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Software Tools for Earned Value Management ?

21 replies [Last post]
Thu, 2006-09-07 06:07
Aswani Kumar
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Is there any Software tools(free/paid)available for EVM?
The tool should be an integrated one for Project scheduling,data(metrics)capturing and monitoring.
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Wed, 2006-09-13 06:33
#1
Vladimir Liberzon
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Aswani,
Maintenance is really hard to measure. Actually it reminds operational activities. Do you have some statistics that may show optimistic, most probable and pessimistic estimates of the maintenance workload? You shall plan projects creating time reserves for risks and maintenance.
EV can be used for estimation of some project (program) performance. EV compares project status with the baseline.
You shall create separate plans - optimistic for programmers and realistic that will be authorised (baseline).
Maintenance reminds operations, not projects. I think that applying EV for maintenance will not be effective. And it is hard to create maintenance baseline - you never know what will be needed.
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Wed, 2006-09-13 01:56
#2
Aswani Kumar
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James,

To keep it simple,FPs can be considered as the number of functional units, which constitute the application.There is a standard guideline on how to count/estimate it from the requirements.

All,

Even though we have size in FPs,calculating/measuring the completed FPs, at any point of time in project execution, becomes difficult.
Even though we use FP estimation, its more or less accurate only for development projects. We do have lot of enhancement and maintanance project too.
So we trying out EV as a standard for tracking all type of projects.

When I say maintanance project it means,small requirements will be coming from the the client on a weekly/daily basis.These are time and material projects
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Tue, 2006-09-12 11:45
#3
Vladimir Liberzon
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Additional sources: http://www.qpmg.com/fp-intro.htm
http://www.ifpug.com/fpafund.htm
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Tue, 2006-09-12 11:36
#4
Vladimir Liberzon
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James,
visit http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/softcomp/fpfaq.htm#WhatAreFunct...
Best Regards,
Vladimir
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Tue, 2006-09-12 11:27
#5
James Griffiths
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Thanks for that. I could try to guess what a Function Point is - but a brief summary would be appreciated.

Cheers.

James.
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Tue, 2006-09-12 09:32
#6
Vladimir Liberzon
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If I understood properly then it is Function Points. They are common today for software development projects estimations.
Regards,
Vladimir
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Tue, 2006-09-12 05:53
#7
Vladimir Liberzon
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Aswani,
I will not recommend you a simple tool. My views are different and our clients use serious tools and approaches for software development management. These projects usually include a lot of uncertainties and require skill scheduling, risk simulations and trend analysis.
I noticed that you used FPs for measuring project performance. I recommend to use FPs instead of square feets to measure project size and activity volumes.

Best Regards,
Vladimir
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Tue, 2006-09-12 05:31
#8
Aswani Kumar
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I wish if I were able to post all the requirements :)
I am familiar with the basic EV indices like SPI,CPI,SV,CV.

Both of you are very experienced in NON-IT projects.(they should be really huge projects too)
I am working in the Software quality department of a software services company.We have projects which sizes at the most 3000FPs(almost 30,000hrs). And an average project sizes 800FPs.
Since these projects are small(avg 20 resources) and less complex in terms of interfaces with other groups/vendors, when compared to Builing or Nuclear projects,I dont need a robust PM tool.

We have been facing problems in assessing and reporting the progress of projects.
We face problems in Estimating the size of the project.
In Building industry we can express the size in terms of Sq.feet or Sq.metres,but we,in software development, really struggle to size project.Especially expressing the work(size) completed becomes very difficult since it cannot be measured:( . We are in the process of trying out EV for this purpose.I think even then measuring the size will still be a problem.

I am looking for a simple tool with which the basic scheduling,tracking and the EV analysis can be done.I am sure somebody would have tried for some web based tools for this purpose.

Thanks
Aswani
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Tue, 2006-09-12 08:57
#9
James Griffiths
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Please enlighten me? What are FPs?

Thanks

James.
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Mon, 2006-09-11 11:34
#10
Vladimir Liberzon
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James,
I agree. But EV approaches are too easy to manipulate. It is not the software problem, it is a problem of people and methodology. That is why it is necessary to make potential manipulations harder like applying EV analysis to critical activities only.
We recommend to measure success probability trends as much more reliable performance indicators.

Vladimir
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Mon, 2006-09-11 10:57
#11
James Griffiths
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Vladimir,

You have just hit the nail on the head. It is not the software that is doing the cheating, it’s the team. Like any other performance measurement system, it relies on the honesty and integrity of every member of the team. If you want to cheat, then why waste everyone’s time implementing something that is going to be ignored, especially if the news is bad!!

I think that we are all aware that "performance indicators" are being manipulated to some degree - and this is why they should all be treated with caution. This is why the "tool" that is used is not the most important consideration. It is the people whom are using it!!

James.
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Mon, 2006-09-11 10:35
#12
John Lawson
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Hi

If you have specific requirements, rather than search the various planning packages perhaps its a case of developing your own software, with your own specific calculation built it etc.

Nice to know we have at least one non believer in EV value, but having seen how some companies go about producing the data I think I might join Vladimir.

Regards

John
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Mon, 2006-09-11 10:34
#13
Vladimir Liberzon
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James,
an attempt to specify the requirements is useful even they will not be full.
If EV values are used as project performance indicators then PM team is interested in performing expensive activities ASAP even if they may be postponed. This way one can report very good SPI even if the project is late.
Actually we recommend management by trends. Trends of CPI and SPI show much more than their values.
Even better to simulate risks and manage by success probability trends.
Regards,
Vladimir
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Mon, 2006-09-11 10:10
#14
James Griffiths
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Vladimir,

I agree with you, in principle, about attempting to specify the requirements. It would be really nice to be able to specify every last nut-and-bolt. In most cases, however, doing so becomes impossible and impactical. Part of the problem is that, even though you might have a fantastic tool, the initial data inputs are subject to a level of error. Therefore, accounting for this "error", one should apply caution to any of the EV results - and treat them only as an indicative trend. There is no value in spending hours and hours trawling over data attempting to prove that the SPI is 0.851 and not 0.83. Your time will be more wisely spent analysing why such a figure has been derived.

I’m interested to hear why you think that EV values are not reliable, performance indicators. Are they any less reliable than other methods?

James.

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Mon, 2006-09-11 09:21
#15
James Griffiths
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Vladimir,

It might be difficult for Aswani to expand on his requirements, owing to the fact that his working knowledge may be limited. You are right in that the vast majority of planning software is likely to include some form of EV analysis. Some might work better than others, and calculate it in slightly different ways. However, I’ve been doing EV for some years now, and even I couldn’t easily sit down and describe precisely what I’d like the software to do and the way it should do it. All I’d want, initially, is for the software to just do it - as long as it conforms to the basic rules. No-one is likley to shout "foul" because there are very few people who even know how the values are calculated.

Aswani - have you seen the series of equations that re realted to EV, and do you feel comfortable with them?

James :-)
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Mon, 2006-09-11 09:07
#16
Vladimir Liberzon
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Any PM software more or less supports EV analysis. More - Spider Project and Cobra, less - MS Project.
Specify your requirements.
Best Regards,
Vladimir
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Mon, 2006-09-11 03:03
#17
Aswani Kumar
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Yes James I agree with you. I just put across my requirements thats it.I have only conceptual knowledge on EVA.I have been asked to evaluate if some tools are readily available.
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Mon, 2006-09-11 09:40
#18
Vladimir Liberzon
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James,
I think that specifying the requirements is very important for understanding potential needs and proper and reliable tool selection.
I also think that it may be useful not only for novices but also for seasoned practitioners. They may be interested in potential process improvements.
I think that from time to time we shall reestimate our routine and try to find what can be improved.
Actually I think that Earned Value Management parameters are not reliable performance management indicators.
Best Regards,
Vladimir
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Fri, 2006-09-08 10:31
#19
James Griffiths
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Aswani,

Please forgive me for asking such a question, but have you had the opportunity of running a project using EV? I ask this because it is very easy to assume that the "tool" will do it all for you. Believe me; it will not!

James.

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Fri, 2006-09-08 00:29
#20
Aswani Kumar
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I am looking for a tool customized for EV analysis,having all the EV indices automatically captured.Workflow for work allocation and effort data capturing should be included in the tool.pls recommend few tools which are worth trying out....preferably free ones
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Thu, 2006-09-07 07:40
#21
Vladimir Liberzon
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Any PM software package includes Earned Value Analysis. Do you have some special requirements?
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