[Summary]: In the information system integration project, since the customer usually does not determine all the functions and needs of the final solution, the scope change is a regular thing. In this regard, the project manager and the project team can neither refuse, and cannot be accepted. This paper analyzes the reason for the scope change, and the task of the range change management needs, finally believes that the effective change control means of establishing a line to manage the project's scope change is one of the most important parts of the project full life cycle.
[Keyword]: IT range management change control
I. Introduction
Scope management is a dedicated vocabulary in project management. Its main task is to define the project containing and only all need to complete, and the other management work is guided to ensure the successful completion of the project. process.
In general, the project scope is determined, and the work boundaries of the project are also determined, and the project objectives and projects are mainly delivered. For information system integration projects, very serious consequences will be generated if the scope of control projects cannot be clearly defined and valid. For example, the actual item actually needs to be included, and the customer cannot clearly define the scope due to the complete, detailed description, resulting in an unavailable project final solution; on the other hand, the spread of the project is spread or frequently changed, thereby affecting the cost of the project. schedule.
From the actual experience of the author and participating in multiple projects: the scope is very terrible, customers always want to implement all the needs in a system, resulting in the bloated and unrealistic of the project results. Customers have an idea to be very unbearable: "(developer) is ready to put it first, even if it is not necessary, in the future, in the future?". Also, customers in the project process, especially in the later stage, constantly making a revision of the handover system, and even re-design completion of the start change, the customer requires to change back or change to another mode. "No bottom" is a common feeling of most of the domestic project managers for information system integration projects.
"Why do I always do it ?!"
Second, the reason analysis
The project manager uses a limited resource quality and quantity to complete the project, so that customers and companies are satisfied with the final goal. But let customers satisfied is to constantly meet the endless needs of customers? Will this lead to the final failure of the project? We should analyze the root causes of problems in the scope change.
1. The lack of personnel who are familiar with the information system integration project will not be unclear, causing the project objectives to be unclear, bringing confusion for later implementation work.
2, customers and project groups hope to do projects well. However, customers may lack a comprehensive understanding of the information system project, and the project team understands the details of customer demand details are not sufficient, and the understanding of the two sides on the implementation needs. The two sides are unrecognized in the initial stage of the project, and the problem is exposed when the system is transferred.
List the specific problems encountered by several author:
A. The customer of the IT project tends to think that the computer is universal, with it, you only need to enter a few parameters, don't worry. And actually any technique has limitations.
B, a customer knows that it needs an inventory management software, but it is an introduction of new inventory management, but it has not been considered in the current model, and the developer has in place, so the project team is required to do it first. When the customer wants to change the management mode, the problem has occurred, and the design changes caused a large number of modules to overwritten, and the construction period is inevitable.
C. A customer requires "convenient" query device location, so developers have designed an interface to query the location of the device according to various conditions. When the system is transferred, the customer discovers is not the same as expected. The original customer's "convenient" refers to an intuitive manifestation in the way of graphical interface. The project team has only delayed this feature for a few days. 3. The project team personnel cannot distinguish customer real demand and gold-plated demand, and the customer's change request is accepted. Of course, this is also satisfied with the customer, but actually does not necessarily achieve the purpose.
Third, range change management
First, you need to define the scope of the project when signing the contract, which of course needs to be familiar with the information system integration projects to participate in the contract negotiation. The defined projects defined in the contract can lay a deep foundation for the launch of various work.
Second, the project scope in the contract should be just the agreement of the thick line, and must be refined and in-depth. The scope manual and range management plan is important part. The scope manual should include project argumentation, product brief, mainly deliverable, acceptance standards, etc. In addition, you must reserve enough time for the project group to conduct a detailed research, and propose a work decomposition structure (WBS) and demand analysis report. WBS can provide a baseline for project execution performance evaluation and project control.
In the system requirements analysis phase, the in-depth exchange of project group members and customers is the key to the success of the project. However, due to the misunderstanding of both parties, communication is usually made. Mr. Liu Lijun, Mr. Liu Lijun, summarized the Why, What, how to make it very effective. Simply put, in the initial stage of the project, the project manager first needs to see what the customer is doing this project. It is "why", so that you can truly consider the design of the system from the perspective of our customers; next to the next project is "what ", And can summarize all child tasks, let developers have a good idea to the ethics of the project; the most important thing is" how to do ", for information system integration projects, this stage is more spending time Absolutely worth it. There are also some tips: demand analysis report should be prepared in the way customers think that it is easy to read and understand, but also helps developers to develop truly needed systems; project group members are best to report to customers in detail Tell, and reach a consensus, communication means is important here;
Fourth, effective change control
A project scope plan may be very good, but it is almost impossible to think that any changes are almost impossible. The project manager and project team must realize that the scope change itself is nothing wrong, in fact, this will make your system more robust and practical. Customers usually cannot determine all the needs at the beginning, and the situation will vary over time, and if it is not allowed to change, the final solution may not reach the value.
However, if it is out of control, the consequences are very serious, and even the failure of the entire project. According to the results of Stanish's research in 1995, the top three factors that have failed IT project failure are: lack of user participation, incomplete requirements and descriptions, variable requirements and instructions, these factors are directly or Indirect related to the range change management.
Therefore, range change management must be performed. Mr. Pan Dong believes: "The purpose of change control is not to control changes, but to manage changes to ensure changes in the order."
To perform change control, a valid range change process must be established. This process should include confirmation, assessment of business value, analysis and change impact on the project, and submit to the project sponsor for evaluation to determine if it is changed.
However, only the scope change process is not enough to real control change, because there are many pressure outside the project group, while closely related to the lack of effective change control means.
At present, the popular change management idea believes that there are four key points in the range change process. They must be strictly controlled, both: Who has the right to confirm the change, what changes need to be executed, the change is more affected, whether the customer accepts the price of the change. 1, who has the right to confirm the change:
It is not possible to contact the developers directly to save time, which cannot be controlled directly from the developer. It is necessary to clarify the customer's right to change the personnel and the personnel who have the right to accept the request, and the change request must have written materials.
In the author's participation in implementing a large information system integration project, the project manager has reminded us that the customer will ask us to do it, this should be "public alarm" thing, if some users are "private feelings" The scope of request is required, and the developer can reject.
At that time, if the user found the demand change caused by the change in business, it is necessary to file a written application to the client project, and the client project shall be transferred to the implementation of the project manager.
In this way, the project leaders of both parties can do their best. Moreover, the user is careful when submitting a written change application, usually after discussing inside the department, which reduces the repeated changes caused by the user's internal views.
2, what kind of change needs to be executed:
Not all changes need to be modified, not all changes need to be modified immediately. The scope of the customer must be reviewed to decide to decide which changes need to be modified and sometimes modified.
Customers generally don't know much about the information system integration project, they think is very simple, may be complicated by a computer to solve it. Therefore, the project manager and the project team should be calm analysis: what is the purpose of doing it in the end, seizing the essence. If the user suggests that it is difficult to implement, you can communicate with the user, ask the user if it can be used in other ways to achieve its purpose.
From the author's experience, it is generally the demand for users to be delayed to solve or even consider. If the user's new demand does not affect the implementation of the core business, it can also be arranged after the existing functionality.
3. How big is the impact of changes:
The members of the project group must realize that the change is cost. The cost of the change and the impact of the project must be evaluated, and the customer can understand the problem that the change may occur, and it is necessary to perform if the change is still going on.
For example, a software development project involved in the author requires an important data, and the original plan is read from the existing system, but it is necessary to change the system. The user believes that it is very simple, but after assessment, it is found that the human materials spent on the existing system will exceed the development of other developments in this project. Finally, decide to develop basic information data from existing systems from the existing system in the way in this project.
4. Do customers accept the price of change
The customer has participated in the cost assessment and in the process of discussions with the customer. At this time, customers need to judge together: "Modification is no problem, but you can accept it ... (progress delay, increase, performance decline, etc.)?"
In general, if the customer thinks that this change is necessary (very likely to change is proposed by its superior leaders), it accepts these consequences, through consultations with customers, the project group may get a return or even if there is no return. Less the complaint between the company and the customers. If the customer thinks that the change is necessary but can be suspended, the two sides will resolve the memo after signing the memo. If the customer thinks that this change can be available, it will be canceled in most cases.
At this time, a relatively safe practice is to make customers confirm with obvious changes, usually sign confirmation. This prevents frequent changes, but also let customers realize that the workload of the change is increased by the project extension.
The project supervisor must learn how to control the scope change, control the increase or frequent changes in customer needs, and ensure that the project is robust.
Finally, the uniqueness and integrity of the final scheme must be guaranteed when the change is performed. At the same time, it is necessary to track and verify all changes to ensure that the change is completed as required. in conclusion
The scope change has an important impact on the failure of the information system integration project, which has caused changes to many aspects. But attribution is a point: there is no way to perform a range of change management. Range Change Management mainly includes a clear project objective, scope manual, WBS, etc., the most important thing is to establish an effective change control means. Strictly defined in advance, and strictly enforce in things. There are four critical control points in the change control process: authorization, review, evaluation, and confirmation. To track and verify during the change, make sure the change is executed correctly.
references
1 Case Schwarbai "IT Project Management" Wang Jinyu and other translation machinery Industry Press December 2001
2 Pan Dong "project management actual combat" Shenzhou Digital Training Center published an unknown annual month
