PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project Management

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Project Management

Project Management Simulation

Specifically, project management in construction encompasses a set of objectives which may be accomplished by implementing a series of operations subject to resource constraints. There are potential conflicts between the stated objectives with regard to scope, cost, time and quality, and the constraints imposed on human material and financial resources(Wysocki, 2011: 47). These conflicts should be resolved at the onset of a project by making the necessary tradeoffs or creating new alternatives(Martin, 2010: 235).

A sound estimate starts with a work breakdown structure (WBS). A WBS is a list of tasks that, if completed, will produce the final product. The way the work is broken down dictates how it will be done. There are many ways to decompose a project into tasks. The project can be broken down by feature, by project phase (requirements tasks, design tasks, programming tasks, QA tasks, etc.), or by some combination of the two. Ideally, the WBS should reflect the way previous projects have been developed (Wysocki, 2011: 12).

Once the WBS is created, the team must create an estimate of the effort required to perform each task. The most accurate estimates are those that rely on prior experience. Team members should review previous project results and find how long similar tasks in previous projects took to complete. Sources of delays in the past should be taken into account when making current estimates.

The Wideband Delphi estimation method was developed in the 1940s at the Rand Corporation as a forecasting tool. It has since been adapted across many industries to estimate many kinds of tasks, ranging from statistical data collection results to sales and marketing forecasts. It has proven to be a very effective estimation tool, and it lends itself well to software projects (Shelly, 2011: 69). The Wideband Delphi estimation process is especially useful to a project manager because it produces several important elements of the project plan. The most important product is the set of estimates upon which the project schedule is built. In addition, the project team creates a work breakdown structure (WBS), which is a critical element of the plan. The team also generates a list of assumptions, which can be added to the vision and scope document. The discussion among the team during both the kick-off meeting and the estimation session is another important product of the Delphi process. This discussion typically uncovers many ...