Project Initiation & Pre-study

Lecture Objectives
v How to initiate the project
v Execute a Pre-study
v Do a first outline of the Execution phase (plan)
Project Initiation: Key questions

v Who is the sponsor and who is the client

v Why should the assignment be carried out

v What should be done

v When should the assignment be completed

v How will the assignment be carried out

Pre-study
v A project should always start with a pre-study
v Get answers to:
vProject goal
vIs there a chance that the project can be
successful
v With the pre-study result the Management
can decide if Go or Not Go for the project
v The Project Owner is responsible for the
work during the pre-study
vOften use a project manager to help out…
Pre-study versus Planning
v Pre-study:
vAnalyze pre-requisites and specify the
assignment

v Planning:
vProduce detailed plans for the Execution phase
Investment & Decision

Execution
Pre- Planning
study

TG 1 TG 2
Project charter (PMI name)
v Describes what the Project Owner wants
v Defines Background, Goal and Purpose
v States Project Owner and Client
v States expected finish date
v Budget is usually specified in Internal
projects
v Goes under many names:
vProject charter, Project specification, Project
directive, Tender, Assignment specification etc.
Pre-study milestones
Start Ass.
Pre-study Spec.

Background Stakeholders
analyzed Identified

Purpose and Situation anal.

Delivery goals completed

Scope Solution sel.

completed completed

Profitability Preliminary Requirements

analyzed Project plan defined
Pre-
Study
Report Pre-study
completed
Project background
v For example connections to other projects
vBeing part of a chain of events
vExecuting the field trial of a solution
vDelivering part of a solution

v Project context
vIn what “world”/surroundings is the project
executing
Purpose & Delivery goals
v What is the purpose of the project
vIf I don’t know/understand the purpose how can I
put my soul in it? Low motivation

v The purpose is the same as the benefit the

project will generate, i.e. why it is important
to carry out the project

v Guide us in doing the right thing not just

doing things right
To set Project Goal
v The project goal is preferably set in
cooperation with Project Owner and PM

v Concreate and accepted goals are a

prerequisite for a well functioning project
group

v The goals must be so clear so all of the

people in the project has the same picture
Project vs. Product requirement
v Project goal
vThe work performed to deliver a product, service,
or result with the specified features and functions
vHow the project is to be executed and also
includes the constraints and assumptions under
which you will have to work
v Product requirement
vDefines what the product will look like, how will it
work, its features, etc.
vSpecific and measurable demands on a product
or service
Examples Project and Product reqs.
Product requirements:
v 150 m2 single-story, four bedroom villa
v Two tiled bathrooms, red painted façade
v Tiled roof + two car garage

Project requirements:
v Ready for occupation by November 1, 2015
v Total cost may not exceed $450 000
v Nguyen’s construction firm to be hired
v Built with the least possible environmental impact
S.M.A.R.T. goals

/ Relevant
SMART goals
1. Specific - Consider who, what, when, where,
why and how in developing the goal.
2. Measurable - Include a numeric or
descriptive measurement.
3. Attainable - Consider the resources needed
and set a realistic goal.
4. Relevant - Make sure the goal is consistent
with the mission.
5. Time-bound - Set a realistic deadline.
Stakeholders
v Anyone who participates in or can influence
your project, typically:
vProject Sponsor(s)/Customer(s)
vExecutives
vProject Team
vUsers
vContractors
vFunctional Managers

v The project manager must identify them.

v The project needs to “satisfy” them.
Categorize stakeholders

v Core stakeholders
v Primary
v Secondary

v Not all stakeholders need to be treated

equally, as they are not equally important
to the project ;-)
Stakeholder interest
Scope of work
v Evaluate the size of the project scope

v Structure it in a Work Breakdown Structure

vVisualize a common view of the project scope
vFoundation for pre-study and the planning
vA basis for realistic estimates of duration and cost
ISM; Defining the Information System
§ For every information systems project, you
must ask questions.
• What information does the system need to
provide?
• What hardware and software are required?
• Who needs to be trained to use this system?

§ The challenge is knowing which questions

you will ask then finding the answers
before starting the project.
Overview Of Information
Systems

Why the system is

Business needed
Needs

What users will

User Requirements be able to do

What systems need

Systems Requirements
to be built

Software Requirements What software needs

to be developed
ISM; Business Needs
§ The essential feature of an information system is
how it improves the ability of an organization to
deliver products and services.
§ The business benefits from a system that provides
the organization with change expressed through
the system needs.
§ Therefore, the business viewpoint requires careful
consideration early in a project. It enables the
project manager to begin the cost & benefit
evaluation of the change and to verify if its
implementation is justified.
Boundaries
v It is also important to define project
boundaries
vNumber of supported languages
vNumber of units delivered
vNumber of installations

v What the project will not deliver

vnew Accounts Payable package is in scope, but
the related Purchasing System is out of scope
WBS example

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Details about WBS creation later

Solution selection & Problem solving
v “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route
to success.
Tactics without strategy is the noise before
defeat” Sun Tzu

v In a project, the solution and the milestones

are the strategy, while the schedule
describes the tactics

v “If I had asked people what they wanted, they

would have said faster horses” Henry Ford
Formulate the requirements
v Mainly gather requirements
vWorkshops, interviews etc.
v Use the WBS as a baseline when defining
the requirements
v Prioritize reqs (MoSCoW)
vMust
vShould (high-prio but not critical)
vCould (desirable but not necessary)
vWon’t/Would (agreed not in this release unless
time allows)
Prioritize by using the Project triangel
Triple constraint
Content /
Target

Cost /
Time
Resources
Pick two
Question:
v What is the consequence for the project if all
three parameters in the triple constraint have
the same priority?
Estimates
v Use the WBS as the basis for making a first
rough estimate of all the work
v Remember, this is not the final estimates for
the project plan
vIt will be done during the Planning phase

v Create a Milestone plan

v Will be used to decide business benefit
Milestone plan

Back-casting milestone process:

Create the milestones from last to first MS.
 Outline of execution phase
March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

Incr 1 Incr 2 Incr 3

Cust. Cust. System

Test Test test

Field trial

Execution Go Live
starts

v The project plan is just an outline without the

details. They will be added during the regular
project planning phase
Go or No Go (TollGate 1)
v Most companies have many development
projects running at the same time

v It is vital to prioritize between the projects

v A project that shall be initialized must have a

convincing business case and be part of the
strategic product plan
v Go or No Go for starting Project Planning
phase
Study questions
v What is a To-do mentality?
v Which key questions need to get answered
before starting a project?
v What does the purpose specify?
v What is the difference between Project and
Product requirements?
v Why is it sometimes necessary to define
project boundaries
Study questions
v What is the purpose with the Pre-study
phase?
v Which three categories can you place the
stakeholders in?
v Why is it important to map and analyze the
stakeholders?
v What is the triple constraint and what is its
purpose?
v What is back-staging and when is it useful?