Document Ref & Version No:

ASL/CS/PID/001
Project: ASL Internet Site

PROJECT INITIATION DOCUMENT (PID)

Programme: n/a
Author:

Janis Kitson

Date: 6th October 1996

Purpose:
This document has been produced to capture and record the basic information needed to correctly direct and
manage the project. The PID addresses the following fundamental aspects of the project:

What is the project aiming to achieve

Why it is important to achieve the stated aims
Who will be involved in managing the project and what are their roles and responsibilities
How and When will the arrangements discussed in this PID be put into effect.

When approved by the Project Board this PID will provide the Baseline for the project and will become
frozen. It will be referred to whenever a major decision is taken about the project and used at the conclusion
of the project to measure whether the project was managed successfully and delivered an acceptable outcome
for the sponsor/user/customer.

Background:
The Internet is becoming an ever more important feature of the computer/software industry. The number of
people with access to the Internet is increasing exponentially as is the number of Internet sites which are
being set up by companies as shop windows for their goods and services.
Many of our competitors have already set up Internet sites and whilst the amount of business which can be
directly attributed to that source is still quite small, this is not expected to remain the case for very long.
Hence it is believed that ASL can no longer ignore the Internet as a possible source of future business and
consideration should be given to establishing our own web site.
On the basis of Project Brief Ref ASL/CS/PB/001 the company board has recommended the production of this
Project Initiation Document as a prelude to making full and final commitment to the project.

Objectives:
The aim is to develop and launch a site on the Internet which will act, initially, as an electronic brochure for
our company. This will allow prospective customers, worldwide, to review our range of products, access
pricing information and e-mail us with their requirements.
The target date for having the first implementation of our site up and running is 1st January 1997.

Scope, Exclusions & Interfaces:

Initially, our Internet site will consist solely of company/product presentations with provision for
canvassing and collating e-mail enquiries about our products.
There is scope for making a more pro-active web-site whereby customers can actually place orders online and pay by giving their credit card details. We dont believe that the UK market is quite ready for
this facility yet and whilst it may be introduced at some stage in the future, it will not be part of the
current project.

Outline Deliverables (Products):

MANAGEMENT PRODUCTS:
M.1 Project Brief
M.2 Project Approach
M.3 Risk Log
M.4 Highlight Reports
M.5 Project Initiation Document
M.6 Project Board Records
M.7 Project Board Sign-offs
M.8 Project File
QUALITY PRODUCTS:
Q.1 Product Descriptions
Q.2 Quality Review Documentation
Q.3 Project Issues/Change Control

SPECIALIST PRODUCTS
S.1
S.2
S.3
S.4
S.5
S.6
S.7
S.8

Functional Specification
Detailed Scripts/Design
Graphics
Code
Appointed Internet Provider
Registered Domain Names
Marketing Plan
Amended stationery

Nb: Product Descriptions for the above Specialist Products are at Appendix A

Constraints:
An initial budget limit of 10,000 has been allocated to this project - this to include all external and
internal expenditure.

Assumptions:
1) There will be no connections between the Internet and our own internal IT systems.
2) The main expenditure will on internal resource from the development department.

Initial Business Benefits/Business Case:

The simple business case for this project is very compelling. Recent surveys have shown that companies like
ours can expect to generate up to 20% of their totals revenues from a relevant and well written Internet site.
Given our current turnover of approximately 2m pa, and assuming that we only manage to achieve 10% of
the expected turnover increase, we could still expect to improve our revenues by 40,000 pa. Based on an
average margin of 25% this means that the initial 10,000 investment would be recovered within the first year.
The following is a cash flow statement for the first five years of operation, based on the worst-case
improvements in profitability, as explained above. We have assumed a straight-line 25% increase in annual
benefits based on industry predictions of the future growth in Internet usage. A figure of 2000 per annum has
also been included for maintaining and updating the site.
Year
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001

Expense Benefit
10000
2000
2000
2000
2000

0
10000
12500
15000
17500

CashFlow
-10000
8000
10500
13000
15500

Initial Risk Log:

See Appendix B

Project Organisation Structure:

The personnel involved in managing the project will be Martyn Mayhew, Tom Goodlad and Karen Rodgers
who will make up the Project Board.
Because of her prior experience with exactly this kind of work, Janis Kitson is to be invited to be the Project
Manager.
Sid Hall will provide Project Assurance and Emily Barker Project Support.
It is not expected that Team Managers will be needed, so any Specialist staff will report directly to Janis
Kitson. The Project Board will require regular (weekly) Highlight Reports during the Production stage of the
project.
In addition to the above, there will be a need for 2 specialist staff, one for graphics production and one
programmer. These will be selected from the current development team.

Main Responsibilities:
Corporate Management/Sponsor/Customer:

Helen Bell

1. Authorise the start and continuation of the project from the corporate perspective
2. Set Project Tolerances
3. Set and review overall strategy and interfaces with other initiatives.
Project Board Executive:

Karen Rodgers

1. Ownership of the Projects Business Case

2. Overall direction and guidance for the project
3. Chair Project Board meetings and reviews
4. Set Management Stage Tolerance
5. Review Exception Reports and Exception Plans
6. Delivery of a suitable end Business Product.

Project Board Senior User:

Martyn Mayhew

1. Ownership of the project from a User viewpoint

2. Approval of User Specifications for technical Products
3. Attend Project Board meetings and reviews
4. Prioritise Project Issues
5. Review Exception Reports and Exception Plans
6. Recommend action on changes

Project Board Senior User:

Tom Goodlad

1.

Ownership of the project from a Supplier viewpoint

2.

Approval of Functional Specification

3.

Attend Project Board meetings and reviews

4.

Prioritise Project Issues

5.

Review Exception Reports and Exception Plans

6.

Recommend action on changes

Project Assurance: Sid Hall

1. Business Assurance on behalf of the Executive
2. User Assurance
3. Supplier Assurance carried out by spot-check/audit of technical material and Products supplied
4. Review of Products via Quality Review

Project Manager: Janis Kitson

1. Day-to-day management of the Project
2. Planning, monitoring and control
3. Reporting progress through Highlight Reports
4. Management of Team Managers and Contracts
5. Delivery of the projects Products
6. Configuration Management, Filing and Change Management

Project Quality Plan:

See Appendix C

Acceptance Criteria:
1. All Technical Products complete and signed-off
2. Site to be live tested by all members of the Project Board.

Initial Project Plan:

Schedule:
The project will commence on 1 October. Initial activities will include the writing of the Functional
Specification, registration of domain names and identification of specialist resources.
st

The site should be up an running by 1 January 1999.

Resources:
The resources to be used are Janis Kitson (estimated 20 days effort); Sid Hall (estimated 5 days
effort); Emily Barker (estimated 5 days effort). Plus, approximately 10 man.days of effort for
graphics production and 40 man.days of programming. Registration of domain names costs 150
and the monthly cost of the internet provider will be 35.
There follows a more detailed plan of the main activities and management stages:

Project Controls:
The project will be reviewed at significant points by the Project Board. A major review will take place
to approve this PID. A further Project Board review will be conducted when the Functional
Specification is completed, prior to embarkation on the Production Stage.
The project will also be reviewed by the Project Board at Project Closure.
Highlight Reports will be provided to Project Board members on a weekly basis.
Responsibility for all day-to-day controls will rest with the Project Manager. Overall responsibility for
the successful delivery of the project will rest with the Executive member of the Project Board.

Tolerance & Exception Procedure:

An overall project Tolerance of plus/minus 20% on approved Stage effort and/or plus/minus
2 weeks on schedule will be allowed. Each Management Stage will have a standard
Tolerance of plus/minus 10% of approved effort and/or plus/minus 2 weeks schedule.
Risk Tolerance will be exceeded if the analysis of risks results in a risk factor in excess of
1.5.
If these Tolerance levels are forecast to be exceeded the Project Board will be immediately
notified and corrective action approved.

Contingency Plans:
This is a low/moderate risk project and no specific contingency plans have been put into
place. At the present time it is not expected that there will be many changes to the
approved plans and Product Descriptions and therefore a Change Budget is not considered
to be necessary.

Additional Comment:
The project is straightforward and should present few problems in bringing to a successful
conclusion. As the project will span the Christmas holiday period it is likely that some
schedule slippage will occur. This is not critical to the success of the project.

Project Managers Signature:

Customer/Users Signature:

Project Board Executive Approval

Date:

Appendix A
Product Descriptions

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Product Title:

Scripts/ designs

Project:

ASL Internet Site

Stage:

PBS Reference: S2
Version No: 01

Production

Date of Issue:26/9/96

Project Manager: Janis Kitson

Product Manager:

Page No: 1

Martyn Mayhew

Author: Janis Kitson

Purpose:
To define exactly what the Internet pages should say, how they should operate and how they should look

Composition:
Written document / report

Derivation:
To be produced jointly between Janis Kitson and Martyn Mayhew

Format:
A4 spiral bound

Quality Criteria:
Must be useable as working document for the production of graphics and code.

Quality Method:
To be approved by Quality Review

Required Completion:

Quality Review Date:

Approved:

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Product Title:

Graphics

Project:

ASL Internet Site

Stage:

PBS Reference: S3
Version No: 01

Production

Date of Issue:26/9/96

Project Manager: Janis Kitson

Product Manager:

Page No: 1

Kath Madden

Author: Janis Kitson

Purpose:
To provide the graphical look and feel for the whole Internet site

Composition:
Scanned from existing company literature and specially produced as appropriate

Derivation:
To be produced by Kath Madden

Format:
16-colour max. bit-maps - no larger that 20kb per graphic

Quality Criteria:
Must be clear and aesthetically pleasing.

Quality Method:
To be approved by Quality Review

Required Completion:

Quality Review Date:

Approved:

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Product Title:

Code

Project:

ASL Internet Site

Stage:

PBS Reference: S4
Version No: 01

Production

Date of Issue:26/9/96

Project Manager: Janis Kitson

Product Manager:

Page No: 1

Guy Fitzpatrick

Author: Janis Kitson

Purpose:
To combine the graphics, text and logical elements on screen to provide a working set of Internet pages

Composition:
Library elements and specially written code

Derivation:
To be produced by Guy Fitzpatrick

Format:
HTML code, with Java scripts as and when necessary

Quality Criteria:
Must work reliable and consistently with no fatal errors

Quality Method:
To be approved by Quality Review

Required Completion:

Quality Review Date:

Approved:

Appendix B
Risk Log

Ref:

PROJECT RISK LOG

ASL/CS/RL001

Programme:

Project:
ASL Internet Site

Author: Janis Kitson

Reference
0010
0011
0012
0013
0014
0015
0020
0021
0022
0023
0024
0025
0030
0031
0032
0033
0034
0035
0040
0041
0042
0043
0044
0045
0050
0051
0052
0053
0054
0055
0060
0061
0062
0063
0064
0065

Date

Date
23/9/96

Log Ref:

Description of Risk

20/9/96

Project going over budget

Inititial
Score
0.5

20/9/96

Project being late

0.2

22/9/99

Technical failure of hardware/software

0.4

22/9/99

Security breach of internal IT systems

0.1

23/9/99

Site not being found/used or generating

expected revenues

1.0

Latest
Score

Appendix C
Quality Plan

PROJECT QUALITY PLAN

Version: 1
Project: ASL Internet Site

Programme:
Author:

Document
Ref: ASL/CS/QP01

Karen Rodgers

Date:

23/9/96

Purpose:
This document has been produced to define how the Supplier intends to deliver Products that meet
the Customers Quality and the Suppliers Quality Standards. The Project Quality Plan establishes
the quality regime that will apply to the project.

Responsibilities:
Quality Review Chair:
This role runs the Quality Review procedure. This is a separate role from that of the Executive who
chairs the Project Board. Selection of QR Chairs will be made during the planning for each
Management Stage.
Main Responsibilities:
Ensure that the Quality Review is properly organised;
Agree the Agenda;
Check the Product is ready for Quality Review;
Control the QR Procedure and chair the QR Review meeting;
Ensure that the Quality Review does not stray from its main aims;
Ensure that actions and required results are agreed;
Together with the Reviewers, determine the Quality Review Outcome;
Keep the Team Manager(s) aware of the status of the Quality Reviews;
Provide final sign-off;
Raise Project Issues via the Team Manager where problems with the Product cannot be
satisfactorily resolved.

Quality Reviewer:
This role provides an independent and objective view of the Product and measures the Product
against its agreed Quality Criteria.

Main Responsibilities:
Prepare for the Quality Review;
Assess the Product against the Quality Criteria specified in the Product Description;
Ensure that errors are fully understood by the Producer and are subsequently resolved
satisfactorily;
Sign off appropriate Follow-up Action List items.

Team Manager(s):
This role is responsible for the professional delivery of a specific Product that meets its stated Quality
Criteria.

Main Responsibilities:
Plan Quality Reviews in detail;
Identify Quality Review resources;

Monitor Quality Review progress against the plan;

Report progress to the Project Manager.

Project Manager:
This role is responsible for the creation and delivery of Products, to the Project Board, meeting the
agreed Management Stage Plan.

Main Responsibilities:
Plan the Quality Reviews in outline;
Plan to overcome any identified Project Issues raised as a result of Quality Review;
Act as a Quality Reviewer where appropriate.

Quality Manager & Project Assurance Roles:

These roles ensure that the Project Management and Quality Management Standards set for the
project are adhered to.

Main Responsibilities:
Check that the Quality Reviews are being properly constituted;
Advise on suitable Quality Reviewers for each QR;
Check that everyone involved in the Quality Review process is aware of their responsibilities
and that adequate training has been given;
Ensure that the QR procedure is being properly followed;
Check that Quality Reviewers are being correctly selected, and that they are briefed for the
work;
Check that Follow-up actions are being properly monitored;
Log and report on Corporate Standards and advise on improvements and amendments;
Act as Quality Reviewers where appropriate.

Corporate Management & The Project Board:

These roles have overall responsibility for the success of the project outcome and its effective
management. Quality aspects are important in achieving the required results.

Main Responsibilities:
Set the Quality Policy for the Organisation and the Project;
Ensure Quality Standards are adhered to (via Project and Quality Assurance;

Project Support:
This role (where provided) will carry out administrative support for Quality Reviews.

Main Responsibilities:
Assist the QR Chair to organise a QR venue, prepare and distribute the QR documentation;
Act as a Scribe at the Quality Review;
Progress-chase the Follow-up Actions list;
Act as a Quality Reviewer where appropriate.

Standards to be met:

All material produced must conform to the specification and quality criteria stated for them. Standards
for creation, development and maintenance will be agreed before work commences.

Key Product Quality Criteria

Specific Quality Criteria will be incorporated into the Product Description for each Product. Generic
criteria are that all Products must have a consistent presentation. Products will be used by
individuals when preparing for courses and exams so they must have at least a three month lifespan.

Quality Control & Audit Processes (Project Management & Specialist Work):

All Product versions must be capable of being tracked.

Change Control (Project Issues):

All proposed changes must be recorded, analysed and passed to the Project Manager for a decision.
Major changes will be referred to the Project Board for decision.
Configuration Management Plan:

Tracking and proper storage of the Products must be straightforward and easy to manage. A simple
pc-based CM method will be used.
Software Tools to be Used:

Support software will be developed using Mediator. Paintshop Pro, MS Word, Powerpoint and Excel
will also be used in the creation of the projects products.

Project Managers Signature:

Customer/Users Signature:

Project Board Executive Approval:

Date: