Software Engineering

Saeed Akhtar

The University of Lahore

Lecture 8Originally shared fo

r:

mashhoood.webs.com

Project Management

What is a Project? A project is a set of related tasks that are

coordinated to achieve a specific objective in given time limit and Budget.

Common characteristics of a project- Project have specific objectives- Project must be completed within a specific

time period- Project must be completed within a given

budget- Projects are carried out by teams- Projects are unique

What is a project? (cont)

Developing the first deliverable version of an application system for a customer or user is a project.

Making a set of specific changes to an existing system or operating system can also be defined as a project. But, regular and continuous maintenance cannot be considered as a project.

What is a Project? (cont) A project is a (temporary) sequence of

unique, complex, and connected activities having one goal or purpose and that must be completed by a specific time, within budget, and according to specification.

(Pressman 1993)

Temporary Every project has a definite beginning and

definite end.The end is reached when the project objectives

have been achieved, ORwhen it becomes clear that the project objectives

will not or can be met ORThe need of the project no longer exists and the

project is terminated.The duration of a project is finite; projects are

not ongoing efforts.

Unique

Every system development project is unique i.e. it is different from every other system development project that preceded it.

Product/services is different in some distinguishing way from other products/services

Progressive Elaboration

Progressive means “proceeding in steps; continuing steadily by increments”

Elaborated means “worked out with care and detail; developed thoroughly”

Progressive elaboration of the product characteristic must be coordinated with proper project scope definition, particularly if the project performed under contract.

Project vs OperationsOrganization perform work ..either projects or

operationPrime Difference

- Operations are ongoing and repetitive

- Projects are temporary and unique

Similarities (Shared Characteristics)- Performed by people- Constrained by limited resources- Planned, executed and controlled

Project vs Programs

Program A group of projects managed in a coordinated way to

obtain benefits not available from managing them individually.

- Program are on going- may contain on-going operations- may contain a series of repetitive or cyclic undertakings

- Projects are subset of programsExample : Space shuttle is a program

Each launch could be considered as a project

What is Project Management?

Project management is the process of scoping, planning, staffing, organizing, directing, and controlling the development of an acceptable system at a minimum cost within a specified time frame.

Project Management Cont’d

Project management involves the planning, monitoring, and control of people, process, and events that occur during software development.

Software needs to be managed because it is a complex undertaking with a long duration time.

Managers must focus on the fours P's to be successful (people, product, process, and project).

Success of ProjectFrom a project management perspective, a

project is considered a success if the resulting information system is acceptable to the customer, the system was delivered "on time" and "within budget" and the system development process had a minimal impact on ongoing business operations.

Advantages of Using Formal Project ManagementBetter control of financial, physical, and human

resourcesImproved customer relationsShorter development timesLower costsHigher quality and increased reliabilityHigher profit marginsImproved productivityBetter internal coordinationHigher worker morale

Project Management Institute The Project Management Institute has created

the "Project Management Body of Knowledge" (PMBOK) for the education and certification of professional project managers.

Established in 1969

Project Management InstitutePMI focus on : Project manager competencies. Project management functions, which include:

• Scoping• Planning • Estimating• Scheduling• Organizing• Directing• Controlling• Closing

Project Management Functions:

ScopingScope defines the boundaries of the project.If we cannot scope project expectation and

constraints, we cannot plan activities, estimate costs, or manage expectation.

Concerned with defining and controlling what is and what is not included in the project

Planning identifies the required tasks to complete the project .

Based on the manager’s understanding of the project goal and the methodology used to achieve the goal

Planning

EstimationEach task that is required to complete the

project must be estimated. How much time will be required?How much people will be needed ?What task must be completed before other

tasks are started?Can some of tasks overlap?

SchedulingGiven the project plan, the project manager

is responsible for scheduling all project activities.

The project schedule should be developed with an understanding of the required tasks, task duration and task prerequisites.

Organizing

Members of the project team should understand their own individual roles and responsibilities as well as their reporting relationship to the project manager.

DirectingOnce the project has begun, the project manager directs the team activities.

Every project manager must demonstrate people management skills to coordinate, delegate , motivate, advise, appraise and reward team members.

Controlling

The project manager must monitor and report progress against goals, schedule, and cost and make appropriate adjustments when necessary.

ClosingThe project or phase after either achieving its

objectives or being terminated for other reasons, requires closure.

Closer include formal acceptance from customer/sponsor, collecting project records, ensuring that they reflect final specification; analyzing project success, effectiveness and lessons learned; and archiving such information for future user.

Good project managers always assess success and failures at the conclusions of a project.

They learn from their mistakes and plan for continues improvement of the system development process.

Project Management Knowledge Areas

Knowledge areas describe the key competencies that project managers must develop4 core knowledge areas lead to specific project

objectives (scope, time, cost, and quality)4 facilitating knowledge areas are the means

through which the project objectives are achieved (human resources, communication, risk, and procurement management)

1 knowledge area (project integration management) affects and is affected by all of the other knowledge areas

Knowledge Areas1- Project Integration Management2- Project Scope Management3- Project Time Management4- Project Cost Management5-Project Quality Management6- Project Human Resource Management 7- Project Communication Management8- Project Risk Management9- Project Procurement Management

Thank You