Software Project Management
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Project Management Skills
• Leadership
• Communications
• Problem Solving
• Negotiating
• Influencing the Organization
• Mentoring
• Process and technical expertise
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Project Manager Positions
• Project Administrator / Coordinator
• Assistant Project Manager
• Project Manager / Program Manager
• Executive Program Manager
• V.P. Program Development
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Software Project Management
Management
Project
Management
Software
Project
Management
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PM History in a Nutshell
• Birth of modern PM: Manhattan Project (the
bomb)
• 1970’s: military, defense, construction industry
were using PM software
• 1990’s: large shift to PM-based models
– 1985: TQM
– 1990-93: Re-engineering, self-directed teams
– 1996-99: Risk mgmt, project offices
– 2000: M&A, global projects
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Project Management
• What’s a project?
• PMI definition
– A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken
to create a unique product or service
• Progressively elaborated
– With repetitive elements
• A project manager
– Analogy: conductor, coach, captain
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Project vs. Program Management
• What’s a ‘program’?
• Mostly differences of scale
• Often a number of related projects
• Longer than projects
• Definitions vary
• Ex: Program Manager for MS Word
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Interactions / Stakeholders
• As a PM, who do you interact with?
• Project Stakeholders
– Project sponsor
– Executives
– Team
– Customers
– Contractors
– Functional managers
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PM Tools: Software
• Low-end
– Basic features, tasks management, charting
– MS Excel, Milestones Simplicity
• Mid-market
– Handle larger projects, multiple projects, analysis tools
– MS Project (approx. 50% of market)
• High-end
– Very large projects, specialized needs, enterprise
– AMS Realtime
– Primavera Project Manager
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Tools: Gantt Chart
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Tools: Network Diagram
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PMI’s 9 Knowledge Areas
• Project integration management
• Scope
• Time
• Cost
• Quality
• Human resource
• Communications
• Risk
• Procurement
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First Principles
• One size does not fit all
• Patterns and Anti-Patterns
• Spectrums
– Project types
– Sizes
– Formality and rigor
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Why Rapid Development
• Faster delivery
• Reduced risk
• Increased visibility to customer
• Don’t forsake quality
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Strategy
• Classic Mistake Avoidance
• Development Fundamentals
• Risk Management
• Schedule-Oriented Practices
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Four Project Dimensions
• People
• Process
• Product
• Technology
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Trade-off Triangle
• Fast, cheap, good. Choose two.
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Trade-off Triangle
• Know which of these are fixed & variable
for every project
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People
• “It’s always a people problem” Gerald Weinberg,
“The Secrets of Consulting”
• Developer productivity: 10-to-1 range
- Improvements:
- Team selection
- Team organization
– Motivation
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People 2
• Other success factors
– Matching people to tasks
– Career development
– Balance: individual and team
– Clear communication
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Process
• Is process stifling?
• 2 Types: Management & Technical
• Development fundamentals
• Quality assurance
• Risk management
• Lifecycle planning
• Avoid abuse by neglect
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Process 2
• Customer orientation
• Process maturity improvement
• Rework avoidance
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Product
• The “tangible” dimension
• Product size management
• Product characteristics and requirements
• Feature creep management
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Technology
• Often the least important dimension
• Language and tool selection
• Value and cost of reuse
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Planning
• Determine requirements
• Determine resources
• Select lifecycle model
• Determine product features strategy
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Tracking
• Cost, effort, schedule
• Planned vs. Actual
• How to handle when things go off plan?
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Measurements
• To date and projected
– Cost
– Schedule
– Effort
– Product features
• Alternatives
– Earned value analysis
– Defect rates
– Productivity (ex: SLOC)
– Complexity (ex: function points)
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Technical Fundamentals
• Requirements
• Analysis
• Design
• Construction
• Quality Assurance
• Deployment
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Project Phases
• All projects are divided into phases
• All phases together are known as the Project
Life Cycle
• Each phase is marked by completion of
Deliverables
• Identify the primary software project phases
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Lifecycle Relationships
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Seven Core Project Phases
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Project Phases A.K.A.
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Phases Variation
Concept
Exploration
System
Exploration
Requirements
Design
Implementation
Installation
Operations and
Support
Maintenance
Retirement
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