Program Management - The Plan

The Program Management Control Systems used by DSA comprise an arsenal of field tested and proven techniques. At the same time we are constantly evaluating our PDM project management methods against new trends in the PDM software lifecycle and software delivery lifecycle SDLC methods, to ensure a highly integrated approach and a continually improving environment.

The Plan

There are no silver bullets with which we can load their pistols to guarantee the success of any project. However with a good technical plan, resource plan, quality assurance plan and a good dose of risk assessment, there are a number of sharp instruments that can be wielded with good effect.

The constant theme of our methodology is about decision-making - not about writing plans.

Technical Plan

Technical planning is a technique designed to lead the manager through the decision making process that should start every project and follow through to the end of every project. Technical planning provides you with the information required in choosing strategy, tools, and methods. Its twin goals are the reduction of downstream risk and the increase of delivered quality.

Resource Plan

The resource plan exists as a cost and resource loaded schedule of activities. Several levels of detail are available depending on the complexity of the project under management. The resource plan takes into account the outputs of the technical plan, risk assessment, critical uncertainties, the characteristics of the system, the verification requirements and so on. The overall aim is to derive a plan that gives you the greatest chance of success.

Quality Plan

The quality plan outlines the techniques and tools that should be used to verify the delivered quality of the system. As with the technical, and resource plans, the QA plan exists as a living document throughout the entire project. Its goal is delivered quality against customer expectation. It takes into account the voice of the customer, which more often than not will change during the course of the project as the project will give the user community access to things they didn’t know could be accomplished.

The planning process and resulting decision-making tools are an integral part of our overall management control system as illustrated below.

Technology

DSA applies a variety of cost management, scheduling, and reporting tools including but not limited to the following:

Primavera
Mac project
Microsoft Project
Customized Forms & Templates
MS-Office Suite
Activity Based Costing (by service line or function)
Earned Value Analysis & Reporting (planned vs Actual)

Staffs

DSA staffs are highly skilled project managers/systems analysts with extensive backgrounds in the planning and management of engineering optimization and automation.

Professional Affiliations

Project Management Association
Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
IEEE
APICS
ISO

DSA is equipped to assist you with the challenges of planning and managing a variety of different projects with a focus on effective decision-making. Additionally DSA is skilled in training your staffs to become more effective in the planning and management of projects.

To download an Adobe version of Program Management (32KB) click here.