Business Driven Technology - Instructor’s Manual

BUSINESS PLUG-IN B15

Project Management

LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Describe the three primary activities performed by a project manager.
The three primary activities performed by a project manager include choosing strategic
projects, setting the project scope, and managing resources and maintaining the project plan.

2. Explain change management and how an organization can prepare for change.
Change management is a set of techniques that aid in evolution, composition, and policy
management of the design and implementation of a system. An organization can prepare for
change by implementing change management systems and a change control board. Change
management systems are a collection of procedures to document a change request and define
the steps necessary to consider the change based on the expected impact of the change. A
change control board (CCB) is responsible for approving or rejecting all change requests.

3. Explain risk management and how an organization can mitigate risk.

Project risk is an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect
on a project objective. Risk management is the process of proactive and ongoing identification,
analysis, and response to risk factors.

4. Summarize the different strategies a project manager can use to ensure a successful project.
The top five successful project management strategies include:
1. Define project success criteria
2. Develop a solid project plan
3. Divide and conquer
4. Plan for change
5. Mange project risk

CLASSROOM OPENER
Project Advice
It is fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.
Good judgment is usually the result of experience. And experience is frequently the result of bad
judgment. But to learn from the experience of others requires those who have the experience to
share the knowledge with those who follow.

CLASSROOM EXERCISE
Developing a Project Plan
Break your students into groups and ask them to develop a project plan (Gantt chart) for building a
small piece of software that tracks student grades for a single course. If they do not have Microsoft
Project, have them use Excel or the project features in Visio. Be sure that their project plans list all

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phases in the SDLC and that they represent an incremental development methodology, not a
waterfall methodology. Be sure the tasks under each phase are discussed in detail.

CORE MATERIAL
The core chapter material is covered in detail in the PowerPoint slides. Each slide contains detailed
teaching notes including exercises, class activities, questions, and examples. Please review the
PowerPoint slides for detailed notes on how to teach and enhance the core chapter material.

CLOSING CASE ONE

Staying on Track – Toronto Transit
1. Describe Gantt charts and explain how TTC could use one to communicate project status.
A Gantt chart is a simple bar chart that depicts project tasks against a calendar. In a Gantt
chart, tasks are listed vertically and the project’s timeframe is listed horizontally. A Gantt chart
works well for representing the project schedule. It also shows actual progress of tasks against
the planned duration.

2. Describe PERT charts and explain how TTC could use one to communicate project status.
A PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) chart is a graphical network model that
depicts a project’s tasks and the relationships between those tasks. A dependency is a logical
relationship that exists between the project tasks, or between a project task and a milestone.
Dependencies and Critical paths are found in PERT charts.

3. How could TTC use its master schedule to gain efficiencies in its supply chain?
TTC could link its Master Schedule directly to its SCM system, enabling it to automatically
order inventory required for projects.

4. How could TTC use its master schedule to identify change management and risk management
issues?
Change management is a set of techniques that aid in evolution, composition, and policy
management of the design and implementation of a system. TTC can prepare for change by
looking for scope creep, feature creep, new requirements, changing business environment,
industry changes, technology changes, and management changes.

Project risk is an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect
on a project objective. Risk management is the process of proactive and ongoing identification,
analysis, and response to risk factors. TTC can prepare for risk by looking for changing
business circumstances, reluctance to report negative information on a project, significant
change management issues, and overengineering technology solutions.

CLOSING CASE TWO

Change at Toyota

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1. What would be the impact on Toyota’s business if it failed to implement a project management
solution and managed its projects using a myriad of spreadsheets and Word documents?
Tracking a project with spreadsheets and Word documents is inefficient and ineffective.
Spreadsheets and Word documents do not contain project management tools such as Gant
charts, pert charts, task tracking, budget tracking, resource leveling, etc. Without these tools it
is increasingly difficult to track a project, especially a project with hundreds of people. Project
management software also allows a project to be tracked in a single place, regardless of its
size. With multiple spreadsheets and Word documents simply correlating the information would
be a difficult task.

2. Why would Toyota find it important to focus on implementing good project management
techniques?
The company would have a significantly lower project success rate if it failed to implement a
project management solution. Project management tools helps keep a business on track by
tracking task progression, resources, and time frames. Without project management tools
Toyota would not receive the following project management benefits:
 Improved planning and prioritizing of its mission-critical projects
 Created a flexible global workforce
 Improved its ability to track project costs against budget
 Streamlined its use of contractors
 Better strategic alignment of people and projects

3. Why are project management, change management, and risk management critical to a global
company such as Toyota?
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project
activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations. Project risk is an
uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on a project
objective. Without good project management techniques Toyota would have greater project
risk and less project success.
Change management is a set of techniques that aid in evolution, composition, and policy
management of the design and implementation of a system. An organization can prepare for
change by implementing change management systems and a change control board. Change
management systems are a collection of procedures to document a change request and define
the steps necessary to consider the change based on the expected impact of the change. A
change control board (CCB) is responsible for approving or rejecting all change requests.
Risk management is the process of proactive and ongoing identification, analysis, and
response to risk factors. Decreasing risk increases an organization’s chance of success.
Toyota has global employees working on global projects. Without managing projects, change,
and risk Toyota would have a difficult time building, developing, and deploying new projects.

4. Describe the ramifications to Toyota’s business if it failed to anticipate change.

Change management is a set of techniques that aid in evolution, composition, and policy
management of the design and implementation of a system. An organization can prepare for
change by implementing change management systems and a change control board. Change
management systems are a collection of procedures to document a change request and define
the steps necessary to consider the change based on the expected impact of the change. A

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change control board (CCB) is responsible for approving or rejecting all change requests.
Without the proper change management strategy

MAKING BUSINESS DECISIONS

Instructor Note: There are few right or wrong answers in the business world. There are really only
efficient and inefficient, and effective and ineffective business decisions. If there were always right
answers businesses would never fail. These questions were created to challenge your students to
apply the materials they have learned to real business situations. For this reason, the authors
cannot provide you with one version of a correct answer. When grading your students’ answers, be
sure to focus on their justification or support for their specific answers. A good way to grade these
questions is to compare your student’s answers against each other.

1. EXPLAINING PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project Purpose: To explain project management.
Potential Solution: Without project management, it is impossible to determine whether a
project is on the path to success. Scope creep occurs when the scope increases. Feature
creep occurs when extra features are added. The best strategy for delivering a successful
project on time is to continuously monitor and update the project plan, watch for change, and
mitigate risk.

2. APPLYING PROJECT MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

Project Purpose: To develop a Gantt chart.
Potential Solution: A Gantt chart is a simple bar chart that depicts project tasks against a
calendar. In a Gantt chart, tasks are listed vertically and the project’s timeframe is listed
horizontally. A Gantt chart works well for representing the project schedule. It also shows
actual progress of tasks against the planned duration. Your students’ Gantt charts will vary.

3. PRIORITIZING PROJECTS
Project Purpose: To prioritize projects.
Potential Solution: Organizations must determine which projects to pursue. Three common
techniques for selecting projects include focusing on organizational goals, categorizing
projects, and performing a financial analysis.

4. MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
Project Purpose: To set and manage expectations.
Potential Solution: The list of questions required to determine management’s expectations will
vary for each student. A few examples could include:
 What budget does management anticipate for the project?
 What is the timeframe for the project?
 How many resources will be on the project?
 What is the scope for the project?

5. MITIGATING RISK
Project Purpose: To mitigate risk.
Potential Solution: Project risk is an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a
positive or negative effect on a project objective. Risk management is the process of proactive

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and ongoing identification, analysis, and response to risk factors. TTC can prepare for risk by
looking for changing business circumstances, reluctance to report negative information on a
project, significant change management issues, and overengineering technology solutions.

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