Value of combining functions of time management and project management
Value of combining
functions of time
management and project management
There are many different types of Time Management and project-management tools, but not many cases like TimeTracker RX have both functions. This time, we asked Mr. Goto of DENSO CREATE, who is well aware of how TimeTracker RX developed into a dual-function tool, what it means to have both Time Management and project-management functions.
![[Interview] Kentaro Goto, Competent Assessor, DENSO CREATE INC.](/concept/column/images/01-02/img-intro-interviewee.jpg)
Why DENSO CREATE started measuring man-hours
−−−Is it true that TimeTracker RX was initially used to measure man-hours?
Goto
It's true. TimeTracker RX didn't start out with a combination of Time Management and project-management functions. In the beginning, it was mainly a Time Management function. DENSO Create has been measuring man-hours since the company was founded, and the main use of man-hours at that time was for "attendance management. After that, I also used it for "project analysis".
Also, there were no time cards, and employees entered what time they worked and how many hours they worked every day as man-hours and reported them at the end of the month. Since we don't get paid if we don't report it, everyone always enters their man-hours.
However, the man-hour accuracy was low. Since I only needed Actual time once a month, I often saw people "putting together" their man-hours at the end of the month. Column "Aiming to keep entering work time and to improve its accuracyAs explained in the article, you will not be able to gather highly accurate Actual time at the stage of "putting together". However, attendance control does not require a detailed breakdown of man-hours, so the accuracy of Actual time was not a big issue at the time.
−−−When you started using man-hours to analyze projects, you needed a detailed breakdown, right?
Goto
That's right. From the time we started to introduce ISO9001 based QMS, we began to use man-hours as one of the indicators to analyze project-related activities, as shown below.
・When a project reaches a milestone, such as when development is completed, ask yourself, "What process did you devote and how much man-hour did you devote to?
Determine the appropriateness of the project activity by looking at, for example, "Did you spend enough time on reviews and tests?
・In order to be able to analyze these factors, Actual time is tabulated by delving into the units of projects and major projects within them.
・We have defined a standardized Time entry category for the company. it covers the design/implementation/testing process as well as the actual work/review process.
Measure the man-hours by work type such as "defect response".
−−−By the way, how did you manage your project at that time?
Goto
It was completely different from the man-hour measurement system, and we managed it while using Excel forms.
The project manager defined WBS* during project planning, estimated the workload, and then put it into a specific schedule. However, the granularity of the management differs as shown below, so even if Actual time were aggregated, it could not be used for progress-management.
・Project-management: managed with detailed work-level WBS
・Man-hours: Managed by rough processes of the entire project
※WBS(Work Breakdown Structure): Tree structure of tasks and other tasks
Developing TimeTracker RX and managing projects using Actual time
−−−How did you come to integrate Time Management and project-management, which you used to manage separately?
Goto
The main reason for this was the challenge of how to achieve quantitative progress management in project management. The solution was to "use the man-hours I input every day for daily project management. TimeTracker RX was developed as a combination of Time Management and project-management functions.
TimeTracker RX allows you to aggregate Actual time for each taskdefined by the project manager when planning a project. By integrating the man-hour measurement system and the project planning tool, it is now possible to easily check the differences between the plan you have formulated and the actual situation in each detailed work unit, and to use it for progress management, analysis of project activities, and improvement.
What are the benefits of having both time management and project management functions?
−−−What are the advantages of having the two functions together in the field?
There are many advantages for the field, but let me explain the following three main advantages in order.
- Advantage 1Able to determine the cause and validity of the delay in progress
- Advantage 2The cause of the cost over can be identified
- Advantage 3Understand the appropriateness of quality assurance activities
Advantage 1Able to determine the cause and validity of the delay in progress
Some common project management tools describe it as "performance management" by simply entering the progress rate for each task. However, if progress is lagging behind, it will be difficult to identify the cause of the delay based on the progress rate alone.
Possible reasons for the delay in progress include, for example, "I'm actually working, but productivity is not progressing well" or "I haven't been able to put in enough man-hours to do that work in the first place," but you can't determine which reason is which based on the task progress rate alone, can you?
On the other hand, if a Actual time is entered for each task, you will know if you have enough time to do that task in the first place. If you enter the amount of results*, you can see the productivity. By measuring the man-hours for each task, you can find out why you are not using your time in the first place, or if your productivity is poor, making it easier to take measures.
Also, even if you are making progress, it does not necessarily mean that you can judge it as a good thing. It is possible that we are just making progress because we are putting in more time than planned. In that case, the task by itself is fine, but you may not have enough man-hours to implement the post-process task. If you think about progress and man-hours as a set, you will be able to judge the validity of your progress.
※In TimeTracker RX, the output volume of a task is called the "result volume.
Advantage 2The cause of the cost over can be identified
By measuring Actual time in rough units, such as the entire project, you can see the profitability of the project. However, if the cost goes over, it is not possible to find out the cause and improve it, is it?
Project management, especially in knowledge labor, is less repetitive and more uncertain. Because no two projects are the same, it is important to take the approach of actually working on the project and making improvements along the way.
In order to improve, we need to find out from the facts what the cost-over-work is. By measuring the man-hours in units of WBS, you can see where the cost is overrun. The first step in cost-cutting is to get Planned time in units of planned WBS and then understand Actual time.
Advantage 3Understand the appropriateness of quality assurance activities
You may think that man-hours have a strong connotation of "cost" or "productivity" and have nothing to do with quality. However, by measuring the man-hours put into "work to ensure quality" such as reviews, you can visualize the quality of the project in man-hours.
However, there are cases where the measurement of "how many hours for the entire project" is appropriate as the total number of man-hours for the review of the project, but there is a large variation when viewed from a partial perspective. Therefore, if we measure the review man-hours in units of WBS created in the project-planning, we can see which parts of the project have been reviewed and how long they have been reviewed, and judge whether the quality-assurance activities are being carried out without variation.
By repeating the measurement further, we will be able to understand "how much man-hours should be expected in the review to ensure quality" at the time of planning. Of course, with TimeTracker RX, you can also schedule reviews as a project-management function, so you can make decisions from both the perspective of whether you plan to review on a reasonable schedule and whether it is appropriate for review man-hours.
In this way, Actual time is a valuable source of information on various aspects of the project. By using the historical Actual time collected in this way to estimate future projects, you will be able to manage your projects with a better outlook.
Although TimeTracker RX claims to be a "Time Management project-management tool," it was originally designed to support these activities.DENSO CREATE's many year's of experience in Time Management and project-management, born from on-site improvement activities, continue to improve its functions.It continues to be done.