Introduction to
Tech Communication &
Project Management
Arthur C.M. Chen
617 253-7312, Rm 38-460
acmchen@alum.mit.edu
Motivation
• Technical Leadership
– “Guiding head of a technical group”
• Two essential tools
– Communicate to customer and to your team
– Organize, plan and manage the technical project
Introduction:
• Simple advice on presentation
• Introduction to project management
Think Before You Present
• Who are your audience, why are they
listening?
• What is one or two messages you want to
leave with your audience?
– What is the message for each slide
Communicate the Essence
• Who & where
– Technology and research group of interest
– Specific Professor or research staff
• What
– Specific thesis project idea – some details
• Why
– Personal interest, Future opportunities, Financial support
• When
– Progress and plan – this term and beyond
News story outline
Why Project Management
• Diverse career opportunities
– Leadership role
• Most future activities are team and/or multiorganization oriented
– How to help teams to work together
– Startup business plans
• MEng Thesis Project
– Good learning vehicle
Project
• Project: “an organized undertaking”
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–
–
–
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Master of Engineering Thesis Project
Finding a job
Building a porch
Buying a house
…
Design and manufacture a car (Large Program)
Put a man on the moon (Huge Program)
Project management: a discipline
“Art and Science”
Project Management Objective
• Achieve the project goal
– Do a great thesis – on time
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•
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•
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Keep customers (e.g., Professors) happy
Keep the team focus on the goal
Make sure that team members work well
Everyone shares the load
…
Scope, Resources, Schedule & Customers
Concerns about Project Management
• My work is research so that I can’t plan it
• How can I commit to a schedule if I don’t know
how it will work out
• I don’t have time to plan – got to get it done
• Project plan is a map and a guide
- No map, most likely to get lost
- Plan: understand risks and trade-offs
- Basis for systematic plan modification
- Mechanism for efficient communications
Framework: Project Cycle
Thesis ideas
Thesis Proposal
Thesis Completed
Concept
• Tech. Foundation
• Capabilities
• Goal
System Design
(Architecture)
• Systems analysis/
Synthesis
• Project planning
• Thesis proposal
Detailed design/
Implementation
Demo/test/
Documentation
• Project tracking
• Plan modification
• Communicate
• Thesis submission
Product Development Lifecycle
• Product Spec.
• Marketing
• Manufacturing
Prototype
• New Spec.
• Marketing
• New Technology
New Product
Product II
Similar Framework
Project Management Process
• Planning
– Project Definition, Scope, Buy-ins
• Mechanics of putting together a plan
– Tools: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
– GANTT, PERT, etc. charts - computerized
• Tracking plan progress
– Communicate and follow-up
• Complete project
– Managing and control
Project Management
Project Management
Project Planning
Execution Management
• Define objective
• Define work/tasks
• Identify resources
• Plan schedule
• Iterate
• Plan modification
• Get objective signed-off
• Track plan progress
• Communicate within team
• Customer communications
• Secure resources
• Project discipline
Technical
People
Scope, Resources, Schedule & Customers
How to Get Started
• Start with the essence of what you are trying to do
• Draw a block diagram of your system
– “Architecture”
• Do a high level flow chart of your software
– Identify modules
• Postulate the end result of your prototype
– User interface, typical use scenarios
• List all possible tasks that needed to be done
– Organize tasks
• Do some or all of above
Mechanism of Planning
• Define project objective
• Define work breakdown structure (WBS)
– Identify tasks and subtasks -- deliverables
– Lowest element – stand alone work package
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Identify tasks relationship
Identify possible risks
Estimate work packages (people, time, etc.)
Create initial schedule
Iterate plan
Document
Ex: WBS - Buy A House
`
BUY A HOUSE
LOCATION
FINANCING
1
- Criteria
2
- Visit
Locations
3
- Determine
affordability
FIND
HOUSE
6
- Type of
House
4
- Determine
mortgage
provider
7
- Find Real
Estate
Agent
5
- Lockup
mortgage
commitment
8
- Look for
House
9
- Make
Offer, P&S
Agreem't
10
- Closing
Top Down Decomposition, Elemental Tasks
Network Diagrams
TASK
1-criteria
2-visit loc.
3-affordability
4-mortgage co
5-mortg lock
6-type of hse
7-real est agent
8-look for hse
9-offer, P&S
10-closing
PREDECESSOR
3
1
3
4
1
2, 6
7
5, 8
9
4
3
5
1
6
2
7
8
Scheduling Techniques
• PERT – Program Evaluation and Review techniques
• CPM – Critical Path Method
9
10
Buy a House
Simple Gantt Chart View
Possible Application
Thesis ideas
Thesis Proposal
(May 10)
Concept
• Tech. Foundation
• Capabilities
• Goal
System Design
(Architecture)
• Systems analysis/
Synthesis
• Project planning
• Thesis proposal
• Understand the scope
of your goal
• Define your objective
• Define tasks and work
breakdown structure
• Develop project plan
• Review plan, iterate
• Document –> thesis
proposal
Some Estimation Considerations
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Completeness in definition of tasks and interfaces
Time for meetings and communications
The range of abilities of team members
Experience with similar job/ tasks
Learning time for new equipment or software
Availability of special facilities
• Earlier identification of unknowns or risks
• A priori calculations –concerns but may not be a
show stopper (especially in R&D)
Closing Summary
• Project Management – Lead an endeavor
• Planning is a map, a guide, especially for a team
– Relatively simple and helpful techniques
• Management is mostly about people
– Goal, discipline, communicate
• Risks are inevitable, planning helps to avoid
stupid ones
• Experience counts
– Assessing the scope of work, timing, risks
Risks are Essential in Achievements
Luck is an Element of Success
Historical Perspective
Phases
Use
Methods
1960-1970
Traditional Project Construction,
Management
Aerospace,
Defense
Technology and
schedule driven
1970-1985
Focused Project
Management
High tech
businesses, multidiscipline
developments
Software
engineering,
matrix
management
1985-1993
Renaissance of
Project
Management
All organizations, Total quality
developing formal management,
methods
concurrent
engineering
1993- present Modern Project
Management
Accept by top
management,
Recognize as a
discipline
System
engineering,
change and risk
management