Software Project Management: Understanding Risks and Risk Management, Essays (university) of Software Project Management

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An Introduction

Chapter 1

Software Project

Management

Presented By Laxminath Tripathy

Robert Hughes and Mike Cotterell

L.N.Tripathy

In this introduction the main questions to be addressed will be:

 What is software project management? Is it really different from ‘ordinary’ project management?

 How do you know when a project has been successful? For example, do the expectations of the customer/client match those of the developers?

‘Jobs’ – repetition of very well-defined and well understood tasks with very little uncertainty

‘Exploration’ – e.g. finding a cure for cancer: the outcome is very uncertain

‘Projects’ – in the middle! 4

A task is more ‘project-like’ if it is:

 Non-routine

 Planned

 Aiming at a specific target

 Work carried out for a customer

 Involving several specialisms

 Made up of several different phases

 Constrained by time and resources

 Large and/or complex

Feasibility study Is project technically feasible and worthwhile from a business point of view? Planning Only done if project is feasible Execution Implement plan, but plan may be changed as we go along 7

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 Architecture design  Based on system requirements  Defines components of system: hardware, software, organizational  Software requirements will come out of this  Code and test  Of individual components  Integration  Putting the components together

 Qualification testing  Testing the system (not just the software )  Installation  The process of making the system operational  Includes setting up standing data, setting system parameters, installing on operational hardware platforms, user training etc  Acceptance support  Including maintenance and enhancement

This involves the following activities:

 Planning – deciding what is to be done

 Organizing – making arrangements

 Staffing – selecting the right people for the job

 Directing – giving instructions

continued…

 Monitoring – checking on progress

 Controlling – taking action to remedy hold-ups

 Innovating – coming up with solutions when problems emerge

 Representing – liaising with clients, users, developers and other stakeholders

Informally , the objective of a project can be defined by completing the statement:

The project will be regarded as a success if………………………………..

Rather like post-conditions for the project

Focus on what will be put in place, rather than how activities will be carried out

S – specific, that is, concrete and well-defined

M – measurable, that is, satisfaction of the objective can be objectively judged

A – achievable, that is, it is within the power of the individual or group concerned to meet the target

R – relevant, the objective must relevant to the true purpose of the project

T – time constrained: there is defined point in time by which the objective should be achieved

Often a goal can be allocated to an individual. Individual may have the capability of achieving goal, but not the objective on their own e.g.

Objective – user satisfaction with software product

Analyst goal – accurate requirements

Developer goal – software that is reliable

How do we know that the goal or objective has been achieved? By a practical test, that can be objectively assessed.

e.g. for user satisfaction with software product:

 Repeat business – they buy further products from us

 Number of complaints – if low etc etc