Project Management



Project Management

Section 1: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Inception of any project is an extremely significant part of overall execution and success. An effective strategy is work breakdown system, WBS. It encompasses a list of task and responsibilities that pertain to the execution of the project. It also encompasses of how each task will be performed, with regard to, the course of implementation. It implies the breakdown of project as a whole into small tasks and sub-tasks. A project could be further broken into tasks, or the phases. An ideal combination encompasses both of them. Generally, it reflects the course of action and execution for previous projects (Wysocki, 2011).

After the completion of WBS for respective project, the team is supposed to generate an estimate of financial figures for each task. These estimates are accurately the ones that pertain to driven estimates from previous projects. It is a coordinated effort that requires the team members to come together and propose most accurate estimates for the project, in terms of, budgeting and planning.

The Rand Corporation created the Wideband Delphi estimation method in the forties as a forecasting tool. Ever since, numerous industries adopted this tool to estimate varying tasks that range from the collection of statistical data to forecasting marketing and sales trends. The tool proves itself to be proficient in nature, lending support to software projects (Shelly, 2011). It is especially resourceful when used as a project manager since it encompasses several significant facets of the project plan. The most significant of these is the estimate set which facilitates the construction of the project. Additionally, the project team goes on to construct a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) which serves as a central ingredient of the plan. It is up to the team then, to produce an assumptions list that adds further to reinforce the document's scope. The Delphi process is incomplete without the team's discussion that takes place primarily during the kick-off meeting, followed by a session of estimation. Typically, this discussion unveils numerous aspects of the final project that were previously ignored, including priorities, assumptions and tasks.

In order to complete the process in its entirety, the team assumes responsibility for work which they are familiar with to a greater extent. The Wideband Delphi process' success relies on the efforts of the entire team to correct each individual member. This co-dependence facilitates the correction and minimization of errors and compromised estimation Sanghera, 2008: 45). Even though software estimation expertise evolves gradually with experience, the most widely-acknowledged problem with estimates is that the individuals making the said estimate does not wholly comprehend this task.

The project manager chooses a moderator and picks out an estimation team comprising three to seven units in order use the process. The process itself comprises two moderated meetings. The estimation team assembles a WBS, assessing assumptions during the Kick-Off meeting which takes place first. Afterwards, every individual member creates an estimate of effort for every task. The project manager then collates the results and revises them ...