IT项目管理讨论题和running case答案.docx

IT项目管理讨论题和running case答案.docx

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IT项目管理讨论题和runningcase答案

CHAPTER1

IntroductiontoProjectManagement

DISCUSSIONQUESTIONS

1.Whyisthereaneworrenewedinterestinthefieldofprojectmanagement?

Moreandmoreprojectsarebeingdonebyavarietyoforganizations.Theprojectsaremorecomplexandofteninvolvetheuseofnewtechnologies.Organizationsarestrugglingtofindbetterwaystomanagetheirprojects.

2.Whatisaproject,andwhatareitsmainattributes?

Howisaprojectdifferentfromwhatmostpeopledointheirday-to-dayjobs?

Whatisthetripleconstraint?

Aprojectis“atemporaryendeavorundertakentocreateauniqueproduct,service,orresult”（PMBOKGuide,2008,p.5）.Inadditiontobeingtemporaryandunique,otherattributesofprojectsarethattheyaredevelopedusingprogressiveelaboration,requireresourcesfromvariousareas,shouldhaveaprimarycustomerorsponsor,andinvolveuncertainty.Projectsaredifferentfromday-to-dayactivitiesprimarilybecausetheyhavefocusedgoalsanddefinitebeginningandendingdates.Thetripleconstraintismanagingscope,time,andcostgoals.

3.Whatisprojectmanagement?

Brieflydescribetheprojectmanagementframework,providingexamplesofstakeholders,knowledgeareas,toolsandtechniques,andprojectsuccessfactors.

Projectmanagementis“theapplicationofknowledge,skills,tools,andtechniquestoprojectactivitiesinordertomeetprojectrequirements”（PMBOKGuide,2008,p.9）.Theprojectmanagementframeworkgraphicallyshowstheprocessofbeginningwithstakeholders’needsandexpectations,applyingthenineprojectmanagementknowledgeareasandvarioustoolsandtechniquestoleadtoprojectsuccessandthenenterprisesuccess.Forexample,ifaprojectweretoimplementanERPsystemforalargecompany,thestakeholderswouldincludemanagersandusersfrommanydifferentdepartments（finance,manufacturing,humanresources,IT,etc.）,allnineknowledgeareaswouldbeimportant,numeroustoolsandtechniqueswouldbeapplied（seeTable1-1）,andprojectsuccessmightbebasedonimplementkeyfunctionsbyacertaintimeforacertaincostorhavingthenewsystempayforitselfwithinacertaintimeperiod.

4.Whatisaprogram?

Whatisaprojectportfolio?

Discusstherelationshipbetweenprojects,programs,andportfoliomanagementandthecontributionstheyeachmaketoenterprisesuccess.

Aprogramis“agroupofprojectsmanagedinacoordinatedwaytoobtainbenefitsandcontrolnotavailablefrommanagingthemindividually”（PMBOKGuide,2008,p.9）Projectportfoliomanagementfocusesonmanagingprojectsasisasaportfolioofinvestmentsthatcontributetotheentireenterprise’ssuccess.Projectsarepartofprogramswhicharepartofportfolios.

5.Whatistheroleoftheprojectmanager?

Whataresuggestedskillsforallprojectmanagersandforinformationtechnologyprojectmanagers?

Whyisleadershipsoimportantforprojectmanagers?

Howisthejobmarketforinformationtechnologyprojectmanagers?

Theprojectmanagerisultimatelyresponsibleforprojectsuccess.Manysuggestedskillsarelistedinthischapter,includingstrongleadershipskills,organizationalskills,technicalskills,andmanysoftskills.ITprojectmanagersrequirethesameskillsasgeneralprojectmanagers,buttheyshouldalsoknowsomethingaboutthetechnologyusedfortheprojectandthetypesofpeoplewhoworkoninformationtechnologyprojects.Leadingbyexampleisthemostimportanttraitofeffectiveprojectmanagers.Thejobmarketforinformationtechnologyprojectmanagerscontinuestoremainstrong,especiallyforthosewithstrongbusinessandleadershipskills.

6.Brieflydescribesomekeyeventsinthehistoryofprojectmanagement.WhatroledoestheProjectManagementInstituteandotherprofessionalsocietiesplayinhelpingtheprofession

SomepeoplesaythatbuildingtheEgyptianpyramidsortheGreatWallofChinawereprojects,butmodernprojectmanagementbeganwiththeManhattanProjectordevelopmentoftheatomicbomb.Thatprojecttookaboutthreeyearsandcostalmost$2billionin1946andhadaseparateprojectmanagerandtechnicalmanager.Ganttchartswerefirstusedin1917,andnetworkdiagramswereusedin1958.PMIisthemainprofessionalsocietyforprojectmanagers,andtheyrunthePMPcertificationprogram.

7.Whatfunctioncanyouperformwithprojectmanagementsoftware?

Whataresomepopularnamesoflow-end,midrange,andhigh-endprojectmanagementtools?

Projectmanagementsoftwarecanassistindevelopingschedules,communicatinginformation,trackingprogress,etc.PopulartoolsincludeMilestonesSimplicity,Project2007,andtheMicrosoftEnterpriseProjectManagementsolution,tonameafew.

EXERCISES

Answerstoalloftheseexerciseswillvary.Themainpurposeoftheseexercisesistohavestudentsbegindoingsomeindependentresearchtofurtherexplorethefieldofprojectmanagement.Youcouldhavestudentsdiscusstheresultsoftheseexercisesinclasstoenhanceparticipation,assignsomeforhomework,ordoboth.

CHAPTER2

TheProjectManagementandInformationTechnologyContext

DISCUSSIONQUESTIONS

1.Whatdoesitmeantotakeasystemsviewofaproject?

Howdoestakingasystemsviewofaprojectapplytoprojectmanagement?

Takingasystemsviewmeanslookingatthebigpictureofhowaparticularprojectfitsintotherestoftheorganization.Itisimportantforprojectmanagerstounderstandthebroaderorganizationalenvironmenttoensuretheirprojectsmeetorganizationalneeds.

2.Explainthefourframesoforganizations.Howcantheyhelpprojectmanagersunderstandtheorganizationalcontextfortheirprojects?

Thefourframesoforganizationsaresummarizedbelow:

∙Structural:

dealwithhowtheorganizationisstructuresandfocusonrolesandresponsibilities.It’simportanttounderstandtheserolesandresponsibilitieswhendealingwithprojectstakeholders,especiallyinprocuringresources.

∙Humanresources:

focusesonmeetingtheneedsoftheorganizationanditspeople.Projectmanagersmustunderstandvarioushumanresourcespoliciesandprocedures.

∙Political:

addressesorganizationalandpersonalpolitics.Manyprojectmanagersfailbecausetheydonotunderstandthepoliticalenvironment.

∙Symbolic:

focusesonsymbolsandmeanings.It’simportanttounderstandanorganization’sculture,dresscode,workethic,andsooninmanagingprojects.

3.Brieflyexplainthedifferencesbetweenfunctional,matrix,andprojectorganizations.Describehoweachstructureaffectsthemanagementoftheproject.

Functionalorganizationshavemanagersorvicepresidentsinspecialtiessuchasengineering,manufacturing,informationtechnology,andsoon.Theirstaffshavespecializedskillsintheirrespectivedisciplines.ProjectorganizationshaveprojectmanagersinsteadoffunctionalmanagersreportingtotheCEO.Matrixorganizationsrepresentthemiddlegroundbetweenfunctionalandprojectstructures.Personneloftenreporttobothafunctionalmanagerandoneormoreprojectmanagers.Projectmanagershavethemostauthorityinprojectorganizationalstructuresfollowedbymatrix,andthenfunctional.

4.Describehoworganizationalcultureisrelatedtoprojectmanagement.Whattypeofculturepromotesastrongprojectenvironment?

Organizationalcultureisasetofsharedassumptions,values,andbehaviorsthatcharacterizethefunctioningofanorganization.Thisculturecandefinitelyimpactprojectmanagement.Forexample,ifanorganizationvaluesprojectmanagementandfollowstheguidelinesforapplyingit,itwillbemucheasiertopracticegoodprojectmanagement.Projectworkismostsuccessfulinanorganizationalculturewhereemployeesidentifymorewiththeorganization,whereworkactivitiesemphasizegroups,andwherethereisstrongunitintegration,highrisktolerance,performance-basedrewards,highconflicttolerance,anopen-systemsfocus,andabalancedfocusonpeople,control,andmeans-orientation.

5.Discusstheimportanceoftopmanagementcommitmentandthedevelopmentofstandardsforsuccessfulprojectmanagement.Provideexamplestoillustratetheimportanceoftheseitemsbasedonyourexperienceonanytypeofproject.

Topmanagementcommitmentisthenumberonefactorassociatedwiththesuccessofinformationtechnologyprojects,soit’sveryimportanttogetandmaintainthissupport.Topmanagementcanhelpprojectmanagersgetadequateresources,approveuniqueprojectneeds,getcooperationfromotherpartsoftheorganization,andprovidesupportasamentorandcoachtoprojectmanagers.Exampleswillvary.

6.Whatarethephasesinatraditionalprojectlifecycle?

Howdoesaprojectlifecycledifferfromaproductlifecycle?

Whydoesaprojectmanagerneedtounderstandboth?

Atraditionalprojectlifecycleisacollectionofprojectphasesconcept,development,implementation,andclose-out.Thesephasesdonotvarybyproject.Productlifecyclesvarytremendouslybasedonthenatureoftheproject.Forexample,theSystemsDevelopmentLifeCycle（SDLC）couldfollowthewaterfallmodel,spiralmodel,incrementalreleasemodel,prototypingmodel,orRADmodel.UsingthegeneralphasesoftheSDLC（informationsystemsplanning,analysis,design,implementation,andsupport）therecouldbeaprojecttodevelopastrategicinformationsystemsplan;anotherprojecttocompleteasystemsanalysisforanewsystem;anotherprojecttocreateadetaileddatabasedesign;anothertoinstallnewhardwareorsoftware;andanothertoprovidenewusertraining.

7.Whatmakesinformationtechnologyprojectsdifferentfromothertypesofprojects?

Howshouldprojectmanagersadjusttothesedifferences?

ITprojectsaredifferentfromothertypesofprojectsbecau