Course Title:

MIT553: Software Project Management

Software Project Management

Unit-1: Unit-2: Unit-3: Unit-4: Unit-5:
Introduction Project An Overview Selection of an Software
to Software Evaluation of Project Appropriate Effort
Project and Program Planning Project Estimation
Management Management Approach

Unit-6: Unit-7: Unit-8: Unit-9: Unit-10:

Managing
Activity Managing People in
Risk Monitoring and
Planning Contracts Software
Management Control Environments
and Resource and working in
Allocation teams

Unit-11:
Software Quality
 Software Project Management
 Introduction
 Why is Software Project Management Important
 What is a Project and Characteristics of projects
 Software Projects versus Other Types of Project
Unit-1:  Contract Management and Technical Project Management
Introduction to  Activities Covered by Software Project Management
Software  Plans, Methods and Methodologies
Project
 Some Ways of Categorizing Software Projects;
Management
 Stakeholders
 Setting Objectives
 Project Success and Failure
 What is Management
 Management Control
 Traditional versus Modern Project Management Practices

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

OBJECTIVES:

 Define the scope of ‘software project management’;

 Understand some problems and concerns of software project managers;
 Define the usual stages of a software project
 Explain the main elements of the role of management
 Appreciate the need for careful planning, monitoring and control
 Identify the stakeholders of a project and their objectives
 Define the success criteria for a project
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
Introduction

 Differences of "Software Project Management" Vs Managing Other

Projects.
 Key concepts related to planning, monitoring, and controlling software
projects and all projects aim to meet specific objectives.
 Importance of identifying stakeholders and their objectives to ensure that
project management aligns with their needs.
 Necessity of understanding the current state of a project to gauge its
likelihood of meeting objectives in the future.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Project

 What is project?
 Characteristics of Project ?
 Problems ?
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
What is a Project

 Project is being a planned activity and on being planned assumes we can

determine how to carry out a task before we start.
 Planning is in essence thinking carefully about something before you do it – even
with uncertain projects this is worth doing as long as the resulting plans are seen
as provisional.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

What is a Project : The characteristics of projects
 Task - non-routine tasks are involved;
 Planning - planning is required;
 Objectives- specific objectives are to be met or a specified product is to be
created;
 Time - the project has a predetermined time span;
 Work - work is carried out for someone other than yourself;
 Specialists - work involves several specialisms;
 Temporary - people are formed into a temporary work group to carry out the task;
 Phases - work is carried out in several phases;
 Constraints - the resources that are available for use on the project are
constrained;
 Size - the project is large or complex.
The more any of these factors apply to a task, the more difficult that task will be. Project size
is particularly important. The project that employs 20 developers is likely to be
disproportionately more difficult than one with only 10 staff because of the need for additional
coordination.
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
Problem with Project
Some argue that projects are especially problematic as they are temporary sub-
organizations.
 A group of people is brought together to carry out a task. The existence of
this sub-organization cuts across the authority of the existing units within
the organization. This has the advantage that a group containing various
specialists is focused on a single important task.
 However, the project is likely to be seen as disruptive to others. Also,
expertise built up during the project may be lost when the team is
eventually dispersed at the end of the project.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Why is Software Project Management

Important

 Why is Software Project Management Important?

 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
Importance of Project Management,
This course is for students of software engineering and computer science and also
those studying business information systems. More technically oriented students can
be impatient at having to study something which keeps them away from their code.
So why is it important to become familiar with project management?
First, there is the question of money. A lot of money is at stake with ICT projects. In
the United Kingdom during the financial year 2002–2003, the central government
spent more on contracts for ICT projects than on contracts related to roads (about
£2.3 billion as opposed to £1.4 billion). The biggest departmental spender was the
Department for Work and Pensions, who spent over £800 million on ICT.
Unfortunately, projects are not always successful. In a report published in 2003, the
Standish Group in the United States analysed 13,522 projects and concluded that only
a third of projects were successful; 82% of projects were late and 43% exceeded their
budget.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Importance of Project Management,
The reason for these project shortcomings is often the management of projects. The
National Audit Office in the UK, for example, among other factors causing project
failure identified ‘lack of skills and proven approach to project management and risk
management’.

Mismanagement of ICT projects means that financial resources being wasted

or misallocated. As a consequence of this mismanagement, there is less
money available for essential services and public goods, such as hospitals.
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Software Projects versus Other Types of Project:

 Invisibility
 Complexity
 Conformity
 Flexibility

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Software Projects versus Other Types of Project:
Many techniques in general project management also apply to software project management,
but Fred Brooks identified some characteristics of software projects which make them
particularly difficult:
Invisibility - When a physical artefact such as a bridge is constructed the progress can actually be
seen. With software, progress is not immediately visible. Software project management can be seen
as the process of making the invisible visible.
Complexity - Software products contain more complexity than other engineered artefacts relative
to the amount of money invested in their development.
Conformity - The ‘traditional’ engineer usually works with physical systems and materials like
cement and steel. These physical systems have complexity, but are governed by consistent physical
laws. Software developers have to conform to the requirements of human clients. It is not just that
individuals can be inconsistent. Organizations, because of lapses in collective memory, in internal
communication or in effective decision making, can exhibit remarkable ‘organizational stupidity’.
Flexibility - That software is easy to change is seen as a strength. However, where the software
system interfaces with a physical or organizational system, it is expected that the software will
change to accommodate the other components rather than vice versa. Thus software systems are
particularly subject to change.
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Contract Management and Technical Project Management

(Roles of client side’s Project Manager and supplier side’s Project Manager )

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Contract Management and Technical Project Management

Two approaches for Software Development are:

 In-house
 Contract out ICT development to outside developers
Here, the client organization will often appoint a ‘project manager’ to supervise the
contract who will delegate many technically oriented decisions to the contractors.
Thus, the project manager will not worry about estimating the effort needed to write
individual software components as long as the overall project is within budget and on
time.
On the supplier side, there will need to be project managers who deal with the more
technical issues. This book leans towards the concerns of these “Technical Project
Managers”
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Activities Covered by Software Project Management:

 Three consecutive steps or stages involved in creating a new system.
1. Feasibility Study
2. Plan
3. Project Execution

 Software Development Vs Project

( System vs Software)

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Activities Covered by Software Project Management:
A software project is not only concerned with the actual writing of software. In fact,
where a software application is bought ‘off the shelf’, there may be no software
writing as such, but this is still fundamentally a software project because so many of
the other activities associated with software will still be present.
There are three consecutive steps or stages involved in creating a new system.

1. Feasibility Study
2. Plan
3. Project Execution
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
Activities Covered by Software Project Management;
1. The feasibility study - assesses whether a project is worth starting – that it
has a valid business case.
 This involves gathering information about the proposed application's
requirements, which can be complex initially. Stakeholders may have clear
goals but may be uncertain about the means of achieving them.
 The feasibility study, especially for large systems, is highlighted as a
project in itself with its own plan. It may also be part of a broader strategic
planning exercise, evaluating various potential software developments
within a program.
 The study involves estimating developmental and operational costs and
determining the value of the anticipated benefits of the new system.
 Additionally, organizations may assess a program consisting of multiple
projects.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Activities Covered by Software Project Management;
2. Planning If the feasibility study indicates that the prospective project appears
viable, then project planning can start. For larger projects, we would not do all our
detailed planning at the beginning. We create an outline plan for the whole project
and a detailed one for the first stage. Because we will have more detailed and accurate
project information after the earlier stages of the project have been completed,
planning of the later stages is left to nearer their start.
3. Project execution The project can now be executed. The execution of a project
often contains design and implementation sub-phases. Students new to project
planning often find that the boundary between design and planning can be hazy.
Design is making decisions about the form of the products to be created. This could
relate to the external appearance of the software, that is, the user interface, or the
internal architecture. The plan details the activities to be carried out to create these
products. Planning and design can be confused because at the most detailed level,
planning decisions are influenced by design decisions. Thus a software product with
five major components is likely to require five sets of activities to create them.
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management
Activities Covered by software development:
Figure shows the typical sequence of software development activities recommended
in the international standard ISO 12207. Some activities are concerned with the
system while others relate to software. The development of software will be only one
part of a project. Software could be developed, for example, for a project which also
requires the installation of an ICT infrastructure, the design of user jobs and user
training.
 Requirements analysis
 Architecture design
 Detailed design
 Code and test
 Integration
 Qualification testing
 Installation
 Acceptance support

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Plans, Methods and Methodologies;
"Plans" and "methods" are terms often used in different contexts, but they generally
refer to distinct concepts. A plan for an activity must be based on some idea of a
method of work.
Plans: In project management, a plan is a detailed proposal or schedule outlining the
specific activities, resources, and timelines needed to achieve a goal or complete a
project.
Methods: Methods refer to the specific techniques or approaches used to execute the
tasks outlined in the plan. It's about the "how" of getting things done.
While a method relates to a type of activity in general, a plan takes that method and
converts it to real activities, identifying for each activity:
 its start and end dates;
 who will carry it out;
 what tools and materials – including information – will be needed.
The output from one method might be the input to another. Groups of methods or
techniques are often grouped into methodologies such as object-oriented design.
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Some Ways of Categorizing

Software Projects
Categorizing Software Projects are based on
1. Product Types
2. Others factors to consider are
 Compulsory versus voluntary users
 Information systems versus embedded systems
 Outsourced projects
 Objective-driven development

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Some Ways of Categorizing Software Projects:
Projects may differ because of the different technical products to be created. Thus we
need to identify the characteristics of a project which could affect the way in which it
should be planned and managed.
Factors are discussed below.
Compulsory versus voluntary users – Two types of users are in workplaces
a) Compulsory - like staff must use to perform tasks like recording a sale. These systems
have specific requirements that can be determined through a structured process of eliciting
information from potential users.
b) Voluntary - in the case of computer games, the use of the system is increasingly
voluntary. Users play games for entertainment rather than out of necessity for work-
related tasks. In this context, it becomes challenging to obtain precise requirements from
potential users because the purpose of using the system is more subjective and varied.
The development of a game relies heavily on the creative and informed decisions of the
developers. Unlike business systems where specific requirements can be gathered, game
development depends on the ingenuity of the developers, market surveys, focus groups, and
prototype evaluation to understand and meet the preferences and expectations of the gaming
audience.
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
Some Ways of Categorizing Software Projects:
Information systems versus embedded systems – A traditional distinction has been
between information systems which enable staff to carry out office processes and embedded
systems which control machines. A stock control system would be an information system. An
embedded, or process control, system might control the air conditioning equipment in a
building. Some systems may have elements of both where, for example, the stock control
system also controls an automated warehouse.
Outsourced projects – Differences between outsourced project Vs conventional in-
house project. For several reasons, organization either outsourced and in-house the software
development. For example, a company may consider outsourcing as a good option, if it feels
that it does not have sufficient expertise to develop some specific parts of the product or if it
determines that some parts can be developed cost-effectively by another company. Since an
outsourced project is a small part of some project, it is usually small in size and needs to be
completed within a few months. Considering these differences between an outsourced project
and a conventional project, managing an outsourced project entails special challenges.
This both types of project have different approach of managing and impact on its profitability.
For example, a company that has developed a generic software product usually gets an
uninterrupted stream of revenue over several years. However, outsourced projects fetch only
one time revenue to any company.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Some Ways of Categorizing Software Projects:
Objective-driven development – Projects may be distinguished by whether their aim is to
produce a product or to meet certain objectives.
 A project might be to create a product, the details of which have been specified by the
client. The client has the responsibility for justifying the product.
 On the other hand, the project requirement might be to meet certain objectives which
could be met in a number of ways. An organization might have a problem and ask a
specialist to recommend a solution.

Many software projects have two stages. First is an objective-driven project resulting in
recommendations. This might identify the need for a new software system. The next stage is a
project actually to create the software product.
This is useful where the technical work is being done by an external group and the user needs
are unclear at the outset. The external group can produce a preliminary design at a fixed fee. If
the design is acceptable the developers can then quote a price for the second, implementation,
stage based on an agreed requirement.
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Stakeholders
Importance of identifying stakeholders and their objectives to ensure that project
management aligns with their needs.

 Stakeholders
 Internal to the project team
 External to the project team but within the same organization
 External to both the project team and the organization

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Stakeholders:
These are people who have a stake or interest in the project. Their early identification
is important as you need to set up adequate communication channels with them.
Stakeholders can be categorized as:
1. Internal to the project team - under the direct managerial control of the project
leader.
2. External to the project team but within the same organization - the project leader
might need the assistance of the users to carry out systems testing. Here the
commitment of the people involved has to be negotiated.
3. External to both the project team and the organization - External stakeholders may
be customers (or users) who will benefit from the system that the project
implements. They may be contractors who will carry out work for the project. The
relationship here is usually based on a contract.
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
Stakeholders:
Different types of stakeholder may have different objectives and one of the jobs of the
project leader is to recognize these different interests 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. Boehm
and Ross proposed a ‘Theory W’ of software project management where the
manager concentrates on creating situations where all parties benefit from a project
and therefore have an interest in its success. (The ‘W’ stands for ‘win–win’.)

Given the importance of coordinating the efforts of stakeholders, it is

advisable to develop a communication plan at the start of a project.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Setting Objectives
 Set the objectives of the project
 Identify a project authority
 Difference between Objectives and Sub-objectives and goals
 Measures of effectiveness of objectives & goals
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
Setting Objectives:
Objectives focus on the desired outcomes of the project rather than the tasks within
it. One statement in a set of objectives might be ‘customers can order our products
online’ rather than ‘to build an e-commerce website’.
Stakeholders are those who actually own the project. They control the financing of
the project. They also set the objectives of the project. The objectives should define
what the project team must achieve for project success. Although different
stakeholders have different motivations, the project objectives identify the shared
intentions for the project.
There is often more than one way to meet an objective and the more possible routes
to success the better.
There may be several stakeholders, including users in different business areas, who might
have some claim to project ownership. In such a case, a project authority needs to be explicitly
identified with overall authority over the project. This authority is often a project steering
committee (or project board or project management board) with overall responsibility for
setting, monitoring and modifying objectives. The project manager runs the project on a day-
to-day basis, but regularly reports to the steering committee.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Setting Objectives:
Sub-objectives and goals - An effective objective for an individual must be something that is
within the control of that individual. A more appropriate goal or sub-objective for the software
developers would be to keep development costs within a certain budget. In order to achieve the objective
we must achieve certain goals or sub-objectives first. These are steps on the way to achieving an
objective, just as goals scored in a football match are steps towards the objective of winning the match.
Informally this can be expressed as a set of statements following the words ‘To reach objective. . ., the
following must be in place. . .’.
The mnemonic SMART is sometimes used to describe well-defined objectives:
 Specific: Effective objectives are concrete and well defined. Vague aspirations such as ‘to improve
customer relations’ are unsatisfactory. Objectives should be defined so that it is obvious to all
whether the project has been successful.
 Measurable: Ideally there should be measures of effectiveness which tell us how successful the
project has been. For example, ‘to reduce customer complaints’ would be more satisfactory as an
objective than ‘to improve customer relations’. The measure can, in some cases, be an answer to
simple yes/no question, e.g. ‘Did we install the new software by 1 June?’
 Achievable: It must be within the power of the individual or group to achieve the objective.
 Relevant: The objective must be relevant to the true purpose of the project.
 Time constrained: There should be a defined point in time by which the objective should have been
achieved.
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
Some Ways of Categorizing Software Projects:
Measures of effectiveness - Measures of effectiveness provide practical methods of
checking that an objective has been met. ‘Mean time between failures’ (mtbf) might,
for example, be used to measure reliability. This is a performance measurement and,
as such, can only be taken once the system is operational. Project managers want to
get some idea of the performance of the completed system as it is being constructed.
They will therefore seek predictive measures. For example, a large number of errors
found during code inspections might indicate potential problems with reliability later.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

The Business Case

 Justification(business case) of project need

Any project plan must ensure that the business case is kept intact. For example:
 Development costs are not allowed to rise to a level which threatens to exceed
the value of benefits;
 Features of the system are not reduced to a level where the expected benefits
cannot be realized;
 Delivery date is not delayed so that there is an unacceptable loss of benefits.
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
The Business Case:
Most projects need to have a justification or business case: the effort and expense of
pushing the project through must be seen to be worthwhile in terms of the benefits
that will eventually be felt.
A cost–benefit analysis will often be part of the project’s feasibility study. This will
itemize and quantify the project’s costs and benefits. The benefits will be affected by
the completion date: the sooner the project is completed, the sooner the benefits can
be experienced.
The quantification of benefits will often require the formulation of a business model
which explains how the new application can generate the claimed benefits.
A simple example of a business model is that a new web-based application might
allow customers from all over the world to order a firm’s products via the internet,
increasing sales and thus increasing revenue and profits

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Project Success and Failure

 Project objectives Vs Business objectives.

 A project can be a success on delivery of Project objectives but can be a failure

Business objectives (business case).
 Project manager guidelines for success of both Project objectives Vs Business
objectives(Business Case)
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
Project Success and Failure:
The project objectives are the targets that the project team is expected to achieve. In
the case of software projects, they can usually be summarized as delivering:
 the agreed functionality
 to the required level of quality
 on time
 within budget.
A project could meet these targets but the application, once delivered could fail to
meet the business case.
We have seen that in business terms it can generally be said that a project is a success if the
value of benefits exceeds the costs. We have also seen that while project managers have
considerable control over development costs, the value of the benefits of the project
deliverables is dependent on external factors such as the number of customers. Project
objectives still have some bearing on eventual business success. Increasing development costs
reduce the chances of the delivered product being profitable. A delay in completion reduces
the amount of time during which benefits can be generated and diminishes the value of the
project.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

What is Management?
Activities of Project Manager
Stages or Processes of Project Management
Project initiation stage
Project Execution
Project Closing
Project attributes
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
What is Management (POSDMCIR):
Software management refers to the process of planning, coordinating, and controlling
activities related to the development, deployment, and maintenance of software
systems within an organization. It encompasses a range of activities that ensure the
effective and efficient creation, delivery, and ongoing support of software products.
Management involves the following activities:
 planning – deciding what is to be done;

 organizing – making arrangements;

 staffing – selecting the right people for the job etc.;

 directing – giving instructions;

 monitoring – checking on progress;

 controlling – taking action to remedy hold-ups;

 innovating – coming up with new solutions;

 representing – liaising with clients, users, developer, suppliers and other

stakeholders.
Much of the project manager’s time is spent on only three of the eight identified
activities, viz., Project planning, Monitoring, and Control.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

What is Management
The time period during which these activities are carried out is indicated in Fig. 1.4. It
shows that project management is carried out over three well-defined stages or
processes, irrespective of the methodology used. In the project initiation stage, an
initial plan is made. As the project starts, the project is monitored and controlled to
proceed as planned. However, the initial plan is revised periodically to accommodate
additional details and constraints about the project as they become available. Finally,
the project is closed. In the project closing stage, all activities are logically
completed and all contracts are formally closed.
1. Project initiation stage
2. Project Execution
3. Project Closing
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
What is Management
Project planning is an important responsibility of the project manager. During project
planning, the project manager needs to perform a few well-defined activities that have been
outlined below. The following project attributes are estimated.
 Cost How much is it going to cost to complete the project?
 Duration How long is it going to take to complete the project?
 Effort How much effort (time and resources) would be necessary for completing the
project? ( i.e Effort = Size of work * Productivity)
The effectiveness of all activities such as scheduling and staffing, which are planned at a later
stage, depends on the accuracy with which the above three project parameters have been
estimated.
 Scheduling - based on estimations of effort and duration, the schedules for manpower and

other resources are developed.

 Staffing - staff organization and staffing plans are made.

 Risk Management - activity includes risk identification, analysis, and abatement (risk

reduction) planning.
 Miscellaneous Plans - includes making several other plans such as quality assurance plan,

configuration management plan, etc.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

What is Management
Project monitoring and control activities are undertaken after the initiation of development
activities. The aim of project monitoring and control activities is to ensure that the software
development proceeds as planned. While carrying out project monitoring and control
activities, a project manager may sometimes find it necessary to change the plan to cope with
specific situations and make the plan more accurate as more project data becomes available.

At the start of a project, the project manager does not have complete knowledge about the
details of the project. As the project progresses through different development phases, the
manager’s information base gradually improves. The complexities of different project
activities become clear, some of the anticipated risks get resolved, and new risks appear. The
project parameters are re-estimated periodically incorporating new understanding and change
in project parameters. By taking these developments into account, the project manager can
plan subsequent activities more accurately with increasing levels of confidence. Figure 1.4
shows this aspect as iterations between monitoring and control, and the plan revision
activities.
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
Management Control;
Management, in general, involves setting objectives for a system and then monitoring
the performance of the system. A project plan is dynamic and will need constant
adjustment during the execution of the project.
Project management often focus considerable attention on project planning. While
this is to be expected, with nearly all projects much more time is spent actually doing
the project rather than planning it.
A good plan provides a foundation for a good project, but is nothing without
intelligent execution. The original plan will not be set in stone but will be modified to
take account of changing circumstances.
Key points in Management are
 Focus on Project Planning
 Time Spent doing the Project
 Importance of Execution
 Flexibility of the Plan

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Management Control;

Read the exercises from text book for understanding about “project plan is dynamic
and will need constant adjustment during the execution of the Project”.
So, a good plan provides a foundation for a good project, but is nothing without
intelligent execution. The original plan will not be set in stone but will be modified to
take account of changing circumstances.
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
Management Control – (Example of Management Control)
 Assessing the 'estimated completion date' for data transfer in each branch is a critical aspect of
ensuring timely and successful project delivery.
 One or two branches will fail to complete the transfer of details in time, then need to consider what
to do (Making decisions/plans).
 Project manager would need to calculate carefully what the
impact would be in moving staff from particular branches. This is
modelling the consequences of a potential solution. Several
different proposals could be modelled in this way before one was
chosen for implementation.
 Having implemented the decision, the situation needs to be kept
under review by collecting and processing further progress
details.
 Again sometimes transferring extra staff to do data inputting will
not have accelerated data transfer because of manual records are
incomplete and low priority in missing info by another dept.

Conclusion: It can be seen that a project plan is dynamic and will

need constant adjustment during the execution of the project.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Traditional Project Management Practices

Vs
Modern Project Management Practices

1. Planning Incremental Delivery

2. Quality Management
3. Change Management
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
Traditional versus Modern Project Management Practices:
Over the last two decades, the basic approach taken by the software industry to develop
software has undergone a radical change. Hardly any software is being developed from scratch
any more. Software development projects are increasingly being based on either tailoring
some existing product or reusing certain pre-built libraries. In either case, two important goals
of recent life cycle models are maximization of code reuse and compression of project
durations.
Other goals include facilitating and accommodating client feedbacks and customer
participation in project development work, and incremental delivery of the product with
evolving functionalities. Change requests from customers are encouraged, rather than
circumvented(to avoid). Clients on the other hand, are demanding further reductions in
product delivery times and costs.
These recent developments have changed project management practices in many significant
ways.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Traditional versus Modern Project Management Practices:
Some important differences between modern project management practices and traditional
practices.
1. Planning Incremental Delivery
2. Quality Management
3. Change Management
Planning Incremental Delivery - In the past, projects were simpler and followed a detailed
plan before execution, with monitoring and control ensuring adherence. Today, projects are
shorter, emphasizing rapid development and deployment. Long-term planning has shifted to
adaptive short-term planning, known as extreme project management. This approach focuses
on flexibility, human aspects, and incremental deliveries with evolving functionalities, rather
than formal planning and monitoring techniques.
Quality Management - Customer awareness about product quality has increased significantly.
Tasks associated with quality management have become an important responsibility of the
project manager. The key responsibilities of a project manager now include assessment of
project progress and tracking the quality of all intermediate artifacts.
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
Traditional versus Modern Project Management Practices:
Change Management - Change management, also referred to as configuration management,
has become crucial in modern development processes. Unlike earlier practices where customer
suggestions were rarely considered after requirements sign-off, contemporary approaches
actively seek and incorporate customer feedback throughout development.
Incremental delivery models are prevalent, with products evolving through successive
versions, each implementing greater functionalities. This shift, driven by customer
involvement and customization trends, necessitates meticulous(very careful with great
attention) tracking of product versions and revisions.
Project managers play a key role in baseline establishment and version control, making change
management an integral responsibility in today's dynamic development landscape.

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Contents list for a project plan:
 Introduction
 Background: including reference to the business case
 Project objectives
 Constraints – these could be included with project objectives
 Methods
 Project products: both deliverable products that the client will receive and intermediate
products
 Activities to be carried out
 Resources to be used
 Risks to the project
 Management of the project, including
• organizational responsibilities
• management of quality
• configuration management
 Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)
Questions:
 What is project? Characteristics of Project ? Problems ?
 Distinguish between software product development and outsourced projects. Explain the
key ways in which managing an outsourcing project differs from a product development
project.
 Identify the important characteristics of software development projects which make these
harder to manage compared to other types of projects. Say for example, a building
construction project.
 What is the difference between a method and a methodology? What are the essential
items that must be planned before carrying out a method or methodology?
 Identify the main differences between managing the development of a conventional
project and an outsourced project.
 Identify the key aspects in which modern software project management practices differ
from those of traditional software project management.
 Explain the major activities carried out by a software project manager and the order in
which these are carried out

Unit 1: Introduction to Software Project Management (3 Hrs.)

Questions:
 What are the characteristics of projects? Explain the difference between Traditional
Project Management Practices Vs Modern Project Management Practices.
 What is project? Explain the important characteristics of software development projects
which make these harder to manage compared to other types of projects like a building
construction project.