Industrial and Systems Engineering
Syllabus – ISE 515: Engineering Project Management
Fall 2008, Monday 6:30pm – 9:10pm
Instructor
Prof. Erich Kreidler
Phone
949.278.7001 (appointment required)
Office
GER 205
E-mail
Erich.kreidler@usc.edu
Office Hours
Monday 4:30pm – 5:30pm or by
appointment
TA
TBD
Phone
TBD
Office
TBD
E-mail
TBD
Office Hours
TBD
Course Description:
Project management is an important skill that is widely used in the private and public sectors as well as specialty
businesses. This course will explore the challenges facing today’s project managers and will provide a broad
understanding of the project management environment focused on multiple aspects of the project. The course
objectives are:

Gain understanding of essential principles associated with effective project management and how to
apply these principles in the day-to-day business environment

Acquire and fine-tune the skills in defining, planning, initiating and monitoring engineering projects using
proven techniques and commonly available computer software tools

Understand and apply methods for solving and avoiding common difficulties associated with project
management
The subject matter will be covered using lectures and discussions, text reading, individual research, group
discussion and preparation of a comprehensive project management plan in a team environment.
Materials:
Course text (mandatory): Project Management, A Managerial Approach, 6th Edition by Jack R. Meredith and
Samuel J. Mantel Jr. Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; ISBN: 13978-0471-715375.
Project Management Institute Materials (optional): Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge. Available
from the university bookstore or from the PMI website (www.pmi.com) for PMI members.
Quantitative Methods in Project Management (optional), by John C. Goodpasture. Available from the university
bookstore.
Software: Microsoft ® Project: Copies of Microsoft ® Project are available on the ISE laboratory computers in GER
309 (open M-F 8 to 5). A 60-day trial of Microsoft ® Project is included with the Course book.
Blackboard (Online access to materials):
The assignments, handouts, lecture notes, team rosters and other class information will be posted in
http://den.usc.edu. All students are expected to be able to access information from here.
Syllabus ISE 515 -- Fall 2008
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Industrial and Systems Engineering
Class project:
The class project consists of a group project where project management skills will be demonstrated. The students
will be provided with a project where all the elements of project planning are explicit and clearly defined. The
class project will be graded based on the class presentation, final report and a 360° team rating. The groups will
be created during the fourth week of class.
Quality Expectations:
Professional deliverables are expected at all times, both for content and presentation. This means that all the
homework, project, papers and other artifacts must be prepared using a word processor, spreadsheet or any
other relevant computer software (e.g. MS Project). Make sure all documents have at a minimum:

Your name and/or your team member names

No spelling mistakes

Date and document title

Professional analysis, conclusions and/or recommendations
Grading
Midterm: 20%. The midterm will cover all the materials covered until 10/06/08 (inclusive). This date will mark the
end of the first part of the course.
Class Project: 25% (divided into 2 parts). The final report is due on 12/01/08.
Final Exam: 20%. The final exam will be comprehensive of all the course materials, with an emphasis on the
second part of the course and guest lectures. The university schedules the final exam date and time (12/15/08).
Please do not request an alternate date, as none can be accommodated.
Participation: 10%. This includes class participation (in person or via Webex/phone). DEN students’ participation
will be graded based on email interaction with the instructor, TA and other students as well as the discussion
forum.
Homework assignments: 25%. Homework must be turned in at the specified due date or via DEN prior to the
beginning of class. No late assignments will be accepted. One homework (lowest grade) may be dropped.
Attendance:
Regular class attendance is strongly encouraged and recommended, but not mandatory.
Note: Attendance will be taken for the first two weeks of class. If a student fails to attend during this period, the
student will be dropped from the class without further contact.
Academic Integrity:
The Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering adheres to the University’s policies and procedures
governing academic integrity as described in SCampus. Students are expected to be aware of and to observe
these academic integrity standards as they will be strictly enforced throughout the semester.
Disability Services and Programs:
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability
Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be
obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me or to the TA as early in the semester as possible.
DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30am – 5:00pm Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is
213.740.0776.
Note: This syllabus is subject to change as announced in class.
Syllabus ISE 515 -- Fall 2008
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Industrial and Systems Engineering
Course Schedule:
Date
1
Milestones
8/25/08
Chapter in Meredith and
Topic
Other Reading
Introduction
Chapter 1
What is a project?
Why and how to plan a project
2
9/1/08
Labor Day
Chapter 8, 9
Estimation.pdf; Promises.pdf
The Mythical Man Month
3
9/08/08
Homework #1
Triple constraint
Project Pathology
due
How to organize a project
Getting The Sponsor You

Organizing the project team
Deserve

The role of the project manager
Chapter 3, 4
The work breakdown structure
4
9/15/08
5
9/22/08
6
9/29/08
7
Homework #2
Scheduling tools
due
Time estimating
Assign project
Leadership
Chapter 9’s Singer Hospital
teams
Present RFP (Class Project)
Case Study
Homework #3
Planning the budget
Chapter 7
due
Project cost reports
10/6/08
Project Reviews, review for midterm exam
Chapter 2, 5
Accelerating a project.pdf
Accelerating a project
8
10/13/08
Midterm Examination
Resource allocation, the impact of limited
resources
9
10/20/08
10
10/27/08
11
11/3/08
12
Class Project
Guest Lecturer: The Art of Hiring and Firing
(Part I)
Microsoft Project Tutorial, Part I
Project control, Monitoring tools
Chapter 10
Earned Value
Chapter 11
Homework #4
Handling project changes
Planning for a rainy day.pdf
due
Risk and contingency
11/10/08
Completing a project
Chapter 13
Guest lecturer (TBD)
13
11/17/08
14
11/24/08
Homework #5
Conflict Resolution
Chapter 6
due
Ethics in Engineering Project Management
PMI Ethics
Negotiation and contracts
“Two Letters”
Management of different cultures
15
12/1/08
Class Project
Class project presentations
(Part II)
Review course materials, answer questions
16
12/08/08
Study Day
18
12/15/08
***Final Examination Due: 12/15/08. 7pm – 9pm***
Syllabus ISE 515 -- Fall 2008
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Industrial and Systems Engineering
Assignment Name and Description
Homework #1:

Prepare your updated resume

Case Study The National Jazz Hall of Fame
Homework #2:

Critical path, network diagram problems
Homework #3:

Research current project management tools

D.U. Singer Hospital Products Corp Case study (Chapter 9). Questions A, B
Homework #4:

D.U. Singer Hospital Products Corp Case study (Chapter 9). Questions C- I
Homework #5:

Monitoring tools problems
Class Project (part 1; 10% of grade) – Based on RFP, write a list of follow up
questions, draft Project Plan
Class Project (part 2; 15% of grade) – Based on RFP, write final Project Plan
ISE 515 – Engineering Project Management
Study Guide


Project management process – general

Requirements and specifications
understanding of elements

Contract types
What is the distinction between

Program management plan
management and project management
o
What is it

The Triple Constraint
o
Elements

Difference between projects, programs and
o
Planning issues
business processes
o
Benefit to PM


Basic phases of a product-development

Role of triple constraint in PM plan
project

WBS
Conceptual idea of the triple constraint;
o
What is it
understanding what we mean by cost,
o
Meaning of product oriented,
schedule and performance

o
Features of a good one
origin and avoidance
o
Comparison of functional based vs.

Why does one start a project?

Scope statement-elements, meaning and

deliverable based
Performance, schedule and cost issues –
product oriented deliverable
o
Ability to construct one
application

Task size guidelines
Understand project initiation within context

WBS dictionary – be able to write one
of internal and external customers

Network diagrams

Statement of work – what is it/application
o
Understand the different types

Elements of proposal process
o
Ability to translate
Syllabus ISE 515 -- Fall 2008
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Industrial and Systems Engineering


TESTETIL diagrams
o
What is it
o
Be able to draw and status
Scheduling options
o



Effect of team size and project duration on
project performance

Expectations of the organization on the PM

Skills needed by a PM
Understand types and

Conflict resolution
advantages/disadvantages

Measurements to show performance
CPM and PERT
against the plan
o
Definition

How do you make “% complete” work
o
Identification and usage

Program reviews – why, types

Task review – why, content
Slack and float
o
Definition

Tracking with cost vs. time upside/downside
o
Identification and usage

Earned value

Cost elements
o
Terminology

Resource constraints
o
Definition
o
Identifying them
o
Usage
o
Effect on plan
o
Upside/downside
o
Strategies to overcome
o
Calculations
o
Solve simple projects with network

Variances – definitions, calculation
concepts

Change control

Accelerating projects, “crashing”
o
Factors

Risk
o
Cause and effect
o
System elements
o
Change control board concept
o
What is it
o
Types of risk
o
Risk statement

Scope change control – elements, plan
o
Process to manage

Project problem solving tools

Risk management plan – ability to write one

Decision trees – calculations

Risk mitigation strategies – ability to identify

Completing a project- understanding the
them for various problems

Impact of the organization on the program
elements

manager (understand impact of 3 different
organizations)

Launch meeting –elements, PM follow up
Syllabus ISE 515 -- Fall 2008
Small projects – elements for simplified
management, issues

New product development projects –
elements that are unique
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