Project management through the Accomplishment Value
Procedure (AVP)
by DONALD J. AHARONIAN
Digital Equipment Corporation
Maynard, Massachusetts
INTRODUCTION
3. Project leaders can monitor performance and compare
it to schedules and estimates which point to areas of
potential problems that might require management
analysis.
4. Project team members can see the status of the projects
they are working on.
This paper describes a technique called the Accomplishment
Value Procedure, AVP, which accurately measures the status of and provides visibility to an information systems development project. It builds upon the foundation of two of
R. 1. Benjamin's axioms: 1
The remainder of this paper deals with (I) a discussion of
Background: A VP in the Perspective of Project Management, (2) a description of the Accomplishment Value Procedure, (3) a description of an Example of the AVP Process,
(4) a description of How A VP Handles Changes in schedules
and estimates, (5) a description of the A VP Summary Process and (6) a Summary section that includes conclusions and
observations regarding the applicability of A VP.
Axiom #IO-"The great leap forward is best accomplished in short, comfortable hops; if there is a 'Golden
Rule' in information systems development, this is it."
Axiom #14-"If you can't plan it, you can't do it."
to which I add my own corollary:
"If you don't schedule it, it won't get done."
BACKGROUND-A VP IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
A persistent problem of project management has been to
relate resources budgeted with work accomplished after the
project begins. 2 A VP bridges that gap. As a tool of project
management, A VP:
Project management usually means different things to
each of us. A major reason is that a project is a unique effort
marshalling resources to solve a unique problem. The
uniqueness has attracted special management techniques
which, according to Murdick and Ross3 include "outstanding characteristics," such as:
1. Provides the means to schedule, monitor and control
a project after it has passed the planning phase.
2. Enforces a discipline for resource estimating and time
scheduling that focuses on the completion of tasks.
3. Provides a method to handle changes to schedules and
to resources which can be documented and displayed
simply and clearly.
4. Provides a method for summarizing overall status of
projects by management responsibility.
1. Work breakdmvn structuring which is a method that
decomposes the project end result, level-by-level, all
the way down to something called the work package,
the lowest identifiable element of work to be done.
2. Network definition which describes task relationships
in a project and which is usually associated with PERT!
CPM activities.
3. The integration of performance/cost/time for project
planning and control.
A VP does all this by focusing on the gathering of data that
is plotted on a Project Visibility Chart for an individual
project and a Summary Visibility Chart for a group of projects.
In doing so, AVP communicates with all levels of an
organization in a consistent manner:
You can locate A VP in the perspective of project management by relating the outstanding characteristics to the
three basic managerial functions required as defined by Paulson 4 as follows:
1. Top management sees a snapshot of the overall status
of development projects.
2. Middle management sees a snapshot of individual projects.
• Planning-oo . .. the various tasks ... must be performed to complete the project ... involves approxi-
117
From the collection of the Computer History Museum (www.computerhistory.org)
118
National Computer Conference, 1979
TABLE I.-Project Management Matrix
Outstanding Characteristics3
Work
Breakdown
Structuring
'"r::
.S:
Network
Integration of
Performance/
Cost/Time
Planning
U
C
::I
~
E
<I)
E
<I)
~
r::
:::e
Scheduling
AVP
Control
AVP
cC
mate requirements for material, equipment and manpower ... "
• Scheduling-" . .. the feasible start and completion
dates for each activity ... "
• Control-'". .. monitoring actual performance and
comparing it to that which was anticipated from the
schedule. The essence of control lies in recognizing
differences when they occur, determining reasons for
them, and promptly evaluating effects on the schedule. "
In terms of the three '"outstanding characteristics," A VP
assumes that (1) formal, or informal work breakdown structuring exists with or without a standard work breakdown
structure being built, and (2) that the relationships and dependencies among tasks are understood with or without a
network being drafted. It is the third characteristic dealing
with performance, cost, and time to which A VP applieswith one distinction. The distinction is that A VP takes place
after planning is completed.
The matrix in Table I shows where A VP fits in the relationships between Outstanding Characteristics and Managerial Functions of Project Management. A VP addresses
itself to the articulation of accomplishment (performance)
and manpower (cost) related to (integrated with) time. By
displaying accomplishment and manpower at points in time,
A VP provides a visibility that communicates the schedule
and supports control.
The quantification of the value of accomplishing each task
is crucial to A VP. As each task is completed, the project is
credited with the value of the task. There is no credit for a
partial completion~ thus the notion of "percentage complete" is avoided. The expression of percentage complete
has traditionally been difficult in its execution. arbitrary in
its determination and misleading in its interpretation. 2 How
often has one heard the response that a project is . 'x percent
complete?" In fact, projects have been known to be "90
percent" complete for months.
THE ACCOMPLISHMENT VALUE PROCEDURE
The mechanics of the procedure result in the creation and
update of the Project Visibility Chart. The vehicle for this
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Figure !-Blank Project Visibility Chart and Estimating and Scheduling Form (Parts A-E).
From the collection of the Computer History Museum (www.computerhistory.org)
Project Management Through the Accomplishment Value Procedure
procedure is the Estimating and Scheduling Form. The form
integrates the key steps of the procedure and flows through
to provide the data for the Project Visibility Chart. The form
is a composite of five parts, referred to as Parts A through
E. Figure I shows all parts in the relative positions of the
flow of data and information, i.e., from A to B to E and'
from A to C to D.
Part A is where you would insert descriptive data about
each task (milestone) deliverable. The procedure assumes
a documentation standard and just about any version would
do. Further, the procedure amplifies ih~ doctrine espoused
by ADP Analyzer ,5 which says" ... documentation be completed by the end of each phase and each review period. If
the documentation has not been completed, then the phase
has not been completed-and the next phase cannot begin. "
A VP accepts any documentation standard and encourages
even finer breakouts or subsets.
Part B is where you would enter the estimates of resources
committed to each task/milestone/deliverable by time period
(usually a month, but the procedure can handle weekly and
daily). We focused on manhours because it is the key resource and it is easier to collect data regarding manpower
on a timely basis.
Part C is where you enter the time span for each task/
milestone/deliverable further annotated with the "value"
calculated for each.
ESTIMATING AND SCHEDULING
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P~rt D is a table which is built on the accumulation of
data concerning accomplishment units scheduled and actual
for each time period and accumulated by the end of each
time period.
Part E is a table which is built on the accumulation of data
concerning manhours estimated and actual for each time
period and accumulated by the end of each time period. For
convenience in preparation and for easy reference and analysis, Parts D and E are physically part of the Project Visibility Chart.
In Figure 2 is an example of a Project Visibility Chart for
a completed project showing in the top portion, the Cumulative Accomplishment Values, Scheduled vs. Actual and in
the bottom portion, the Cumulative Manhours (resources),
Estimated vs. Actual, for the history of a project. The Chart
displays the status of the project expressed in Accomplishment Units as well as the expenditure of Manhours, both
over the life of the project. Notice that the points plotted on
each Chart are derived from the data tables, Part D and Part
E, contiguous with each. The data tables are built as a result
of the process previously described.
EXAMPLE OF THE A VP PROCESS
The Accomplishment Value Procedure (AVP) highlights
actual completion of milestones and ignores partial comple-
ESTIMATING AND SCHEDULING
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From the collection of the Computer History Museum (www.computerhistory.org)
120
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From the collection of the Computer History Museum (www.computerhistory.org)
'
Project Management Through the Accomplishment Value Procedure
tion. It provides the mechanism for identifying those milestones in the development process that have specific deliverable documents which signal the completion of a
milestone.
Once the milestones are identified and resource estimates
are associated with each, the sequence of events can be
scheduLed. Next is the calculation of the "value" of each
miiestone. For our purposes, value is based on the establishment of an arbitrary denomination of units which reflect
the relative estimated manhour resource for each milestone/
deliverable.
The Accomplishment Value is the focal point for the project as it moves to completion. The Accomplishment Value
is plotted monthly on the graph along with the resources. In
this example, 20 manhours was selected as equal to one
Accomplishment Value. Thus, if the milestone/deliverable
is estimated to need 160 manhours of resources, then its
Accomplishment Value is eight.
See Figure 3, Key I, which is the Estimating and Scheduling Form-Part A filled out with the Accomplishment Values for each milestone/deliverable and represents the beginning of the process.
Having completed Part A, you can proceed to Part B
where the loading of the resources over the course of the
project is entered. This loading then becomes the estimated
manhours (resources) for the life of the project. See Figure
3, Key II, which shows the manhour loading or MONTH
EST (estimate) by month for each task/milestone/deliverable
and the total MONTH EST (Estimate) for each month.
For each milestone/deliverable that you have associated
with a Scheduled Start and Completion date, you can enter
the O--symbol for the start in the week in which the effort
for that milestone/deliverable will begin and a 0 in the week
that it is scheduled to be completed and delivered.
In the square for the ending week, you can enter the
Accomplishment Value. Next, add up the Accomplishment
Values for each month. See Figure 3, Key III.
The values of each milestone/deliverable are combined to
roll up to the total value of the project. In the course of
completing the project and as each milestone/deliverable is
achieved, the value of each milestone is credited toward
project completion, and a measure of project status is established. Credit is given only to those milestone/deliverables that are completed; resources expended on an incomplete deliverable are given no credit. This criteria forces
attention to establishing as many milestones as is logical and
manageable-a basic rule in successful project management.
As a corollary, a specific deliverable could be segmented
with each segment becoming a separate milestone/deliverable that would be scheduled, estimated and accomplishment
valued.
Next, you build the data tables in Parts D and E that will
be the plots for curves on the Project Visibility Chart. See
Figure 4.
The MONTHLY SCHEDULE Accomplishment Value in
Part D is simply a posting of the totals from the bottom of
Part C and from which the CUMULATIVE SCHEDULE
Accomplishment Value data is calculated.
The MONTHLY EST (Estimate) manhours data in Part
~D
PROJECT VISIBILITY CHART
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E is simply a posting of the totals from the bottom of Part
B and from which the CUMULATIVE EST (Estimate) is
calculated.
The CUMULATIVE SCHEDULE Accomplishment
Value and the CUMULATIVE EST (Estimate) manhours
are the plots by month on the Project Visibility Chart in
Figure 4.
As the project develops, Actual Data is collected for Manhours and Accomplishment Values. In our example you can
see the data recorded through April, the fourth month.
The Project Visibility Chart representing the status of the
Sample Project through April would be as in Figure 4. An
analysis of the charts and the data in the table above and
below the charts (which are Parts D and E of the Estimating
and Scheduling Form) shows that the Project fell behind the
Scheduled Accomplishment during March but that we
caught up during April. The recovery, however, seems to
be costly since we have exceeded our estimated manhours
From the collection of the Computer History Museum (www.computerhistory.org)
122
National Computer Conference, 1979
by nearly 200 manhours. If the trend continues, the project
could get into a serious over-budget situation. This situation
would require further analysis.
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The technique lends itself to a procedure for changing
schedules and estimates based on changes in project scope
or in availability of resources, etc. If for example, at the end
of April it was determined that the project's schedule could
be shortened by infusion of additional available resources,
(while it may violate Brooks' Law 6 it is optimistically espoused here for illustration purposes) then the Estimating
and Scheduling Form-Parts B, C, D, and E-should be
modified to reflect this change and to show the impact on
the bar chart schedules. The impact of the revision with the
new manpower estimate, and the Accomplishment Value
Units, for May and June is readily shown in the Project
Visihility Chart, Figure 5, which shows a new chart with the
scheduled and estimated lines shifted upward for both Accomplishment Values and Manhours. This representation is
significant since it provides visibility for changes in estimates and schedules.
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A VP further lends itself to summarizing groups of projects
by management responsibility such as those of an individual
cost center. A collection of Project Visibility data from several projects can be aggregated to provide visibility. By
focusing on an individual fiscal month, you can display
Scheduled and Estimated data for its development projects
at the beginning of the month. At the end of the month, you
can then aggregate the Actual data for Accomplishment and
Manhours.
On the right side of Figure 6 is a Summary Visibility Chart
completed for a development cost center for the month of
October 1978. The Bar Graphs show the Scheduled Accomplishment Units next to the Actual Accomplishment Units
in the top portion with the Estimated Manhours next to the
Actual Manhours in the bottom portion.
On the left hand side of Figure 6 is the A VP Log which
is the vehicle for the Summary Process. The Log provides
space for recording the Schedules and Estimates for each of
a group of projects at the beginning of a time period (usually
Fiscal Month) and for their Actual Data at the end of the
period.
While transferring Accomplishment Values from the Part
Ds you have to make certain that the Unit of Measure (UI
M) is consistent. If 20 man hours were used as the UIM for
the Summary Process, then the procedure is to divide the
UIM of each project by 20 and then to multiply the resulting
fraction by the Accomplishment Value Units associated with
the project. For example, if a project had scheduled 72 units
with a {jiM of 10. then to convert-divide 10 hy 20 which
results in ~~: then mUltiply 1/2 by 72 which results in the
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conversion of 36 Accomplishment Units. It is the latter
number that you post to the Summary AVP Log.
Six projects are posted on the Summary A VP Log with
a total Accomplishment Value of 120 (based on a unit of
measure of 20 manhours per each Accomplishment Unit)
and 2,600 manhours are estimated (and committed) to be
used in the process of doing project work. At the end of the
month, the actual data are posted totaling 100 Accomplishment Value Units and 3,000 manhours respectively. It is the
data from the totals column that is used as a basis for
constructing the bar chart.
SUMMARY
This paper has introduced the Accomplishment Value Procedure (A VP) by first discussing where it fits in the back·
ground perspective of Project Management. Then, the paper
From the collection of the Computer History Museum (www.computerhistory.org)
Project Management Through the Accomplishment Value Procedure
123
SuMt1AR7 VISIBILITY CHART
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Figure 6--Summary Visibility for one month.
described the steps in the A VP process which lead up to the
creation of and provides the basis for updating the Project
Visibility Chart. Included in the description was an illustration of how changes in resources or in time would be shown
on the Project Visibility Chart. Finally, there was a description of the A VP Summary Process which provides for tracking and displaying groups of projects of a functional organization by aggregating their Visibility Data.
A VP is currently in place in the Customer Service Operations Development (C.S.O.D.) Department which is the
internal ADP/MIS systems development and computer operations organization at the Field Service Headquarters of
Digital Equipment Corporation. Maynard, Mass. C.S.O.D.
provides system development and computer-based support
to headquarters functions in worldwide logistics, financial
control and product engineering and centralized design and
deveiopment of distributed systems for decentralized implementation at 15 data centers worldwide.
The benefits of its application revolve around the simplicity of how well it can be understood by project team members and how effective it is in relating (communicating) status to users and to management.
In addition, individual project team members reach a
"comfort" level with the graphical representation of the
project status and spend their time with greater attention to
the objectives of the project.
There are other benefits. A VP highlights the viability of
resource estimates and schedules at the onset of the devel-
From the collection of the Computer History Museum (www.computerhistory.org)
124
National Computer Conference, 1979
opment cyc1e and the resource consumption and accomplishment achievement during the development cycle by the
smoothness or lack of smoothness of the curve on the Project Visibility Chart.
The discipline of the Accomplishment Value Procedure
lends itself to contracting applications development to a
vendor. By focusing on specific deliverables you could contract for progress payments synchronized with each deliverable under either a cost re-imbursable basis or a fixedprice basis.
At project completion, final payment could be held back
until a reasonable warranty period has passed. Moreover,
there can be variations that would provide incentives to a
contractor. For example, a progress payment or a fixedprice commitment for a deliverable by a certain date would
pay X dollars to the vendor but delivery one month earlier
would pay 120 percent of X dollars where the incremental
20 percent would serve as an incentive to the contractor.
REFERENCES
I. Benjamin, R. I., Control Of The Information Systems Development Cycle,
John Wiley & Sons, N.Y., 1971.
2. Block, Ellery B., ""Accomplishment/Cost: Better Project Control," Harvard Business Review, May-June 1971, p. 136.
3. Murdick, Robert G., and Joel E. Ross, Information Systems For Modern
Management, Second Edition, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs.
N.J., 1975, p. 265.
4. Paulson, Boyd c., Jr., Man-Computer Concepts For Project Management.
Technical Report No. 148, The Construction Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 1971, pp. 9-10.
5. EDPAnalyzer, "A Structure For EDPProjects," Vol. 11, No.5., Canning
Publications, Inc., Vista, CA., May 1973, p. 13.
6. Brooks, Frederick P., "The Mythical Man-Month," Datamation, December 1974.
From the collection of the Computer History Museum (www.computerhistory.org)