Two questions progress on management information system project
Project schedule management is an important management process to ensure that all the work projects are completed within the specified time. The progress of each project management project manager project management process in the most time-consuming job, project schedule and project costs, project quality are inseparable.
Please "Schedule Management Information System project" in the title, are discussed from the following three aspects:
1. Summary description of the work you are involved in information systems project (the project background, project size, sponsor, purpose, project content, organization, project cycle, product delivery, etc.) has managed, and explains in which you undertake.
2. Combined with the actual situation of information systems project management and discuss your understanding of the management information system project schedule around the following points.
( The main content of 1) the progress of the project management process included.
( Importance 2) project schedule management, schedule management and the impact of cost management and quality management.
3. Please combine items mentioned in the paper, we describe how to monitor progress in the project (Please describe specific practices), and summarize your feelings and experiences.
Summary
May 2015 to March 2017, as a project manager I Party, the organization completed a "manufacturing execution system MES" Zhuhai Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of software development and implementation. MES software system to help manufacturers in real time, effectively workshop production management is an effective means of achieving workshop transparency and visualization. The project encompasses MES Gree Gree plant branch 7, line 82. Entire system, including system management, supplier management and distribution, warehouse management, logistics and distribution side of the line, process, production planning, facilities management, real-time production control, quality management, statistical analysis, query and reporting capabilities to meet customer requests production and distribution, quality, traceability, material traceability, process monitoring and traceability, statistical reports, real-time billboards and other needs. In this paper, the author's practice, Gree MES project as an example to discuss the progress of the project management process, including activity definition, activity sequencing, activity resource estimating, activity duration estimates, the development schedule and schedule control. In the course of the project, there has been the focus of Party work and our ability to adjust the temporary transfer of technical barriers so that the impact of the project schedule, I am using a resource coordination, quick follow-up, technical training as well as technical experts hired methods to solve these problems .
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I. Project Background
Zhuhai Gree Electric is the world's largest air conditioner manufacturers, in order to solve many varieties, small quantities of customized competition in the market demand, improve product tracking and control capabilities, reduce storage and in product logistics, lean of JIT production, Gree Electric decided to use MES manufacturing execution systems to improve the management level of production control. My company after obtaining the construction project bidding, I, as the company's project manager to manage the implementation of the MES project Gree.
The project from start to start in May 2015, which lasted 22 months, was completed in March 2017 project closeout. Embodiment of the project area range covers seven Gree air conditioning plant assembly plants, assembly lines of 82. Involved units and departments including Gree procurement, information technology, production planning, production processes, equipment, warehousing, human resources, quality, production management departments of each branch, as well as systems integrators, bar code equipment suppliers, ERP suppliers, raw material suppliers and other cooperative units, involving a variety of products up to 2000. MES software system functions implemented include suppliers and distribution management, warehouse management, logistics and distribution side of the line, process, production planning, facilities management, real-time production control, quality management, statistical analysis, query and reporting functions. MES software development environment using Visual Studio .NET platform, using technology Web Service, and B / S and C / S combining database using Oracle10g.
Software development process using the incremental development mode, based on the company's prototype system, the life cycle of the project is divided into several stages of implementation - implementation of the system architecture and system functional subsystems, each stage of the cycle using the demand for research, system analysis, secondary development, software testing, system implementation, system acceptance of the way. In the course of the project, we have adopted a schedule management knowledge of project management methodology in the whole process of the entire project life cycle, the project conducted a rigorous schedule management, quality and quantity on schedule to complete the project, access to the customers.
Second, the project schedule management related processes, the importance of schedule management, and the impact on cost and quality of progress
1, schedule management related processes
Project schedule management, including the completion of the project management processes necessary to time, these processes include: planning and schedule management, activity definition, activity sequencing, activity resource estimating, activity duration estimates, the development schedule and schedule control.
Planning and schedule management is the process of planning, preparation, management, execution and control project progress and develop policies, procedures and documentation. The main role of this process is to provide guidance and direction for how to manage project progress throughout the course of the project.
Activity is to define the WBS work package is further broken down into activities that will project progress control measurements are accurate to the days, hours, or even minutes. These activities will be identified and filed for a definitive list of activities and to have each member of the project team can understand how much work needs to be done.
FIG sorting activity is the use of a preamble, an arrow diagram in FIG other network tools, and the sequence is determined dependency relationship between the activity and document. Activity Sequencing provide a scientific basis for the logical follow-up schedule management.
Resource estimation activities need to be combined with the cost estimate of the project, determine the resources (manpower, equipment, raw materials, etc.) required for each activity, how much each resource to be, what time to other issues.
Activity last estimate is the actual situation of active resource requirements, resource conversion and resource calendars to determine the time actually required for each activity, the result is the basis of scheduling.
The development schedule is a combination of activity sequencing, activity duration estimates and resource calendars and other constraints, determine the specific start time and end time for each activity, and thus develop a detailed project schedule.
Schedule Control is monitoring the actual progress in project implementation process of the project, timely and periodically compared with the project schedule, detection of deviations, correct the deviation, in order to ensure the project is completed on time. If in the process found that the schedule needs to be changed, we need to change this, scientific management.
2, the significance of schedule management, affect the progress of the project cost and quality
"Disposable" or "temporary" is the most basic features of the project, this feature requires the project must be completed within the specified time. If the project is expected, then the value of the project will be greatly reduced, or even worthless. Therefore, to ensure the progress of the project completed within a given time management is of great significance, through scientific management to ensure the progress of the project completed on time, is a necessary condition for the success of the project, is a basic requirement for project managers.
Three constraints in project management, in addition to a necessary precondition "on time" is the time required, but also the requirements specified in the project under budget, according to customer requirements and quality standards to complete, so the cost and quality of the project is project success .
Once the project schedule delays, variable costs over time, such as labor costs, rental fees charged for the time, is bound to cost overruns, resulting in project cost overruns.
Once the project schedule delays, the project team eager to rush it, often do not wash mud radish fast, thus planting the quality problems.
Conversely, if ensure the progress of the project, will lay a good foundation for the cost of project management and quality management, thus contributing to the success of the project.
In short, schedule management is the key to success of the project.
Third, the combination of the actual project, actively manage the project schedule
In the project management process, I make full use of theoretical knowledge of project schedule management, combined with the practical application, to obtain good results. For schedule management, before I started to do all the preparatory work in advance, including human, financial, material, method of preparation, to develop a detailed schedule and a clear change management processes, strict implementation progress monitoring, in order to control the progress of the project.
The project schedule management is a gradual breakdown of the process, which runs through the entire process of project life cycle. Early in the project management plan to do the project, we developed a summary of the milestone plan, and develop a viable change control process. In the early stages of the project, because the project needs is a preliminary outline, WBS can only be roughly divided into work milestones and the second layer subsystem at various stages, in accordance with our previous similar project management process, I organized the project team members process according to project schedule management of project schedule has been a rough estimate, after repeated consultations and adjustments with customers, combined with the mandatory requirements of the customer's project schedule and milestone requirements, a clear idea of the progress of management and develop a preliminary schedule.
The project schedule management features are: the time span of up to 22 months, so a detailed schedule of progressive management methods, defined the full 22 months of the project life cycle to ensure that the milestone plan, require explicit monthly schedule, every detailed rules and plan weeks after the meeting point shifts a day, but clear progress control standards, provides SPI <0.8 when the delay in progress state, as the project manager I want to find out the causes and corrective actions.
Among them, the demand for the various stages of research activity has been more clearly defined and the activities of the duration estimates, prepared a detailed Gantt charts, schedules and secondary systems analysis and development process is based on previous projects experience, made a summary of estimates, and set aside appropriate time reserves based on risk assessment.
In the course of progressive elaboration of the project, schedule and constantly improve on the details. With the commencement of the project, the needs of each stage of the investigation confirmed the initial results of the time, WBS work into gradually clear, the project team members on the research needs in a timely manner to track, to confirm every need research deliverables , schedule a timely manner to refine and re-adjust to ensure that the system analysis and secondary development of the next phase before the relevant details of the progress of evolution to the basic level of activity, so that every step of the process start time are in accordance with detailed activity plan. If the schedule details found plans a total time period of the original plan has made significant changes, look for changes in the causes and effects of changes of progress by the progress to correct or change procedures.
In progress control, we have developed a system of weekly meetings, weekly meetings with customers, summed up the progress of work last week, compared with the plan for the discrepancies schedule work, to fight the case in the same phase of the program period , the use of overtime, rapid follow-up and other methods to adjust. At the same time, monthly progress reports to the relevant stakeholders to ensure the communication of information. In the case of encounter special circumstances require substantial adjustments to the original plan were compared, it is in negotiations under the same circumstances, take the change process changes.
Fourth, there is a schedule management problems and solutions
Adjust the customer's own schedule for the project schedule a threat. The summer of 2010, the North appeared a rare case of heat, air-conditioning market surprisingly hot, orders jumped Gree, Gree disrupted scheduled production plan, all departments working overtime, to put the air conditioning production tasks, with the inability of our implementation of the project, this situation was estimated to suspend progress delayed by two months. In this case, I discuss coordination with the companies, human resource allocation, temporarily principal researchers and developers deploy to support other projects, speed up the progress of other projects, so that they can no longer support the concentration of forces Gree MES project at a later time , to catch up with the progress. Meanwhile, at this stage, we consult to determine the terms and Gree project schedule adjustments, the number of non-major parties involved Gree functional modules, such as suppliers and distribution modules and ERP interface functions carried out in advance. Through the above response measures, total hours Gree MES projects a slight delay, but far below the forecast of two months.
In the course of the project, we have adopted a method of technical training and hire experts to reduce the impact of lack of technical capacity to manage the schedule. MES system needs and Gree existing ERP system docking, import material master data and production BOM, into ERP system production scheduling plan, and report on the actual implementation and use of materials. Gree Infor ERP system using a system of Bann, not too common, but the company has not previously been exposed, we are familiar with the ERP system is SAP, Oracle, which gives the development and implementation schedule has brought uncertainty. Before I start of the project, hire Bann system of experts on company related development personnel were trained in the research stage hired outside experts to participate in determining the list of activities and attributes, and identifies each activity duration estimates, developed ERP schedule interface functions, and retain a certain amount of time to deal with the uncertainty of reserve technology. In the implementation process, our technical staff due to lack of experience, there are more technical bias and rework, schedule delays lead the trend, and falls because of Gree Bann system upgrade brings more uncertainty. According to my schedule to monitor the situation, timely detection of problems, a method of temporary external experts involved in the project, to ensure the progress of this work.
Fifth, schedule management experience, experience and understanding
Plan does not change quickly, in full accordance with the schedule during the project of a certain size, almost an impossible task. Based on my Gree experience MES project in the light of theoretical knowledge of project management is not enough to integrate theory with practice on all aspects of the project have a deep understanding and insight in order to grasp the overall project, good project management . In terms of project schedule management, I have the following experience.
First, we must be fully prepared in advance. Not only to understand the technical capacity of the project team members work in human, psychological characteristics and preferences, but also understand the Party as well as other stakeholders in the organization environment, human and cultural environment. Before the start of each work must have the appropriate human, technical, equipment and research methods, and pre-defined risks that may arise, develop response plans.
Second, management must pay attention to the progress plan. A good schedule required content of the work, the project technical requirements, capacity, availability of resources, human resources adequate understanding, in order to more accurately define the activities, activity sequencing, activity resource estimates and activity duration estimates. And the development schedule is also required throughout the course of the project, feel free to do the refinement and adjustment work.
Finally, to conduct timely monitoring of schedule, to ensure strict implementation of milestone schedule. To discern trends in project, ready to discover the factors affecting schedule and timely solutions, solutions to the actual situation, flexible. In the progress of the project management process, we not only have a global concept, but also to grasp the details, only control the progress of the tiny activities in order to control the overall situation. At the same time, we must maintain a continuous, open channels of communication with stakeholders.