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:

·   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 the subprocesses of 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 the measures and analytic techniques to be used in statistically managing the selected subprocesses

·   Establishing and maintaining an understanding of the variation of the selected subprocesses using the selected measures and analytic techniques

·   Monitoring the performance of the 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 should 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 also ensure that the measurements and progress of the supplier’s efforts are made available. Establishment of effective relationships with suppliers is necessary for the successful implementation of this process area’s specific practices.

Process performance is a measure of the 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. For example, a typical organization’s development process may be defined in terms of subprocesses such as requirements development, design, build, test, and peer review. The subprocesses themselves may be further decomposed as necessary into other subprocesses and process elements.

One 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). The subprocesses that will 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 own processes.

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 the measures and analyses to be performed, obtaining and analyzing measures, and providing 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 the 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 how to identify the 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.
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 the Subprocesses that Will 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 Performance of the Selected Subprocesses

SP 2.4       Record Statistical Management Data