Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Key Activities of the Project Analysis Phase

The analysis phase of the IT project life cycle produces the detailed requirements and system architecture specifications for a project. Most importantly, it establishes what the end user wants the system to do.

During this phase, models of the application are developed. The development team uses these models to ensure that it understands the system requirements during the design phase and that the project meets the client's expectations.

In order to produce the detailed requirements of the analysis phase, the project manager (PM) must be familiar with the components listed below. Remember, the inputs and tools are used to create the key activities, which are the focus of this topic. Those key activities are then used to produce the outputs to meet the milestone for this phase.
  • The inputs required for this phase are the conceptual design, current system description, information plan, and project plan.
  • The tools needed for this phase are word processing software, presentation software, spreadsheets, and process and event modeling software.
  • The key activities for this phase are the end user requirements, quality requirements, and requirements analysis.
  • The outputs of this phase are the business process prototype and the requirements analysis.
  • The only milestone for this phase is the requirements' sign-off.
During the analysis phase, the PM must establish what the system will do so that the designer—during the design phase—can create a plan that meets the client's expectations. To do this, PMs conduct the following three key activities. Keep in mind that the first two key activities are documents you must prepare before you can conduct the third activity. The information you will need to create these documents is found in the documents from the inputs to the analysis phase.

1. Identify the end user requirements.
The first key activity, identify the end user requirements, describes user needs in terms of the new system and the differences between the new and the old system. Determining the end user requirements involves the two steps shown below.
  • Identify user requirements. The PM uses both the conceptual design inputs and the needs analysis section of the information plan to understand what the new system must do to satisfy the users' needs. The PM then prepares a statement that indicates what the users will be able to do with the product.
  • Perform a gap analysis. After the PM has identified the user requirements, the next step is to review the current system documentation and then perform a gap analysis, which determines the differences between the current and the new system and identifies the changes required.
2. Identify the quality requirements.
The next key activity in the analysis phase is to identify the quality requirements, which will help you understand how well the system will carry out its functions. To identify the quality requirements, review user requirements and product and project guidelines from the information plan. Explanations of what a quality requirement should contain are shown below.
  • Individual testable requirements. Quality requirements shouldn't be bunched together in a paragraph. Each requirement should have a separate entry that fully describes it. The description should be clear and understandable.
  • An explanation of how requirements will be tested. Explain exactly how the developers will test the function to determine whether each requirement is properly implemented. The developers can use inspection or demonstration, for example.
  • Prioritization. It's important that each requirement be prioritized in order of importance. Most PMs use the following scale: "High" indicates that the requirement must be included, "medium" indicates that it is necessary but can be added later, and "low" indicates that it is nice to have but not absolutely necessary.
3. Conduct the requirements analysis.
The next key activity is to conduct the requirements analysis. This is the process of increasing the team's understanding of the system requirements and translating them into a system design. The two models listed below are created during this key activity.
  • Process model. Process modeling is a technique for understanding, defining, and precisely representing the processes involved in developing an application. During process modeling, the PM uses modeling software to draw diagrams of each process. The diagrams are then used to develop the application.
  • Event model. Event modeling is a process that enables the project team to understand the events that trigger a process, which in turn causes a number of results. During event modeling, the PM uses modeling software to draw diagrams of each event and their possible results.
The analysis phase of the IT project life cycle ensures that the application you will develop meets the requirements determined by the customer. By following the steps described above to conduct the end user requirement's key activities for your project, you will be able to create a design that meets your client's needs.

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Tag: PM206A52. Let me share all of you about #5 Tips for Project Management Success,, I hope you enjoy it

1. Plan your day using time management techniques

As a project manager, time management skills are essential because you are dealing with a wide range of tasks that demand a quick turnaround time. Planning your day will go a long way in keeping you organized and increasing your productivity. Assist your task planning by using project management software which helps you track the work of you and your team.

If you are not very tech savvy, a simple to-do list can also be a great organizational tool. Prioritize your most important tasks by putting them at the top of the list and less important ones at the bottom. Having a visual plan of your daily tasks helps to keep you on track and aware of time.

Related post: Free ebook 104 secrets to become a great project manager

2. Include stakeholders in important project conversations

While you will have plenty of responsibilities regarding the project, don’t neglect your clients.

Good communication is essential is keeping both parties informed of project progression, curtailing scope creep, and apprised of changing requirements. Some clients may have different expectations when it comes to communication, so make sure to establish the frequency and type of communication (like emails, phone calls, and face-to-face conversations) at the beginning of your project.

Establishing communication expectations early helps alleviate stakeholder uncertainty about communication frequency and delivery.

3. Regularly communicate with your team

Daily team communication helps keep misunderstandings and unclear requirements under control. Keeping your team informed in every step of the project is essential to project management success.

For example, a study published by Procedia Technology found that good communication skills were the cornerstone of project management. The study examined over 300 “construction project managers, architects, construction managers, engineers and quantity surveyors” and their successes and failures on various construction projects.

4. Anticipate project setbacks

Even the best-laid plans often go awry.

Remember that even with a high amount of planning and attention to detail, your project may still encounter some challenges. Pay attention to complaints from stakeholders or colleagues, and other warning signs, like a missed deadline or cost overrun, that there may be a problem.

Preventing a crisis will keep your project running smoothly, save you a lot of time, and keep you, your team, and your stakeholders confident in progressing with the project.

Unfortunately not every complication can be avoided. Crisis management skills are essential for dealing with the unexpected. Project managers need to be flexible and pragmatic. Improvise and make sharp decisions when needed.

Related post: 92 free project management templates

5. Stay focused on the details

A common problem project managers encounter is having the project aims not aligned with the organization’s objectives. A great project manager will strategize a plan for the project to lead back to the overall success of the business.

Know your project’s scope by heart and avoid wandering outside of the project’s requirements. It’s too easy to get lost in minor details and forget what your focus is, so a well-planned project scope is essential for success.

And final, you should use KPI to measure effectiveness of the project, here are full list: 76 project management KPIs



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