A Project Management Process Area at Maturity Level 4
The purpose of Quantitative Project Management (QPM) is to quantitatively manage the project’s defined process to achieve the project’s established quality and process-performance
objectives.
The Quantitative Project Management process area involves the following activities:
· Establishing and maintaining the project’s quality and process-performance objectives
· Identifying suitable subprocesses that compose the project’s defined process based on historical stability and capability data found in process-performance baselines or models
· Selecting subprocesses within the project’s defined process to be statistically managed
· Monitoring the project to determine whether the project’s objectives for quality and process performance are being satisfied, and identifying appropriate corrective action
· Selecting measures and analytic techniques to be used in statistically managing selected subprocesses
· Establishing and maintaining an understanding of the variation of selected subprocesses using selected measures and analytic techniques
· Monitoring the performance of selected subprocesses to determine whether they are capable of satisfying their quality and process-performance objectives, and identifying corrective action
· Recording statistical and quality management data in the organization’s measurement repository
The quality and process-performance objectives, measures, and baselines identified here are developed as described in the Organizational Process Performance process area. Subsequently, the
results of performing the processes associated with the Quantitative Project Management process area (e.g., measurement definitions and measurement data) become part of the organizational process assets referred to in the Organizational Process
Performance process area.
To effectively address the specific practices in this process area, the organization must have already established a set of standard processes and related organizational process assets, such
as the organization’s measurement repository and the organization’s process asset library for use by each project in establishing its defined process.
The project’s defined process is a set of subprocesses that form an integrated and coherent lifecycle for the project. It is established, in part, through selecting and tailoring processes
from the organization’s set of standard processes. (See the definition of “defined process” in the glossary.)
The project should ensure that supplier effort and progress measurements are made available. Establishing effective relationships with suppliers is also necessary for the successful
implementation of this process area’s specific practices.
The acquirer uses quantitative methods to manage its work and to gain insight into supplier work and products. In addition to its own quantitative
data, the acquirer uses quantitative data provided by the supplier as specified in the supplier agreement to address the specific practices in this process area.
Process performance is a measure of actual process results achieved. Process performance is characterized by both process measures (e.g., effort, cycle time, and defect removal efficiency)
and product measures (e.g., reliability, defect density, and response time).
Subprocesses are defined components of a larger defined process. The subprocesses themselves may be further decomposed into other subprocesses and process elements.
An essential element of quantitative management is having confidence in estimates (i.e., being able to predict the extent to which the project can fulfill its quality and process-performance
objectives). Subprocesses to be statistically managed are chosen based on identified needs for predictable performance. (See the definitions of “statistically managed process,” “quality and process-performance objective,” and “quantitatively managed
process” in the glossary.)
Another essential element of quantitative management is understanding the nature and extent of the variation experienced in process performance, and recognizing when the project’s actual
performance may not be adequate to achieve the project’s quality and process-performance objectives.
Statistical management involves statistical thinking and the correct use of a variety of statistical techniques such as run charts, control charts, confidence intervals, prediction intervals,
and tests of hypotheses. Quantitative management uses data from statistical management to help the project predict whether it will be able to achieve its quality and process-performance objectives and identify what corrective action should be
taken.
This process area applies to managing a project, but the concepts found here also apply to managing other groups and functions. Applying these concepts to managing other groups and functions
may not necessarily contribute to achieving the organization’s business objectives but may help these groups and functions control their processes.
Examples of other groups and functions that could benefit from using this process area include the following:
· Quality assurance
· Process definition and improvement
· Effort reporting
· Customer complaint handling
· Problem tracking and reporting
Refer to the Project Monitoring and Control process area for more information about monitoring and controlling the project and taking corrective
action.
Refer to the Measurement and Analysis process area for more information about establishing measurable objectives, specifying measures and analyses to be performed,
obtaining and analyzing measures, and reporting results.
Refer to the Organizational Process Performance process area for more information about the organization’s quality and process-performance objectives,
process-performance analyses, process-performance baselines, and process-performance models.
Refer to the Organizational Process Definition process area for more information about organizational process assets, including the organization’s measurement
repository.
Refer to the Integrated Project Management process area for more information about establishing and maintaining the project’s defined
process.
Refer to the Causal Analysis and Resolution process area for more information about identifying causes of defects and other problems and taking action to prevent them
from occurring in the future.
Refer to the Organizational Innovation and Deployment process area for more information about selecting and deploying improvements that support the organization’s
quality and process-performance objectives.
Refer to the Solicitation and Supplier Agreement Development process area for more information about establishing reporting requirements for supplier measurement
results and quantitative data in the supplier agreement.
Specific Goal and Practice Summary
SG 1 Quantitatively Manage the Project
SP 1.1 Establish the Project’s Objectives
SP 1.2 Compose the Defined Process
SP 1.3 Select Subprocesses to Be Statistically Managed
SP 1.4 Manage Project Performance
SG 2 Statistically Manage Subprocess Performance
SP 2.1 Select Measures and Analytic Techniques
SP 2.2 Apply Statistical Methods to Understand Variation
SP 2.3 Monitor the Performance of Selected Subprocesses
SP 2.4 Record Statistical Management Data
Specific Practices by Goal