SoftWare Project Management

1. INTRODUCTION

Definition of a Software Project (SP), SP vs. other types of projects activities covered by SPM; categorizing SPs; project as a system; management control, requirement specification; information and control in organization

What is Project ?

• Project is a planned activity

Project Activities Covered by Software Project Management

• It is Concerned not only with the actual writing of the software, but it is also concerned when the software is bought off the shelf , even that is a software project because so many of the other elements

Ways of Categorizing Software Project

1. Information System Vs Embedded System
2. Objective VS Product

Project as a System

1. Systems , Subsystems and Environments
2. Open Vs Closed Systems
3. Sub Optimization
4. SocioTechnical System :(Software belong to this system as they require both technological organization and organization of people )

Management Control

• Management in genral

2. STEPWISE PROJECT PLANNING:
Introduction, selecting a project; identifying project scope and objectives; identifying project infrastructure,analyzing project characteristics; identifying project products and activities; estimate efforts each activity; identifying activity risk; allocate resources; review/ publicize plan

3. PROJECT EVALUATION AND ESTIMATION:
Cost benefit analysis; cash flow forecasting; cost benefit evaluation techniques; risk evaluation; Selection of an appropriate project report; Choosing technologies, choice of process model, structured methods: rapid application development, water fall, V-process-, spiral- models; Prototyping; delivery; Albrecht function point analysis

• Identifying and Estimating all the costs and benifits of carrying out the Projects
• Expressing these costs and benefits in common units
• Development Costs
• Setup Costs
• Operational Costs
• Direct Benifits
• Assesable Indirect Benifits
• Intangibile Benifits

Cost of Project < Benifts but consider time and size of Investment too

1. Net Profit
2. Payback period
3. Net Present Value (NPV)
4. Internal Rate of Return

IRR

ROI

Risk Evaluation

1. Risk Identification and Ranking
2. Risk and Net Preset Value(safe margins)
3. Cost Benifit Analysis (Probablity x Income =expected value)
4. Risk Profit Analysis
5. Using Descision Tree

Selection of Appropriate Project Approach

1. Choosing Technology(Stack ,Saftey ,OS, )

— Data vs Control Oriented

— Genral Package or Application Specific

— Saftey Critical

— Hardware and Software Environment

— Control System vs InformationSystem

SSDAM= Structured System Design Analysis Model

Waterfall Model

+more

4. ACTIVITY PLANNING AND RISK MANAGEMENT:
Objectives of activity planning; project schedule; project and activities; sequencing and scheduling activities, network planning model; representation of lagged activities; adding the time dimension, backward and forward pass; identifying critical path; activity throat, shortening project; precedence networks; Risk Management: Introduction, the nature of risk, managing risk, risk identification, risk analysis, reducing the risks, evaluating risks to the schedule, calculating the z values

Sequencing and Scheduling Activities

Converting pert and CPM

PERT= Program Evaluation and review technique

CPM=Critical path method

Time Dimmension

CPM Model

RISK MANAGEMENT

Nature of Risks -Estimation errors,Managing Risks,Planning Assumptions, Eventualittes

5.RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND MONITORING THE CONTROL:
Introduction, the nature of resources, identifying resource requirements; scheduling resources creating critical paths; counting the cost; being specific; publishing the resource schedule; cost schedules, the scheduling sequence; Monitoring the control: Introduction, creating the frame work, collecting the data, visualizing progress, cost monitoring, earned value, prioritizing monitoring, getting the project back to target, change control

Identifying Resource Requirements in Each Stage

Scheduling Reources

Monitoring and Controling

Creating Framework

eg :Gantt Chart, Ball chart, Timeline

6. MANAGING CONTRACTS AND PEOPLE:
Introduction, types of contract, stages in contract, placement, typical terms of a contract, contract management, acceptance, Managing people and organizing terms: Introduction, understanding behavior, organizational behavior: a back ground, selecting the right person for the job, instruction in the best methods, motivation, working in groups, becoming a team, decision making, leadership, organizational structures, conclusion, further exercises

advantages

Disadvantages

Contract Placement

Typical Terms of Contract

1. Defination to identify client and supplier
2. Form of Aggrment(sale,lease ,lisence)
3. Goods and Service to be supplied
4. Ownership of the Software
5. Environment
6. Customer Commitments
7. Acceptance Procedure
8. Standards
9. Timetable
10. Price and Payment Methods
11. Miscellaneous legal requirements

Managing people and organising teams

Selecting Right person for the Job

1. Create Job Specification
2. Create job profile Holder
3. Obtain Applicants
4. Examine CV
5. Interview
6. Other Procedure

Write mental obsticles in each

Organizational Structure

1. Formal vs Informal Structure
2. Hierachieal Approach
3. Staff versus Line
4. Departmentalizaton
5. Centralized vs Decentralized group Structures
6. Egoless Programming
7. Chief Programmer Teams
8. Controlled Decentralized Groups

7. SOFTWARE QUALITY
Introduction; the place of software quality in project planning; the importance of software quality; defining software quality, ISO 9126; Practical software quality measures; product versus process quality management; external standards; techniques to help enhance software quality; Study of any software project management software: viz Project 2005 or equivalent.

Place of Software Quality in Project Planning