HOW WILL YOU IMPLEMENT THE EXECUTION STRATEGY?


An execution strategy is useless unless it is implemented and where possible adhered to. To achieve this, you must use a systematic method. The strategy created so far has been long- term or strategic in its presentation. It presents the project and its need at an overview or summary level only. To allow the strategy to be implemented it needs to be translated into a detailed or tactical execution method. It is this tactical execution method that will allow you to deliver the overall strategy successfully. There are many methods that can be used but generally they can be categorized into one of the following groups:

  • waterfall;

  • time box;

  • light method;

  • formal method;

  • rolling wave.

Waterfall

Waterfall is a technique that is commonly applied on software projects. However, the underlying method can be applied to any project type. As its name implies, waterfall is a method that starts at the beginning of the project and then continues in an uninterrupted manner until the end. This is illustrated in Figure 5.5.

click to expand
Figure 5.5: Waterfall model

Figure 5.5 shows the process of taking a requirement through to the final test of the built product. Different waterfall methods have different names for the phases but they all work on the same principle. Each phase in the waterfall has to complete before the next phase can start. This means that there is no returning from the design phase to the requirements phase; each phase is distinct. The transition between the phases is often managed by using a technique call ˜gates'. The gate is a representation for the passage between one phase and the next . In the waterfall method, the gates are one-way gates. This implies that, once a gate has been passed, the project cannot return to the work that was being carried out prior to passing through the gate. This can make it difficult to pass through gates.

This method works well for projects (or parts of projects) that are well defined, for example building a new house. In this example the project requirements and delivery method are probably well defined. This understanding will be achieved because the builders have done the same work many times before. In this illustration the use of project gates can be very effective since it's very clear what should have happened at each stage, for example the foundations must be poured or the building must be watertight.

Unfortunately this method is not appropriate in advanced projects. Advanced projects are rarely well defined. It is very rare for them to have a solid measurable output at any moment in time. However, the technique should not be disregarded completely. It is likely that some parts of the project will be able to use the technique.

Time box

The time box technique is used extensively in projects. However, both inexperienced and experienced project managers frequently fail to recognize that the technique is being used. This can mean that project managers fail to gain all of the potential benefits. This can be overcome simply. Project managers need only gain a basic understanding of the technique to enable them to know when it is being used and when to use it.

In simple language, a time box is a method whereby a poorly understood task is broken into a series of more manageable chunks . Often it involves gathering together people involved in the tasks and asking them to define short-term goals. The goals, once reached, are then reappraised and a new set of goals defined.

Time boxing can be achieved by following five straightforward steps.

  • Step 1

    Define a short-term time horizon, normally about one month.

  • Step 2

    Set clear, measurable objectives for that time horizon.

  • Step 3

    Select the appropriate team and gather them together.

  • Step 4

    Get the team to work towards the objective. Ensure that they understand what needs to be achieved by the end of the time box.

  • Step 5

    At the end of the time horizon, or the time box, assess the result. If the overall objective has not been achieved, set a new time box, beginning again at step 1.

Although the steps are reasonably self-explanatory, it is worth expanding on two of them: step 1, the time horizon; and step 3, the pulling together of the time box team.

Step 1, the defining of a short-term time horizon

The time horizon is defined by thinking about the whole task. Once you understand the whole task you should break it into manageable chunks. These chunks are what sets the time box size for the task. All of the chunks do not need to be planned in detail. Only the current time chunk needs to be planned in detail.

Figure 5.6 shows the time boxing method in action. There are two iterations in Figure 5.6. The first iteration shows the total task broken into three chunks. Each chunk has been defined as being the same size and taking an equal amount of time. Once the initial split has been made, task 1 is planned in detail and the other tasks set aside. As the work progresses, the first time box completes. As it completes you should start to assess task 2. With the additional knowledge gained through completing task 1 you are able to assess that you need to split task 2 into two time boxes. This is a normal result of the time box process. As work progresses, understanding improves and as a result plans also improve. Eventually you will progress on to task 3 and complete the project work.

click to expand
Figure 5.6: Time box

One of the key advantages of time boxing is the short-term focus it provides. Instead of team members worrying about how to complete difficult tasks they focus solely on short-term goals. This focus helps progress since time is not spent on planning activities that are not understood.

Step 3, the pulling together of the time box team

Gathering together the right team is an essential part of time boxing. The team needs to be composed of people who have authority to make decisions on behalf of the organization. For example, the person who is dealing with requirements should be able to decide whether something can be left out of the work or not. This principle of empowerment of the team needs to underpin all of those who are team members. They need to believe that they have the support to make things happen.

Time boxing is a method that is commonly used for advanced projects since the requirements are often unclear. As a method it provides an excellent way of moving quickly through difficult and uncharted territory. One of the reasons that time box works well as a technique is the short cycle time for requirements definition.

Light projects

Unlike the previous two ways of working, this technique is not strictly a technique or a method. Instead it is a way of thinking about projects. This technique simply involves ruthlessly removing parts of the project process that are not useful. This removal is carried out regardless of the quality system and the organizational procedures.

Most projects that are advanced in nature attract significant amounts of bureaucracy. The overhead associated with bureaucracy can cause significant difficulties for project managers. Although they may try to support the quality system continually, sometimes the paperwork involved becomes too much. This tends to be especially true for inexperienced project managers. Their inexperience leads them to rely on processes. They hope that the processes will support them and help them avoid making mistakes. The consequence of this is that they can end up undertaking a significant amount of process in the project that a more experienced project manager would disregard. In many instances a heavily bureaucratic system is not appropriate and should not be used.

Although it is tempting simply to throw away processes, this is not a wise course of action. In all cases caution should be used when considering the removal of bureaucracy. Ideally a risk assessment should be undertaken before the decision to stop following a process is made for any given task. The assessment should have two parts to it. Firstly, it should examine whether the task concerned has been undertaken before. This assessment should be carried out by you or the work package manager for the task. Secondly, the assessment should examine whether the organization has a history of completing tasks like the one being assessed. This can be achieved by providing an analogy assessment (see Chapter 2). If after analysing the task you are confident that the organization is not at substantial risk then you should consider using a cut-down or light method of project management.

To introduce a light method of project management, you must first decide what actual technique you are going to use. Once you have decided your technique you then need to break your technique into its constituent parts and assess each part in turn. For example, if you are going to use a waterfall technique then you should examine each phase in turn . You should assess whether the phase is actually required. If it is not then it should be set aside for that task. Once you have decided what to drop from the technique you should record this in a plan. Normally this plan is the quality plan for the project. If the light thinking method is applied effectively then it will result in a reduced amount of work.

Formal

Not surprisingly formal project management is the opposite of light project management. With this method everything is documented in great detail. Using a detailed method is appropriate in many types of project. For example, nuclear work or air traffic control work requires detailed control of every project aspect.

This method is really the application of a chosen technique to its fullest extent. In practice this will occur mainly in government- funded projects. It happens with these projects because funding can be made available for the amount of work involved. It's worth noting that it is required for these projects because of the safety critical nature of the project. As with the light method, the important part of this method is the understanding of what is actually needed. The objective for you is to recognize that there is a requirement for this method. This means recognizing that the organization that is undertaking the project is looking for a particular way of working. Once the particular method of working has been identified you simply need to apply it.

Rolling wave

The rolling wave method is similar to time boxing. It uses the same principle of splitting the work into different areas. The principal difference between the time box technique and the rolling wave technique is the focus of each box. In rolling wave there are simply two boxes. The first box is approximately three months long and is the detail of the work to be undertaken. The other box is the rest of the project. The technique is illustrated in Figure 5.7.

click to expand
Figure 5.7: Rolling wave

The rolling wave is a method of splitting the project in two. The first part is the tactical part of the project and the second part the strategic part of the project. The rolling wave method should be used on any project of one year or greater in duration. The rolling wave technique is applied at a higher level than time boxing. Therefore rolling wave would cover many activities, as opposed to time boxing, which would cover only one activity. Rolling wave would normally be used at a higher level for the general management of the project. It would not be used for the management of an individual task within the project. Individual tasks would be managed by time boxes.

Whatever technique you adopt for implementing the strategy of the project, it is essential that it is supportive of the ideal of a quality output.




Advanced Project Management. A Complete Guide to the Key Processes, Models and Techniques
Advanced Project Management: A Complete Guide to the Key Processes, Models and Techniques
ISBN: 0749449837
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2007
Pages: 69
Authors: Alan D. Orr

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net