Chapter 1: Introduction to software project management (3708)

Chapter 1: Introduction to software project management (3708)

1. 1.2 Why is software project management important

   • Costs
   • project shortcomings
   • lack of project management and risk management

2. 1.3 What is project a project?

   • Planned activity
   • routine jobs -> have done it before
   • non routine project -> first time doing a task
   • Distinguishing characteristics of projects
     • non-routine tasks involved
     • planning is required
     • specific objectives
     • the project has a pre-determined time span;
     • work is carried out for someone other than yourself;
     • Work involves several specialisms
     • work is carried out in several phases;
     • the resources that are available for use on the project are constrained;
     • the project is large or complex.
     • People are formed into temporary groups to perform the tasks

3. 1.4 Software projects versus other types of project

   • One way of perceiving software project management is as the process of making visible that which is invisible.
     • Invisibility
       • progress is not immediately visible.
     • Complexity
       • Per dollar, pound or euro spent, software products contain more complexity than other engineered artefacts.
     • Conformity
       • Software developers have to conform to the requirements of human clients. It is not just that individuals can be inconsistent.
       • Organisational communication and decision making is also always changing
     • Flexibility
       • The ease with which software can be changed is usually seen as one of its strengths.
       • When interfacing with other systems , the software is expected to change and not the system
       • High degree of change

4. 1.5 Contract management and technical project management

   • Many organizations contract out IT development to outside specialist developers.

5. 1.6 Activities covered by software project management

   • Usually there are three successive processes that bring a new system into being
     • The feasibility study
       • Is the project worth starting.
       • Strategic planning may evaluate multiple projects
     • Planning
       • Establish initial outline plan and fill in detail closer to the later dtages
     • Project execution
       • Starts with requirements analysis
   • classic project life cycle is shown in Figure 1.3.
   • Software development activities

6. 1.7 Plans, methods and methodologies

   • A plan for an activity must be based on some idea of a method of work
   • you would need to (method):
     • ● analyse the requirements for the software; ● devise and write test cases that will check that each requirement has been satisfied; ● create test scripts and expected results for each test case; ● compare the actual results and the expected results and identify discrepancies. While a method relates to a type of activity in general, a plan takes that method (and perhaps others) and converts it to real activities, identifying for each activity: ● its start and end dates; ● who will carry it out; ● what tools and materials will be used.
   • A method relates to a type of activity and a plan takes the method and makes it a set of activities

7. 1.8 Some ways of categorizing software projects

   • Information systems versus embedded systems
     • Information system
       • system interfaces with the organization
     • Embedded system
       • The system interfaces with a machine
   • Objectives versus products
     • Projects may be distinguished by whether their aim is to produce a product or to meet certain objectives.
       • Many software projects have two stages. The first stage is an objectives-driven project which results in a recommended course of action and may even specify a new software system to meet identified requirements. The next stage is a project actually to create the software product.
   • Compulsory versus voluntary users
     • some systems users can choose to use -> such as games. Other systems users have to use such as recording a sale in a business system

8. 1.9 Stakeholders

   • These are people who have a stake or interest in the project.
   • Stakeholders might be internal to the project team, external to the project team but in the same organization, or totally external to the organization.
     • Internal to the project team This means that they will be under the direct managerial control of the project leader
     • External to the project team but within the same organization. Database admin
     • External to both the project team and the organization External stakeholders may be customers (or users) who will benefit from the system
     • Theory W -> Everyone a Winner (stakeholders)

9. 1.10 Setting Objectives

   • need for well-defined objectives that are accepted by all these people. (People involved in project)
   • more than one user group then a project authority needs to be identified which has overall authority over what the project is to achieve.
     • authority is often held by a project steering committee (or project board
   • Sub-objectives and goals
     • To motivate the individual. To be useful, though, the objective set for an individual must be something that is within the control of that individual.
     • objectives will need to be broken down into goals or sub-objectives
       • These goals are steps on the way to achieving an objective
     • SMART
       • Specific
       • Measurable
       • Achievable
       • Relevant
       • Time constrained
     • Measures of effectiveness
       • Effective objectives are concrete and well defined.
       • For example, ‘to reduce customer complaints by 50%’
   • What the project team must achieve for success. i.e the post conditions of the project

10. 1.11 The business case

    • Effort and expense worthwhile to do project
    • A cost–benefit analysis will often be part of the project’s feasibility study.
    • Any project plan must ensure that the business case is kept intact, for example
      • that development costs are not allowed to rise to a level which threatens to exceed the value of benefits;
      • that the features of the system are not reduced to a level that the expected benefits cannot be realized;
      • that the delivery date is not delayed so that there is an unacceptable loss of benefits

11. 1.12 Project success and failure

    • At different stages will different people judge the success or failure of a project
    • Broadly there are project objectives and business objectives
      • Project objectives
        • agreed functionality
        • required level of quality
        • on time
        • within budget
      • Business objectives
        • if the value of benefits exceed the costs
      • one or the other objective can fail or succeed and can still be a successful project or a failed project

12. 1.13 What is management?

    • management involves the following activities:
      • ● Planning – deciding what is to be done;
      • ● Organizing – making arrangements;
      • ● Staffing – selecting the right people for the job, etc.;
      • ● Directing – giving instructions;
      • ● Monitoring – checking on progress;
      • ● Controlling – taking action to remedy hold-ups;
      • ● Innovating – coming up with new solutions;
      • ● Representing – liaising with users, etc.

13. 1.14 Management Control

    • Data is collected is the first step

14. Contents list for a feasibility study

    • ● Introduction: identifies what the document is;
    • ● Description of current situation;
    • ● Problem description;
    • ● Proposed development
      • ● – business and financial aspects
      • ● – technical aspects
      • ● – organizational aspects;
    • ● Estimated costs
      • ● – development costs
      • ● – operational costs;
    • ● Envisaged benefits;
    • ● Recommendation

15. Contents list for a project plan

    • ● Introduction;
    • ● Background: including reference to the business case;
    • ● Project objectives;
    • ● Constraints: these could be included with project objectives;
    • ● Project products: both deliverable products that the client will receive and intermediate products;
    • ● Methods;
    • ● Activities to be carried out;
    • ● Resources to be used;
    • ● Risks to the project;
    • ● Management of the project, including
      • ● – organizational responsibilities
      • ● – management of quality
      • ● – configuration management.

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