Week Twelve: Clear

I found this week's lesson about information system development to be understandable and enjoyable in a way since it is more relate-able. What I mean by the topic being more relate-able is that even though not everyone may be a system analyst, a programmer, or a project manager, most people have had to complete some kind of group project that required them to use some of the same skills that project managers user. The idea of planning a project can be a strenuous process, but having to be in charge of a group of people as well can be a difficult task. 
Even though not every project requires a large amount of work, nor does it demand too many hours, the stages of planning are similar to those mentioned in the text for the system development life cycle (SDLC). The stages are: 1) planning, 2) analysis, 3) design, 4) implementation, and 5) operation, support, and security. Granted, not all real world projects are going to go into that much detail for some stages, if they are even a part of the project, but in the world of information systems, they are very important. Each of the stages is constantly going through a rotation because that is the only way to make the system run smoothly and efficiently. The system will usually be dealt with through a project team, which is assigned a project manager. It is the manager's duty to keep on top of the project and make sure that everything is going as planned, and that the project will be done on time. 
One of the ways that the project manager can create an organized system for their team is by using a project management software such as the one pictured above, a Gantt chart, which was developed by Henry L. Gantt. This chart is used to show the activities that need to be done for the project and the times which they need to be done. Another tool, which is pictured in the textbook (Figure 12-3), is a PERT chart, short for Program Evaluation and Review Technique. This chart was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense, and is used to "analyze the time required to complete a task and identifies the minimum time required for and entire project" (Discovering Computers 2010, 624). The role of being a project manager doesn't end there, they must always be watching the budget of the project and the company, how the team is managing their time, and if there are any setbacks, such as additional steps that they did not foresee. The link below did a good job in explaining more on being a project manager. 
http://management.about.com/cs/projectmanagement/a/PM101.htm