PAQM321 Project and Quality Management

Unit Learning Outcomes addressed:

1. Identify and explain alternative models for information systems project management and how these can be applied in practice in different styles of global organisations
2. Work effectively as part of a professional team in the production of a project plan for a global organisation
3. Discuss the Project Management Body of Knowledge and how this relates to the planning, scheduling and control of information systems projects and their change management plan
4. Explain the need for and the basic principles of professional and ethical software and project quality assurance principles in the design and management of a complex information systems project
5. Identify the objectives of and describe the phases of systems and software testing in the development of an information systems project

Many of Third Avenue’s products thus far have been designed to serve niche markets, so the company’s cofounders instructed their marketing staff and programmers to identify markets that have more universal customer appeal. A couple of programmers quickly turned their focus to the field of health care, which affects everyone directly or indirectly. The programmers drafted an idea for an app that could serve as a “one-stop shop” for customers’ health-care information and needs. The app’s name is to be determined, but it will contain the following features and information. Because Third Avenue knows from experience with agile projects that software complexity ratings can be useful for later time and cost estimates, management asked the programmers to include initial complexity estimates for each major feature set.

A fitness tracker that allows customers to record and track their blood pressure readings, cholesterol levels, exercise regimen, calorie intake, and other related information.

A medication tracker in which customers can enter their medications and schedules for taking those meds. This “electronic pillbox” will contain a calendar that displays the customer’s medication schedule and an alarm that sounds whenever it’s time to take one of the medications.

A physicians list that is essentially an electronic address book for the customer’s health-care company, doctors, nurses, and physician’s assistants. The list will include controls that allow customers to quickly incorporate existing entries from other contact lists in their phones.

An emergencies list for storing vital phone numbers and addresses. This list will provide quick access to local in-network hospitals, urgent care clinics, and children or friends who can be relied upon to provide transportation in an emergency. As soon as the customer enters and saves an address, an interactive GPS map becomes available in a new window, with voice and text directions.

An emergency information list in which customers store important information about themselves, such as medical conditions (e.g., the customer is diabetic), allergies, adverse reactions to drugs, and other personal information that a physician, nurse, or other concerned party might find useful in an emergency.

A resources feature that lists links to other popular online health sites, such as WebMD. The customer will have the option to add links to the list.

A payment feature that tracks the customer’s medical expenses and allows customers to make medical payments through their phones.

Tasks

1. Review the seven processes of project integration management and identify which processes are needed to begin planning the project from an agile perspective. Briefly explain your reasoning for including and excluding processes. The processes are listed below and explained in more detail table if you need assistance. Project personnel have not been determined yet, so do not be concerned for now with this area of the charter.

3. Third Avenue first needs to identify a good project manager. Remembering your study of agile concepts in the text, by what title is the project manager known when using a Scrum approach? What skills and qualities must this person/s possess in order to lead the project effectively? How do these skills and qualities differ in a Scrum approach versus that of a more traditional project management style?

4. Next, the person identified in Task 3 must form a team and establish a project framework within which the team will create a successful app. Describe at a high level how the team and framework will function, using as many relevant terms and concepts from Scrum as possible.

5. After identifying a manager, team members, and project framework, Third Avenue needs to research the market to determine what competing apps might exist and how they operate. Your task here is to locate a similar mobile app or online program and then get a feel for its content and users. Use a targeted Web search to find the app or program and then spend a half-hour or so reading about it to get an idea of what the Third Avenue application should be able to do. Describe your findings in a bulleted list. Is something important missing from the preceding list of features for the health-care app.

6. Once the team has studied the app or program in Task 5, an initial meeting is necessary to discuss the features and content needed for the software’s first software iteration and to assign tasks to team members. The team also needs to establish schedules for project milestones and subsequent meetings. List your ideas for conducting the initial meeting and for creating an initial high-level schedule, using as many relevant terms and concepts as possible.