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Product-related Problems, Technology-related problems

<< Problems in Software Projects, Process- related Problems
Requirements Management, Requirements analysis >>
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Software Project Management (CS615)
LECTURE # 12
2. Software Development Fundamentals
Management Fundamentals
2.10
Problems in Software Projects
Product-related Problems
·
III-defined scope: You need to define the scope of the software product in the
initial stages of a software project. The scope of a software product is defined
in terms of the functionality requirements, the performance requirements, the
assumptions, and the constraints on the product. If the product scope is ill
defined, the software project does not have a proper focus on the features
required in the product.
·
Fuzzy users: You also need to clarify the background characteristics of the
users of the final software product at the beginning of the software project. If
the description of the users is fuzzy, then the software analysis, design, and
development stages may reflect the ambiguity with regard to the functions and
performance of the final software product.
Technology-related problems
You may also encounter technology-related problems in a software project. These
include:
·
Overestimated savings from reusable components and new tools and
methods: You can reuse software components in a software project to save
time, effort, and cost of creating the component again. It is important that you
assess the savings that the use of such a software component provides to a
software project. This expectation of both the customer and the management
might not be met, if you overestimate the savings from reusing software
components.
·
Switching tools in mid way: The current technology environment offers new
tools and technologies for software development at a fast rate. All these tools
and technologies offer the benefits of a shorter development cycle, lower
costs, and under better functionality than earlier tools. You should identify
and commit to the tool and technology for the software project before the
project commences. Switching the tool or technology used during the software
development stage causes the developers to relearn a new tool. In addition,
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Software Project Management (CS615)
there is a chance that it might not be possible to integrate the software already
developed with the new tool.
·
Integrating different software products in cross-platform implementation:
The modem software environment requires that all software should integrate
with each other. However, many software projects do not plan for integration
with existing software in the same or different domain. This limits the
applicationofsu9h software and reduces the shelf life drastically. They key to
the success of a software product is interoperability. The software project
manager needs to determine the scope for the software product such that is
can be integrated easily with existing software.
Summary
The phases in a software project can be organized into a project life cycle. Some
standard life cycle models are the Waterfall model, the Prototyping model, the
Incremental model, and the Spiral model.
Organizational policies and attitudes influence the progress of a software project
and the tasks of a software project manager. For smooth progress of software,
project, the organization should be proactive in adopting changes in technology
and market environments, focused on developing software, and accept software
projects that match the organizational capability baseline. In addition, the
organization should implement employee-friendly human resource policies and
good knowledge management system.
The role of a software project manager includes managing resources, cost, risk,
schedules, project plan, and quality. Software project management activities can
be divided into phases. The main phases and the associated activities are initiating
the project, planning, controlling, and tracking, implementing the product, and
project closedown.
Initiating the project includes gathering requirements, determining the scope,
allocating resources, and creating an initial project plan. Planning, controlling,
and tracking involve creating a detailed project plan, constructing software, and
implementing a control mechanism. Implementing the product comprises
implementation plan, support plan, training plan, and user acceptance plan.
Project closedown includes preparing closedown report, identifying learning for
future projects, and identifying reusable software components for future software
projects.
Problems- affecting software projects can be classified into people-related,
project-related, product-related, and technology-related.
Various myths regarding software project management are adding more people to
a late project can help to finish the project on time, combining the best resources
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Software Project Management (CS615)
with the worst resources results in optimal resource allocation, and changes to the
scope of the software project and the software product can be made at any-time in
the SDLC.
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Table of Contents:
  1. Introduction & Fundamentals
  2. Goals of Project management
  3. Project Dimensions, Software Development Lifecycle
  4. Cost Management, Project vs. Program Management, Project Success
  5. Project Management’s nine Knowledge Areas
  6. Team leader, Project Organization, Organizational structure
  7. Project Execution Fundamentals Tracking
  8. Organizational Issues and Project Management
  9. Managing Processes: Project Plan, Managing Quality, Project Execution, Project Initiation
  10. Project Execution: Product Implementation, Project Closedown
  11. Problems in Software Projects, Process- related Problems
  12. Product-related Problems, Technology-related problems
  13. Requirements Management, Requirements analysis
  14. Requirements Elicitation for Software
  15. The Software Requirements Specification
  16. Attributes of Software Design, Key Features of Design
  17. Software Configuration Management Vs Software Maintenance
  18. Quality Assurance Management, Quality Factors
  19. Software Quality Assurance Activities
  20. Software Process, PM Process Groups, Links, PM Phase interactions
  21. Initiating Process: Inputs, Outputs, Tools and Techniques
  22. Planning Process Tasks, Executing Process Tasks, Controlling Process Tasks
  23. Project Planning Objectives, Primary Planning Steps
  24. Tools and Techniques for SDP, Outputs from SDP, SDP Execution
  25. PLANNING: Elements of SDP
  26. Life cycle Models: Spiral Model, Statement of Requirement, Data Item Descriptions
  27. Organizational Systems
  28. ORGANIZATIONAL PLANNING, Organizational Management Tools
  29. Estimation - Concepts
  30. Decomposition Techniques, Estimation – Tools
  31. Estimation – Tools
  32. Work Breakdown Structure
  33. WBS- A Mandatory Management Tool
  34. Characteristics of a High-Quality WBS
  35. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
  36. WBS- Major Steps, WBS Implementation, high level WBS tasks
  37. Schedule: Scheduling Fundamentals
  38. Scheduling Tools: GANTT CHARTS, PERT, CPM
  39. Risk and Change Management: Risk Management Concepts
  40. Risk & Change Management Concepts
  41. Risk Management Process
  42. Quality Concept, Producing quality software, Quality Control
  43. Managing Tasks in Microsoft Project 2000
  44. Commissioning & Migration