A PRécis On “How To Scope A TPM Project” Essay Example

“How to Scope a TPM Project”, the fourth chapter of “Effective Project Management: Traditional, Agile, Extreme” (2014) by Robert K. Wysocki, is dedicated to the problems of project scope maintenance. The author analyzes the factors that contribute to scoping process optimization, suggesting the algorithm of operations to perform in the course of management. For this research, the methods of detailed classification, structuring material in tables and in schemes are applied.
According to the author, the first element of the scoping process is a Conditions of Satisfaction (COS) session – a conversation between the client and the provider whose purpose is to establish an understanding between the parties and reach a compromise through a four-component model including request, clarification, response, and agreement components. After the COS has been conducted, the object requirements must be formulated. Wysocki divides them into the following types: functional, specifying the functions of products or services; non-functional, indicating positive characteristics of products (services); global, representing requirement within a system; and product/project constraints, defining the final look of the product.
Concerning the next step, the author argues that two variants are possible: either the COS immediately results in writing and then submitting the Project Overview Statement (POS), which is a one-page document stating what actions should be taken, or in the Project Scoping Meeting, which is in turn divided into several stages. Obviously, the second variant provides opportunities for more detailed project analysis.
The first stage of the Project Scoping Meeting is to create the Requirement Breakdown Structure (RBS) – in other words, to decompose and elicit requirements in order to describe them in detail. These procedures are performed for the purpose of further requirements clarification by the representatives of the stakeholder group (including a sponsor, customers, users, business process engineers, resource managers, project managers, and business analysts). Decomposition is conducted at different levels, each of which transforms into the higher one: the level of function, at which possible solutions are outlined; the level of sub-function, where the main function is decomposed into smaller parts; of processes, at which sub-functions are transformed into business processes; the level of activities and, finally, the lowest one, the level of feature, which includes enhancements of the units being described. Elicitation takes place at facilitated group sessions, interviews, requirements workshop, and while prototyping.
The next step is to assess the completeness of requirement decomposition. Wysocki states that, at this stage, it is recommendable to accept it as incomplete. After that, the project must be classified according to the level of completeness into linear, incremental, iterative, adaptive, and extreme models (the degree of completeness gradually diminishes, respectively). What follows next is determining the best-fit PMLC (Project Management Life Cycle) model which consists in selecting the most optimal approach, taking into account the peculiarities of the goals and solutions.
Once this task has been accomplished, it is necessary to write the POS. The essence of the POS is to gain the approval of senior staff management. This document should be structured in the following way: firstly, it must state the problem or opportunity of the project; secondly, the project goal must be established, according to the criteria of being specific, measurable, assignable, realistic, and time-related; thirdly, the project objectives must be described in terms of outcome, time frame, measure, and action; fourthly, the criteria of success must be identified; fifthly, the assumptions, risks, and obstacles must be listed (these should include the factors and conditions that may have an impact on deliverables).
In addition to that, some projects require more detailed analysis such as risk and financial one: the former focuses on the identification of potential risk factors, damage that they may cause, and actions necessary to take in order to avoid or reduce that damage; the latter consists in describing the financial side of the project analyzing the issues like feasibility, cost and benefit, the probability of reaching a breakeven point, and investments.
The last component part of scoping a TPM project is submitting the POS: if is satisfies the criteria of business value, it is approved. This approval means that the resources are committed to complete the detailed plan; the permission to proceed with the project can be obtained only after the approval of the plan, and not of the POS.
The purpose of the research is to develop a successful scoping procedure by means of thorough analysis of its stages. The value of the research consists in the fact that the following phases of the project, namely planning and execution, largely depend on scoping. Thus, the COS and the POS documents have an essential role in the whole process of project management.

References

Wysocki, R. K. (2014). Effective Project Management: Traditional, Agile, Extreme (7th edition). Indianapolis, IN: Wiley.