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Archive for December, 2011

The traditional approach

A traditional phased approach identifies a sequence of steps to be completed. In the “traditional approach”, five developmental components of a project can be distinguished (four stages plus control):
Typical development phases of an engineering project

Not all the projects will visit every stage as projects can be terminated before they reach completion. Some projects do not follow a structured planning and/or monitoring stages. Some projects will go through steps 2, 3 and 4 multiple times.

Many industries use variations on these project stages. For example, when working on a brick and mortar design and construction, projects will typically progress through stages like Pr-Planning, Conceptual Design, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Drawings (or Contract Documents), and Construction Administration. In software development, this approach is often known as the waterfall model,[16] i.e., one series of tasks after another in linear sequence. In software development many organizations have adapted the Rational Unified Process (RUP) to fit this methodology, although RUP does not require or explicitly recommend this practice. Waterfall development works well for small, well defined projects, but often fails in larger projects of undefined and ambiguous nature. The Cone of Uncertainty explains some of this as the planning made on the initial phase of the project suffers from a high degree of uncertainty. This becomes especially true as software development is often the realization of a new or novel product. In projects where requirements have not been finalized and can change, requirements management is used to develop an accurate and complete definition of the behavior of software that can serve as the basis for software development.[17] While the terms may differ from industry to industry, the actual stages typically follow common steps to problem solving—”defining the problem, weighing options, choosing a path, implementation and evaluation.”

Project management is a carefully planned and organized effort to accomplish a successful project. A project is a one-time effort that produces a specific result, for example, a building or a major new computer system. This is in contrast to a program, which is 1) an ongoing process, such as a quality control program, or 2) an activity to manage a series of multiple projects together. In some countries, the term “program” refers to a software tool and the term “programmer” can mean a TV or radio show.

Project management includes developing a project plan, which includes defining and confirming the project goals and objectives, identifying tasks and how goals will be achieved, quantifying the resources needed, and determining budgets and timelines for completion. It also includes managing the implementation of the project plan, along with operating regular ‘controls’ to ensure that there is accurate and objective information on ‘performance’ relative to the plan, and the mechanisms to implement recovery actions where necessary.

Projects usually follow major phases or stages (with various titles for these), including feasibility, definition, project planning, implementation, evaluation and support/maintenance.

NOTE: There are many software tools that make project management much more effective and efficient. Software Tools to Do Project Management Process lists software resources. The reader might best be served to read about the overall project management process in the section, “Foundations of Project Management” below, and then review some of the software tools. Another approach is to review the tools as the reader progresses through each phase of the project management process.

Project Roles and Responsibilities

There are many groups of people involved in both the project and project management life cycles.

The Project Team is the group responsible for planning and executing the project. It consists of a Project Manager and a variable number of Project Team members, who are brought in to deliver their tasks according to the project schedule.

The Project Manager is the person responsible for ensuring that the Project Team completes the project. The Project Manager develops the Project Plan with the team and manages the team’s performance of project tasks. It is also the responsibility of the Project Manager to secure acceptance and approval of deliverable from the Project Sponsor and Stakeholders. The Project Manager is responsible for communication, including status reporting, risk management, escalation of issues that cannot be resolved in the team, and, in general, making sure the project is delivered in budget, on schedule, and within scope.

The Project Team Members are responsible for executing tasks and producing deliverable as outlined in the Project Plan and directed by the Project Manager, at whatever level of effort or participation has been defined for them.

On larger projects, some Project Team members may serve as Team Leads, providing task and technical leadership, and sometimes maintaining a portion of the project plan.

The Executive Sponsor is a manager with demonstrable interest in the outcome of the project who is ultimately responsible for securing spending authority and resources for the project. Ideally, the Executive Sponsor should be the highest-ranking manager possible, in proportion to the project size and scope. The Executive Sponsor acts as a vocal and visible champion, legitimizes the project’s goals and objectives, keeps abreast of major project activities, and is the ultimate decision-maker for the project. The Executive Sponsor provides support for the Project Sponsor and/or Project Director and Project Manager and has final approval of all scope changes, and signs off on approvals to proceed to each succeeding project phase. The Executive Sponsor may elect to delegate some of the above responsibilities to the Project Sponsor and/or Project Director.

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end (usually time-constrained, and often constrained by funding or deliverables), undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value. The temporary nature of projects stands in contrast with business as usual (or operations), which are repetitive, permanent, or semi-permanent functional activities to produce products or services. In practice, the management of these two systems is often quite different, and as such requires the development of distinct technical skills and management strategies.

The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals and objectives while honoring the preconceived constraints. Typical constraints are scope, time, and budget. The secondary—and more ambitious—challenge is to optimize the allocation and integrate the inputs necessary to meet per-defined objectives.

The Project Sponsor and/or Project Director is a manager with demonstrable interest in the outcome of the project who is responsible for securing spending authority and resources for the project. The Project Sponsor acts as a vocal and visible champion, legitimizes the project’s goals and objectives, keeps abreast of major project activities, and is a decision-maker for the project. The Project Sponsor will participate in and/or lead project initiation; the development of the Project Charter. He or she will participate in project planning (high level) and the development of the Project Initiation Plan. The Project Sponsor provides support for the Project Manager; assists with major issues, problems, and policy conflicts; removes obstacles; is active in planning the scope; approves scope changes; signs off on major deliverables; and signs off on approvals to proceed to each succeeding project phase. The Project Sponsor generally chairs the steering committee on large projects. The Project Sponsor may elect to delegate any of the above responsibilities to other personnel either on or outside the Project Team

The Steering Committee generally includes management representatives from the key organizations involved in the project oversight and control, and any other key stakeholder groups that have special interest in the outcome of the project. The Steering committee acts individually and collectively as a vocal and visible project champion throughout their representative organizations; generally they approve project deliverable, help resolve issues and policy decisions, approve scope changes, and provide direction and guidance to the project. Depending on how the project is organized, the steering committee can be involved in providing resources, assist in securing funding, act as liaisons to executive groups and sponsors, and fill other roles as defined by the project.

Project management has been practiced since early civilization. Until 1900 civil engineering projects were generally managed by creative architects, engineers, and master builders themselves, among those for example Vitruvius (1st century BC), Christopher Wren (1632–1723), Thomas Telford (1757–1834) and Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806–1859).[6] It was in the 1950s that organizations started to systematically apply project management tools and techniques to complex engineering projects.[7]
Henry Gantt (1861–1919), the father of planning and control techniques.

As a discipline, Project Management developed from several fields of application including civil construction, engineering, and heavy defense activity.[8] Two forefathers of project management are Henry Gantt, called the father of planning and control techniques,[9] who is famous for his use of the Gantt chart as a project management tool; and Henri Fayol for his creation of the 5 management functions which form the foundation of the body of knowledge associated with project and program management.[10] Both Gantt and Fayol were students of Frederick Winslow Taylor’s theories of scientific management. His work is the forerunner to modern project management tools including work breakdown structure (WBS) and resource allocation.

The 1950s marked the beginning of the modern Project Management era where core engineering fields come together working as one. Project management became recognized as a distinct discipline arising from the management discipline with engineering model.[11] In the United States, prior to the 1950s, projects were managed on an ad hoc basis using mostly Gantt Charts, and informal techniques and tools. At that time, two mathematical project-scheduling models were developed. The “Critical Path Method” (CPM) was developed as a joint venture between DuPont Corporation and Remington Rand Corporation for managing plant maintenance projects. And the “Program Evaluation and Review Technique” or PERT, was developed by Booz Allen Hamilton as part of the United States Navy’s (in conjunction with the Lockheed Corporation) Polaris missile submarine program;[12] These mathematical techniques quickly spread into many private enterprises.

The Kelleher International was founded by Jill Kelleher in San Francisco and today this mother and daughter team has achieved great heights.

It is basically a family program. It is the most exclusive club of the world and provides best services to their client. The company has strong connections in the nations and only selected eligible men and women worked under them.

Kelleher International Find Best for Clients

They are continuously working for the clients and always select the perfect match for them. This also helps the client to develop connections and meet new people. The client is chosen through well planned processes. They are interviewed first and then their interests and wishes are noted. The team of skilled persons including matchmakers, skilled associates and relationship mentors, PHD holders take the interview. Once the client is chosen then the client is asked to meet various people according to the description made by the client.

Resources of the Kelleher International

The Kelleher International has great database and innovative schemes for the clients. Kelleher International has achieved great record from the last 25 years. They always believe that if the client is able to meet various people, then he would be able to judge better and find a good partner for him.

Previously Amber Kelleher joined KFWB News talk 980. The show was telecast every evening from 5:00pm to 6:00pm. The program had a planned schedule. Various guests, experts and celebrities were invited in the show their opinions and views on various points. They shared their dating stories, relationships and also give interesting tips about love. The program helps in guiding the clients and other people in finding the perfect and suitable match for them. Later, Amber Kelleher joined her mother and now the Kelleher International is touching skies.

The Kelleher International also provides many membership options to make it easy for the people to connect with them. Their offices are located near sea coasts for better communication and accommodation of the client. Various satellite offices are located at various places within the country and at other places like London, Stockholm, Jakarta, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The company is ready every time to help their members. It is easy to search the company within a particular city by special search package.

The company is achieving success day by day and will be making matches for years.