‘Project Management ‘Atkins’ Way’

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. - A Case Study

Nidhi Srivastava

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 1

Agenda

¾ ‘Lean’ Project Management Architecture @TCS

¾ ‘Low Carbs’ Project Planning

¾ ‘High Protein’ Project Management and Oversight

¾ ‘Diagnostic’ Project Management Metrics

¾ Lessons Learned on ‘Process Fat’

¾ ‘Nutritional Advice’- Project Management Enablers

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 2

 “Ultimately, All Differences Between Companies in Cost
and Price Derive From the Hundreds of Activities Required
to Create, Produce, Sell, and Deliver their Products or
Services

…Differentiation Arises from both, the Choice of Activities,

and
How they are Performed.”

Michael Porter

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 3

‘Lean’ Project Management Architecture @ TCS

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 4

 Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) – An Overview

We are DRIVEN towards this goal ¾ India’s Largest Conglomerate

TCS certified at
To achieve CMMi & PCMM Level
¾ India’s best IT Employer
customer 5 Enterprise-wide
satisfaction ¾ Established in 1968
by 2004
delivering ‘02 iQMS ¾ Over 28,000 Consultants
solutions ‘01
that meet
‘00
PCMM ¾ More than $1.5 Billion in revenues
customer 6σ
needs ‘98 ¾ ISO 9001-2000 certified
‘95 CMM
‘93
‘92 TBEM* ¾ SEI-CMMi and PCMM Level 5 Certified
‘85 *ISO TBEM- Tata Business
‘70 ‘80
QMS Excellence Model
Winner of the 2004 TBEM Award
QC QA IEEE (modeled on MBNQA) ¾

¾ Largest number of CSQA professionals

Process Focus (CMMi)
¾ Global presence
• 91 offices across 55 countries
iQMS ¾ Largest Software R&D Centre in India
(PCMM) (TCM)
¾ Largest Software Exporter from India
People Focus Technology Focus

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 5

Project’s ‘Health Guide Pyramid’

¾ Quality Manual – the Policy document.
¾ Process Handbooks – cover details of
the entire lifecycle for
• Development Project
QUALITY • Maintenance Project
MANUAL • Conversion Project
• Package Implementation Project
PROCESS
• Engineering CAD Processes
HANDBOOKS
¾ Procedure Manuals – cover all
PROCEDURE MANUALS procedures in detail
• Project Procedure Manual details
STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES procedures to be performed during
project planning and tracking
¾ Standards and Guidelines
iQMS
iQMS –– Quality
Quality of
of Quality
Quality
• Project Planning Guidelines guide thru all
project management activities.

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 6

‘Lean’ Project Management Architecture

Quality Management System

Project Management Methodology

Project Procedure Manual Process Handbooks

Guidelines (Estimation, Planning, Tailoring etc.)

Project Plan
(Project/Client Specific)

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 7

‘Low Carbs’ Project Planning

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 8

 Project Management Activities
Project Management activities performed within a project :
¾ Review of Agreement
¾ Project Initiation
¾ Project Startup Meeting
¾ Preparing and Revising Estimates
¾ Project Planning and Execution
¾ Team Building
¾ Project Progress Monitoring, Tracking and Reporting
¾ Project Management Review
¾ Risk Management
¾ Quality Management
¾ Configuration Identification & Management
¾ Change Management
¾ Project Wind Up

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 9

‘Health Plan Meeting’ – Project Startup

Project Start-up meeting
¾ All the stakeholders invited
¾ Project Startup Kit contains :
• Mandatory iQMS training
• Review of contract and re-estimation of size and effort
• Creation of project in project database
• Preparation of project plan and other supporting documents
• Identification of QA and QC processes and their measurement procedures
• Check on infrastructural issues.
• Identification of tools and re-usable components
• Project specific training needs identified
• Risk identification and mitigation plan
¾ Potential loop holes identified and acted upon.

Benefits:
Benefits: a)
a) Identification
Identification of
of potential
potential risks
risks and
and planning
planning of
of corrective
corrective action
action
b)
b) Commitment
Commitment from
from all
all stakeholders
stakeholders

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 10

 Project ‘Health’ Planning

¾ Project Health Plan Attributes -

• General Overview • Reporting Mechanism • Resource Management

• Delivery Plan • Risk Management • Traceability Strategy
• Assumptions • Quality Management • Technology and tools
• Organization structure • Metrics & Measurement • Induction & Training
• Client involvement • Configuration Management • Operational Process
• Monitoring Mechanism • Process Improvement

¾ Plan prepared by tailoring the project plan template

• Tailoring depends on the type and requirement for the project.
¾ Project plan is reviewed by all stakeholders
¾ Timeline, roles and responsibilities are agreed upon by all the stakeholders.

Benefits:
Benefits: a)
a) Better
Better control
control over
over the
the product
product and
and the
the process
process
b)
b) Predictability
Predictability over
over quality,
quality, schedule,
schedule, cost
cost

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 11

‘High Protein’ Project Management & Oversight

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 12

 Project ‘Fitness’ Monitoring

¾ Continuous ‘Fitness’ Monitoring – Progress Reporting

• Project Status Report prepared by Project Manager

• Status reporting by project team members

¾ Project ‘Health Check ‘ – Management Review

• Quarterly Project Management Review

9 Details check on projects health and fitness

9 Review done by higher management

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 13

Project ‘Fitness’ Status Reporting

Monthly Status Reporting by Project Owner to all stakeholders

¾ Delivery against Schedule
¾ Performance against Quality Goals
¾ Report on
• Resource
• Training
¾ Risk Monitoring and Mitigation
¾ Issue Tracking and Escalation
¾ Financial Information
¾ Plan for next month

Benefit:
Benefit: Potential
Potential issues
issues are
are identified
identified and
and mitigated
mitigated

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 14

 ‘Health Check’ – Management Oversight Activities

Project ‘Health Check’ – Management Review

¾ Review done by senior management.
¾ All the stakeholders invited
¾ Project Owner presents general health – template available
¾ Fitness monitoring on
• Scope, schedule, cost and quality
• Financial aspect, risks and issues
¾ Outcome
• Identification of Action Items
• Preparation of Action Plan
• Action Items tracked to closure

Benefit:
Benefit: Early
Early warning
warning Indicators
Indicators are
are identified
identified and
and tracked
tracked

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 15

Project Management Review – Swim Lane

Quality Review Initiate Process

Coordinator PMR* Summary Change (if needed)

SQA ** Prepare PMR Brief PMR Prepare PMR

Lead Schedule Team Summary

PMR Prepare for Record

Conduct
Team PMR PMR Action Items

SQA Track Update Analyze

Analyst Action Items PMR Records Open Action Items

Project Take corrective

Team Action

* PMR - Project Management Review

** SQA - Software Quality Assurance

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 16

 Project Windup

¾ Project Completion Meeting

• Completion Report prepared by Project Owner

• Report added to Process Asset Database

¾ Releases of all resources

¾ Consolidation of Lessons Learned & Best Practices
¾ Reusable components added to Asset Library

Benefit:
Benefit: Reusable
Reusable components,
components, Lessons
Lessons Learned
Learned &
& Best
Best Practices
Practices

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 17

‘Diagnostic’ Project Management Metrics

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 18

 Fitness Measures - Metrics
Metrics defined to facilitate the measurement of project parameters

Effort Variation Schedule Variation

Objective : To improve effort estimation Objective : To measure the accuracy of
accuracy. This is done by comparing the the schedule estimation, adherence to the
effort spent in project and the budgeted schedule and quality of the process
effort for the project

Start Timeliness End Timeliness

Objective : The goal of the Start Objective : The goal of the End
Timeliness measure is to measure Timeliness measure is to measure
compliance with dates for project start up compliance with dates for project
windup/completion

Guiding Principle - What is measured is driven by business issues and

objectives and not by what can be measured

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 19

Process Capability Improvement @TCS – A Sample

December 2002 July 2003 December 2003 June 2004

Good

¾Improved Estimation
¾Improved Project Management
¾Client involvement at phase end, checkpoints

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 20

Process Capability Improvement @TCS – A Sample

Good

Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2
’00 ’00 ’01 ’01 ’01 ’01 ’02 ’02 ’02 ’02 ’03 ‘03 ‘03 ‘03 ‘04 ‘04

¾ Improved Estimation accuracy

¾ Re-estimation after every phase

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 21

Lessons Learned on ‘Process Fat’

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 22

 Lessons Learned
¾ Challenges
ƒ Resistance to change
ƒ Reluctance to document and keep document updated for revisions
ƒ Perceived increase in paper work
ƒ Additional effort required for metrics collection , with no
immediate benefits in sight
ƒ Over engineered process- eg. detailed project plans ,complicated
project status reports
¾ Fallout
ƒ Inadequate project planning
ƒ Lapses in uniform metrics collection
ƒ Improper management oversight
ƒ Fire fighting / reactive approach

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 23

Project Management Process Automation

Consistency
Consistency of
of Process
Process Use
Use
Enforcement
Enforcement of
of Process
Process

Objective
Objective Project
Project Management
Management

Easier
Easier collection,
collection, analysis
analysis and
and retrieval
retrieval of
of data
data

Quality
Quality
Assurance
Project Assurance Project
Project Project
Planning Monitoring
Planning Monitoring
Management
Metrics & Management
Metrics & Function
IPMS
SPC Function
SPC
Team
Defect Team
Defect Management
Tracking Management
Tracking
Change
Change Risk
ManagementConfiguration Risk
ManagementConfigurationManagement
Management
Management
Management

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 24

 ‘Nutritional Advice’ - Project Management Enablers

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 25

Project Management Enablers

Enablers
¾ Process Automation
¾ Training on project management
¾ Handholding by Quality Groups
¾ Sharing of best practices
¾ Feedback loop
¾ Tailoring of process
¾ Institutionalization of ISO based Audit mechanism, based on plan –
“ Plan what you do , do what you plan”

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.

In practice there is.
- Yogi Bera

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 26

 Technology as an Institutionalization driver
‘Four Phase’ Project Management - PDCA Cycle

Plan Do
Planning is done by Project Project Manager executes the
Manager as per QMS using tool project according to the plan and
updates the progress in tool

Act Check
Project Manager takes necessary Tool raises alarms when deviations
action based on plans and alarms from plans/ QMS defined process
and updates the plans accordingly. occur

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 27

Project Management Caliper - IPMS

Integrated Project Management System – Project Management Tool

IPMS Functionality
¾ Prepare Project Plan
¾ Prepare Project Schedules
¾ Assign Tasks to team members
¾ Project Monitoring (Timesheet, Work Product progress)
¾ Risk Management
¾ Prepare Quality Assurance Plan
¾ Change Management

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 28

 Project Management with IPMS

¾ Access to new project creation information ,e.g.

ƒ Generation of Project Initiation Note
ƒ Project Name
Initiating ƒ Work Order
¾ Authorization of Project Manager (PM) to manage project

Planning

Monitoring &
Control

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 29

Project Management with IPMS

¾ Define Work Breakdown Structure

ƒ Deliverables, Item (Details and Size), Module
Divide project into Phase -> Task -> Sub Task
Initiating ¾

¾ Define Entry Task Verification eXit (ETVX) of each phase

¾ Schedule the Project Phases
¾ Plan Quality Assurance
Planning ¾ Define Project Baselines
¾ Set up the appropriate Cost Drivers
Monitoring &
Control

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 30

 Project Management with IPMS

¾ Assignment of tasks and sub-tasks

¾ Record effort spent on tasks and sub-tasks in timesheets
Initiating ¾ Change Management
¾ Problem Management
¾ Configuration Management
Planning ¾ Handover Takeover between old/new Team Members
¾ Manage client supplied products

Monitoring &
Control

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 31

Project Management with IPMS

¾ Verification and Validation

¾ Quality Assurance - Internal and External Review
Initiating ¾ Review and Log Defects
¾ Perform Defect Casual Analysis, Resolution, Closure and
Verification
Planning ¾ Final Inspection
¾ Generate metrics on quality reviews, defects, effort, cost and
schedule
Monitoring &
Control

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 32

 Benefits of using Technology as an ‘Enabler’
Outcome
¾ Simplification of processes

¾ Reduction in project management effort

¾ Consistency of process implementation

¾ Enforcement of processes

¾ Easier collection and retrieval of project data

¾ Data consistency

¾ Easier Data analysis

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 33

Acknowledgement

Runa Das, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

Hareesh Grandhi, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 34

Question and Answers

Contact Details: [email protected]

Phone Number: 630 245 8303
www.tcs.com

Asia’s Largest Global Software & Services Company 35