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Title:	Study on the availability of commercial software for the Corps' Life Cycle Project Management (LCPM)
Authors:	Life Cycle Project Management (LCPM : United States. Army. Corps of Engineers) Radhakrishnan, N. Hughey, Bobby. Bennett, Warren.
Keywords:	Life cycle project management Project management software Project management Computer programs Evaluation
Publisher:	Information Technology Laboratory (U.S.) Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.)
Series/Report no.:	Technical report (U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station) ; ITL-89-2.
Description:	Technical Report Abstract: With the advent of the Water Resources Development Act of 1989, The Corps entered into a new era in cost sharing and project management. The Corps embarked on the life cycle management of its projects and the need to report the status of its activities under a management effort entitled "Initiative 88." In recognition of the fact that current project management tools are not adequate to provide the needed information in the proper form within the prescribed time frame. the Corps is modernizing its computer-aided project management information capabilities. The effort reported herein explores whether commercially available software can be used to meet the Corps' immediate and long-term needs, lists the criteria used in evaluating the software, gives impressions of the studied software, and gives recommendations for implementation. The primary objective was not to recommend a system(s) that would meet the Corps' needs, but to conclude only whether or not any candidate system(s) exists. The approach used was: (A.) Survey available information and previous studies. (B.) Define the requirements and establish criteria. (C.) Survey commercially available systems. (D.) Match criteria developed with capabilities of existing systems. (E.) Recommend solutions. The study was conducted using a field task group approach to bring balance and realism to the conclusions and recommendations. The task group addressed three requirements in developing the criteria. These are: scheduling and reporting requirements mandated with the implementation of Life Cycle Project Management (LCPM), scheduling and reporting requirements currently mandated by the Corps, and internal field operating agency (FOA) management scheduling and reporting needs. They concluded that project management system software that will meet the requirements should consist of a project scheduling component and a project control component with appropriate capabilities in networking, reporting, resource handling, and interfacing. They selected six products as candidates for review and visited the vendor facilities. Conclusions are provided below: (A.) Software products exist in the commercial market that could be used to satisfy LCPM at all levels of management. (B.) LCPM requirement at the District, Division, and HQUSACE levels can be satisfied by providing report extracts from the IPM/TPM micro systems. (C.) A micro-based project management system consisting of a project scheduler and a DBMS must be identified as part of a recommended system to be used by the IPM/TPM. Recommendations are provided below: (A.) Select a project networking system that would complement the data collection requirement for use by the IPM/TPM. (B.) Standardize the database structures from USACE to the district LCPM level. (C.) Develop a standard work break down structure (WBS) and an organizational break down structure (OBS). (D.) Acquire (or continue developing) a new F&A system that meets the needs of not only the Comptroller but also managers of projects and resources. (E.) Establish a Center for Computer-Aided Project Management (CCAPM) in the Corps similar to the Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) Center at the Waterways Experiment Station. The Center, like the CADD Center, should be field-driven and should become the focal point for fostering project management activities in the Corps. The Center will be a facilitator for the HQ Program Manager for LCPM. (F.) During CEAP pilot testing consider the impact of CEAP and the redesigned F&A system on the recommendations. (G.) An implementation strategy using commercially available software and an interfaced approach is recommended. Under this strategy data at all levels of management will be kept at a manageable level. The definition of data required for management at HQUSACE must be defined first so that subordinate offices can define their data requirements.
Rights:	Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
URI:	http://hdl.handle.net/11681/10851
Appears in Collections:	Technical Report