The IIL Blog

OCTOBER 17, 2023

Benchmarking Identifying a project performance indicator or practice, then assessing it against industry standards or best practices. Bottom-up Estimating A project estimation technique that leverages tactical-level team members/subject matter experts (SMEs) to break down tasks into smaller components to create a more accurate estimate.

Development Team Review 148

Development Team Review Project Life Cycle Underperforming Technical Team Estimate 148

Herding Cats

OCTOBER 11, 2016

I work in the Software Intensive System of Systems domains in Aerospace, Defense, Enterprise IT (both commercial and government) applying Agile, Earned Value Management, Productive Statistical Estimating (both parametric and Monte Carlo), Risk Management, and Root Cause Analysis with a variety of capabilities. NASA Cost Estimating Handbook.

Performance Measurement 28

Performance Measurement Aerospace 2006 Estimate 28

Herding Cats

APRIL 29, 2017

What is an estimate? An estimate as a noun is an approximate calculation or judgment of the value, number, quantity, or extent of something. An estimate as a verb is to roughly calculate or judge the value, number, quantity, or extent of. But those estimates, nouns, and verbs themselves's have other attributes.

Estimate 46

Estimate Risk Management Risk SCRUM 46

Herding Cats

MARCH 17, 2019

Here are my collected works, presentations, briefings, journal papers, articles, white papers, and essays, used to increase the Probability of Project Success (PoPS) I've developed and applied over my career in the software-intensive system of systems domain. Project Performance Management. Technical Performance Measures.

2003 54

2003 2011 2008 Performance Measurement 54

Herding Cats

AUGUST 27, 2017

There's a recent post titled Four Fallacious Reasons to Estimate. It lists the usual suspects for why those spending the money think they don't have to estimate how much they plan to spend when they'll be done producing the value they've been assigned to produce for that expenditure. Let's look at each one in more detail.

Estimate 46

Estimate Software Review Underperforming Technical Team Technical Review 46

Herding Cats

OCTOBER 1, 2016

For software, this can be value produced (assuming we have a unit of measure for that value in the for of effectiveness, performance, key performance parameters, or technical performance measures ). It can be the cost, schedule, and technical performance measures of the software project. https://goo.gl/DP6Jw

Closing 28

Closing Estimate Controlling Process 28

Herding Cats

MAY 1, 2017

Performance–Based Project Management ® integrates five critical program management process areas with – Cost, Schedule, and Technical Performance Measures. The inclusion of Technical Performance Measures (TPM) separates this approach from conventional methods based solely on managing cost and schedule.

Performance Measurement 42

Performance Measurement Estimate Risk Management Budget 42

MPUG

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

In this article, we are going to explore Earned Value Management (EVM), a widely used traditional management technique, but we are going to look at it within the context of an Agile domain. In EVM terminology, baseline is further defined as the performance measurement baseline (PMB). Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB).

Underperforming Technical Team 59

Underperforming Technical Team Agile Performance Measurement PMI 59

Herding Cats

FEBRUARY 5, 2018

For these strategies to work, we need to define the Measures of Effective, Measures of Performance, Technical Performance Measures, and Key Performance Parameters for each of the outcomes that produce Value in exchange for the Cost and Time to produce that Outcome. Related articles.

Executing 40

Executing Performance Measurement Manufacturing Estimate 40

Herding Cats

MARCH 5, 2017

Do those capabilities meet the Measures of Performance that characterize physical or functional attributes relating to the system operation, measured or estimated under specific conditions? These are attributes to assure the system has the capability and capacity to perform. Related articles.

Software Review 28

Software Review Technical Review Performance Measurement Estimate 28

Workamajig

JUNE 11, 2019

This article looks at the 11 most important project management KPIs you need to track and why. Peter Drucker may have said it half a century ago, but the old adage still rings true: “If you can measure it, you can improve it.”. Measuring and monitoring project management metrics fills this gap.

Estimate 93

Estimate Budget Infrastructure Performance Measurement 93

ProProfs Project Management

MARCH 18, 2020

The activities are then sequenced, and the duration required for each activity is estimated. Cost : A cost management strategy is first made, after which the cost for each work package is estimated. The estimates are then summed up, and some reserves are added to it to create the project budget.

Process 99

Process Project Life Cycle Development Team Review Risk Management 99

MPUG

JULY 10, 2023

In this article, we’ll review some of the common terminology you’ll come across when working with project controls, especially from an earned value environment perspective. Now we’ve looked at some cost performance measures, let’s look at a few more specifically aimed at managing schedule performance.

Budget 40

Budget Controlling Performance Measurement Finance 40

Herding Cats

DECEMBER 4, 2017

Measures of Performance - are performance measures that characterize physical or functional attributes relating to the system operation, measured or estimated under specific conditions. Measures of Performance. The Technical Performance Measures. Related articles.

2005 37

2005 Performance Measurement Closing Controlling 37

Herding Cats

JANUARY 5, 2017

These charts are an extract from the book Performance-Based Project Management: Increasing the Probability of Project Success and the abstracted training materials Handbook. Related articles. How to Avoid the "Yesterday's Weather" Estimating Problem. Doing the Math. Hope is not a Strategy. Complex, Complexity, Complicated.

Estimate 81

Estimate Closing Controlling Defining 81

Herding Cats

DECEMBER 29, 2017

To make some conjecture that some process will fix the problem - Estimates are the smell of dysfunction and NOT Estimating will fix that dysfunction - is naive at best and willfully ignorant of Root Cause Analysis at worse. Any successful technical communication needs to have: Measures of Effectiveness. Related articles.

Process 56

Process Estimate Engineering Performance Measurement 56

Herding Cats

JANUARY 19, 2018

Have sufficient Technical Performance Measures margin to cover the required performance measure of the Capabilities. You can't make decision in the presence of uncertainty without making estimates about those decisions. Manage risk, estimate, manage other people's money like an adult. Related articles.

Performance Measurement 31

Performance Measurement Estimate Finance Manufacturing 31

Herding Cats

FEBRUARY 9, 2018

I've seen estimates abused by bad managers, so let's NOT estimate and that will fix the behavior of Bad Managers." While the human behaviors are real and observable, conjecturing that decisions can be made in the presence of uncertainty without estimating the outcome of those decisions, there is no principle to support that conjecture.

Underperforming Technical Team 44

Underperforming Technical Team Estimate 2003 Software Review 44

Herding Cats

JANUARY 22, 2017

The Cone is a project management framework describing the uncertainty aspects of estimates (cost and schedule) and other project attributes (cost, schedule, and technical performance parameters). This is a closed loop control system for managing the program with a T echnical Performance Measure (TPM).

Technical Review 28

Technical Review 2005 Estimate Software Review 28

Herding Cats

JULY 24, 2017

The paper on the Cone of Uncertainty is used by many in the No Estimates community as an example of why estimates are of little use. In this paper, there is data that does not follow the Cone of Uncertainty, in that the uncertainty of the estimates does not reduce as the project proceeds. Then there is some analysis.

2007 42

2007 2012 2006 2008 42

Herding Cats

FEBRUARY 4, 2017

The Cone is a project management framework describing the uncertainty aspects of estimates (cost and schedule) and other project attributes (cost, schedule, and technical performance parameters). Estimates are needed but are subject to large level of uncertainty. There can be cost and schedule performance measures as well.

Technical Review 28

Technical Review Estimate 2005 Software Review 28

Herding Cats

AUGUST 14, 2016

Measure of Performance - characterize physical or functional attributes relating to the system operation, measured or estimated under specific conditions. MOP's are attributes that assure the systems to capability to perform. Related articles. MOP's belong to the project. Here's how these are related.

Performance Measurement 49

Performance Measurement Engineering Lean Software Developers 49

Herding Cats

JANUARY 14, 2017

The Cone is a project management framework describing the uncertainty aspects of estimates or any other project attribute (in this post, cost, schedule, and technical performance parameters). This is a closed loop control system for managing the program with a T echnical Performance Measure (TPM). Related articles.

Technical Review 28

Technical Review Software Review Underperforming Technical Team Risk Management 28

Herding Cats

AUGUST 12, 2016

Here's an article, recently referenced by a #NoEstimates twitter post. The headline is deceiving, the article DOES NOT suggest we don't need deadline, but that deadlines without credible assessment of their credibility are the source of many problems on large program. There is no ideal in the estimating business.

Technical Review 28

Technical Review Estimate 2003 Aerospace 28

Herding Cats

JANUARY 17, 2017

The Cone is a project management framework describing the uncertainty aspects of estimates (cost and schedule) and other project attributes (cost, schedule, and technical performance parameters). This is a closed loop control system for managing the program with a T echnical Performance Measure (TPM).

Technical Review 28

Technical Review 2005 Estimate Software Review 28

Herding Cats

OCTOBER 28, 2016

In a recent Blog post titled Precision it is suggested Precision (or the implication thereof) is perhaps the root problem of most, if not all dysfunction related to estimation. . Estimates have precision and accuracy, but the reason for these unfavorable outcomes is not stated in the post. Related articles.

Estimate 28

Estimate Performance Measurement Information Technology Risk Management 28

Herding Cats

DECEMBER 5, 2017

And to make those risk-informed decisions in the presence of reducible and irreducible uncertainty we need to ESTIMATE. Top Four Sources of Unfavorable Program Performance. Unrealistic Performance Expectations. Unrealistic Cost and Schedule Estimates. Impacts of Risk on Program Performance. Related articles.

Aerospace 37

Aerospace Estimate Governance Government 37

Herding Cats

JUNE 4, 2016

It is wrong to suppose that if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it – a costly myth. This is used in support of the fallacy that estimates aren't needed to make decisions in the presence of uncertanty. Related articles. Technical Performance Measures. The #NoEstimates advocates love to use a Deming quote.

Software Engineering 28

Software Engineering Performance Measurement Finance Manufacturing 28

Herding Cats

MARCH 4, 2017

This is an immutable principle that impacts planning, execution, performance measures, decision making, risk, budgeting, and overall business and technical management of the project and the business funding the project no matter the domain, context, technology or any methods. All project work operates in the presence of uncertainty.

2010 28

2010 2007 Estimate Aerospace 28

Herding Cats

JUNE 4, 2017

The test of the hypothesis for projects are the Measures of Effectiveness, Measures of Performance, Key Performance Parameters, and techTechnicalformance Measures used to assess progress to plan for the project. Estimating how much is the starting point. Estimating is part of risk management.

Estimate 39

Estimate Risk Management Risk Engineering 39

Wrike

MARCH 4, 2021

This article will explain what vendor management is and why it’s important for your organization. Estimating turnaround times. Reviewing performance . You must spell out performance measures in your contract so all vendors understand their responsibilities. This is where vendor management comes in. .

Performance Measurement 36

Performance Measurement Defining Monitoring Process 36

Wrike

JUNE 11, 2023

These frameworks involve the use of statistical techniques, probability theory, and mathematical formulas to estimate the likelihood and impact of risks, calculate expected values, and determine risk exposure. Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine.

Risk Management 36

Risk Management Risk Underperforming Technical Team Technical Review 36

Wrike

JULY 1, 2020

In this article, we will discuss the benefits of project management for HR professionals and why HR project management is vital for departmental success. Establishing productivity and performance measures for the team. Why should companies use project management for HR professionals? A resource management plan.

Underperforming Technical Team 36

Underperforming Technical Team Software Review Performance Measurement Executing 36

Herding Cats

AUGUST 19, 2016

This process provides actionable information about the performance of the project using Quantifiable Backup Data (QBD) for the expected outcomes of the work, for the expected cost, at the expected time all adjusted for the reducible and irreducible uncertanties of the work. No measures of effectiveness. No measures of performance.

Performance Measurement 28

Performance Measurement Estimate Software Developers Software Development 28

Herding Cats

OCTOBER 27, 2016

If we're going to make risk-informed decisions in the presence of uncertainty, then we're going to have to estimate to a probability of occurrence, the statistical range of values of the drivers of the risk, the probability of consequences or the statistical range of outcomes. Related articles. Quote of the Day.

2009 28

2009 2015 Influencer Performance Measurement 28

International Institute for Learning

OCTOBER 4, 2022

Forms, guidelines, templates, and checklists from published textbooks and journal articles that can affect the execution of projects. Gap can also exist for performance improvement expectations such as: Reduction in risk by a certain percentage, cost, or time. Improvement in estimating accuracy by a certain percentage or dollar value.

Aerospace 59

Aerospace Underperforming Technical Team Governance Government 59

Herding Cats

JANUARY 29, 2018

The principles of microeconomics of decision making in the presence of uncertainty mandates you make estimates of how to achieve that Value in terms of cost and schedule, those three (and all) variables are random variables, usually driven by a stochastic process. Related articles. IT Risk Management.

Manufacturing 40

Manufacturing Estimate Risk Management Budget 40