Project Management Process Improvement

No matter how perfect a project plan may be on paper, it is worthless if nobody actually uses it. This innovative guide shows you how to ensure that your team has the process capabilities needed to successfully carry out any project plan you put to paper. By using the SEI's Capability Maturity Model, The Project Management Maturity Model, and PMBOK Knowledge areas, you can baseline your team's process level to see how it measures up to those required by a project plan.

Robert K. Wysocki is the president of Enterprise Information Insights Inc., in Worcester, MA. A member of the ProjectWorld Executive Advisory Board and the author of several best-selling books, Dr. Wysocki earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in mathematical statistics from Southern Methodist University

Introduction

xi

1 Introduction to the Process Improvement Life Cycle

1

(18)

1.1 The Importance of Process Improvement

2

(9)

1.1.1 Stand Still and Go Backwards

2

(1)

1.1.2 Standish Group Chaos Report

2

(6)

1.1.3 Balancing People, Project Management Processes, and Technology

8

(1)

1.1.4 Process Improvement Versus Practice Improvement

9

(2)

1.2 Typical Project Improvement Practices

11

(1)

1.2.1 Project Reviews

11

(1)

1.2.2 Best Practices

12

(1)

1.2.3 Lessons Learned

12

(1)

1.3 Definition of the Process Improvement Life Cycle

12

(3)

1.3.1 Where Are You?

13

(1)

1.3.2 Where Do You Want To Be?

14

(1)

1.3.3 How Will You Get There?

14

(1)

1.3.4 How Well Did You Do?

14

(1)

1.4 Who Is Responsible for Process Improvement?

15

(1)

1.4.1 Establishing a Standard Process

15

(1)

1.4.2 Managing Best Practices and Lessons Learned

15

(1)

1.4.3 Managing Performance Data Against Standard Processes

15

(1)

1.4.4 Continuously Improving the Project Management Process

16

(1)

1.5 Effectively Dealing with the Obstacles

16

(1)

1.6 Points to Remember

17

(1)

References

18

(1)

2 Overview of the Project Management Maturity Model

19

(54)

2.1 The Software Engineering Institute Capability Maturity Model®

19

(6)

2.1.1 Purpose

19

(1)

2.1.2 Structure

20

(1)

2.1.3 Application

20

(5)

2.2 The Project Management Maturity Model

25

(2)

2.2.1 Level 1: Initial Process

25

(1)

2.2.2 Level 2: Structured Process

26

(1)

2.2.3 Level 3: Institutionalized Process

26

(1)

2.2.4 Level 4: Managed Process

26

(1)

2.2.5 Level 5: Optimizing Process

27

(1)

2.3 PMBOK Knowledge Areas and Maturity Profile

27

(43)

2.3.1 Project Integration Management

27

(5)

2.3.2 Project Scope Management

32

(5)

2.3.3 Project Time Management

37

(5)

2.3.4 Project Cost Management

42

(5)

2.3.5 Project Quality Management

47

(3)

2.3.6 Project Human Resources Management

50

(4)

2.3.7 Project Communications Management

54

(4)

2.3.8 Project Risk Management

58

(6)

2.3.9 Project Procurement Management

64

(6)

2.4 Points to Remember

70

(1)

References

71

(2)

3 Assessing and Reporting Maturity Level

73

(24)

3.1 Overview of the Survey Questionnaire

74

(3)

3.1.1 Design of the Survey

74

(1)

3.1.2 Defining Maturity Level Penetration

75

(2)

3.2 Reporting the Process Maturity Baseline

77

(6)

3.2.1 Kiviatt Charts

77

(5)

3.2.2 Box & Whisker Plots

82

(1)

3.3 Reporting the Project/Process Maturity Gap

83

(4)

3.3.1 PP Below PD Baseline

85

(1)

3.3.2 PP at PD Baseline

86

(1)

3.3.3 PP Above PD Baseline

86

(1)

3.4 Maturity Profile by Knowledge Area

87

(7)

3.4.1 Process Maturity Matrix

87

(5)

3.4.2 Closing the Maturity Gap

92

(2)

3.5 Points to Remember

94

(1)

References

95

(2)

4 Metrics to Identify Project Improvement Opportunities

97

(16)

4.1 Project Level

97

(10)

4.1.1 Cost/Schedule Control

98

(3)

4.1.2 Milestone Trend Charts

101

(5)

4.1.3 Project Reviews

106

(1)

4.2 Prioritizing Improvement Opportunities

107

(4)

4.2.1 Ranking Improvement Opportunities

107

(4)

4.3 Points to Remember

111

(1)

Reference

112

(1)

5 Tools to Investigate Improvement Opportunities

113

(14)

5.1 Problem Solving for Continuous Improvement

113

(3)

5.1.1 Definition

113

(3)

5.2 Brainstorming

116

(1)

5.3 Fishbone Diagrams

116

(1)

5.4 Force Field Analysis

117

(1)

5.5 Pareto Diagrams

118

(1)

5.6 Process Charts

119

(1)

5.7 Root Cause Analysis

120

(1)

5.8 Prioritizing Processes

120

(5)

5.8.1 Scheduling Improvement Initiatives by Knowledge Area

120

(2)

5.8.2 Scheduling Improvement Initiatives in Groups

122

(1)

5.8.3 Scheduling Improvement Initiatives One at a Time

122

(3)

5.9 Recap

125

(1)

5.10 Points to Remember

125

(1)

Reference

126

(1)

6 Commissioning Improvement Initiatives

127

(14)

6.1 Characteristics of an Improvement Program

127

(3)

6.1.1 Long Duration

128

(1)

6.1.2 Multiproject Approach

128

(1)

6.1.3 Just-in-Time Planning

129

(1)

6.1.4 High Change

129

(1)

6.1.5 High Kill Rate

129

(1)

6.2 Characteristics of an Improvement Initiative

130

(2)

6.2.1 Short Duration

130

(1)

6.2.2 Multiphase Approach

130

(1)

6.2.3 Just-in-Time Planning

131

(1)

6.2.4 High Change

131

(1)

6.2.5 High Kill Rate

132

(1)

6.3 Setting Maturity Goals

132

(1)

6.4 Scope the Initiative

133

(2)

6.4.1 Evaluating Improvement Opportunities

133

(2)

6.5 High-Level Planning of the Initiative

135

(1)

6.5.1 Work Breakdown Structure

136

(1)

6.5.2 Prioritize and Schedule Approaches

136

(1)

6.6 Monitoring the Initiative

136

(1)

6.6.1 Define Performance Metrics

136

(1)

6.6.2 Track Performance Metric

137

(1)

6.7 Redirecting the Initiative

137

(1)

6.7.1 Abandonment of Approaches

138

(1)

6.7.2 Reprioritize and Reschedule Approaches

138

(1)

6.8 Closing the Initiative

138

(1)

6.8.1 Assess Final Performance Improvement

138

(1)

6.8.2 Reprioritize Improvement Opportunities

138

(1)

6.9 Points to Remember

139

(1)

Reference

139

(2)

7 Case Study: B. Stoveburden Trucking Company

141

(24)

7.1 Case Study Background

142

(5)

7.1.1 Project Overview Statement

143

(2)

7.1.2 Fishbone Diagram to Identify the Reasons Why Projects Fail

145

(2)

7.2 PD and PP Maturity Levels for Selected Knowledge Areas

147

(1)

7.3 Process Level

148

(13)

7.3.1 Scope Management Processes

148

(7)

7.3.2 HR Management Processes

155

(3)

7.3.3 Time Management

158

(1)

7.3.4 Cost Management

159

(2)

7.4 Results of the Improvement Programs

161

(2)

7.5 Points to Remember

163

(2)

8 Closing Thoughts

165

(6)

8.1 Implementation Challenges

165

(2)

8.1.1 Perceived Value

166

(1)

8.1.2 Cultural Fit

166

(1)

8.1.3 Sponsorship

166

(1)

8.2 Suggested Implementation Strategies

167

(2)

8.2.1 Major Program Initiative

167

(1)

8.2.2 Project Initiative

168

(1)

8.2.3 Slow but Steady

169

(1)

8.3 Points to Remember

169

(2)

Appendix: Maturity Assessment Questionnaire

171

(50)

Project Integration Management

171

(4)

Project Scope Management Processes

175

(4)

Project Time Management Processes

179

(7)

Project Cost Management

186

(6)

Project Quality Management

192

(5)

Project Human Resources Management

197

(5)

Project Communications Management

202

(3)

Project Risk Management Processes

205

(7)

Project Procurement Management Processes

212

(9)

About the Author

221

(2)

Index

223

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Project Management Process Improvement

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials