Prof. Roy Levow Session 8. Steps in Closing a Project Getting Client Acceptance Installing...

Prof. Roy Levow

Session 8

Steps in Closing a Project Getting Client Acceptance Installing Project Deliverables Documenting the Project Post-Implementation Audit The Final Report Celebrating Success

Understand the steps needed to effectively close a project

Develop a closing strategy Identify the components of project

documentation Conduct a post-implementation audit Explain the significance of each post-

implementation audit question

Copyright 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Chapter 11 3

Getting client acceptance of deliverables Ensuring that all deliverables are

installed Ensuring that the documentation is in

place Getting client sign-off on the final report Conducting the post-implementation

audit Celebrating the success


Ceremonial Acceptance Informal in that there is no accompanying sign-

off Two situations

Client has to accept deliverable by a certain date whether the deliverable meets specifications or not

Deliverable requires little or no checking Formal Acceptance

Inspection of deliverable expected Checklist

Formal sign-off before customer accepts deliverable


The product is turned on when it is delivered to the client


Five Reasons for Documentation Reference for future changes in deliverables Historical record for estimating duration and

cost on future projects, activities, and tasks Training resource for new project managers Input for further training and development of

the project team Input for performance evaluation by the

functional managers of the project team members


Project Overview Statement Project Proposal and backup data Original and revised project schedules Minutes of all project team meetings Copies of all status reports Design documents Copies of all change notices Copies of all written communications Outstanding issues reports Final report Sample deliverables (if appropriate) Client acceptance documents Post-implementation audit report


Six Questions Was the project goal achieved?

Does it do what the project team said it would do? Does it do what the client said it would do?

Was the project work done on time, within budget, and according to specification?

Was the client satisfied with the project results? Was business value realized? (Check success

criteria) What lessons were learned about your project

management methodology? What worked? What didn’t?


Overall success of the project Organization of the project Techniques used to get results Project strengths and weaknesses Project team recommendations


What Is the Critical Chain? Variation in Duration: Common Cause

versus Special Cause Statistical Validation of the Critical Chain

Approach The Critical Chain Project Management

Approach Buffers Track Record of Critical Chain Project

Management

Explain the difference between critical path and the critical chain

Identify resource constraints and know how to resolve them

Use the critical chain approach to project management for single projects


The longest path through the project that is both task-dependent and resource-constrained

Differs from the critical path, which is the path of the longest duration

Critical Chain Project Management is the planning, scheduling, and maintenance of the critical chain


Common cause variation: “fluctuation in task duration that results from the capacity of that system affecting the task” Natural variations of the system Nothing can be done about this type of variation

Special cause variation: fluctuation is caused by a special cause external to the system Variations can be mitigated, planned for, or

avoided


Calculate the 50% duration of a task Calculate the 90% duration of a task The difference between the two is the

contingency


Step One – Create an Early Schedule Project Network Diagram


Step Two – Convert the Early Schedule to the Late Schedule and Add Resources


Step Three – Resolve Resource Conflicts


One Solution Another Solution

“Segments of time that are placed at the end of a sequence of tasks for the purpose of protecting the schedule of those tasks.”

Types of Buffers Project: Placed at the end of the critical chain to

protect the overall project schedule Feeding: Placed at the end of a sequence of

tasks that lead into the critical chain Resource: A flag that is placed to alert a resource

when it is needed. It has no time length.


Successes Honeywell Defense Avionics Systems: Project

schedule reduced from 13 months to 6 months Lucent Technologies: Project completed within

one year despite estimates it would take longer Harris: Industry standard for factory built and

running at 90% capacity is 46 months. Harris factory built and running at 90% capacity in 13 months

Israeli aircraft industry: Reduced aircraft maintenance from three months to two weeks


Prof. Roy Levow Session 8. Steps in Closing a Project Getting Client Acceptance Installing...

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