The development process is a complex set of activities that extends over a considerable time period…
Describe the Six Basic Elements (in the framework presented by W&C) that senior management can use for understanding that complexity.
- Project definition
- Project organization and Staffing
- Project Management and leadership
- Problem Solving, Testing and Prototyping
- Senior Management review and control
- Real time/ midcourse Correction
Discussion: All functions must work individually, but also work together.
The development process is a complex set of activities that extends over a considerable time period… ( Part of the Six Basic)
Describe: Project Definition
Determines HOW the firm - Set the scope - Establish boundaries - Set Business purpose and objective for the project.
Also
- Obtain internal/ external preliminary inputs
- Selling to Senior management
Completed when official authorization of - Project - Goals / Objectives - Resources Have been attained
The development process is a complex set of activities that extends over a considerable time period… ( Part of the Six Basic)
Describe: Project organization and staffing
Defines:
Organization
- Leader
- Team Members
Location and Responsibilities
- Physical location
- Reporting relationships
- Individual responsibilities
- Specialized Training
The development process is a complex set of activities that extends over a considerable time period… ( Part of the Six Basic)
Describe: Management and leadership
- Nature and role of Leaders
- Sequencing, grouping and management of tasks and phases
- Checkpoints/ Milestones to signal completion
Choosing the type individual given responsibility for program coordination and leadership, and establishing expectations for how project roles and responsibilities will be executed are crucial for the leadership of the project
The development process is a complex set of activities that extends over a considerable time period… ( Part of the Six Basic)
Describe: Problem solving, testing and prototyping
- Problem Solving:
The focus is on the individual work steps and the way they are conducted, both technical and managerial, and the means by how the knowledge required for solving the problems is developed.
- Testing and Prototyping:
Used to test and validate progress, appropriateness, and focusing on remaining parts
- Together with step 3 this step determines the pase of the project
The development process is a complex set of activities that extends over a considerable time period… ( Part of the Six Basic)
Describe: Senior Management Review and control
- Vital with Interaction between team and senior management
Follow up by:
- Reviews
- Evaluation and Modification of goals
- Foster Team motivation
The timing, frequency and format of reviews is vital for overall effectiveness.
The development process is a complex set of activities that extends over a considerable time period… ( Part of the Six Basic)
Describe: Real time/ midcourse correction
The ambiguity and uncertainty of any project calls for constant reviews of plan, schedule and objectives witch calls for thought through feedback channels.
Balance between
- Early conflict resolution and subsequent adaptability.
- Relationship between unexpected early challenges and subsequent potential delays
- Deferring rescheduling to maintain motivation versus rescheduling early to maintain project credibility
Which are the basic approaches for building and enhancing the development capability, as proposed by W&C?
Customer Focus Discipline Coherent in Detail Fit With the Mission Sharing Patterns
See W&C p. 161-164
The basic approaches for building and enhancing the development capability,
Describe: Customer Focus
Why: Challenging to achieve appropriate level of integration across functions and still obtain the excellent engineering solutions to functional problems.
Task: Focus on Future customers requirements and unmet needs. To archive needed unity for requested level of cross-func. integration.
Issue: Requires effort to understand and articulate and translating the customers needs into tools to base actions and decisions on.
The basic approaches for building and enhancing the development capability,
Describe: Discipline
Why: Complex tasks results in Overload of decisions, people, competing interests and objectives.
Task: Be disciplined and use - Phases - Clear criteria for moving forward - Testing procedure - Prototyping to bring order in chaos.
Issue: Bureaucracy
- Hinders creativity
- Drains excitement
Therefore must be streamlined, appropriate and adaptable.
The basic approaches for building and enhancing the development capability,
Describe: Coherence in detail
Why: Parts must work together in a logical manner
Task: Achieve coherence in big and small. Achieve coherence in scheduling, technical as well as soft factors.
Issue: The Devil is in the Details
The basic approaches for building and enhancing the development capability,
Describe: Fit with the mission
Why: To date - no one size fits all available.
Task: Establishing a fit between the process and the competitive, market and technical imperatives that confront the project
Issue: Environments are complex and varies over time. Therefore continuous adaptation is necessary, but to much adaptation hinders daily work.
The basic approaches for building and enhancing the development capability,
Describe: Sharing Pattern
Why: Things work faster and more effective when people understands what, when and how.
Task: Create a common framework within the organization that creates a shared language and and understanding for development. Which helps in the myriad of decisions.
Issue: Creating the framework and making it useful.
