Tom Gilb

Evolutionary Project Management

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with evolutionary project management. The management of projects identifies that none of the existing well-known project management methods really enable sufficiently good control of projects. The chapter outlines that the way forward must incorporate evolutionary methods. In fact, Evo exists and already has a track record of success; it is just not widely known and practiced within the systems engineering and other engineering communities. This chapter explores the basic concepts of Evo. Evo is the application of the Shewhart process control cycle, “Plan-Do-Study-Act”. It is learning from doing and acting on that learning. It is adapting to the complex and changing realities of a project. Evo is concerned with controlling risks. By insisting on small steps, Evo demands early delivery of the high priority improvements. This gains credibility for the project and should attract resources to continue to do so.This chapter deals with evolutionary project management. The management of projects identifies that none of the existing well-known project management methods really enable sufficiently good control of projects. The chapter outlines that the way forward must incorporate evolutionary methods. In fact, Evo exists and already has a track record of success; it is just not widely known and practiced within the systems engineering and other engineering communities. This chapter explores the basic concepts of Evo. Evo is the application of the Shewhart process control cycle, “Plan-Do-Study-Act”. It is learning from doing and acting on that learning. It is adapting to the complex and changing realities of a project. Evo is concerned with controlling risks. By insisting on small steps, Evo demands early delivery of the high priority improvements. This gains credibility for the project and should attract resources to continue to do so.

Scales of Measure

This chapter focuses on scales of measure. Scales of measure are fundamental to Planguage. They are central to the definition of all scalar attributes that is, to all the performance and resource attributes. One must know the art of developing scales of measure for the performance and resource attributes, which are important to the organization or system. The chapter explains it is important to define a scale of measure for any system critical variable performance or resource attribute. Most scales of measure are tailored variations of a generally applicable set of scales. Once you have learned the general set, it becomes much easier to generate useful scales as needed for variations. Finally, defining a scale of measure is a teachable practical process. Scales of measure in requirements are the foundation of understanding any design or architectural impact on that requirement—both when it is being considered, and then when it is being implemented in practice.

Scales of Measure: How to Quantify

This chapter focuses on scales of measure. Scales of measure are fundamental to Planguage. They are central to the definition of all scalar attributes that is, to all the performance and resource attributes. One must know the art of developing scales of measure for the performance and resource attributes, which are important to the organization or system. The chapter explains it is important to define a scale of measure for any system critical variable performance or resource attribute. Most scales of measure are tailored variations of a generally applicable set of scales. Once you have learned the general set, it becomes much easier to generate useful scales as needed for variations. Finally, defining a scale of measure is a teachable practical process. Scales of measure in requirements are the foundation of understanding any design or architectural impact on that requirement—both when it is being considered, and then when it is being implemented in practice.

Resources, Budgets and Costs

This chapter discusses resources, budgets and costs. Resources are the inputs, or the “fuel,” for a system. They are needed to produce the systems performance attributes. They are analogous to the capital expense, air and fuel needed for a car engine (function attribute is to provide power) to deliver the engines performance attributes. Resource requirements specify the purpose to plan the use of a limited resource to bring about change and to operate a system. Resource requirements are also known as budgets. Most systems usig the Planguage methods are nontrivial and difficult to manage. Planguage addresses problems in several ways. Planguage ensures specification of resource requirements is performed in a disciplined and detailed numeric way. Through Impact Estimation (IE), Planguage obtains tightly integrated performance and cost information. Not just the total final budgets, but detailed budget allocation at design idea level and at evolutionary step level, which is linked to the evolution of the stakeholder valued results are also examined. Such resource requirement specification information gives a better ability to predict costs in advance. Finally, by use of Planguage practices, the all-too-common project syndromes of “running out of resource (time or money) without delivering any value” and “pushing the system out of the door on the deadline; system performance be damned” ought to be eliminated for good! This is more than an optimistic hope.

Resources, Budgets and Costs: Costs of Solutions

This chapter discusses resources, budgets and costs. Resources are the inputs, or the “fuel,” for a system. They are needed to produce the systems performance attributes. They are analogous to the capital expense, air and fuel needed for a car engine (function attribute is to provide power) to deliver the engines performance attributes. Resource requirements specify the purpose to plan the use of a limited resource to bring about change and to operate a system. Resource requirements are also known as budgets. Most systems usig the Planguage methods are nontrivial and difficult to manage. Planguage addresses problems in several ways. Planguage ensures specification of resource requirements is performed in a disciplined and detailed numeric way. Through Impact Estimation (IE), Planguage obtains tightly integrated performance and cost information. Not just the total final budgets, but detailed budget allocation at design idea level and at evolutionary step level, which is linked to the evolution of the stakeholder valued results are also examined. Such resource requirement specification information gives a better ability to predict costs in advance. Finally, by use of Planguage practices, the all-too-common project syndromes of “running out of resource (time or money) without delivering any value” and “pushing the system out of the door on the deadline; system performance be damned” ought to be eliminated for good! This is more than an optimistic hope.

Planguage Basics and Process Control: The Purpose of Planguage

This chapter describes Planguage basics and process controls. The main Planguage concepts introduced in this chapter have been processes and continuous process improvements through the use of process standards. They aim to provide practical, step-by-step advice on how to implement Planguage. Planguage is open for change from any source, at any time, for any good reason. It is intended to be totally in tune with the need for continuous improvement of all competitive systems and processes. Moreover, Planguage is concerned with getting control over things. Planguage consists of a specification language and a corresponding set of process descriptions. The Planguage language terms are used together with the Planguage processes for specification, analysis, design and management of processes, projects, or organizations. This chapter concludes by discussing the specification language, which is used to specify requirements, designs, and project plans.

Planguage Basics and Process Control

This chapter describes Planguage basics and process controls. The main Planguage concepts introduced in this chapter have been processes and continuous process improvements through the use of process standards. They aim to provide practical, step-by-step advice on how to implement Planguage. Planguage is open for change from any source, at any time, for any good reason. It is intended to be totally in tune with the need for continuous improvement of all competitive systems and processes. Moreover, Planguage is concerned with getting control over things. Planguage consists of a specification language and a corresponding set of process descriptions. The Planguage language terms are used together with the Planguage processes for specification, analysis, design and management of processes, projects, or organizations. This chapter concludes by discussing the specification language, which is used to specify requirements, designs, and project plans.

Introduction to Requirements

This chapter deals with the introduction to requirements specification and introduced the different requirement types: function requirement, performance requirement, resource requirement, design constraint and condition constraint. Planguage helps with requirement specification to focus on the most critical requirements; by demanding numeric definition for variable (scalar) requirements; by making sure you obtain and specify benchmark levels for performance and resource attributes and by encouraging specification of constraints. This chapter concludes by discussing Planguages benefits. It actively assists the system design process. The numeric values of the benchmark and target requirements are direct inputs into Impact Estimation, which is used to quantitatively assess design ideas. There is the ability to clearly specify how critical requirement levels should change over time and any changes to these numeric values are clearly visible to all. There is also the ability by specifying conditions to readily communicate subdivision of a system.

Introduction to Requirements: Why?

This chapter deals with the introduction to requirements specification and introduced the different requirement types: function requirement, performance requirement, resource requirement, design constraint and condition constraint. Planguage helps with requirement specification to focus on the most critical requirements; by demanding numeric definition for variable (scalar) requirements; by making sure you obtain and specify benchmark levels for performance and resource attributes and by encouraging specification of constraints. This chapter concludes by discussing Planguages benefits. It actively assists the system design process. The numeric values of the benchmark and target requirements are direct inputs into Impact Estimation, which is used to quantitatively assess design ideas. There is the ability to clearly specify how critical requirement levels should change over time and any changes to these numeric values are clearly visible to all. There is also the ability by specifying conditions to readily communicate subdivision of a system.

Evolutionary Project Management: How to Manage Project Benefits and Costs

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with evolutionary project management. The management of projects identifies that none of the existing well-known project management methods really enable sufficiently good control of projects. The chapter outlines that the way forward must incorporate evolutionary methods. In fact, Evo exists and already has a track record of success; it is just not widely known and practiced within the systems engineering and other engineering communities. This chapter explores the basic concepts of Evo. Evo is the application of the Shewhart process control cycle, “Plan-Do-Study-Act”. It is learning from doing and acting on that learning. It is adapting to the complex and changing realities of a project. Evo is concerned with controlling risks. By insisting on small steps, Evo demands early delivery of the high priority improvements. This gains credibility for the project and should attract resources to continue to do so.This chapter deals with evolutionary project management. The management of projects identifies that none of the existing well-known project management methods really enable sufficiently good control of projects. The chapter outlines that the way forward must incorporate evolutionary methods. In fact, Evo exists and already has a track record of success; it is just not widely known and practiced within the systems engineering and other engineering communities. This chapter explores the basic concepts of Evo. Evo is the application of the Shewhart process control cycle, “Plan-Do-Study-Act”. It is learning from doing and acting on that learning. It is adapting to the complex and changing realities of a project. Evo is concerned with controlling risks. By insisting on small steps, Evo demands early delivery of the high priority improvements. This gains credibility for the project and should attract resources to continue to do so.