Managing Software Projects

Group 7

Planning Processes – Project Management Exercise

You are the Project Manager for Ogden Underwriters Insurance Company. This company has offices
in Chicago, Des Moines, Seattle, Lincoln and Atlanta.

Part-A

You have been tasked with managing the rollout of a new web-based training program. You are to
interview several members of your company to find out what their goals for the project are and
work those into your plan as much as possible. Find the quotes from several key personnel telling
their concerns, in the following table. To complete this exercise, analyze the personnel’s concerns
and then record the objective of each.

Person Title Concerns Objectives

 There should be
Nancy CEO I am very excited training for all
about this project. employees
All employees Streamlined across all
should have access locations.
to the website, no
matter where they  All employees should
are located in the have access to the
country. The website, no matter
training should where they are
supplement our located in the country.
existing classroom
training and provide  Users must be able to
new information as stop and resume
needed. I would Lessons
also like to see  Offer videos of
videos of common common tasks, Site
tasks for quick should be
review. Finally, the Searchable
web-based training
must be searchable
and friendly, and
easy for learners to
stop and resume
lessons with ease.
Have fun
 Problems with the
Owens Accountant Will this thing network need to be
really work? Our Addressed
network seems  New computers need
pretty slow already. to be bought.
 I don’t have time to
be waiting on
images to load,
downloads and
other stuff like tat.
My computer is so
old and so is
everyone else’s in
this department,
that we can’t take
another software
upgrade if we have
to, By the way,
when are we going
to get new
computers? Mine at
home is faster than
the one at work.
(Sigh)
Sarah Claims Adjuster This is a great idea; I  Users should be able
just hope I have time to pause and restart
to use it. I get whenever required or
interrupted a lot so I’d necessary
need to be able to  users must be able to
pause and restart if access from home
necessary. Will this  Multiple Operating
web-based training systems must be taken
work with my into consideration
computer? I’m using
Linus here and
Windows NT at home,
I will be able to access
it from home, won’t I?

Michael Web-based Training  Users must be

CIO will allow for training provided with
on demand in computers at least 800
modular pieces. The MHz, 128 MB RAM,
thing to remember and latest version of
though is that all users internet explorer or
will need computers Netscape
with at least an 800  Replace 240 PCs as
Mhz, 128 MB RAM, part of project
and the latest version  users will need to use
of Internet Explorer or windows XP and must
Netscape to take be trained on that
advantage of this. In
fact, there are 240 PCs
that need to be
replaced in six
months. Go ahead and
 work that into your
budget and your plan.
They will need to use
Windows XP. I guess
that will mean these
folks will need training
on XP too.

Jill Web Design Manager I have wanted to do  Create an online

WBT (web-based learning platform
training) forever. My Compulsory
team will be using requirements for users
Macromedia’s
 Programming
ColdFusion, Flash,
language: cold fusion
Author ware and
Fireworks for  Adobe flash
everything. Make
certain all the users  Graphic designing tool:
have the correct plug- Authorware
ins for their browsers.  Adobe fireworks

 Other necessary
plugins
Jackson Web integrations- We can do it-if a few  Secured online
Team Leader things come true. We platform with
will need a fatter pipe authentic and
to our ISP if we are restricted access.
going to host the
pages here. Of course,
if the users are coming  Procurement of
from all over the additional server to
country to this thing, store Jill’s ColdFusion
we are going to need database
to talk about security,
authentication and
types of access. We
will probably need
another server foe
Jill’s ColdFusion
database.

Part B
Now that you have got the key pieces of information from each key staff members, you need to
hand- write a charter and a statement of work (short since not much information is available on the
requirements at this stage) for your project. Your sponsor for this project is Nancy.

Some of the details to be addressed in the documents would be Sponsor, Timelines, requirements,
resources required, the business case (not necessarily in this order!)

Project Charter:
Project Name: Web-based training program
Project Sponsor: Nancy, CEO
Project Manager: Mr Jack

Statement of Work:
Purpose: To develop web-based training program for Ogden Underwriters insurance company.

Requirements: easy access to website, Website should be user friendly, should contain videos of
common task for easy review

Resources required: 240 new Pcs with Windows XP as operating system, latest web browser of
internet explorer or Netscape. Software like Macromedia, ColdFusion, Flash, Author ware and
Fireworks (new server),plugins for development of website.

Timelines:

First phase: Replacing all old systems with new systems with configuration 800Mhz ,128 GB RAM
and installing required Operating systems for them (Windows XP). Installing latest version of Internet
Explorer or Netscape

Second Phase: Continuing developing web courses

Third Phase: Installing software (Flash, Author ware, Fireworks), new server, Cold fusion Data base
system, Plugins for respective software. So, web-based training program can be developed.

Fourth Phase: Adding features like video streaming, types of access, authentication.

Fifth Phase: test usage, trouble shooting and support