Tracking Dynamic Completion Dates in Development?

cronostitan asks: "We are a small software development department inside a big print media corporation. As in most departments nowadays, we have very few people but a high workload. We are currently working on a code rewrite of an in-house CRM application. Beside this big project, there are always a number of urgent, smaller projects coming in with a timeframe of 1-3 days that we do 'in between.' There is no way to delay these small things, as these are always of the highest priority." What's needed here is a time tracking system that automatically adjusts completion dates based on the current workload. Read on for more details of cronostitan's situation. "The problem is that if we set a completion date for the CRM project it is always delayed by these smaller projects. Since I am doing the project management, I am a little desperate, since I can never tell my superiors WHEN the real completion date will be. My idea was to find software where you have your usual project management function (with GANTT charts, etc.) to preview the managed project(s), but also have some type of individual time-tracking for 'in between' projects and daily works. Whenever time is spent on any of these urgent projects, the completion date of the CRM project should be shifted dynamically into the future. This would require a login into this imaginary tool so that developers can track what amount of time is spent on specific projects, so that an accurate timeline can be kept. Does something like this exist, preferably as OSS? Do we have to invent the wheel again, or are we going down the wrong path?"

Comments

How about a magnetic calendar?

[Neil Blender]

Each day you spend working on something else, move your 'Project Completion Date' magnet one day forward. Be careful though - if you do something else on Friday, be sure to move the magnet to Monday, not Saturday.

Ah, an old favorite...

[biglig2]

Well, actually a subtle blend of old favorites. Let me consult my reference document on "the 25 reasons projects fail".

Well, this is mostly #11, "plan over-estimates resource" and #14 "responsibilities unclear". Your actual question, of course, reveals that you are also suffering from #7, "Planning tools are unwieldy" since you are asking for a tool to fix your problem for you, instead of fixing it. Project managers always over-rely on their tools.

What you need to do is to have proper negotiations between the two critical players, the Project Manager and the Line Manager. This should be both easy and hard, since it sounds like you are both of these people.

Definition: Project Manager is in charge of the project, and the Line Manager "owns" the resources the PM needs to do the project. What must happen is a negotiationbetween PM and LM where LM agrees to give a certain ammount of the resource to the PM. This has to be stuck to - although it can be hard.

So, you as LM have to say to you as PM, "I can give you three days a week of my boys. I can't giv e you 5 days, sorry, because all these small urgent projects pop up all the time." As LM, you have worked out how much time on average you need your boys for the firefighting.

Then, you as PM, can use you planning tools and work out how long it is going to take, given that you have only 3 days resource a week.

don't fool yourself

[Anonymous Coward]

These gantt charts and complex packages never work. They just give you the illusion of control! They make you think that if you stuff all your data into the computer, somehow your project will guide itself.

That just ain't how it works.

I could give you a big lecture here, but here's all you need to know as a project manager: how to say "NO".

Once you master that, projects suddenly start meeting deadlines.

Personally the most complicated software package I use is basecamp, which is basically a bulletin board with milestones.

Re:you're drinking the wrong kool aid

[kpat154]

If they are like other managers, the reality of the situation is irrelevant. They will make unreasonable demands and you will be held responsible when the demands are not met. To them, all the graphs, charts, timelines and other stuff is just part of your whining.

I get the impression that you and I are both in the same situation: We've been there before and have grown bitter at our own inability to change the situation (and management's refusal to change their own behavior). It's unfortunate that this is such a common problem in the software development world.

However, the original poster is on the right track. I've learned over time that the only way to even moderately improve the situation is to educate upper management. No matter how hard you try you'll never be able to change them by talking to them. You MUST provide documentation backing up your points and that's exactly what he's trying to do.

Education aside, it's also critical to CYA on these things. If your critical project is 6 months late then you better be able to show documentation proving that it was because your managers made it late. Otherwise it's going to be your fault. Whether it actually is or not.