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SPM Week 1

The document outlines the fundamentals of Software Project Management, focusing on the definition of projects, their characteristics, and the importance of effective management. It emphasizes the unique aspects of software projects, such as invisibility and complexity, while detailing the software development life-cycle and the significance of setting clear, SMART objectives. Additionally, it discusses stakeholder involvement and the necessity of a business case to ensure project benefits outweigh costs.

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8 views37 pages

SPM Week 1

The document outlines the fundamentals of Software Project Management, focusing on the definition of projects, their characteristics, and the importance of effective management. It emphasizes the unique aspects of software projects, such as invisibility and complexity, while detailing the software development life-cycle and the significance of setting clear, SMART objectives. Additionally, it discusses stakeholder involvement and the necessity of a business case to ensure project benefits outweigh costs.

Uploaded by

hashraaj555
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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FUNDAMENTALS OF SOFTWARE

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
SE4002

Week#1: Introduction to
Software Project
Management
Fall 2024

Dr. Qamar uz Zaman


Tehreem Aslam
Department of Software Engineering, National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Chiniot-Faisalabad Campus |
Objectives
• Software Project Versus Other Type of Projects

• Dimensions of a Software Project

• Activities in SPM

• Setting Goals & Objectives

• Business Case

• Significance of Processes

• Project Vs. Program Management


2
What is a project?
Some dictionary definitions:
“A specific plan or design”

“A planned undertaking”

“A large undertaking e.g. a public works scheme”


Longmans dictionary

Key points above are planning and size of task


3
Jobs versus projects

‘Jobs’ – repetition of very well-defined and well understood tasks with very
little uncertainty

‘Exploration’ – e.g. finding a cure for cancer: the outcome is very uncertain

‘Projects’ – in the middle!


4
Characteristics of projects
A task is more ‘project-like’ if it is:
• Non-routine
• Planned
• Aiming at a specific target
• Work carried out for a customer
• Involving several specialisms
• Made up of several different phases
• Constrained by time and resources
• Large and/or complex
Definition of aProject
A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to
create a unique product, service, or result. (PMBoK)

A project is defined as “a temporary organization


that is created for the purpose of delivering one or
more business products according to an agreed
Business Case.” (PRINCE 2)
Are software projects really different from
other projects?
Not really! …but…
• Invisibility: With software, progress is not immediately
visible
• Complexity: Per dollar, software products contain more
complexity than other engineered artefacts
• Conformity: Software developers have to conform to the
requirements of human clients
• Flexibility: Software systems are particularly subject to
change
Activities covered by project management
A software project is not only concerned with the actual writing
of software. In fact, where a software application is bought in
“of 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.

How do we
Feasibility study
do it?

Is it worth
doing? Plan
Do it!

Project excution

Three successive processes


Why is SPM important?
• Unfortunately, projects are not always
successful.
• Standish Group in the U.S. analyzed 13,522
projects and concluded that only a third of
them were successful; 82 percent were late and
43 percent exceeded their budget.
• The reason for these project shortcomings is
often the management of projects.
Some worldwide examples of failure in IT
Projects due to poor management…
The software development life-cycle (ISO 12207)

10
ISO12207life-cycle
Requirements analysis
• Requirements elicitation: what does the client
need?
• Analysis: converting ‘customer-facing’
requirements into equivalents that developers can
understand
• Requirements will cover
• Functions
• Quality
• Resource constraints i.e. costs
ISO12207life-cycle
• Architecture design
• Based on system requirements
• Defines components of system: hardware, software,
organizational
• Software requirements will come out of this
• Code and test
• Of individual components
• Integration
• Putting the components together
ISO12207 continued
• Qualification testing
• Testing the system (not just the software)
• Installation
• The process of making the system operational
• Includes setting up standing data, setting system
parameters, installing on operational hardware
platforms, user training etc
• Acceptance support
• Including maintenance and enhancement
Some ways of categorizing projects
• Compulsory vs. voluntary users
• Supermarket transaction system vs. computer game
• Information systems vs. embedded systems
• Office system vs. machine control system
• Objectives vs. products
• to meet certain objectives vs. to produce a product.
• Success is measured based on the accomplishment of
defined objectives.
• Success is often measured by the quality, functionality, and
timely delivery of the product.
Objectives vs. products: Example
Setting objectives
• Answering the question ‘What do we have to do to
have a success?’

• Need for a project authority


• Sets the project scope
• Allocates/approves costs

• Could be one person - or a group


• Project Board
• Project Management Board
• Steering committee
Objectives
Informally, the objective of a project can be defined
by completing the statement:
The project will be regarded as a success
if………………………………..

Rather like post-conditions for the project

Focus on what will be put in place, rather than how


activities will be carried out
Objectives should be SMART
S – specific, that is, concrete and well-defined
M – measurable, that is, satisfaction of the objective can
be objectively judged
A – achievable, that is, it is within the power of the
individual or group concerned to meet the target
R – relevant, the objective must relevant to the true
purpose of the project
T – time constrained: there is defined point in time by
which the objective should be achieved
Goals/sub-objectives
These are steps along the way to achieving the
objective. Informally, these can be defined by
completing the sentence…

Objective X will be achieved


IF the following goals are all achieved
A……………
B……………
C…………… etc
Goals/sub-objectives continued
Often a goal can be allocated to an individual.
Individual may have the capability of achieving goal,
but not the objective on their own e.g.

Objective – user satisfaction with software product

Analyst goal – accurate requirements

Developer goal – software that is reliable


Measures of effectiveness
How do we know that the goal or objective has been
achieved?
By a practical test, that can be objectively assessed.

e.g. for user satisfaction with software product:


• Repeat business – they buy further products from us
• Number of complaints – if low etc etc
Stakeholders
These are people who have a stake or interest in the
project
In general, they could be users/clients or
developers/implementers

They could be:


• Within the project team
• Outside the project team, but within the same
organization
• Outside both the project team and the organization
The business case
Benefits of delivered project
must outweigh costs
Benefits
Costs include:
- Development
Costs - Operation

Benefits
£ - Quantifiable
£ - Non-quantifiable
Project VSProgram Management
Project VSProgram Management
Key points in lecture
• Projects are non-routine - thus uncertain
• The particular problems of projects e.g. lack of
visibility
• Clear objectives are essential which can be objectively
assessed
• Stuff happens. Not usually possible to keep precisely
plan – need for control
• Communicate, communicate, communicate!

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