PAPER VI - SOFTWARE PROJECT MANAGEMENT

UNIT I
Introduction to Software Projects – An Overview of Project Planning – Project Evaluation –
Selection of an appropriate Project approach – Software effort Estimation.

UNIT II
Activity Planning – Project Schedules – Sequencing and Scheduling Projects – Network
Planning Model – forward and backward pass-Identifying the Critical path-Activity float-
Shortening Project Duration – Identifying Critical Activities-precedence networks.

UNIT III
Risk Management – Resource Allocation – Monitoring and Control – Managing People and
Organizing Teams – Planning for Small Projects.

UNIT IV
Software Configuration Management – Basic Functions – Responsibilities – Standards –
Configuration Management – Prototyping – Models of Prototyping.

UNIT V
Case Study – PRINCE Project Management.

REFERENCE BOOKS

1. Mike Cotterell, Bob Hughes, “Software Project Management”, Inclination/Thomas Computer

Press, 1995.
2. Darrel Ince, H.Sharp and M.Woodman, “Introduction to Software Project Management and
Quality Assurance”, Tata McGraw Hill, 1995.

NEHRU ARTS AND SCIENCE COLLEGE , COIMBATORE

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE & IT

STUDY MATERIAL

COURSE : I MSC COMPUTER SCIENCE

SEMESTER : I

PAPER : SOFTWARE PROJECT MANAGEMENT

STAFF :Mrs. SANGEETHA.V

.
TEXTBOOK:
1. SOFTWARE PROJECT MANAGEMENT – Bob Hughes & Mike Cotterell, 4th ed,
PHI.
UNIT-I:
Introduction to Software Project management: Introduction – Why is Software project
management is important? – What is a project? – Software project versus other types of project –
Contract Management and technical project management – Activities covered by software
project management – plans, methods, methodologies – some ways of categorizing software
projects. Stepwise: an overview of project planning. Programme Management and Project
Evaluation: Programme Management – Managing the Allocation of resources within
programmes – strategic programme management – creating a programme – aids to programme
management – Benefits Management – Evaluation of Individual projects – technical assessment
– cost-benefit analysis - cash flow forecasting – cost-benefit evaluation techniques – risk
evaluation.
1Marks Questions – PART A
1. Define software project management.
Software Project Management has key ideas about the planning,
monitoring, and control of software projects
2. What is a phase?
A phase is a collection of related activities or tasks that produce a
deliverable or work product.
3. Define system.
A system is a group of elements organized and arranged so that the
elements can act as a whole toward achieving a common goal; is a collection of
interacting subsystems.
4. What is an activity?
An element of work performed during the course of the project.
5. Define method.
A method is a manner, means, or process for accomplishing something.
6. Write any five competencies of project management skills.
Documenting plans, estimating cost, estimating effort, managing risks,
scheduling, tracking processes
7. What is software engineering?
Software Engineering is a practical application of scientific knowledge in
the design and construction of computer programs and the associated
documentation required to develop, operate, and maintain them.
8. Write two types of processes.
Product process, project process.
9. Define technology.
Technology is the application of scientific knowledge in industry or
business.
10. Name five maturity levels of CMM.
Initial, repeatable, defined, managed, optimizing
11. Define process.
A software process provides the framework from which a comprehensive
plan for software development can be established.
12. Write any two goals of organizational process focus.
S/W process development and improvement activities are coordinated
across the organization.
The strength and weakness of the s/w processes used are identified relative
to a process standard.
13. Write any four process standards.
EE, SEI, ISO, PMI.
14. Write any two goals of organizational process definition.
1.A standard s/w process for the organization is developed and
maintained.
2.Information related to the use of the organization’s standard s/w process
by the s/w projects is collected, reviewed, and made available.

Part – B

1.Give the phases of product development life cycle.

Idea generation
Ideas come from various sources like customers, suppliers,
employees, market place demands.
Prototype development phase
This entails building simplistic model of final product.
Alpha phase
This moves skeleton prototype to usable product.
Beta phase
This iron out the kinks in the product and add necessary supporting
infrastructure to roll out the product.
Production phase
In this phase product is ready for prime time.
Maintenance and obsolescence phase
In this critical bugs are fixed after which the product goes into
obsolescence.
2. Explain water fall model in detail.
The project is divided into sequence of well defined phases
One phase is completed before next starts.
There is a feedback loop between adjacent phases
What the actual phase are depends on the project.
Adv:
Simplicity
Lining up resources with appropriate skills is easy
Disadv
Highly impractical for most projects
Phases are tightly coupled.
3. Explain prototyping model
project has access to customers
Project has access to forth generation languages
A prototype is built to quickly demonstrate to customer what the product
would look like.
Customer and developer sit together side by side,
Adv:
Responsiveness to change
Identifies more implied requirements
Disadv
customers expectation is too high,
4. Explain RAD model in detail
The customer and developer agree on breaking the product into small
units.
Development is carried out using modeling tools and CASE tools
Customer is kept in touch so the changes are reflected time
Quality assurance is imposed.
Adv.
Responsiveness to change
Ability to capture user requirements effectively
Application turn around time is shorter.
Disadv:
need for modeling tools which adds expence.
Places restriction on type and structure
5. Explain the Capability Maturity Model
CMM model strives to achieve predictability and consistency as a
precursor to continuous improvements by following a set of process in a
well defined framework.
Level 1 is Initial level
Level 2 is repeatable which helps in achieving repeatability of
performance and quality should the organizations undertake a similar
project again.
Level 3 is defined level
Level four is measured level.
Level 5 is optimistic level , here people always work towards a target.
6. The process activities of software configuration management
The steps that constitutes software configuration management are:
Initial working
Base lining
Change management
Management of workspaces
Configuration status accounting
Configuration audit.
44. What are the dimensions of requirements gathering?
Responsibilities
Current system needs
Targets
Ongoing needs.
45. Give the classifications of system requirements.
Functionality Requirements
Performance requirements
Availability needs
Security
Environmental definition.
46. List some of the skills essential for requirements gathering phase.
Ability to see from customers point of view.
Technology awareness
Domain expertise
Strong interpersonal skills
Strong communication skills
47. Define estimation.
Estimation is a process of expectations setting which forms the basis of
quantifying the resources required to accomplish certain goals, based on certain clearly
stated assumptions.
48. What are the three phases of estimation?
Size
Effort
Schedule estimate.
49. What are the formal models of size estimation?
Lines of code
Function points
UNIT-II:
Software Effort Estimation: Where are estimation done? – Problem with over and
under-estimates – basis for software estimating – software effort estimation techniques – expert
judgment – estimating by analogy. Activity Planning: The objectives – When to plan? – Project
schedules – project and activities – sequencing and scheduling activities – Network Planning
models – formulating a network model – adding time dimension – forward pass – backward pass.
Risk Management: Risk – Categories – Dealing with risk – Risk identification, assessment,
planning and management – Evaluating risk to schedule.

Part – A
15. Write the difference between project process and product process.
Project process-Describe and organize the work of the project.
Defined by the PMI PMBOK.
Product process-Specify and create the project product.
Defined by the life cycle used.
 Defined by the American society of quality(ASQ),
Certified Software Quality Engineer(CSQE)
16. Name the six classes of product domain.
Customer, business, industrial, real_time, really_timely, scientific.
17. Name any three individual personality models.
The Myers_Briggs Type Indicator, fundamental Interpersonal Relations
Orientation –Behavior(FIRO-B) model, the Keirsey Temperament sorter.
18. What are the two kinds of stress in McFletcher Work style Patterns Inventory?
Personal, Organizational.
19. Mention the Leader’s style
Telling, selling, participating, delegating.
20. Write the five processes of Project Management Institute(PMI)
Initiating, planning, executing, controlling, closing.
21. What is milestone?
A milestone is a significant event in a project, usually associated with a
major work product or deliverable. Stages or phases are not milestones but are
collections of related product activities.
22. What is Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)?
A WBS is a hierarchical list of the work activities required to complete a
project.
23. What are the three project activities that are needed for WBS?
Cost estimating, cost accounting, schedule performance.
24. Write the stages of Team Formation Model.
Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjouring.
25. Differentiate Leaders and managers.
Leaders- set direction, do the right thing
Managers- Follow process, do things right.
26. Define charter.
A charter is a documentation that formally recognizes the existence of
a project.
27. Give some unites for measuring the size of the software.
Lines of code (LOC), Function points, feature points, number of bubbles
on the data flow diagram, number of entities on entity relationship diagram.
28. Write the any two advantages of LOC.
1. It is widely used and universally accepted.
2. LOC are easily measured upon project completion.
29. What are dependencies?
Dependencies are one form of constraints for any project. Dependencies
are any relationship connections between activities in a project that may impact
their scheduling.
30. Write the special types of relationship in dependencies.
1. Lag and lead relationship
2. Hard versus soft relationship
31. Define project portfolio?
 Project portfolio is group of project carried out under this sponsorship
and/or management.
32. What are the project charter contents?
Objectives, Fucntions, Performance, constraints, scope, cost or benefits.
33. Write the disadvantage of feature point analysis.
The disadvantage of feature point analysis is the subject to classification
of algorithmic complexity.
34. What is modified code?
The code developed for previous application that is suitable for a new
application after a modest amount of modification.
35. Write the goal of software project planning?
Software estimates or documented for use in planning and tracking the
software project.
36. Give any two examples for product attributes.
Database size (DATA), Product complexity (CPLX)
37. Write the advantages of COCOMO.
1. It is repeatable process.
2. It is easy to use.
3. It is thoroughly documented.
38. Define gold plating.
The work that does not drive towards a deliverable is called gold plating.
39. Write the three COCOMO Modes.
Organic, Semidetached, Embedded.
40. What is Legacy code?
Code developed for a previous application that is believed to be of use for
a new application.
41. Write the categories of cost drivers.
Product attributes, computer attributes, project attributes, personnel
attributes
42. What are the characteristics of an organization?
Model, Maturity, Thickness, Size, Structure.
43. Short notes on Finish- to-Start(FS) Dependency Relationship
One activity can start only when the preceding activity finishes.
44. What is RISK management?
Risk management is the procedure that explains the process of managing
risk through analysis. This procedure does not provide solutions to perceived
risks.
45. What is brainstorming?
Brainstorming refers to the process of a group of colleagues meeting and
working collaboratively to generate creative solutions and new ideas.
46. What is knowledge management?
Knowledge management is the combination of activities involved in
gathering, organizing, sharing, analyzing, and disseminating knowledge to
improve an organization’s performance.
 PART – B &C
7. Explain the software quality assurance tools.
Review and Inspections:
Formal review and inspections are among the most effective tools to weed
out the defects from as close as possible to the point of injection. The salient features
of a formal review are
review is formal.
Audits:
senior management schedules periodic audits
Audit can be conducted by external body
Each audit is assigned to a lead auditor.
Cross SQA info sharing:
Early warning signals of organizations wide can be got.
Defect classification and analysis tools:
SQA can add significant value to the project teams if besides just identifying the
defects the can also perform some analysis and classifications.
Pareto analysis.
Fish bone diagrams.
8. Explain the common risk tools and techniques.
There are atleast six different ways of identifying the potential risks. These are:
Examining organizational history.
Preparing checklists
Information buying
Framework based risk categorization
Simulation
Decision trees
9. List the activities during project Initiation
Important activities during project initiation phase:
Management Team building
Enables the team members to understand one another.
Minimize the impact of cultural and language barriers.
Scope and high level work division agreements
Management reporting and escalating procedures.
Involvement of infra structure/support groups.
Team formation
i. Project kick off meeting is attended by formally all concerned so
that everyone has a common understanding of what is expected.
10. What is work breakdown structure?
Work break down structure is the decomposition of the project into smaller and
more manageable parts with each part satisfying the following criteria…
Each WBS unit has a clear outcome
The outcome has a direct relationship to achieve the overall project goal
Each point has single point of accountability.
Why do work breakdown structure?
Divide and conquer
Estimate the size of final product
Means to explore reuse
Ability to identify skill sets
Ability to multiplex people and hardware resources
Linking WBS units with milestones as ways of measuring progress
Meaningful interface
11. What are the issues that get discussed during project closure?
What were the goals that we set out to achieve?
How effective were the in process metrics?
What were the root causes for under-achievement or over achievement?
Was our estimation effort correct?
What were the factors in the environment that would like to change?
What did we gain from the system or environment?
Was our estimation of the hardware correct?
12. What are the dimensions of requirements gathering?
Responsibilities : Commitments on either side
Requirements form the basis for the success of further activities in a
project.
Current system requirements
i. Functionality requirements
ii. Performance requirements
iii. Availability needs
iv. Security
v. Environmental definitions
targets
Acceptance criteria
Ongoing needs
Documentation
Training
Ongoing support.
13. List the skill sets required during the requirements phase:
availability to look the requirements
domain expertise
Technology awareness
Storing interpersonal skills
Strong negotiation skills
Ability to tolerate ambiguity
Strong communication skills

UNIT-II:
Software Effort Estimation: Where are estimation done? – Problem with over and
under-estimates – basis for software estimating – software effort estimation techniques – expert
judgment – estimating by analogy. Activity Planning: The objectives – When to plan? – Project
schedules – project and activities – sequencing and scheduling activities – Network Planning
models – formulating a network model – adding time dimension – forward pass – backward pass.
Risk Management: Risk – Categories – Dealing with risk – Risk identification, assessment,
planning and management – Evaluating risk to schedule.
UNIT-III:
Resource Allocation: Introduction - Nature of resources – identifying the resource
requirements – scheduling resources – creating critical path – counting the cost – being specific –
publishing the resource schedule – cost schedules – scheduling the sequence. Monitoring and
Control: Creating framework – collecting the data – visualizing progress – cost monitoring –
earned value analysis – prioritizing monitoring – getting the project back to target – change
control.
Part A

47. How you can collect internal data and external data?
Internal data are collected within the organization, usually by transaction
processing systems, but also through employee and customer surveys. External
data is collected from a wide array of sources outside the organization.
48. What is unstructured data?
Unstructured data are the data drawn from meeting discussions, private
conversations, textual documents, graphical representations and other “non
uniform” sources.
49. What is structured data?
Structured data are numbers and facts that can be conveniently stored and
retrieved I an orderly manner for operations and decision-making.
50. What are the phases in systems development life cycle (SDLC)?
1. Planning
2. Analysis
3. Design
4. Implementation
5. Support
51. What is ROI?
The Return on Investment is a calculation of the difference between the
stream of benefits and the stream of costs over the life of the system, discounted
by the applicable interest rate.
52. Write some ways to collect information for system requirements.
1. Interviews
2. Questionnaires
3. Examination of documents
4. On-the-job observation
53. Write the goals of project management.
1. Complete the project on time
2. Complete the project within budget.
3. Meet requirements.
4. Meet expectations
54. What is outsourcing?
Outsourcing-trusting all or part of an organization’s IS operation to an
outside company.
55. Write any four competencies to define goal and scope of the software project.
Defining the product, documenting plan. Estimating cost, estimating
effort.
56. Write the characteristics of activities.
Label, size, source.
57. Differentiate product view and project view
Product view-hierarchical relationship among product elements
Project view- hierarchical relationship among work activities.
58. Name any four guiding principles for selecting a project team.
Public, client and employer, product, judgment.
59. Write any two disadvantages of using LOC
LOC is difficult to estimate for new software early in the life cycle
There are no industry standards for counting lines of code.
60. What is regression model?
A regression model is derived from a statistical interpretation of historical
data to describe a mean or typical relationship between variables.
61. Write the three levels of COCOMO.
Basic, Intermediate, detailed.
62. Give basic COCOMO effort formula.
Effort (E) = a* (Size)b
Where a, b are constants.
Size- thousand of lines of code (KLOC)
E-effort expressed in staff months.
63. Write the three models of COCOMO II.
The application composition model, the early design model, the post
architecture model.
64. Write the putnam equation
S= C*K1/3*td 4/3
Where
S= software size in LOC
C=Environmental factor= S/K1/3 td 4/3
K=Total effort for the overall project
td=Delivery time constraint in years
65. Give any two disadvantages of SLIM.
1. To use the model, the software size must be identified in advance.
2. Estimates are extremely sensitive to the technology factor.
66. Give any two advantages of SLIM.
1. Offers value-added effective planning, especially on large projects.
2. Simplifies decision making.
67. Write the types of roles.
Database designers, Configuration Management experts, Human interface
Designers, Web Masters, Network Specialists, System architects, Programming
language experts.
68. Characteristics of roles
Responsibility, authority, accountability.
69. What is Activity-on-arrow (AOA)?
One Representation of Network diagram puts the activity information on
The arrows between the nodes are called an activity-on-arrow representation
(AOA).
70. What is Activity-on-Node (AON)?
One Representation of Network diagram puts the activity information on
nodes and is called an activity-on- node representation(AON).
71. Define Load Leveling.
Load Leveling is the process of rescheduling tasks that have available
slack to achieve a more balances distribution of resource usage.
72. Name the three forms of presenting a project schedule
Table, Gantt chart, Network diagram.

PART – B&C
11. Briefly explain about COCOMO: A Regression Model.
Explain -COCOMO: A Regression Model with examples
Modes of COCOMO, levels of COCOMO, Advantages
and disadvantages of COCOMO.
12. Briefly explain about function points to measure the software size.
Guidelines for counting Function points
-Count number of function in each category
- Apply Complexity weighting factors.
-Apply Environmental factors
-Calculate Complexity Adjustment Factor (CAF)
- Compute Adjusted Function Points (AFP)
- Convert to LOC.
-Write the Formulas and explain with example.
13. (a). Intermediate COCOMO Example:
A10 KLOC embedded mode software product is to perform
communications processing functions on a embedded mode. Find effort.
-using the formula find effort.
Effort (E)= a* (Size)b
Where a, b are constants.
Size- thousand of lines of code ( KLOC) (8)
E-effort expressed in staff months.
(b). Short notes on Effects of reuse on software size (8)
-new code, modified code, reused code, legacy code
14. (i) A development project is sized at 7.5 KLOC and is evaluated as being
simple -in the organic mode. Find Effort, Development time, average
number of staff members (6)
(ii)SEI CMM and estimating (10)
(i).Effort – 20 staff months
 Development time - 8 months
Average number of staff members-2.5 staff members
(ii)SEI CMM and estimating-goals, activities
15. Briefly explain about PERT and CPM Scheduling
PERT-Program evaluation and review technique-draw graph and
explain with example
CPM-Critical Path Method-explain forward pass and backward pass
Explain with example to find critical path
16. Explain about Assigning resources.
Explain- Organizational planning, Project roles, types of roles,
Assigning responsibilities to individuals.
17. Explain the following
(i).Organizational form (8)
(ii).Map the schedule to a real calendar (8)
UNIT-IV:
Managing Contracts: ISO 12207 approach – supply process – types of contract –
stages in contract placement, management – acceptance. Managing People and Organizing
Terms: understanding behavior – organizational behavior – selecting the right person for the job
– instruction in the best methods – Motivation – Working in groups – becoming a team –
decision making – Leadership – organizational structures – dispersed and virtual teams -
influence of culture – stress – health and safety.
PART – A
74. Write any three network diagram methods.
PERT- Program evaluation and review Technique
CPM- Critical Path Method
ADM- Arrow Diagramming Method
75. Define Quality?
ISO provides the definition of Quality as “The totality of features and
characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy specified or
implied needs.
76. Define scope?
It defines the requirements of the company for software design and
development work within the project.
77. What are the measures of software quality?
Correctness
Maintainability
Usability
Integrity
78. What is LOC?
A line of code is any line of program text that is not a comment or blank
line regardless of the no. of statements or fragments of statements o the line.
79. Write the four basic requirements for an SCM System.
Identification, Control, Auditing, Status Accounting.
80. Draw the Software Configuration Management (SCM) Pyramid.
81Write the legal issues in product development techniques.
 Advertising and Consumer, Communications, Contracts, Privacy and Tort.
82. Name the six product component classes.
Software, Hardware, people, Database, documentation and Procedures.
83. Write any two advantages of function print analysis
1. It can be apply early in the S/W development life cycle.
2. It is dependent of programming language, technology & techniques
except for the adjustments at the end.
84. Write the disadvantages of function point analysis
1. It requires subjective evaluation.
2. There is more research data on LOC than on function points.
85. Give any two examples for personnel attributes.
Analyst capability (ACAP), Programming language (LEXP)
86. Give any two examples for Computer attributes.
Execution time constraint (TIME), Main storage constraint (STOR).
87. Name any two external dependencies.
Supplier, Stakeholders
88. What is start-to-start relationship(SS)
It means that one activity can start if and only if another activity starts.
89. What are the uses of Nominal group techniques?
Problem solving, Creative decision making, ideas generating situations
90. Difference between earliest start and earliest finish.
The earliest time period that the activity can start.
The earliest finish means the earliest time period that the activity can
finish.
91. Give any one example for Activity on Arrow.
92. Write the relationship between distance, time & speed.
Distance = Time X speed
93. What are three kinds of interfaces?
Personal, organizational, and system.
94. What is Critical path?
The path with Zero flexibility is called the critical path, because it
will have zero float b/w all of its activities.
95. What are the Managerial activities?
Project planning, tracking, control, risk analysis.
96. What are the types of process communication model?
Dreamer, Rector, Rebel, workaholic
97. Difference b/w personal and organizational stress.
Personal stress include apathy low productivity, irritability, frequent
complaints and health disorders
Organizational stress include misunderstandings of work
expectations, product quality and customer service problems.
98. Define tort.
A tort is defined as a wrongful act other than a breach of contract
that injures another and for which the law imposes civil liability.
99. Name any four selection criteria for SCM tools.
Multi user support, Scalability, Easy to setup, Process management.
100. Write the legal issues for project Management skills.
Alternative Dispute Resolution, arbitration, Negotiation and mediation
PART – B & C

21. Explain in detail about Building the quality assurance plan.

Explain- Purpose, Reference documents, Management,
Documentation, Standards, practices, conversions and metrics, Reviews
and audits, Risk Management, Problem reporting and corrective action,
Tools, techniques and methodologies, Supplier Control, Training, record
Collection, maintenance, and retention.
22. Explain in detail about Software Configuration Management (SCM) Principles.
Draw SCM Pyramid, explain- Understanding of SCM, SCM plan
and policies, SCM processes, Metrics, Tools for SCM, SCM
Configuration items.
23. Explain about Planning and Organizing for SCM.
Explain- Potential SCM problem Classes- Multiple developer
syndrome, multiple releases, product family, requirements change, schedule
change, software changes, staff change, documentation change
24. Explain the Benefits of SCM process and tools.
Explain- Control, Management, Cost savings, Quality.
25. Briefly explain about the legal issues in software.
Product development techniques - Advertising and Consumer,
Communications, Contracts, Privacy and Tort.
Project Management skills- Alternative Dispute Resolution,
Arbitration, Negotiation, and Mediation.
People Management skills- Contracts, handicap, Employment,
Intellectual property.

UNIT-V:
Software Quality: The place of software quality in project planning – importance of
software quality – defining software quality – ISO 9126 - practical software quality measures –
product vs process quality management – external standards – techniques to help enhance
software quality- quality plans. Small Projects: Introduction – Some problems with student
projects – content of a project plan – conclusion

Part A

8. What is the principle of prototype model?

A prototype is built to quickly demonstrate to the customer what the product would
look like. Only minimal functionality of the actual product is provided during the
prototyping phase.
9. What is RAD model?
RAD model stands for Rapid application Development model. The RAD model
combines the features of the waterfall model and the prototyping model.
10. What is the advantage of Spiral model?
The main advantages of spiral model is , it is realistic and typifies most software
development products/projects. It combines the best features of most of the earlier
models. It strikes a good balance mechanism for early problem identification and
correction while not missing out proactive problem prevention.
11. Name any two process models.
The ISO-9001 model.
The capability maturity model.
12. What is Metrics?
Metrics in a project management context is about measurements,. Measuring your
progress in order to know where you are and what mid course corrections you need to
take to achieve your goals.
13.What does SMART criteria stand for?
Specific, Measurable, Aggressive yet achievable, Result oriented, Time-bound.
14. What is configuration management?
Configuration management is the combination of software, services, and process
that enable each developer to recreate and use the exact set of files and environment for
a
specific software product, version, and platform.
15. What is configuration?
A configuration is a set of related items identifiable by id.
16. What is a configuration item?
It is an elementary part of the configuration that must be identified or versioned.,
tracked and controlled.
17. What are the steps that constitutes configuration management?
Initial working, Base lining, Change management, management of workspaces,
configuration status accounting, configuration audit.
18. Who reviews or approves the change request?
The configuration control board review and approves the change request.
19. What is workspace?
The workspace replicates the environment in which the developer can build the
product under the same conditions in which the corresponding base line is built.
20 . Define configuration Audit.
A Configuration audit means ensuring that configuration management is being
followed as per stated guidelines and that all the quality records are in place.
21. Define Quality.
Quality is about transforming as many of the implied requirements of the customer
into stated requirements and meeting all the stated requirements.
22. What is Quality control?
Quality control refers to testing a product after a given phase to find out if it has
any defects.
23. Define Quality Assurance.
Quality Assurance focuses on prevention of defects from the very start, and it is
pro-active.
24. What are the five major areas of SQA?
Requirements fidelity, Process compliance, change control, minimizing the gap
between defect injection and detection, and product quality.
25. Name some tools of software quality assurance?
Inspection and review, Audits, Cross SQAs information sharing, Defect
classification and Analysis tools.
26. What is pareto Analysis?
The 80-20 rule is probably one of the most widely observed laws of nature. 80%
of the productivity of an organization is contributed by 20% of its people.
27. what is fish-bone diagram?
Fish-Bone diagram is another common tools that is used for getting to the root
cause of the defects.
28. What is Risk?
Risks are events that are usually beyond the planners control.
29. What is Risk management?
Risk management is the process of anticipating hurdles in carrying out the
original plan and providing alternate plans so that the impact on the originally
anticipated
final outcome is minimal.
30. Give the two important characteristics of the risk management?
It is proactive, It strives to reduce the impact of uncertainty.
31. What are the three phases of Risk management?
Risk identification, Risk Quantification, and Risk mitigation.
32. What are the ways of identifying the potential risks?
Examining organizational history, preparing checklists, information buying,
framework based risk categorization, simulation, Decision trees.
33.What are the Dimensions of Risk quantification?
Probability and the impact of Risk .
34.What is Risk mitigation?
Mitigation is a possible means if minimizing or even avoiding the impact of risk.
35. Give any two activities of project initiation.
Management team building.
Team formation.
36. what are the components of project plan?
The WHAT part, The WHAT COST part, The WHEN part, The HOW part, The
BY WHOM part.
37.What is Work Breakdown Structure?
Work breakdown structure is the decomposition of the project into smaller and
more manageable parts.
38. What are the external dependencies in project planning?
Staffing, Training, Acquisition and commissioning of new hardware, Availability
of modules, Travel.
39.What are internal milestones?
They are the measurable and quantifiable attributes of progress. They are the
intermediate points in the project which ensure that we are in the right track. They are
under the control of project manager.
40. What are the activities that increase the effect of project tracking?
Status reporting
Communications
SPMP updates.
41. What are the methods of communication?
One to one, Group meetings, Conferencing among teams in various locations,
non-work related outings.
42. what does project closure refer to?
Closure refers to the conclusion of a project or some logical part of the project.
43. What is the primary objective of project closure?
Evaluating effectiveness of the original project goals and providing to improve
the system.
50. What is second system effect?
It is a behavior pattern. When one goes from first project to the next there
is a tendency to stereotype the second project to make it look like the first one.
51. What is variance?
For any estimate the metric to determine its effectiveness is the variance.
52. How to define variance?
Variance = (planned-Actual)/Planned * 100
53. What are the design techniques that one can follow to enhance diagnosability?
Providing enough foot prints
Making context self contained
Having self identified data structures.
54. Give some design principles for maintainability.
Module level accountability
Proper documentation
55. Name some design principles for insatiability.
It should conform to a standard look-and-feel
Should assume intelligent context sensitive defaults.
56. What is testing?
Testing refers to the activities that are carried out to ensure that the final software
product meets the requirements that the product is intended to satisfy.
57. What are the activities that make up testing?
Test specification
Test design
Rest development
Test Registration
Test execution
Test maintenance

58. What is done in test design step?
The details of the layout, tooling and standards required for test development are
designed in this stage.
59. List some of the testing done during SDLC.
White box testing, black box testing, integration testing, system testing,
installation testing, Regression testing, Acceptance testing.
60. What is functionality testing?
It is a black box testing which exercises the basic functionality of the product
from an external; perspective.
61. What is interface testing?
Testing which tests the interfaces among modules.
62. What do system testing do?
System testing focus on stressing the system under extreme conditions and
ensuring that if there is any failure, it is well managed.
63. What are the steps carried out in installation testing?
packaging
Documenting
Installing
Verifying.
64. Define regression testing.
Regression tests are defined as those tests that are run to verify that problems do
not resurface or regress.
65. What is done in maintenance phase?
The maintenance phase deals with the process of evaluating the customers
product change request. making necessary changes to the product.
66. List the activities done in maintenance phase.
problem reporting
Problem resolution
Solution distribution
Proactive defect prevention.
67. what is problem reporting?
Once the user finds the difference in using the product behavior and the
behaviors what it has to be the problem reporting takes place.
68. What is reactive maintenance?
Carrying out maintenance to fix problems after the problems surface
69. What is Proactive defect prevention?
The information about the problem occur that is collected in the problem
repository can be used to prevent problem occurrence which is called proactive
prevention.
70.What are the challenges in building global teams?
Cultural differences, communication issues, time zone differences and hiring and
retention.
71. Name some models of global projects.
Resource model, lifecycle model, integrated team model.
72. Define Resource model
Here one of the team is signified as the primary team, and this directs and
allocates work for other teams.
73. What is lifecycle model?
Here different teams have specialization and responsibility in different life cycle
phase.
74. Explain integrated team model.
This is the true globally distributed model. The teams in different locations work
together throughout all life cycle phases as peers.
75. What are the two main characteristics of internet economy?
* Neck breaking speed
* Drastic reduction in product cycle times
76. What is the effect of internet on project management?
Reduction I n training time
Reduction in software distribution costs
77. What does P-CMM model stand for?
P-CMM stand for people CMM.
78. What are the challenges in building global teams?
Cultural differences, communication issues, time zone issues, hiring and
retentions.
79. Explain Integrated testing team model?
There is one project manage who manages both the development and the testing
functions.
80. What is dedicated testing team model?
In this model the testing team reports directly to the next level of senior
management. Thus the conflicts between operational delivery responsibilities and
testing
responsibilities are avoided.
81. What is Unit testing?
Unit testing is done when a part of the code or function or single
transaction is to be tested. This test can be nested in any kind of testing.
82. Define regression testing.
This is another form of stress testing. This testing is done when any
modification is done in the software.
83. What are the factors that lead to Risk?
* Estimation errors
* Planning assumptions
* Business risks
84. What is meant by hazard?
Hazard is an event that create a problem for successful completion of a project.
85. What are the various steps under risk analysis?
* Risk Estimation
* Risk identification
* Risk evaluation
86.What is risk likelihood?
The probability of a hazard occurring is known as the risk likelihood.
87. What is risk impact?
The effect that the resulting problem will have direct impact of the project is
known as risk impact.
88. What are the various categories of resources?
* labour
* equipment
* materials
* space
89. What is meant by activity schedule?
Activity schedule indicates the planned start and completion dates for each
activity.
90. What is mean by resource schedule?
Resource schedule shows the date on which each resource will bw required and
the level of that requirements.
91.What is cost schedule?
Cost schedule shows the planned cumulative expenditure cost by the use of
resource overtime.
92. What are the various types of charts used in visualizing progress?
Gannt chart, slip chart, Bar chart, Timeline chart.
93. What are the types of cost?
* Staff cost
* Overheads
* Usage charges.
94. What is review point?
Project level progress reviews will generally takes place at particular
points during the life cycle of project is known as review point.
95 what is the role of the project board?
The overall responsibility for ensuring satisfaction progress on a project is the roll
of the project board.
96. What is the role of project manager?
The project manager is responsible for day to day administration of the
project.
97. What is closed system?
Closed systems are those that do not interact with the environment.
98.Define stake holder.
These are people who have a stake of interest in the project.
99.What is embedded system?
A system that is a part of a large system whose primary purpose is noncomputational.
100. What is function point?
Function point is the unit for measuring size of a software application.
PART B & C Questions

14. what are the activities that make up testing?

Test specification
Test design
Test development
Test registration
test execution
Test maintenance
15. List the various types of testing done during product life cycle .
white box testing
black box testing
integration testing
system testing
installation testing
regression testing
Acceptance testing
16. What are the activities done during maintenance phase?
Problem reporting:
When the customers find any differences I n product behavior and their
understanding of what the behaviour of the product should have been.
Problem resolution
It is clear that the problem is new one that currently dies not have a fix. Now the
action shifts to the product development organizations.
Solution distribution:
When should the fix be sent to customer/
Proactive defect prevention
Analyzing common user errors and updating documentation as necessary..

1. Briefly explain about product development techniques.

Explain-Assessing processes, Awareness of process standards,

defining the product, evaluating alternative processes, managing requirements,
performing initial assessment, selecting methods and tools, Tailoring
processes.
2. Briefly explain about project management skills.

Explain- Documenting plan, Building a work breakdown

structure, estimating cost, estimating plan, estimating effort, Managing risks,
Scheduling, Scheduling metrics.
3. Briefly explain about people management skills.

Explain- Appraising performance, Holding effective meeting,

interaction and communication, leadership, managing change, planning
careers, Recruiting, Selecting a team.
4. Explain about SEI CMM.
Explain about SEI CMM.
 Define SEI CMM, five levels of maturity - Initial, repeatable, defined,
managed, optimizing.
-Draw diagram.
5. Short notes on the following.
1. process (8)
2. International organization for standardization.(8)
(1). process- definition, product process, project process,
Organizational process focus, organizational process definition (8)
(2). Explain 12 engineering activities for International organization for
standardization. (8)
6. Briefly explain about software size and reuse estimating
Explain- competencies, SEI CMM and estimating, WBS, size
measures, LOC, function points as a unit of size, feature points as a
unit of size
7. Briefly explain about the categories of cost drivers and advantages of a SLIM.
Categories of cost drivers -Product attributes, computer attributes,
project attributes, personnel attributes
Write advantages of SLIM.
8. Briefly explain about Individual Personality Type.
Explain- The Myers_Briggs Type Indicator, fundamental
Interpersonal Relations Orientation –Behavior(FIRO-B) model, the
Keirsey Temperament sorter,process communication model.
9. Briefly explain about project planning.
Define - project planning.
Explain –project process, product process, explain the steps why,
what, how, do it, did it.
10. Explain the following
(i). Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) (8)
(ii). Short notes on Leader’s style (8)
Explain the following
(i). Work Breakdown Structure(WBS)
-competencies, milestone, approaches to build a WBS.
(ii). Short notes on Leader’s style
-Telling , selling, participating, delegating.
(i).Organizational form
(ii).Map the schedule to a real calendar –explain the four
components -work, units, duration, dates
18. Briefly explain about Quality Function Deployment
-Explain QFD method, goals of QFD, Advantages of QFD.
19. Explain about Project charter and software project Management plan (SPMP).
Project charter- definition, Project charter contents.
Software project Management plan- it includes charter,
organization, process , work breakdown structure, schedule, budget.
Explain the elements of SPMP
20. Explain in detail about the types of software development dependencies.
Explain- external versus internal dependencies, resource versus
activity dependencies, possible dependency relationships, and special types of
relationships.