Project and Portfolio Management
Charts & Graphs |
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The Burn Down Chart is available for all projects and portfolios regardless of whether you are running a Scrum Sprint.
The Chart Generator Dialog collects the numerical data from the original baseline plan, the current forecast and actuals and automatically
generates the chart. You may prepare the chart with either hours or dollars.
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The Earned Value
Chart is also available for all projects and portfolios. The Chart Generator Dialog collects the numerical data from the original baseline plan, the current forecast and actuals and automatically
generates the chart. You may prepare the chart with either hours or dollars. |
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The
Dashboard is available for all projects, portfolios, milestones and tasks.
The Gauges include hours remaining, days remaining, % complete, the schedule
performance index and the cost performance index plus earned value statistics.
The dashboard is automatically generated from baseline budgeted numerics and
actual accumulated data. All of the number crunching is done for you.
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The
EVM, Earned Value
Management Performance Report includes the data included on the Dashboard in
numerical form only and is available for all projects, portfolios, milestones
and tasks. The data is automatically generated from baseline budgeted
numerics and actual accumulated data. All of the number crunching is done
for you. |
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The
labor variances are caculated for you. The hourly unit cost variance, The
total unit cost variance, the hour variance, total hours cost variance and the
total labor variences are calculated comparing the actuals to both the original
plan and baseline budget.
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I*PMIS has it's own integrated Scheduling Program. The Scheduler
uses the I*PMIS task records that contain the individual task budgeted, actual
and estimated remaining hours along with the task scheduling parameters and
assigned indivitduals to prepare the Schedule. A small group of parameters
are entered on the Schedule Manager Screen. All you have to do is to
press the RUN button and your schedule is prepared. This allows you to do
interactive modeling while changing the scheduling parameteres and assignments
on theTask Record via the Task Definition Dialog. You can schedule
individual Projects, groups of Projects or any of the Portfolios of Projects
that been defined to the I*PMIS System.
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A small sample of the prepared schedule for Tom D. is displayed above.
There is more to the schedule than is displayed above as the input parmeteres
and summary data are also displayed. The I*PMIS Scheduler prepares an
interface file that is then used as input into the Chart Generator Dialog.
The first time an accepted schedule is prepared it is saved on the Chart
Generator Dialog as the baseline plan and used for comparison with additional updated schedules as
the Project or Portfolio Progresses. You are then able not only do
interactive modeling with the Schedule Report above but also graphically display
the different alternatives on the Scrum Burn Down and Earned Value Charts. |
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The scheduler is sophisticated enough to identifiy those tasks that lie on
the critical path. The tasks that are on the critical path are identified
in red. This helps you to model different scheduling strategies and tactics to reach the
project goals and objectives. Additionally, the scheduler quantifies and
reports the task's free float, the task's total float and specifically breaks
out the weekend and holiday float days that can be used for crashing the
schedule. The task data can also be exported to MSFT Project for
additional analysis and display in a Gantt chart. |
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The Task Manager Screen of the Task Manager Dialog contains the detailed task
data elements that are used to drive the Scheduler Program in it's preparation
of the Schedule.
There are six major groups of data on this screen, the unique task name and
identification number, the task specifications, the assigned indiviual(s),
the budget that is used in the preparation of the baseline schedule, the actuals
that are accumulated from the submitted and approved status reports and the task
priorities, scheduling parameters and prerequsites.
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The Chart Generation Dialog is used to actually prepare the Burn Down Chart, the
Earned Value Chart and a Dashboard that only includes the baseline tasks.
This is where the time series data is accepted from the prepared schedule e.g.
baseline, actuals and forcasted schedules. All you have to do is press the
right buttons and all of the work is done for you. |
Addional Supporting Dialogs Include |
Dialogs to Support the Project
Intiation |
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The Project Charter Dialog is where you define the project to the I*PMIS system
and control the status of the Project.
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If the very basic information captured on the The Project Charter Dialog needs
to be elaborated on, the Project Charger Notes Dialog will allow you do to just
that. |
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I*PMIS has a Project Stakeholders Dialog to record the names of all of the
parties involved in the project. The Action Select and Expand Button will
bring you to the Contact Manager Dialog where all of the detailed contact
information is available.
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I*PMIS has it's own proprietary Contact Manager Dialog with features such as
freeform comments, a special notes page, mailing label generation, a connection
to your default email program for emails, hyper links to the contacts
webpage and partial word searches on specific fields. Security exists to
make the contact information public, private to the entry person or specific to
a project. |
Dialogs to Support the Project Planning Process(s) |
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There is a Project Scope Statement Dialog where the boudaries of the
project can be formally recorded. Note the box in the upper right (frozen) or
left open to change.
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The Requirements Register is where you define the individual line item
requirements that are to be included in the project. Note the expand
selector and expand button that will bring you to the detailed Requirements
Defintion Dialog. |
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The
Requirements Manager Dialog is where you define and refine the specific line
items in more detail. The capability exists on this dialog to a define and
generate a specific task or group of tasks that are dedictated to completing the
requirment. Additionally there is a "Perfomance" Button that brings to you
a Dashboard Screen, illustrated above, dedicated to this particular requirement
and group of tasks. Because the traceablity and completion of specified requirements
in and of itself is a requirement of some contracts, the capability exists on this dailog to do requirements traceability, tracking
the line item definition of the requirement through further refinement and the
final completion of the task(s) via reports dedicated to tracablity.
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The Requirements Traceability Report is displayed above. Note that the
original line item requirement is traced through the definition of the task(s)
dedictated to satsifying the requirement and that the budgeted, acutal hours and
completed status are on this report. |
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Once you have a fair idea of the gross project budget, scope and requirements
you can take a first cut at a project plan. I*PMIS has a Project Planning
Dialog that will allow you do just that. The Project Planning Dialog
allows you to define hours, average hourly rate, start date, finish date and out
of pocket expense dollars for each of the recommended PMI project management
processes. Additionally, as the project progresses the Project Planning
Dialog will summarize all of the budgeted task data and actual data for variance
analysis. You have two basic processes to derive the effort needed to
complete the project. The high level plan comleted on the Project Planning
Dialog and the detailed task budget that is completed using the Task Dialog.
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The Project Planning Dialog has a report that sumarizes the plan using the PMI
processes. I*PMIS allows you to taylor the processes suggested by PMI and
add your own, much like a chart of accounts. |
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If you prefer to work hierarcically starting with generic task descriptions and
decomposing them into work packages to be completed, I*PMIS has a dialog that
will support you with this process. Once you have all of the detailed work
packages defined as specific tasks you can revisit the Requirements Dialog to
group and associate the tasks to a specific requiremnt. This may be an
interative process.
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The
Decompostion Manager Dialog has a report that sumarizes the specific work
packages identified as tasks using the hierachy that was defined. |
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Once the detailed work packages or tasks to be performed have been defined, the
task attributes can be further refined e.g. the budgeted hourly effort, the out
of pocket expenses, the sequence and prerequisite requirements, start and end
dates, the priority of the task and other scheduling considerations. When
all of these attributes have been defined and you have a better idea of what the
actual required project effort looks like you can make assignments and do the
baseline scheduling. You will have to define the personnel resources to I*PMIS,
and
of course there is a dialog dedicated to that purpose. Keep in mind
the Project Planning Dialog that will summarize all of the budgeted tasks hours
so that you can see how you are doing in comparison to the high level plan. Notice
the Checklist and Estimate buttons that will bring up these addtional assisting
dialogs. There is also the Performance Button that will bring up the Dashboard, previously illustrated, for this specific task and the Audit
button so you can monitor who is booking hours and expense to the task.
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I*PMIS has a dialog to support you with estimates. Both a Master
Estimating Manager Dialog and an individual Task Estimating Dialog exist.
You can save the Master and use it as a template for repeating tasks.
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I*PMIS has a dialog to support you with checklists. Both a Master
Checklist Manager Dialog and an individual Task Checklist Dialog exist.
You can save the Master and use it as a template for repeating tasks. |
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The Milestone Manager Dialog allows to to group and orgainze tasks into
milestones. Performance data is available for the individual milestones
that are defined. |
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I*PMIS has several dialogs to assist in the identification and recording of the
risks associated with the project. There is the Risk Register Dialog
illustrated above. |
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There is the Risk Manager Dialog illustrated above where the attributes and
planned responses and responsibilities to the specific risk can be documented. |
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And there is a Risk Register Report to summarize the risk analysis effort. |
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There are mulitple reports that compare the plan to the budget and to the
actuals. These reports are organized by the suggested PMI process line
item. The reports compare dates, expenses, hours and labor and
expense dollars. These reports allow management to track how the detailed
budget compares to the high level plan when it is finalized and then monitor the
actual hours, expenses and dollars as they are accumulated throughout the life
of the project.
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The Communicaton Plan Dialog begins with a listing of the approved and relevant individuals
who will receive
designated communications throughout the life of the project. The initial listing is autofilled from the Stakeholders Dialog Record.
You then proceed to the Detailed Communication Plan Dialog by selecting the action indicator and Expand Button.
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The Detailed Communication Plan Dialog is where you specify the communication type and frequency for each of the relevant
individuals. There are both drop down selection boxes and free form entry boxes.
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Dialogs to Support
the Execution, Monitoring and Controlling of the Project |
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When the project planning and budgeting processes are complete and you are ready
to start the project, you can start assigning the tasks. After you have
prepared a schedule, using the scheduler illustrated above, you as a Manager use
the Manage Employee Assignments Dialog to import, review and finalize the
assignment of specific tasks to a direct report. The arrow in the
illustration above points to the FF Sched Button that fills the tasks from the
schedule to the Manage Employee Assignment Dialog from an interfaace file. .
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The employee responsible for the execution of the task will have the tasks
defined on his/her Employee Assignments Dialog. Obviously the title of the
task needs to be expanded on for a detailed description of the specifications.
Using the Expand Button allong with the Selection Indicator will transfer the
employee to the Task Manager Screen illustrated in the Task Manager Dialog
above. |
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The Status Reporting Dialog is the prime communication tool between the person
actually responsible for performing the task, the manager and the I*PMIS System.
The interactive world wide web enabled functionality of the Status Report allows for daily
and weekly interaction. The performer is expected to update the Status
Report Daily so that the manager has up to date information on a daily basis.
The Status Report is then reviewed and approved by the manager on a weekly
basis. When the Status Report is approved the Task Record as
displayed on the Task Manager Dialog is updated with the actual hours and
estimates to complete. When all of the Status and Expense Reports have
been approved the the Dashboard and Earned Value Management Statistics Reports
displayed at the top of the page will have been updated and become available to management.
The scheduler can then be run to provide the updated actuals and forecasts to
needed prepare the Burn Down and EVM Charts, also displayed at the top of the
page.
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Timesheets are an intragral part of I*PMIS. Note the GTFS Button pointed
to by the arrow. The GTFS Button Gets Totals From Status so hours do not
have to be reentered. You can use the Timesheets to feed into your
Payroll. An automated interface can be requested as a customized feature
for a fee. |
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Expense Reports also update the Task Records when the are approved on a weekly
basis. You can also use the Expense Report to feed into your expense
reimbursement system. An automated interface can be requested as a
customized feature for a fee.
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Although not illustrated, there are additioinal dialogs for late submissions,
management approvals and historical access of the Status Report, Timesheet and
Expense Report. |
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If you choose to do so, I*PMIS has the ability to enforce change control via the
Change Request Manager Dialog. Change control enforcement is optional and is controlled at the
project level by the Project Manager. Reporting capability is part of the
Change Request Manager Dialog. |
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The Problem, Issue and Defect Manager Dialog provides you with a mechanism to
record, document and track the resolution of the problem, issue or defect situation. This dialog
also has the capability to generate a specific task that can be used to assign
an individual. There is a related report that summarizes the
historical and current resoluition time for each of the documented problems,
issues or defects. |
This is a Picture of the Menu Used to Access the Dialogs Illustrated Above |
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A more exhaustive menu is included with the Table of Contents. The
menu above is an abbreviated menu that is used to access the dialogs that are more actively
used. Notice that there are addtitional dialogs that were not illustrated
above. |
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Keywords: Consultant Consulting Project Manager PMP Project Management Project Management Information System
©
Copyright October 10, 2011 Thomas M. De Neui all rights reserved