Practice Questions

(2 Marks each)

1. Define the project with a suitable example.

2. Explain different types of projects.

3. Explain the limitations of the waterfall model.

4. What is the role of stakeholders in software project?

Ans: Every Stakeholder has their unique role in a project according to the level of
involvement. The job of the project leader is to recognize different interests of all
stakeholders and to be able to reconcile them. For example, end-users may be concerned with
the ease of use of the new application, while their managers may be more Focused on staff
savings. The project leader therefore needs to be a Good communicator and negotiator.
 Customers: The direct user of a product or service, often both internal and
external to the company executing the project
 Project manager: The project's leader
 Project team members: The group executing the project under the project
manager's leadership
 Project sponsor: The project's financier
 Steering committee: An advisory group providing guidance on key decisions,
which includes the sponsor, executives, and key stakeholders from the
organization
 Executives: The top managemewnt in the company executing the project;
those who direct the organization's strategy
 Resource managers: Other managers who control resources needed for
executing the project

Q.2 Define Deliverables and milestones in reference to project planning.

Ans: Milestones represent the completion of a major stage in a project that requires the
commitment of a certain amount of time, resources and effort. Milestones are major
scheduling intervals throughout a project timeframe. It defines activity start and finishes
dates, internal deadlines, and the time for a quality control test or budget check. Some
examples of milestones are:

 Product launch

 End of beta testing

Deliverables indicate the quantifiable item that was created during this commitment of time,
resource and effort. So, a deliverable is output within the scope of a project or, in other
words, a tangible product after a project has been completed. Project deliverables are
particular, measurable results that you hope to achieve at various stages throughout the
project development. Some deliverables teams do individually, but many are dependent on
the completion of others.
( 10 Marks each)
1. Explain ISO 12207 lifecycle in detail.

Ans: The software development life-cycle (ISO 12207)

The software development life cycle is a technical model. It identifies the technical
constraints on the order activities are done. This does NOT imply that a ‗waterfall‘ approach
is the only way to organize projects. The technical model could be implemented as
increments or in an evolutionary manner. ISO 12207 life-cycles are: 1. Requirements analysis
2. Architecture Design 3. Code and test 4. Installation \ Acceptance support
Below Figure shows the detailed steps in each phase:

Requirements analysis –

- Requirements eli-ci-tation(kindle): what does the client need?

- – Analysis: converting ‗customer-facing‘ requirements into equivalents that developers can
understand
- – Requirements will cover
• Functions
• Quality
• Resource constraints i.e. costs
Requirement analysis has to face in (at least) two different directions. It needs to
communicate and elicit the requirements of the users, speaking in their language. It needs to
 organize and translate those requirements into a form that developers can understand and
relate to.

Architecture Design

Software Software Requirements Components

– Based on system requirements
– Defines components of system: hardware, software, organizational
– Software requirements will come out of this

Code and test

– Of individual components (separately coded and tested)

• Integration – Putting the components together
• Qualification testing(the whole system) – Testing the system (not just the software)

Installation(meaning most like implementation) Install –Complete System

– 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

2. Discuss in details the activities covered by Software Project management.

Ans: Usually there are 3 successive processes that bring a new system into being

Feasibility Study: assesses whether a project is worth starting.It has a valid business
case. A feasibility study is a preliminary exploration of a proposed project or
undertaking to determine its merits and viability. A feasibility study aims to provide an
independent assessment that examines all aspects of a proposed project, including
technical, economic, financial, legal, and environmental considerations.

Planning: It is a set of multiple processes, or we can say that it a task that performed
before the construction of the product starts.
Execution: Project execution is the stage of the project where everything your team has
planned is put into action. Project execution means that you’re rolling up your sleeves
and taking action on everything you outlined in your project plan. Put simply, you’re
executing those strategies (how’s that for being literal?) to get the project across the
finish line.

3. The large software project that you are managing is doing very well. Your latest

estimates predict that your team will finish the project at the end of June 2003,
three months ahead of schedule and 15% under budget. You now have to make
a choice about what to do in this situation. You have thought of three options:
(i) Finish early in June; release the project team to work on other projects. Give
the unused budget back to your boss.
(ii) Use the 3 months and the budget to do more testing on the project to try and
find any residual errors.
(iii) Use the 3 months and the budget to improve the internal and external
documentation for the project.

Apply software management principles; which alternative would you choose?

4. Explain why the discounted cash flow technique provides better criteria for

project selection than net profit or return on investment.