the interviewer follows it up with a
"What kind of training" Classroom or Remote?" They discuss
that they do some small consulting themselves. But the
interviewer never asks if there needed to be any tracking for
those questions perhaps a knowledge base of some sort.
Chapter 4: E-3
Discuss the question type
used and whether they were
appropriate for getting
needed information.
Interview 1
Question : What system are you using now
to keep track of it all?
Type
: Close – Ended
Interview 1
Question : What functions did the package
perform?
Type
: Open – Ended
Interview 2
Question : Do all the machines have the
same preventive maintenance
interval?
Type
: Close – Ended
Interview 2
Question : Tell me about your preventive
maintenance program.
Type
: Open – Ended
Interview 3
Question : Do site licenses add further
complications?
Type
: Close – Ended
Interview 3
Question : How does the current system
work for managing software?
Type
: Open – Ended
Interview 4
Question : Would it be useful to have
subtotals added to the reports?
Type
: Close – Ended
Interview 4
Question : Who is served by the
Information Center?
Type
: Open – Ended
Interview 5
Question : Who is served by the
Information Center?
Type
: Close – Ended
Interview 5
Question : What services do you provide
them?
Type
: Open – Ended
Chapter 4: E-4
Questionaire
Type of Question

Close-ended questions

Generates precise, reliable data that is easy to
analyze
Issues for Closed ended questions
 Faculty/research staff
 Software packages used
 Software packages users like
 Software packages version
 Level of expertise
 Installation problems
 Was it hardware related
 Software installed in your department
Chapter 4: E-5
Questionaire
Type of Question

Open-ended questions
Provide rich details
 Flexibility in answering
 Issues for Open ended questions
o Types of software faculty / Research staff would like to
see added
o Types of training faculty / Research staff would like to
see added to the training program

Chapter 4: E-6
Questionaire
Questionnaire
Chapter 4: E-7
Questionaire
“
Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.
“
Henry Ford