Project .Net Development at Ersoftware Company

Project .NET Development at erSoftware Company

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the process of proper project management. Project management consists of organizing, planning, and scheduling activities to meet cost and time constraints. Project plans in an organization are initiated to make a positive change in the organization. This paper will focus its discussion on project management aspects that erSoftware is working on using Microsoft Project 2007. It will cover all aspects of project management, including a description of the project, problem statement, project scope and a measure of project success.

erSoftware is a third party vendor that customizes and installs internet application solutions. After failing to correctly develop and install software to three clients within the contracted timeframe, erSoftware decided that it is necessary to increase application time in order to remain profitable, maintain their market leader status, and fulfill the company mission of providing the guaranteed service with a specified time. If erSoftware cannot continue to meet deadlines, clients will not recommend or hire the services of erSoftware in the future.

Description of project

The board and CEO at erSoftware looked to Team B, in the IT Department, to arrive at a solution to decrease application and development time. Team B’s recommendation is to standardize the .NET Development Environment. By standardizing, application time can be decreased by fifteen to twenty percent. Therefore, for erSoftware to remain profitable, Team B’s project is to standardize the .NET Development Environment to decrease application time for development and installation to outside vendors. This project will be accomplished by April 20, 2008, at a cost of approximately twenty thousand dollars ($20,000). Management at erSoftware feel this is a small investment compared with the potential outcome for the company.

Problem/Result Statement

In the current global, competitive environment, technology is critical. Therefore, correct development and installation of software applications is crucial to remain competitive and profitable. If a corporation contracts with a company to customize and install software applications, the corporation expects the contracted company to fulfill their contractual obligations. If erSoftware continues to exceed costs and deadlines for vendors, revenue decreases and profits fall. This project, therefore, is important for Team B to complete successfully for erSoftware to continue as a company corporations look to for software applications services.

Mission Justification

A mission statement is a general statement that provides the purpose and direction of the project. It is very important to the success of the project, giving the project team a clear understanding of the direction the project is going. erSoftware’s mission is to be the premier company which provides information technology solutions to enhance client revenue and efficiency. The .NET Development Environment project aligns with the mission of the organization and the project. Company mission is to provide premier services and, currently, erSoftware did not fulfill that mission with the previous three clients. Completing this project within the specified time frame will ensure that the company remains profitable and fulfills its current mission.

There are four Team B members. Each member will have responsibility for certain tasks and those are labeled in the Responsibility Matrix in Appendix A.

Scope

The scope of a project is the sum of products and services that the project provides (Kerzner 2003). This includes the total work involved in the project at all levels. The deliverables of the project should be defined as clearly as possible for all participants and end users. Upon completion of the .NET project, erSoftware will continue to serve their clients software needs more efficiently, which was not accomplished with the past three clients. This goal, in turn, leads to the continuation of increased revenue and efficiency.

In the initial planning stage of the project, decisions on the applications that are converted to.NET will be done by all team members. Common methods will be reviewed and evaluated. Team member A will increase allowable development time and team member B will decrease application and installation time in phases. Application specifications and .NET minimum requirements will be assessed during the initial phase. A centralized repository is created for common methods and functions and all coding should be compatible during this process. The final phase of the project will phase in .NET into each application separately. Each goal has several tasks, distributed among project team members that are labeled in the Responsibility Matrix in Appendix A.

Measures of Success

Project success can be measured in many terms. In other words, project success might be measured differently if the stakeholder is a production person compared to a stakeholder who is in the marketing area. In most applications, project success is measured in terms of cost, time, and scope. In the case of erSoftware, the success of Team B can be measured as soon as the project is completed. However, another measure of success is defined by client satisfaction and stakeholder feedback through revenue and profitability measures. This project should then have two separate measures of success. The first measure of success is after the project completion and is measured on cost, time, and scope. The second measure of success can take place six months later and will be based on customer satisfaction and stakeholder feedback. Obviously, if profits decrease and clients are not satisfied, the project was not successful long-term.

Best Practices in Project Management

Every organization that embarks on a project wants to ensure its success. According to Kerzner (2003), project management is the process of planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring project goals and objectives to a successful completion. There are five facets to project management, which include initiation, planning, executing, controlling, and closing (Kerzner, 2003). Many of the steps that go into project management are standard procedures, and, if followed properly, greatly increase the success of a project. Some project management best practices involve planning, defining project management procedures, proper scope, and identifying risks. Two of the best practices are discussed below.

Project Planning

Planning in project