Louis.cioletti
- 1. 2010 NASA PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE “How Configuration Management Helps Projects Innovate and Communicate” Moody Gardens Hotel and Convention Center Galveston, Texas 10 February 2010 Louis A. Cioletti, MS, CMII Carla F. Guidry, MPA, CMIIC Used with Permission
- 2. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE Presentation outline: •Compare Project Management (PM) and Configuration Management (CM) processes •Compare Traditional CM with CM II approach •Present two PM models: •Kepner-Tregoe •Deming (Shewhart) •Describe why projects fail •Present methods how CM helps projects innovate/communicate 2
- 3. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE PM process encompasses: Projects are composed of processes; a process is a series of • Project Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) actions bringing about a desired result. • Time-phased project budget • Detailed project schedules (deliverables and Projects may fall into several major milestones) categories: • Create baselines for performance • Process-oriented measurement • Link schedules to budgets, resources and • Product oriented documents • Phased-oriented • Resource-oriented •Track risks • Track manpower resources and requirements Whatever project is selected, the recording of performance • Track and summarize multiple project data standards, details, assumptions, • Schedule Gantt and PERT charts etc. is necessary. How does CM support the manager to meet the project’s needs, goals, and objectives? Let’s look at CM processes … 3
- 4. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE CM process encompasses: “There is an increasingly important • Information accessibility need for speed in project delivery • Information integrity and the equally important need for reliability in delivering the project • Properly structured baselines (product) as promised.” • Naming and numbering convention -PMI 1999, Frank Patrick • Traceability • Metrics • Interchangeability • Recording and reporting information • Assuring conformance to requirements CM’s role supports the project manager’s processes, but how might this happen? 4
- 5. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE The traditional CM approach • Planning & Management dissolves it’s project • Identification Traditional effectiveness and limits the • Change Management CM Approach • Status Accounting coordination and (EIA-649) • Verification & Audit communication attributes among too few project entities. • Accommodating change • Accommodating the reuse CM II relies on an enterprise- of standards and best practices wide, closed-loop change Configuration • Assuring all requirements process with conformance to Management are clear, concise, and requirements that’s not II Approach valid limited to a design definition • Communicating 1-3 to process. each user promptly, and • Assuring conformance in each case 5
- 6. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE Project Management can be as detailed as the Kepner –Tregoe ® model or … KT® has an excellent PM model to meet task deadlines within schedule and/or cost constraints. KT® PM process is divided into: Project Definition Project Planning Project Implementation Project Communication coordinates all the processes. 6
- 7. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE Project Management can take a simple approach as the Deming (Shewhart)® Cycle (also called the PDC/SA model) W. Edwards Deming proposed processes that continuously analyze and measure product variations to identify any deviation from customer requirements. The Plan-Do-Check(or Study)-Act (PDC/SA) continuous feedback loop allows managers to identify and change the parts of the process that need improvement. CM expands Deming’s single loop cycle into... 7
- 8. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE ….. A dual cycle of the Deming (Shewhart)® Cycle CM sees the PDC/SA cycle as a dual process with one cycle for requirements definition in concert with the other cycle on the as-planned physical items (project tasks). Each cycle is interdependent and must be synchronized. But no plan or process is executed without issues or problems. 8
- 9. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE But might these problems be a result and not the causative factors? Perhaps the underlying causes might really be – Poor communication among leadership, stakeholders, and staff Given various models and processes for Project Management, what are the most Poor (or incomplete) project requirements pressing problems inherent with every project? No change control process • Cost overrides • Late delivery of goods/supplies/ product Poor documentation or data management • Late completion of task along the critical path Lack of resources or mismatched skills 9
- 10. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE Typically, CM is embedded lower in organizations (usually under an Engineering function) with additional change management activities even further distributed. Program Mgr Marketing & Product Business Legal Operations Finances HR Sales Engineering Programs Product Master Contract R&D Enineering QA Process Eng Purchasing Production Policies Design Schedule Mgmt Change Change Change Change CM Mgmt Mgmt Mgmt Mgmt Standards Change Mgmt “The only time you don’t want to fail is the last time you try!” - Charles F. Kettering 10
- 11. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE Which communication process would you rather have? Integrated Repository Decentralized communication Centralized communication Many “dialects” “Everybody speaks the same language” Many processes Single process Here’s where CM can help! 11
- 12. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE Three CM methods that help projects to innovate and communicate: 1. Innovate by raising CM to the management level of the project or Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). CM II’s “Umbrella Coverage” provides an integrated Executive Project infrastructure that’s currently Mgr missing from a traditional CM Major Divisions Purch/ CM Opns HW/SW model. Rcvg Dev Subordinate QA Eng Sched Divisions 12
- 13. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE 2. Change documents first using a consistent change process for any baseline. Requirements drive the document before the physical item must conform. Continouus Improvement Validation and Release of Requirements End Test (Verify Conformance) Verify Conformance Improvement of Corrective Action Requirements (Change Process) (Change Process) How does the Project Manager communicate customer/product requirements, its changes, and potential cost/schedule impacts? 13
- 14. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE Improvement of Requirements (Change Process) End-item Design Basics are developed concurrently and represent high level views of what the product is and what it can do. 14
- 15. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE 3. Reduce corrective actions (intervention resources) that would normally affect 40% - 60% of resources through CM’s closed-loop change process. Change happens! 15
- 16. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE CM helps projects Innovate and Communicate by … Project success Eliminate/reduce corrective actions Change documents first! Raise CM to management level CM is not only highly process-oriented; it is a process for communicating requirements, accommodating change, and minimizing corrective actions! 16
- 17. HOW CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT HELPS PROJECTS INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE Whatever PM tool model is used, CM can positively impact a project’s success. Project performance (schedule, quality, and cost) can be no better than the ability to communicate requirements which, in turn, is no better than the CM process to communicate project decisions and the correct requirements. “For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible” - Stuart Chase 17