4-1 Track Progress and Issues

Project teams need to track their progress on tasks – as well as any issues that arise – in order to complete their projects on time. This is why a detailed task schedule is such an important tool for managing a project.

This next phase of the project requires your team to develop its solution based on your team's design. There are six major components to complete during this development phase:

• Build smart device from parts

• Create Photon app for smart device

• Create web app to interact with smart device

• Conduct integration testing of solution

• Create video demonstrating use of solution

• Create product marketing website

Over the next several weeks, your team should be working on multiple components in parallel (i.e., at the same time). Each team member should be assigned to work on one or more components.

Here are progress checkpoints that will help keep your team on track. These checkpoints do not necessarily represent equal amounts of time. For example, it may take less time to complete Checkpoint 1 but more time to complete Checkpoint 3.

Checkmark List

IMPORTANT: Each team member should be contributing at all times throughout the development phase. If a team member completes their current task, he or she should either continue on to the next task for that component or help complete a task for a different component.

NOTE: Keep in mind that both the Photon app and web app require coding, so your team may need more than one person to work on coding. (The product marketing website can be coded – or it can be built without coding by using a tool such as Google Sites, etc.)

YOUR TASK

1. Your team should review the progress checkpoints, along with any deadlines that have been established by your teacher. Discuss and decide which team members will work on the various project components.

2. Over the next several weeks, track your team's task progress by updating the "Task Progress" sheet in this spreadsheet.

   • List the name of the team member(s) assigned to each task.

   • When a task is started, enter the start date (MM/DD).

   • When the task is completed, enter the completion date.

   • There is an optional column for due date, which your team can use for its own deadlines or any deadlines established by your teacher.

3. During this time, also track any significant issues that your team is unable to resolve, in order to follow up and get help as needed. Record these in the "Issues Log" sheet of the spreadsheet.

   • Describe the issue. Be sure to include specific details that may help figure out the cause of the issue. (For example: What happens or doesn’t happen? What have you checked or tried? What information do you need?)

   • Use the drop-down menu to select the component affected by the issue (such as: smart device, Photon app, web app, etc.).

   • List the name of the team member(s) assigned to follow up and resolve the issue.

   • When the issue is added to the log, enter the date.

   • When the issue is resolved, enter the date.