PMIS

INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT

INFORMATION SYSTEM
 A PMIS is typically a computer-
driven system to aid a project
manager in the development of the
project.
 A PMIS can calculate schedules,
costs, expectations, and likely
results.
 The goal of a PMIS is to automate,
organize, and provide control of the
project management processes
ELEMENTS OF A TYPICAL PMIS

 A typical PMIS software system has:

 WBS creation tools
 Calendaring features
 Scheduling abilities
 Work authorization tools
 EVM controls
 Quality control charts, PERT charts, Gantt charts,
and other charting features
 Calculations for the critical path, EVM, target
dates based on the project schedule, and more
 Resource tracking and leveling
 Reporting functionality
PROJECT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
SYSTEM
 Project Management Information System
(PMIS) are system tools and techniques used in
project management to deliver information

 Project managers use the techniques and tools

to collect, combine and distribute information
through electronic and manual means.

 Project Management Information System

(PMIS) is used by upper and lower
management to communicate with each other.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
SYSTEM
 It is an automated system to quickly create,
manage, and streamline the project
management processes.

 In the develop portion of the project, the PMIS

can be used to help the project management
team create the schedule, estimates, and risk
assessments, and to gather feedback from
stakeholders.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
SYSTEM
 The PMIS also includes a configuration management
system.
 Configuration management is an approach for
tracking all approved changes, versions of project
plans, blueprints, software numbering, and
sequencing.
 A configuration management system aims to
manage all of the following:
 Functional and physical characteristics of the project
deliverables
 Control, track, and manage any changes to the project
deliverables
 Track any changes within the project
 Allow the project management team to audit the project
deliverables to confirm conformance to defined criteria for
acceptance
PROJECT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
SYSTEM
 Project Management Information System (PMIS) help
plan, execute and close project management goals.
 During the planning process, project managers use
PMIS for budget framework such as estimating costs.
The Project Management Information System is also
used to create a specific schedule and define the scope
baseline
 At the execution of the project management goals, the
project management team collects information into one
database. The PMIS is used to compare
the baseline with the actual accomplishment of
each activity, manage materials, collect financial data,
and keep a record for reporting purposes.
 During the close of the project, the Project
Management Information System is used to
review the goals to check if the tasks were
accomplished. Then, it is used to create a
final report of the project close.

 To conclude, the project management

information system (PMIS) is used to plan
schedules, budget and execute work to be
accomplished in project management.
 Project Management Information System is a
tool used to document and store the
project management plan, subsidiary plans
and other documents / work products
relevant for the project.

 It could be manual or automated and should

support the change control procedures
defined in the project.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
SYSTEM - IMPORTANCE
 The monitoring and control system of a project needs
the support of a suitable Project Management
Information System (PMIS). Usually, the use of a PMIS
for all information about a project and regularly updating
this information based on the actual status: helps in
successful monitoring and control.
 A comprehensive PMIS would cover the complete life-
cycle of a project and would provide the necessary
support for decision making.
 One important purpose of this information system is to
receive the actual data about the status of a project at
pre-determined intervals, process this information to
evaluate the impact of these outcomes and project these
impacts in terms of an expected date of completion and
an expected cost of completion. These processed
information are then made available to the Project
manager and his team who would then use this to decide
the necessary corrective actions and execute them.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
SYSTEM – IMPORTANCE CONTD…
 PMISs have capabilities that assist project managers
in planning, budgeting, and resource allocation.
 Many PMISs additionally perform assorted analyses
such as variance, performance, and forecasting
for any level of the WBS and project organization.
 A good PMIS enables facile control of changes to
system configuration and project plans as well. These
PMISs allow for quick review and easy periodic
updating; they filter and reduce data to provide
information on summary, exception, or “what if”
bases.
 With an effective PMIS the project manager does not
have to wait for days or comb through reams of data
to identify problems and determine project status.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
SYSTEM- OBJECTIVES.

 Record and report relevant information and the status

of various components of the project in such a manner
as to bring the most critical activities directly to the
attention of concerned managers at appropriate level.

 Highlight deviations from the plan, if any, in respect of

every component of the project and also to indicate the
effects of such, deviations on the overall status and
completion of the project as a whole.

 Form the basis of updating of project schedule wherever

necessary.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
SYSTEM- OBJECTIVES.
 Identify and report on critical areas which are
relevant to different levels of management
and to highlight the corrective action that
needs to be taken.

 Sift the information and report on an

exception basis. In other words, emphasis is
focused on those activities that are not going
according the plan.

 Provide a basis for the evaluation of the

performance of the functions of various
managers and departments by regular
comparisons with budgets/plans/schedules.
TYPICAL FEATURES OF A PMIS
 The following are a list of the kinds of analytical
capabilities, outputs, and other features offered by
various PMI systems
 Scheduling and Network Planning
 Virtually all project software systems do project
scheduling using a network-based procedure.
These systems compute early and late schedule
times, slack times, and the critical path
 Resource Management
 Most project systems also perform resource
loading, leveling, allocation, or multiple
functions, although the analytical sophistication
and quality of reports vary between systems.
TYPICAL OUTPUTS OF A PMIS CONTD..
 Budgeting.
 In many project systems it is possible to associate cost
information with each activity, usually by treating costs as
resources. The ability of a system to handle cost
information and generate budgets is a significant variable
in the system’s usability for both planning and control.
 Cost Control and Performance Analysis
 Here is where project system capabilities differ the most.
The most sophisticated PMIS software “roll up” results and
allow aggregation, analysis, and reporting at all levels of
the WBS. They also permit modification and updating of
existing plans through input of actual start and finish
dates and costs. The most comprehensive PMISs integrate
network, budget, and resource information and allow the
project manager to ask “what if” questions under various
scenarios while the project is underway. They allow the
system user to access, cross-reference, and report
information from multiple sites or databases linked via the
Internet or an intranet.
TYPICAL OUTPUTS OF A PMIS CONTD..

 Reporting, Graphics, and Communication.

 This is an important consideration because it affects
the speed with which PMIS outputs are
communicated and the accuracy of their
interpretation. Many systems provide only tabular
reports or crude schedules; others generate
networks and resource histograms; still others offer
a variety of graphics including pie charts and line
graphs. The main features to consider are the
number, quality, and type of available reports and
graphics
TYPICAL OUTPUTS OF A PMIS CONTD..
 Interface, Flexibility, and Ease of Use.
 Many larger PMISs allow data from different projects
to be pooled so multi project analysis can be
performed. Some systems are compatible with and
can tie into existing databases such as payroll,
purchasing, inventory, MRP, ERP, cost-accounting, or
other PMISs.

 The capability of a PMIS to interface with other

software from which existing data files have been
created is an important selection criterion. Many firms
have had to spend considerable time and money
developing interfaces to link a commercial PM
package with existing data and other PMI systems.
Most small, inexpensive systems are stand-alone and
have limited interface ability
 Flexibility
 Systems also vary widely in flexibility. Many systems
are limited and perform a narrow set of functions
which cannot be modified.
 Others allow the user to develop new applications or
alter existing ones depending on needs.
 Among the potential additional applications and
reports sometimes available are change control,
configuration management, responsibility matrixes,
expenditure reports, cost and technical performance
reports, and technical performance summaries.
 Many software systems utilize Internet technology
and protocols that enable easy access through a
browser to a wide variety of management applications
and databases.
 Ease of Use.
 How easy is it to learn and operate the system? Systems
vary greatly in the style of system documentation,
thoroughness and clarity of tutorials, ease of information
input, clarity of on-screen presentation and report format,
helpfulness of error messages, and the training and
operating support offered by the developer.
BENEFITS OF COMPUTER-BASED PMIS
 The benefits of computer PMISs over manual
systems are speed, capacity, efficiency, economy,
accuracy, and ability to handle complexity.
 The major benefit is speed. Once data have been
collected and entered, practically any
manipulation can be done more rapidly by
computers.
 To create or revise printed plans, schedules, and
budgets takes days or weeks with a manual
system, but seconds or minutes with computers.
 This is especially true of Internet and intranet
project management systems.
 Computer-based PMISs store large amounts of
information that is easily accessed, prioritized,
and summarized.
BENEFITS OF COMPUTER-BASED PMIS

 Manual systems for large projects are tedious to

maintain, difficult to access, and provoke people to try to
work around them or avoid them. They require the
efforts of numerous support personnel to maintain and
use their outputs for analysis.
 In contrast, computer-based PMISs can perform much of
this analysis, reduce the requirement for clerical
personnel, and relieve managers and support personnel
from having to do computations. This frees them to use
analysis results for making decisions.
 The speed, capacity, and efficiency of computers afford
still another benefit: economy. In most cases,
computers offer a significant cost advantage over manual
systems for storing and processing information.
Assuming input data are correct, computers produce
fewer computational errors and reduce the cost of
correcting mistakes.
BENEFITS OF COMPUTER-BASED PMIS
 computer-based PMISs are much better at
handling and integrating complex data
relationships.
 Large projects with thousands of work tasks,
hundreds of organizations, and tens of thousands
of workers cannot be managed efficiently without
computers.
 For managing large projects, a computer-based
PMIS is a virtual necessity, but even in small
projects it simply makes the work easier to
manage.
 Simpler PMISs have limited capability, but they
usually are good at what they can do, and they
can be of tremendous benefit. Also, once
mastered, it is easy to upgrade to more
sophisticated systems.
EXAMPLES OF COMPUTER-BASED PMIS
 Microsoft Project (MS Project)
 Microsoft Project (MS Project) dominates project
management software systems.
 This software system carries its own database and is
compatible with SQL Server or Oracle databases.
 Although it requires installation on every user’s
computer, it is fully compatible with Microsoft Office
so team members can easily save to the database
documents created in any Office application.
 In addition, because it has the same toolbars as MS
Office applications, most users become quickly
familiarized with it.
 MS Project provides the ability to publish to the
Internet or the company intranet.
 There are no limits to the number of tasks or projects
the software can handle.
EXAMPLES OF COMPUTER-BASED PMIS
 Project Scheduler
 Project Scheduler works with an SQL
database and is MS Office compatible.
 Information from multiple projects or
subprojects can be merged or consolidated
to reveal company wide resource utilization.
 The report writer enables a wide range of
standard and customized reports, which can
be output in HTML format.
 Data can be located on shared disk drives
and accessed only by users with the
appropriate password.
EXAMPLES OF COMPUTER-BASED PMIS
 Welcom
 Welcom has three software products: Open Plan,
Cobra, and Spider.
 Open Plan has advanced scheduling and
modeling tools for resource management.
 It integrates company-wide information and enables
information sharing across multiple projects.
 Team members can work on pieces of the project, then
roll-up information for composite reporting.
 Cobra is a cost-management tool designed to
manage and analyze budgets, earned value, and
forecasts.
 Spider is a multiuser, multi project web-based
tool for viewing and updating project data from
Open Plan user Web browsers
EXAMPLES OF COMPUTER-BASED PMIS
 Trakker
 Trakker offers a variety of interesting products
including tools for risk management activity-
based costing, earned value management as well
as the usual planning, budgeting, and tracking
tools.
 These tools interface with commercial accounting
systems and can be Web-enabled for use on the
Internet or intranet with browsers.
EXAMPLES OF COMPUTER-BASED PMIS
 Primavera
 Primavera offers four software products.
 Sure Trak Project Manager.
 This software enables modeling and scheduling of
simultaneous projects of up to 10,000 activities per
project.
 Activities can be inserted or rearranged on Gantt charts
and PERT charts with a mouse click.
 Actual completion dates and costs can be compared with
targets, progress estimated for each activity or for the
entire project, and forecasts produced of resources
necessary to get a project back on track.
 If resources exceed supply, Sure Trak can reassign them
from low-priority activities. Assignments, deadlines, and
status can be shared with project participants at all levels
and locations using the Web publisher
EXAMPLES OF COMPUTER-BASED PMIS
 Primavera
 Primavera Project Planner®, (P3®).
 This program provides for unlimited projects, up to
100,000 activities per project, concurrent, multiuser
accessibility, and scheduling options similar to SureTrak.
 It can create fragments of networks to store for later use
as templates or building blocks for creating other project
plans.
 Also, it supports cost accounts and allows tracking of
costs and exchange of information with cost accounting
systems.
 e-mail addresses can be embedded into the project to
automatically route status information to individuals who
need to know.
 A Web publisher enables team members with Web

browsers to review, update, and return project activity

status data
EXAMPLES OF COMPUTER-BASED PMIS
 Primavera Expedition® Contract Control
Software.
 This software assists in change management and
tracking of contracts and purchase orders.
 It enables users to view the latest submittals and
schedule changes from P3 or SureTrak in real time.
 It ensures that everyone who needs drawing revisions
gets them.
 It also has a change management feature to assess
the impact of changes on costs and schedules, and to
identify where additional equipment is needed and the
contractors affected.
 Italso automatically distributes requisitions and RFPs.
EXAMPLES OF COMPUTER-BASED PMIS
 Webster for Primavera®.
 This software provides access to the project
database, timecard activities, and project
information from SureTrak and P3.
 Team members can see assignments and can
report accomplishments and time needed to
complete assignments.
WEB-BASED PMIS
 A project Web site and Web-based project
software are especially helpful in situations
where project team members are located at
different sites.
 Putting project information on the Internet or
other networks utilizing Internet standards
expedites projects that might ordinarily be
delayed because team members are dispersed.
 Benefits of Web based project management
include immediate availability of project
information, efficiency and accessibility for
communicating with workers, ease of learning
and usage, and reliability and currency of
information because it is entered and
communicated in real time.
WEB-BASED PMIS
 Web-based project management fills the information
needs of project stakeholders at all levels; from
individual teams, team members, and project
managers working on a particular project; to high-
level managers who want information about every
project in the organization.
 With Web-browser integrated project management
software, each team member can have her own
individual web page on which to report progress and
retrieve assignments.
 Web pages for team members at scattered worksites
enable everyone to easily send information to the
project manager, and vice versa.
 The project manager can then aggregate the provided
information to create an overview of the entire
project.
WEB-BASED PMIS
 Web-based tools are easy to learn, understand, and use.
Because the training and learning required for Web-based
tools are minimal, team members can concentrate on their
job rather than spend time in training, or in trying to figure
out the software.
 In most cases, the necessary tools are already at hand. Web-
based software requires one thing: access to a Web browser,
such as Internet Explorer or Netscape, which is available on
any computer with Internet access.
 Internet and intranet networks are easy to use and learn, and
therefore team members are likely to use them more
frequently for status reporting.
 Special Web site administration is unnecessary when team
members, who enter up-to-date information, maintain their
own sites.
 Web based communication not only provides management
with a current view of projects, but it demands low overhead
and frees management from worry associated with system
updates and maintenance.
CRITICAL DECIDING FACTORS
 In designing project management information system,
the following have to be spelt out clearly :
 The objective of each format or report in brief.
 The distribution chart.
 The periodicity of the reports.
 The persons responsible for preparation of the
reports.
 The timing of the reports.
 The sources from which information has to be
gathered in the preparation of reports.
INTEGRATED PROJECT MANAGEMENT
INFORMATION SYSTEM
 Structure of a typical integrated project management
information system is depicted in figure
 It allows total project information to be structured into
a number of data sets which are integrated by the
software. Some of the relevant datasets for a large
project are:
 Network dataset
 Drawing data set
 Cost dataset
 Material dataset
 Vendor dataset
 Job card dataset
 Rates dataset
 Resources dataset
 History dataset, etc
INTEGRATED PROJECT MANAGEMENT
INFORMATION SYSTEM
Structure of a typical integrated project management information
system is depicted in figure
INTEGRATED PROJECT MANAGEMENT
INFORMATION SYSTEM
 Integration of these independent datasets
through various processing modules enables
high control of projects. It permits :
 Horizontal integration between disciplines, e.g.,
cost/schedule integration, or, cost estimates,
cost accounts and project schedule integration
via Work Breakdown Structure:
 Vertical integration. Data can be aggregated
(`rolled up') to any required level to produce
desired summary reports.