(Optional Learning) Interview with Prashun Dutta, Gaiga Smart Cities

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From the course by Indian School of Business

IT Project Management

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Indian School of Business

IT Project Management

216 ratings

Course 4 of 6 in the Specialization Business Technology Management

The concepts and use of project management tools, techniques and methodologies are becoming all pervasive. This course addresses project management in the context of IT projects, including software projects. Using the framework of project life cycle, the course covers various aspects pertaining to (i) project initiation, (ii) project planning and scheduling, (iii) project monitoring and control, and (iv) project termination. For planning and scheduling of projects, the use of project network and estimation of time and cost are covered in detail. Scheduling of projects with resource limitations is covered next. Risk assessment methods including simulation and risk reduction approaches are also be covered. The students will be required to use the software @risk to simulate project completion times. The use of Earned Value Analysis for Project Monitoring and Control is emphasized. For Software Project Management, the Waterfall Model and Agile Project Management are covered in detail.

From the lesson

Project Network Scheduling and Crashing

This module will cover Project Planning which is the second phase of Project Life Cycle. We first look at what Project Scope is and what scope creep refers to. Work Breakdown structure leading to work packages or activities with the associated precedence relationships are treated in detail. The next topic is about scheduling of the activities which requires the estimation of activity durations. The estimation of duration, cost and resource required for the identified activities are covered later as a separate topic. Here, using the same software development project, assuming that the durations of the activities have been estimated and ignoring the resource requirements for the different activities, we show how a schedule for the activities can be arrived at. The next topic is the estimation of durations, cost and resources required for the activities. Three popular estimating procedures are covered. The next topic covers the various reasons, possible benefits and different alternatives for reducing project duration. We then discuss in detail, one approach to reducing project duration viz. by incurring additional incremental direct cost for reducing activity durations and show how we can arrive at the least incremental direct cost for any specified project completion time. While the approach presented is conceptually sound it is difficult to implement for large projects. So, the next topic covers a linear programming approach to solve the same problem even if the project under consideration is large in terms of the number of activities. As in the previous module, towards the end of this module also, we present some practical aspects pertaining to the concepts covered. This again is done through a Q & A format with Mr. Prashun Dutta, Advisor - Gaiga Smart Cities

Work Breakdown Structure and Network Diagram8:58

Network Scheduling11:24

Laddering, Lags and Gantt chart4:39

Estimation of Time, Cost and Resources12:12

Reducing Project Duration7:12

Reducing Project Duration Linear Programming13:54

(Optional Learning) Interview with Prashun Dutta, Gaiga Smart Cities10:47

Meet the Instructors

M Rammohan Rao
Professor Emeritus
Operations Management

[MUSIC]

Okay, going back to estimation of times and so

on especially for software projects.

The notion that sort of popularized

by as author of.

>> The Goal.

>> The Goal and Critical Chain Management and so on.

His view is this activity due to are always up and

they need to be reduced of course first time we made them use it as much as 50,

60%, then of course the organisation is very particular and CEO is involved.

Next time around the backing is much less and so on.

You have any experience of these kinds of things,

it's probably more true in software projects.

>> He's right, [LAUGH] the backing is there.

Since software products are notorious in having over in time and cost.

So people look out differently much inflated figures.

>> I guess. >> But my point is not that is there

some way of working that will reduce the time?

See, let me give you an example.

In my positions, I found that

transactions, but there is a non-transaction part of the organization

which for this there is no standards out there.

So, what I would do is I would pick up something, some software which has a few

distinct features for instance it has workflow, it has alarms and alerts.

It has a Importing mechanism, it has a repository.

There's four, five things if we have,

then we can take care of the non-transaction part of the organization.

Supported a non-transaction part.

Now, okay, we did it.

Now, what I found was, each time there was a request, the guys are preparing for

a full regulatory board for the program.

>> Again.

>> Again.

This is not correct.

This is basically there are just five or six features which are blood flow and

repository and alarm and reporting.

>> A non-standard kind of thing.

>> Yeah, to those a standard you can to have one program.

>> Adjust.

If you want a walk through for instance,

if there's a document that has been generated and it has to go to five people.

Now those five people will depend on what the document is.

>> Yes. >> So, you have a document and you have

a table which says that in such and such case, this has to go to these five people.

But if it is this document, it goes to different five people.

So, why should we need to rewrite the program every time.

>> I see.

>> So, soon these people began to understand.

Then they started changing all the past projects also,

past applications also to use the standardized feature.

Today they're doing it.

So, what use to take three to six weeks,

now they're doing it in less than one week.

I see. >> So the point is about time.

What we're already seeing what people have a problem with

IT projects is that it takes too much time.

And the same thing I already mentioned, when I tell you what I want and

by the time you give it to me, either it's delivered or

I've lost interest or it's no longer important to me.

So, can we do it faster?

So, I think we will have to think of these methods.

Some of these methods and I, I'm just giving one.

I'm sure smart people who can think of many other ways.

We need to shrink this time.

You have pre packaged software.

Now pre packaged software.

Will not have all the nuances that you want.

>> So you have to customize it.

>> Then you settle for whatever prepackaged software is there.

Often this prepackaged software is often world standard.

People all over the world are using it.

So, why can't you use it?

Use it in all their specialties.

Mostly, we think other specialties.

Everyone thinks this is a specialty.

But it is not a special case.

It would not be a special case.

It might [INAUDIBLE] somebody who has designed it originally.

Or somebody left you with something.

So, it's a legacy issue.

So, handling those accusations, though, believe me.

>> Changing the- >> That is change in mismanage.

You are basically, doing the project is not something which is very difficult but

this is where time goes.

[INAUDIBLE] no I want three levels of

[INAUDIBLE] where two levels is enough.

Or I want the particular [INAUDIBLE] report I want.

You can't make [INAUDIBLE].

>> As I said change management itself maybe a project.

>> Yes. >> Have you been involved in any change

management research?

>> Yes, as I said that was the only thing I did actually and I try to do.

Because change management is the key.

And see, there's another thing.

>> Any special advise you have for change management?

>> Yes, a lot of advise.

>> Please do.

>> In fact, but one point is most of the system integrators

they geta few people who are focused and change management, it's useless.

Change management happens when change is happening.

>> Happening as it is happening.

>> You can't have change management, change happening and

change management separate.

If today I have to shift from a two wheeler to a four wheeler.

But I can't just mentally change myself [INAUDIBLE] I will change as I go along.

So, change has to happen simultaneously as the project was and

the person who was actually [INAUDIBLE].

You cannot have a separate.

>> Separate team trying to [INAUDIBLE].

>> Yes, in the projects that I used to analyze [INAUDIBLE].

Only doing that configuration.

Our programming.

You're also supposed to be re change management,

now the senior people they obviously would be hesitant.

So there I used to go and or

I used to send somebody who was senior enough for my team.

Otherwise.

>> So as a project is going on you would.

>> Yes, go and talk to them, tell them.

Explain to them, how do you system.

Just having an ID system, you go to anyplace they'd say, yes,

we have this fantastic.

You scratch the surface,

you realize that 5% of the people are using 10% of their capability.

What the hell?

You haven't paid such a lot of money for that.

>> So what you're saying is that from that view the product is done and

then now we work on the but as you go along?

>> It has to go simultaneously.

Before to all people is fair because.

Believe me, I learned happened.

In this.

So, once now I know.

Now, I know what to do now.

And then, they'll think of the second order, the third order benefits.

There was.

So really, the project doesn't end with the project.

[LAUGH] It continues.

[CROSSTALK] >> I love when you see a project with

a definite start and a definite end.

But a new project comes along or something [CROSSTALK].

>> But it is a continuum actually.

And it's so nice.

You see it and you feel happy.

After some time you have not thought of what different do, which they actually do.

I very happy.

The guy says, what we did from your thing, you guys did nothing.

What I did?

I did this.

And then, I felt so good, it was not something that was emphasized.

But because they have it, now they use it.

This second order, third order, never comes up in any other companies.

It cannot come up in any other companies.

And the real benefits accrue there.

See what happens is your investment is done, it was invested.

Now the guy,

with some little bit of effort, he's able to increase the value substantially.

So he did almost 0 cost, and it's marginal cost,

and the benefits are stupendous.

So that's why this is a bit

ROI [CROSSTALK] >> Sorry, go ahead.

>> No, same thing, change management is actually-

>> Should be part of the project,

not think of project and then change management.

That's a good idea.

I want to talk a little bit about resources and so on.

We want to reduce the project duration, is there anything special you do?

Cutting down activities, or work time, or outsourcing?

What has been your experience in large projects.

As the project goes back and so on but

now you want to still be on time or reduce some activities.

>> Times there will be situations we're in.

In addition resources will not help.

>> Whether you have to go get their processors but at times will help.

And good skilled resources will make a lot of difference.

So, you must have a database,

I'm using the word database very loosely and you must have an idea as to

who could come in when within the organization outside of.

>> Outside will be taken as consultants, wouldn't it?

>> Yeah, I can take as my consultants, I can take my vendors,

my vendors and suppliers.

For instance, I go to somebody who sends me a database, or

who sends me a single sign on software.

I get him in case.

I obviously pay him, it's not a free trip.

But that person is available, and the.

See, as a CIO, I think the biggest responsibility, or

rather big responsibility that you have is to know everybody in your area.

In your ecological system.

>> So not just in your employ, but outside.

>> Yes, outside.

Very important.

Because you will definitely need them and

in the sense they might need to have certain conditions.

But you definitely you know that.

So, as a CIO, this is a very important factor.

In fact, I can't imagine functioning without being in touch with,

I don't want to name the companies, but you know the standard.

They're all very critical to me.

So, to expedite, you may need.

Suddenly you say that, look one distant guy's from Bengaluru.

>> Because you had their office in Bengaluru and you tell the head of

the Bengaluru office that first I want you to figure out how to do it.

And you please insure that these guys come.

And they, by and large, they honor your request.

[MUSIC]

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