Objectives:

• The stages of the project life cycle

• Project management software
• Tools and techniques for project management tasks

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15.1 The stages of the project life cycle
Project initiation: The steps in this stage are :
1. Initial ideas for a project are identified
2. Goals are set  outcomes you intend to achieve
3. Objectives are determined  specific actions and measurable steps that you need to
take to achieve a goal
4. Key stake holders are identified  managers, and actual people who work through
the project to accomplish it
5. Feasibility study is done  analysis that takes all of a project's relevant factors into
account (project scope, risk, budget and time scale for implementing)
6. Taking decision about resources, time & money
7. Requirements for the project are identified and expectations are proposed, Objectives
of the project, its scope, risks, approximate budget & time scale are set & agreed with
the stake holders
8. Time scale is set, people responsible are added to the groups of meetings, meeting
schedules are made, all are set on time bound calendars

Stake Feasible Time to Meetings

Ideas Goals Objectives complete to check
Holders study

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15.1 The stages of the project life cycle
Project Planning: The steps in this stage are :
1. Stake holders responsibilities
2. Every task is budgeted along with time scale of progress
3. Target is set for each of the parts of the project
4. Extra tasks between target are identified and prioritized
5. Show the order of the tasks, resources allocated, time spent on each task, personnel's used using
Gantt chart.
Project Execution: The steps in this stage are :
1. Communicate/distribute the roles and responsibilities to team members
2. Set short-term targets for each member to achieve within a time scale
Project Monitoring and control: The steps in this stage are :
1. The progress of each activity
2. Have a check on the tasks which are completed on time
3. Rescheduling tasks if delays occur
4. Check on Performance of team members to match their agreed tasks
5. Check on expenditure and compare against the budget to make sure not crossed the
limit
6. Discuss the progress & if any change in plan with stake holders
Project Closure : The steps in this stage are :
1. Project completion and review between the project team and the client
2. Compare with the initial project goal, evaluate the requirements
3. Handing over the completed project from the project team to the client.
4. The client is expected to sign as project is completed 3
15.2 Project Management software: The tasks handled by each part of the software
Supporting Planning:
1. Organize, prioritize and assign tasks
2. Plan and schedule milestones and task dependencies
3. Monitor progress, costs and resources
4. Collaborate with team
5. Share project plans with team and stakeholders
6. Generate reports on plans
Scheduling of tasks:
1. Use a Gantt chart to view the tasks to be completed, set with specific time limit to
complete and a deadline to complete, to identify dependent tasks
2. Delegate tasks to suitable members and prioritize tasks
3. Identify number of hours spent on each task, Identify start and end of each task
4. Identify and highlight crucial points of the projects
5. Create an overall calendar for all tasks to be completed, set together with calendar for
each member who is responsible for each task.
Allocating Resources:
1. Identify equipment, property or people who are required
2. Assign costs to each resource to check how they will affect the budget
3. Allocate resources and duration to each resource
4. Identify conflicts of any resource or the overload to any of the team member.

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15.2 Project Management software:
Costing:
1. To calculate Total cost of each task based on number of hours each resource is used
2. To keep a record of any expenses suffered by each team member and its effect on
overall cost.
3. To prepare regular analysis of expenditure - daily or weekly & to compare it with the
budget.
4. To report total cost for each individual resource or set of resources
5. To export the costing information to spreadsheet for further analysis.

Communication :
Calendar
1. to shows the tasks of each member at any point of time
2. To synchronize the each member task with third party calendar like Google to
check
3. To keep the status up-to-date
4. To schedule meeting with each team member
5. To attach the documents to the meetings so as to make available to each member

Instant message / video chat / video conference:

to enable each remote working member to communicate in real time

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15.2 Project Management software:
Communication : (continued)
Shared documents:
1. To share the documents stored in a central storage
2. To made them available on the task basis right resource to the right people at right time.
3. To send reminders and alerts when there are changes to documents
Discussions /Forums:
1. To discuss availability of members to see comments
2. To send an email notification of discussions to alert the members.
Progress and Decision making:
1. To update the progress of the task to each team member by feeding on the project
plan.
2. To send an automated email to relevant members to notify if changes are made to
the project time line
3. To easily identify who made the changes and who is responsible for the decision.
4. It is clear, evidential and easy to compare time taken by each task to its actual pan as
graphs, charts and reports help to analyze the budget, schedule and to show task
progress.
5. To identify critical path which shows all tasks that must complete on time, monitor
the delays and anticipate resources diverted to critical tasks.
6. To find out the availability of resources, the time allocated to each and their
respective costs so that the project manager is able to allocate them when necessary.
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15.2 Project Management software:
Strengths and weakness of project management software to support projects:
 Collaborate with team members in real-time - communication tools keep each
member up to date to deal with issues as they arise.
 Document sharing - tools allow individuals to edit, update the status of reports and
create systems that allow for transparency and communication.
 Manage project costs - it includes tools that can assist in managing project costs.
 Ability to manage risks, forecasting, and budgets
 Reporting capabilities- it is flexible in report formats and has the ability to quickly
access needed data.
 Intuitive to use. Simple to use and easy to install, new project management software
allows for quick ramp-up times.
But…
Some programs can be very costly with very little Return On Investment. Not all project
management software have all required solutions in one software. Hence solutions need to
be custom designed or solved by purchasing multiple software programs which may be
expensive.
Project management software may complicate simple projects. simpler projects may not
need project management software. Hence, the software may complicate the task.
Execution issues when relying on automated alerts. While alerts are helpful to remind
team members that tasks are due, a problem develops when more time is spent on setting
up the alert than the task itself.
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15.3 Tools and techniques for project management tasks :
Gantt Chart: It is a bar chart that provides a visual view of tasks scheduled over time. A
Gantt chart is used for planning projects of all sizes, and it is a useful way of showing what
work is scheduled to be done on a specific day. It can also help you view the start and end
dates of a project in one simple chart.
On a Gantt chart you can easily see:
• The start date of the project
• What the project tasks are
• Who is working on each task
• When tasks start and finish
• How long each task will take
• How tasks group together, overlap and link with each other
• The finish date of the project

The vertical axis of a Gantt chart shows the tasks that need to be completed, while
the horizontal axis represents time.

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15.3 Tools and techniques for project management tasks :
Gantt Chart: (Resource chart)
• A bar will represent each task
• Shaded part of the bar shows completed part of the task.
• Arrows are used to show which tasks are dependent upon other tasks.
• A line is used to show the current position within the project
• Listing the person responsible along with beginning dates and times, duration, coordinators
(as much info as needed by the task) for each task and the resources required.
• Dependencies are shown by arrows from the end of a predecessor to the start of another
task. Float time is the extra time left by the shorter task.
• The diagonal line may be used on the bars represent critical path.

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 No of
15.3 Tools and techniques for project management tasks : days
Activity allocate
Gantt Chart: A report about the computer system of a company is to d to
be written. The activities to be carried out so that the report can be activity
presented by the due dates are shown. 4
Evaluation of
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initial report
Using the given table, create a Gantt chart to show a possible schedule
Initial
of activities. Clearly indicate which tasks are carried out in parallel and 1 research of 2
which tasks are carried out sequentially. the system
Interviewing
2 users of the 2
system
Writing the
5 4
final report
Writing the
3 3
initial report

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15.3 Tools and techniques for project management tasks : Task Days Dependencies Resources
Gantt Chart: Task A starts on 1 Jan 2016, create a list of tasks , the
A 3 R1
duration and the resources required and identify the start and finish dates B 2 A R1
of all the tasks: Prepare a Gantt chart C 6 A R2
D 1 B R1
E 3 C R2
F 5 D R3
G 4 E,F R3
H 3 G R5
I 2 G R2
J 3 G R6

Complete a Gantt chart for the following scenario commencing on 1st April 2017

Task Days Dependencies

A 3
B 5
C 4
D 18 A
E 16 B
F 12 C
G 7 E,F
H 11 D,G
I 2 H

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15.3 Tools and techniques for project management tasks :
PERT Chart : (Performance Evaluation and Review Technique )
• breaks down the individual tasks of a project for analysis
• they identify task dependencies, but they're often more difficult to interpret.
• It shows how long it will take to finalize a project

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15.3 Tools and techniques for project management tasks :
PERT Chart : (Performance Evaluation and Review Technique )
Activities/tasks/Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) divides a project into smaller,
manageable pieces. It helps organize the work required
Timings time/duration between each task
Float  is the amount of time an activity, network path, or project can be delayed from the
early start without changing the completion date of the project.
end points  The end of the project
Milestones Nodes represent events or milestones in your project.
Dependencies These nodes are linked by vectors or lines that represent various tasks.
Dependent tasks are items that must be performed in a specific manner. For
example, if an arrow is drawn from Task
Deliverables  Deliverables in project management refer to the quantifiable goods or
services that will be provided upon the completion of a project. Ex: in a project focusing on
upgrading a firm's technology, a deliverable may refer to the acquisition of a dozen new
computers. It can be referred to in-person or online training programs, as well as design
samples for products in the process of being developed. In many cases, deliverables are
accompanied by instruction manuals.
Arrows represent tasks. The direction of the arrows shows the sequence of tasks. 13
15.3 Tools and techniques for project
management tasks : PERT Chart : (Performance
Evaluation and Review Technique ) The tasks, and the
time allowed for each task, for the building of a new house are
shown in the table.
These tasks must be carried out in this order: A, B, C, D, H, I and J.
1. Task E can be carried out at the same time as Tasks A, B and C
but must be carried out before Task D.
2. Task F must be carried out after task C and before task I but
can be done at the same time as tasks D and H.
3. Task G must be done after tasks F, H and I but can be done at
the same time as task J.
Draw an activity network diagram for building the new house. (PERT Chart)

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15.3 Tools and techniques for project management tasks :
Critical Path Management /calculations
A critical path identifies which task must complete on time in order for the whole project to
complete on time and defines the minimum time in which the project can be completed.
Float time is the time an activity can be delayed without affecting the rest of the project.

1. Identify the longest task.

2. How many milestones are there?
3. Which tasks are dependent upon the bricks being laid?
4. Which tasks can run parallel to installing the window?
5. How many days in the critical path?
6. Which task form critical path?
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15.3 Tools and techniques for project management tasks : Task Days Dependencies
Critical path analysis: Complete the table for the following A 3 -
CPA. B 2 A
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
Critical path analysis: Complete the CPA for the
J
following table.
Task Days Dependencies
A 3
B 5
C 4
D 18 A
E 16 B
F 12 C
G 7 E,F
H 11 D,G
I 2 H
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A building project has a number of activities, F, G, H, I, J and K,
that need to be carried out between the stages A, B, C, D and E.
Figure shows a Project Evaluation and Review Technique
(PERT) chart for the building project.

The building project has a series of milestones to help the managers monitor the progress of the project.
Identify the first two milestones in this project. (B,C)
(b) Describe the critical path through this project. (Ans 9 months show steps yourself)

To create the PERT chart, managers first produced a Gantt chart. On the grid below, draw and label the
Gantt chart from which the PERT chart above would have been derived.
Milestone names
Activity

Time(Months)
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Analyse the use of project scheduling tools to organise a project to create a road bridge.
• Tool that allows planning and executing a project from inception to completion
• Can provide tracking of workers/builders/who is doing what and when
• Can show if anyone is missing deadlines
• Can move tasks reschedule/around/interchange tasks
• Allows flexibility to cope with e.g. unforeseen problems
• Can allow resources to be sourced/allocated/delivered at appropriate times
• Project scheduling tools can make simple projects more complex than they need to be
• Project scheduling tools can be expensive/costly for small projects.

A company has developed a new product. Its market research department has decided to use
chat rooms to gather information from potential customers about the product.
Explain why they would use a chat room rather than other social networking methods to
gather the customer information.
• Occur in real time so no delay in obtaining input from participants
• Can provide a secure online environment for discussion with numbers of participants
• Can be restricted to only those chosen to participate
• Participants can be in any location around the world
• Participants do not have to travel/incur costs of travel/leave their home/work location
• Employees are not removed from their work place so can continue working once chat is
over
• The (text-based) discussion can be saved for future reference.
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