Issues and Requirements in Project Management

What are Issues, Risks, and Requirements in Project Management?

Capturing risks, issues, and requirements is an essential part of project management. By identifying and documenting these aspects, project managers can effectively mitigate risks, address issues, and ensure that project requirements are met. This document will cover the changes that are being made in terms of the following items such as: 

• Issue: Adding a New Issue 
• Risk: Converting Risk to an Issue 
• Requirement: Adding a New Requirement
• Baseline: Modifying existing Baseline

As we have all the information in one place if it affects one those will be taken into consideration. Let’s consider the following essentials for project management.

Issue

In Project Management, an issue refers to a problem, challenge, or obstacle that arises during a project and requires attention or resolution. It is an unplanned event or circumstance that affects the project's progress, objectives, or deliverables. Identifying and managing issues effectively is a crucial aspect of project management. When an issue is identified, it should be documented, tracked, and communicated to the relevant stakeholders, including the project team, management, and clients. 

Add Issue

Identifying and managing issues effectively is a crucial aspect of project management. When an issue is identified, it should be documented, tracked, and communicated to the relevant stakeholders, including the project team, management, and clients. 

To Add an Issue, perform the following steps: 

1. Log in to the Summit application.
   
   
2. Navigate to Project > User > Projects > Project List.
   A list of Projects is displayed.
   
   Figure: Project List
   
   
3. Click Project Name. 
   The project window is displayed.
   
   Figure: Project page
   
   
4. Click ISSUES on the ACTIONS panel. 
   PROJECT ISSUE pop-up window is displayed.
   
   Figure: Issue List
   
   
5. Click ADD ISSUE. 
   A new Issue pop-up window is displayed.
   
   

6. Enter the appropriate values in the required fields on the Issue form. 
   For more information, refer to Field Description.
   
   Figure: Add Issue
   
   Field Description
   

   Field	Description
   DETAILS
   Issue	Specifies the Issue Name.
   Status	Specifies the current state of the Issue with the following options: New In Progress Resolved Closed Deferred
   Impact	Specifies the impact of the Issue, has a numerical value of 1, 2, and 3 with a default value defined as 1.
   Owner	Specifies user assigned to work on the Issue.
   Actions	Describes a plan to resolve the issue.
   Effect on Project	Describes the effect on the project.
   Date Identified	Specifies the date when the Issue was identified.
   Due Date	Specifies the date when the Issue should be resolved.
   Estimated Cost	Specifies the cost in the selected currency.
   Remarks	Mentions about remarks on the issue.

   
   

7. Click Submit. 
   Saved Successfully is displayed.
   
   

8. Click OK. 
   The project List page is displayed.
   
   Figure: Issue List
   
   

   Note:

   Issue Status with Deferred has the additional field.
   
   Figure: Edit Issue
   
   Deferred Reason: Describes the reason for Issue being deferred.
   

Risk

In project management, risk refers to the possibility of uncertain events or circumstances occurring that could positively or negatively impact project objectives. Risk represents a potential deviation from the planned project outcomes and can affect various aspects such as project scope, schedule, budget, quality, and resources. 

Convert Risk to Issue

Any uncertain events that occur recurring and impact the project are always a risk, such risks should be converted to an Issue and tracked to address them.  

To convert Risk to Issue, perform the following steps: 

1. Navigate to Project > Project List. 
   A list of Projects are displayed.
   
   
2. Click Project Name. 
   The project window is displayed.
   
   Figure: Project
   
   
3. Click RISK on the ACTIONS panel. 
   PROJECT RISK pop-up window is displayed with a list of Risks. 
   
   Figure: Risk List
   
   
4. Select  Risk.
   The RISK DETAILS pop-up window is displayed.
   
   Figure: Risk Details
   
   
5. Click CONVERT.
   A pop-up with a display message as Selected Risk converted to Issue is displayed.
   
   
6. Click OK.
   
7. Navigate to Project > Project List > Project Name > Risk > ID.
   The Risk Status field value is changed to Converted and on the Status dropdown list, Converted value is disabled.
   
   Figure: Risk Details
   
   

   Notes:

   • CONVERT button and Converted field value on Status are newly introduced in Project RISK. The Status field is greyed and disabled upon changing to Converted, user cannot change the Status.
     
     Closed status has the additional fields as described in Field Description.
     
     Figure: Edit Risk
     
     

     Field Description
     

     Field	Description
     DETAILS
     1 - Closed Date	Specifies the risk closed date.
     2 - Closed By	Mentions the name of the analyst.
     3 - Action Taken	Describes the action taken to close the risk.
     4 - Remarks	Describes the risk remarks.

8. Navigate to Project > Project List > Project Name > Issue.
   A new row is inserted into the Issue list.
   
   Figure: Updated Issue List
   
   
9. Click ID.
   Edit the Issue.
   
   Figure: Edit Issue
   
   
10. Click SUBMIT.

Requirement

In project management, a requirement refers to a documented need, expectation, or specification that must be fulfilled to meet the objectives of a project.

Add Requirement

In project management, the scope of requirements refers to the specific boundaries, deliverables, and features of a project as defined by its objectives and stakeholders. It outlines the extent of work to be undertaken to meet project goals and serves as a foundation for project planning, execution, and control.

To add a requirement to a project, perform the following steps:

1. Navigate to Project > Project List.
   A list of Projects are displayed.
   
   
2. Click Project Name.
   The project window is displayed.
   
   Figure: Project
   
   
3. Click REQUIREMENTS on the ACTIONS panel.
   PROJECT REQUIREMENT pop-up window is displayed with the REQUIREMENT LIST.
   
   Figure: Requirement List
   
   
4. Click ADD REQUIREMENT.
   REQUIREMENTS DETAILS pop-up window is displayed.
   
   

5. Enter the appropriate values in the required fields.
   For more information about the fields, refer to Field Description.
   
   Figure: Add Requirement
   
   Field Description
   
   

   Field	Description
   DETAILS
   Requirement	Specifies the name of the requirement that is recorded.
   Description	Describes the requirement.
   Status	Indicates the status of the requirement from the following actions. Pending Achieved Removed
   Owner	Specifies the requirement owner with default value as a project manager if any.
   Priority	Specifies the priority of the project having values 1, 2, and 3. The default value is 1.
   Assigned to	Specifies the user responsible for the requirement.
   Estimated Effort (hours)	Specifies the efforts required to fulfil the requirement.
   Type	Indicates the type of requirement from the following list: Functional: Being a default value. Technical Security UI/UX

   
   

6. Click SUBMIT.
   A pop-up display message as Saved Successfully is displayed.
   
   
7. Click OK.
   
   
8. Navigate to Project List > Project Name > Requirements.
   The updated list of requirements is displayed.
   
   
   Figure: Requirement List

Project Baseline

The Baseline of a Project is a snapshot of the Project at a given time. Baselines are used to compare the Project’s performance between two different times. Every Baseline now should include the change in Requirements. On the first Baseline, all the Requirements created at the time of Baseline creation should be listed.

To view the scope change, perform the following steps:

1. Navigate to Project > Project List.
   A list of Projects are displayed.
   
   
2. Click Project Name.
   The project window is displayed.
   
   Figure: Project
   
   
3. Click BASELINE on the ACTIONS
   PROJECT BASELINE pop-up window is displayed with the REQUIREMENTS.
   
   
4. Enter a value for Baseline Name.
   
   

5. Click SUBMIT.
   A new baseline is created.
   
   Figure: Project Baseline
   
   

   Note:

   If no new requirements have been added since the last baseline, then there will be no requirements listed. 
   
   Example: A new Baseline is created on 31^st May.
   If there are no requirements created between 31^st May and the new baseline creation date, there will be no Requirements listed on the baseline.