ASSISTANT PROFESSOR LPU, PUNJAB

Software Project Management

Till far we have studied

What’s a project?What makes software projects differentProject PerspectivesSoftware Management Basics

1.1 What is a Project?

Project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service.

Project is a well defined set of tasks or activities that must be completed in order to meet the project’s goal.

Non routine tasks : Planning reqd. Sp. Objective to be met/ sp. Products to be created Predetermined time span Work is done for others Work is carried out in several phases Resource constraints Projects could be large and/or complex

1.2 Project vs Programme

Project is a nonrepetitive set of activities leading to singular product or service and gets over in a limited / finite time frame

Great wall of China Suez Canal Taj Mahal

Programme is a repetitive array of activities carried out on a longer/ indefinite time frame to accomplish many no of similar / dissimilar projects

Identify : project or programme ????putting a robot vehicle on Mars to search for

sign of life Writing an operating system

1.3 Project Success or Failure

A project success is usually measured in terms of whether it is completed within specified time and under stipulated budget

If it exceeds uncontrollably it is termed as a failure.

However there is more to a project’s success than just its completion within time and budget Meeting customer specifications Degree of customer satisfactions Level of success in the market place Result in greater revenue and profits

1.4 Software project vs other project

Invisibility, A bridge or road can actually be seen. With software, 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

Flexibility, The ease with which software can be changed is usually seen as one of its strengths.

1.5 Type of Software

System Software Real time Software Business SoftwareEngg. N scientific SoftwareEmbedded SoftwarePC based SoftwareWeb based SoftwareAI based SoftwareOpen source Software

1.6 Problem with software project

poor estimates and plans;lack of quality standards and measures;lack of guidance about making organizational

decisions;lack of techniques to make progress visible;poor role definition – who does what?incorrect success criteria.

1.7 Why Projects need to be Managed ?

Because resources are limited

Because project has to be delivered within time and budget

Therefore in order to maximise output (with regard to project delivery) with the limited input resource , managerial attention is needed.

1.8 Project Management (Defn.)

PMI defines Project Management as the “Art of

directing and coordinating human and material

resources through out the life of a project by using

modern management techniques to achieve

predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time,

quality and participant satisfaction

1.9 Activities in Software Project Management

There are four broad phases in any project life cycle

1. Preplanning--- Conceptualization, Formulation and Selection (Project feasibility study, Project Scoping)

2. Planning--- Task definition and break ups, resource estimation

3. Scheduling and Control--- Resource allocation, task execution, feedback and review

4. Implementation and Termination--- Project completion, closure and hand over.

13

1.10 Step Wise Project planning

1. Identify project objectives

2. Identify projectinfrastructure

3. Analyseproject

characteristics

4. Identify products and activities

5. Estimate effort for activity

8. Review/ publicizeplan

6. Identify activityrisks

7. Allocateresources

9. Execute plan

10. Lower levelplanning

Review

Lowerleveldetail

For each activity

0.Select project

A project scenario

LPU Shopping mall Project Where to setup .. Which brand Facilities Stakeholders Virtual money

Step 1 establish project scope and objectives

1.1 Identify objectives and measures of effectiveness ‘how do we know if we have succeeded?’

1.2 Establish a project authority ‘who is the boss?’

1.3 Identify all stakeholders in the project and their interests ‘who will be affected/involved in the project?’

1.4 Modify objectives in the light of stakeholder analysis ‘do we need to do things to win over stakeholders?’

1.5 Establish methods of communication with all parties ‘how do we keep in contact?’

Step 2 Establish project infrastructure

2.1 Establish link between project and any strategic plan ‘why did they want the project?’

2.2 Identify installation standards and procedures ‘what standards do we have to follow?’ Software life cycle??

2.3. Identify project team organization ‘where do I fit in?’

Step 3 Analysis of project characteristics

3.1 Distinguish the project as either objective or product-based. Is there more than one way of achieving success?

3.2 Analyse other project characteristics (including quality based ones) what is different about this project?

Identify high level project risks ‘what could go wrong?’ ‘what can we do to stop it?’

Take into account user requirements concerning implementation

Select development methodology and life cycle approach waterfall? Increments? Prototypes?

Review overall resource estimates ‘does all this increase the cost?’

Step 4 Identify project products and activities

4.1 Identify and describe project products - ‘what do we have to produce?’ What will be the deliverables

19

Products

The result of an activityCould be (among other things)

physical thing (‘installed pc’), a document (‘logical data structure’) a person (‘trained user’) a new version of an old product (‘updated software’)

The following are NOT normally products: activities (e.g. ‘training’, design, testing ) events (e.g. ‘interviews completed’)

Products CAN BE deliverable or intermediate

Product breakdown structure(PBS)

Main product have sets of component products

Product are grouped into those relating to the system as whole and those related to individual module.

Project Products

System Project

Module Products

Management Projects

Progress Report

Module Code

Module Design doc

Tested integrated software

Overall specificatio

n

21

Product description (PD)

Product name/identity

Description - what is it?

Derivation - what is it based on?

Composition - what does it contain?

Format: form of the product

Relevant standardsQuality criteria

PDs can usually be re-used from one project to another.

Step 4 continued

4.2 Document Generic Product flows

Need of other product to exit first before their creation

Product flow diagram (PFD) Shows the order in which the products have to be

completed. Defines a method of working

22

User Requirement

Overall system SpecificationModule

designIntegrated system test

caseModule

code

Integrated software

23

Step 4.3 Recognize product instances

The project breakdown structure (PBS ) and Project flow diagram (PFD) will probably have identified generic products e.g. ‘software modules’

It might be possible to identify specific instances e.g. ‘module A’, ‘module B’ …

But in many cases this will have to be left to later, more detailed, planning

24

4.4. Produce ideal activity network

Identify the activities needed to create each product in the PFD

More than one activity might be needed to create a single product

Draw up activity network

25

An ‘ideal’ activity

Specify overall system

DesignModule A

Design Integration Test case

DesignModule B

Code module A

Test Integration software

Code module B

26

Step 4.5 Add check-points if neededDesign

module A

Designmodule B

Designsystem

Designmodule C

Codemodule A

Codemodule B

Codemodule C

Testsystem

Designmodule A

Designmodule B

Designsystem

Designmodule C

Codemodule A

Codemodule B

Codemodule C

Testsystem

Check-point

put in a check point

27

Step 5:Estimate effort for each activity

5.1 Carry out bottom-up estimates Estimation of staff effort required distinguish carefully between effort and elapsed time

Effort : Total number of staff-hours (or days etc) needed to complete a task

Elapsed: time between the start and end of the task.

5.2. Revise plan to create controllable activities break up very long activities into a series of smaller

ones as we cant judge the status in long activities bundle up very short activities (create check lists)

28

Step 6: Identify activity risks

6.1.Identify and quantify risks for activities damage if risk occurs (measure in time lost or money) likelihood if risk occurring Identify the assumptions : client requirement is clear

6.2. Plan risk reduction and contingency measures risk reduction: activity to stop risk occurring contingency: action if risk does occur

Eg : contracting staff

29

6.3 Adjust overall plans and estimates to take account of risks e.g. add new activities which reduce risks

associated with other activities e.g. training, pilot trials, information gathering

30

Step 7: Allocate resources

7.1 Identify and allocate resources to activities Eg staff need for each activities

7.2 Revise plans and estimates to take into account resource constraints More than one task assigned to staff

e.g. staff not being available until a later date non-project activities

©The McGraw-Hill Companies, 200531

Gantt charts

Select subjects

Design questionnaire

Book machine

Conduct tests

Analyse results

Week commencing

5 12 19 26MARCH APRIL

9 16

Plan testing

2

Draft changes

LT

TA

LT

TA

LT

LT

TA

LT = lead tester

TA = testing assistant

32

Step 8: Review/publicise plan

8.1 Review quality aspects of project plan Each task should have quality criteria Quality check has to be passed

8.2 Document plan and obtain agreement Proper documentation Agreement of all parties

Step 9 and 10: Execute plan and create lower

level plans

Step 9 &10: Execute plan/ low level of planning

Make provisional plan for distant taskExecute plan

34

Step Wise Project planning

1. Identify project objectives

2. Identify projectinfrastructure

3. Analyseproject

characteristics

4. Identify products and activities

5. Estimate effort for activity

8. Review/ publicizeplan

6. Identify activityrisks

7. Allocateresources

9. Execute plan

10. Lower levelplanning

Review

Lowerleveldetail

For each activity

0.Select project

Draw up a product breakdown structure of a computer.

a product breakdown structure of a computer.

EXAMPLE

There is a garden shed in a garden. The project is to dismantle the shed and reassemble it in the garden of a close neighbour. The shed has some rotten pieces. When the shed has been dismantled, these rotten pieces must be identified and replacements ordered from the company that supplied the original shed. New fixtures and fittings (screws, nuts and bolts, glue etc.) for all pieces will be needed, so a list of the requirements is to be made as the shed is dismantled. The neighbour has said that he will prepare the site for the shed’s new location as part of his own, separate project.

 product breakdown structure of the ‘old shed’ 

 Product Flow Diagram

Develop a project planning for Course Scheduling System in LPU .

Proposed Plan

Course scheduling software is meant to create a schedule for courses in a department, given the preferences of professors and the information on available rooms and timeslots for courses