Introduction to

Tech Communication &

Project Management

Arthur C.M. Chen

617 253-7312, Rm 38-460
acmchen@alum.mit.edu

Motivation
Technical Leadership
Guiding head of a technical group

Two essential tools

Communicate to customer and to your team
Organize, plan and manage the technical project

Introduction:
Introduction:
Simple
Simple advice
advice on
on presentation
presentation
Introduction
Introduction to
to project
project management
management

Think Before You Present

Who are your audience, why are they
listening?
What is one or two messages you want to
leave with your audience?
What is the message for each slide

Communicate the Essence

Who & where
Technology and research group of interest
Specific Professor or research staff

What
Specific thesis project idea some details

Why
Personal interest, Future opportunities, Financial support

When
Progress and plan this term and beyond

News
News story
story outline
outline

Why Project Management

Diverse career opportunities
Leadership role

Most future activities are team and/or multiorganization oriented

How to help teams to work together
Startup business plans

MEng Thesis Project

Good learning vehicle

Project
Project: an organized undertaking

Master of Engineering Thesis Project

Finding a job
Building a porch
Buying a house

Design and manufacture a car (Large Program)

Put a man on the moon (Huge Program)

Project
Project management:
management: aa discipline
discipline
Art
Art and
and Science
Science

Project Management Objective

Achieve the project goal
Do a great thesis on time

Keep customers (e.g., Professors) happy

Keep the team focus on the goal
Make sure that team members work well
Everyone shares the load

Scope,
Scope, Resources,
Resources, Schedule
Schedule &
& Customers
Customers

Concerns about Project Management

My work is research so that I cant plan it
How can I commit to a schedule if I dont know
how it will work out
I dont have time to plan got to get it done

Project plan is a map and a guide

- No map, most likely to get lost
- Plan: understand risks and trade-offs
- Basis for systematic plan modification
- Mechanism for efficient communications

Framework: Project Cycle

Thesis ideas

Thesis Proposal

Thesis Completed

Concept

Tech. Foundation
Capabilities
Goal

System Design
(Architecture)

Systems analysis/
Synthesis
Project planning
Thesis proposal

Detailed design/
Implementation
Demo/test/
Documentation
Project tracking
Plan modification
Communicate
Thesis submission

Product Development Lifecycle

Product Spec.
Marketing
Manufacturing

Prototype
New Spec.
Marketing
New Technology

New Product

Product II

Similar
SimilarFramework
Framework

Project Management Process

Planning
Project Definition, Scope, Buy-ins

Mechanics of putting together a plan

Tools: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
GANTT, PERT, etc. charts - computerized

Tracking plan progress

Communicate and follow-up

Complete project
Managing and control

Project Management
Project Management
Project Planning

Execution Management

Define objective
Define work/tasks
Identify resources
Plan schedule
Iterate
Plan modification

Get objective signed-off

Track plan progress
Communicate within team
Customer communications
Secure resources
Project discipline

Technical

People

Scope,
Scope, Resources,
Resources, Schedule
Schedule &
& Customers
Customers

How to Get Started

Start with the essence of what you are trying to do
Draw a block diagram of your system
Architecture

Do a high level flow chart of your software

Identify modules

Postulate the end result of your prototype

User interface, typical use scenarios

List all possible tasks that needed to be done

Organize tasks

Do some or all of above

Mechanism of Planning
Define project objective
Define work breakdown structure (WBS)
Identify tasks and subtasks -- deliverables
Lowest element stand alone work package

Identify tasks relationship

Identify possible risks
Estimate work packages (people, time, etc.)
Create initial schedule
Iterate plan
Document

Ex: WBS - Buy A House

`

BUY A HOUSE

LOCATION

FINANCING

- Criteria

- Visit
Locations

- Determine
affordability

FIND
HOUSE

- Type of
House

- Determine
mortgage
provider

- Find Real
Estate
Agent

- Lockup
mortgage
commitment

- Look for
House

- Make
Offer, P&S
Agreem't

10

- Closing

Top
Top Down
Down Decomposition,
Decomposition, Elemental
ElementalTasks
Tasks

Network Diagrams
TASK
1-criteria
2-visit loc.
3-affordability
4-mortgage co
5-mortg lock
6-type of hse
7-real est agent
8-look for hse
9-offer, P&S
10-closing

PREDECESSOR
3
1
3
4
1
2, 6
7
5, 8
9

1
6
2

7
8

Scheduling
SchedulingTechniques
Techniques
PERT
PERTProgram
ProgramEvaluation
Evaluationand
andReview
Reviewtechniques
techniques
CPM
CPMCritical
CriticalPath
PathMethod
Method

10

Buy a House
ek 1
M T W T

ID
1

Task Name
BUY HOUSE

LOCATION

Determine location criteria

Visit key locations

FINANCING

Determine affordability

Assess Mortagg Provider

Secure Mortagg Commitmt

FIND HOUSE

10

Type of House

11

Find RealEstate Agent

12

Look for House

13

Make Offer, P&S Agreement

14

Closing

Week 2
S S M T W T

Week 3
S S M T W T

Week 4
S S M T W T

2/5
2/5

2/5

2/14
2/5

2/24

Simple
Simple Gantt
Gantt Chart
Chart View
View

Possible Application
Thesis ideas

Thesis Proposal
(May 10)

Concept

Tech. Foundation
Capabilities
Goal

System Design
(Architecture)

Systems analysis/
Synthesis
Project planning
Thesis proposal

Understand the scope

of your goal
Define your objective
Define tasks and work
breakdown structure
Develop project plan
Review plan, iterate
Document > thesis
proposal

Some Estimation Considerations

Completeness in definition of tasks and interfaces

Time for meetings and communications
The range of abilities of team members
Experience with similar job/ tasks
Learning time for new equipment or software
Availability of special facilities

Earlier
Earlier identification
identification of
of unknowns
unknowns or
or risks
risks
A
Apriori
priori calculations
calculations concerns
concerns but
but may
may not
not be
be aa
show
show stopper
stopper (especially
(especially in
in R&D)
R&D)

Closing Summary
Project Management Lead an endeavor
Planning is a map, a guide, especially for a team
Relatively simple and helpful techniques

Management is mostly about people

Goal, discipline, communicate

Risks are inevitable, planning helps to avoid

stupid ones
Experience counts
Assessing the scope of work, timing, risks

Risks are Essential in Achievements

Luck is an Element of Success

Historical Perspective
Phases

Use

Methods

1960-1970

Traditional Project Construction,

Management
Aerospace,
Defense

Technology and
schedule driven

1970-1985

Focused Project
Management

High tech
businesses, multidiscipline
developments

Software
engineering,
matrix
management

1985-1993

Renaissance of
Project
Management

All organizations, Total quality

developing formal management,
methods
concurrent
engineering

1993- present Modern Project

Management

Accept by top
management,
Recognize as a
discipline

System
engineering,
change and risk
management