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Software Project Planning Overview

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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
31 views4 pages

Software Project Planning Overview

Uploaded by

bayabayecha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

CHAPTER – 2

SOFTWARE PROJECT PLANNING

• Concerned with activities involved in ensuring that software is delivered on time and on
schedule and in accordance with the requirements of the organizations developing and
procuring the software
• Project management is needed because software development is always subject to budget
and schedule constraints that are set by the organization developing the software

The aim of project management


To complete a project:
• On time
• On budget
• With required functionality
• To the satisfaction of the client
• Without exhausting the team
To provide visibility about the progress of a project
1. MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

• Proposal writing
• Project planning and scheduling
• Project costing
• Project monitoring and reviews
• Personnel selection and evaluation
• Report writing and presentations

1.1. MANAGEMENT COMMONALITIES

• These activities are not peculiar to software management


• Many techniques of engineering project management are equally applicable to software
project management
• Technically complex engineering systems tend to suffer from the same problems as
software systems

8
Software Project Planning
2. PROJECT PLANNING

• Probably the most time-consuming project management activity


• Continuous activity from initial concept through to system delivery.
o Plans must be regularly revised as new information becomes available
• Various different types of plan may be developed to support the main software project plan
that is concerned with schedule and budget

2.1. TYPES OF PROJECT PLAN


Plan Description
Quality plan Describes the quality procedures and
standards that will be used in a project.
Validation plan Describes the approach, resources and
schedule used for system validation.
Configuration Describes the configuration management
management plan procedures and structures to be used.
Maintenance plan Predicts the maintenance requirements of
the system, maintenance costs and
effort required.
Staff development Describes how the skills and experience
plan. of the project team members will be
developed.

2.2. PROJECT PLANNING PROCESS

Establish the project constraints


Make initial assessments of the project parameters
Define project milestones and deliverables
While project has not been completed or cancelled loop
Draw up project schedule
Initiate activities according to schedule Wait (for while
)
Review project progress
Revise estimates of project parameters
Update the project schedule
Re-negotiate project constraints and deliverables
if ( problems arise ) then
Initiate technical review and possible revision

end if

end loop
Software Project Planning
2.3. PROJECT PLAN STRUCTURE
• Introduction
• Project organization
• Risk analysis
• Hardware and software resource requirements
• Work breakdown
• Project schedule
• Monitoring and reporting mechanisms

3. PROJECT SCHEDULING

• Split project into tasks and estimate time and resources required to complete each task
• Organize tasks concurrently to make optimal use of workforce
• Minimize task dependencies to avoid delays caused by one task waiting for another to
complete
• Dependent on project managers intuition and experience

3.1. THE PROJECT SCHEDULING PROCESS

3.2. SCHEDULING PROBLEMS

• Estimating the difficulty of problems and hence the cost of developing a solution is hard
• Productivity is not proportional to the number of people working on a task
• Adding people to a late project makes it later because of communication overheads
• The unexpected always happens. Always allow contingency in planning

4. RISK MANAGEMENT
• Risk management is concerned with identifying risks and drawing up plans to minimize
their effect on a project.
• A risk is a probability that some adverse circumstance will occur.
Software Project Planning
• Project risks affect schedule or resources
• Product risks affect the quality or performance of the software being developed
• Business risks affect the organization developing or procuring the software
4.1. THE RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS

Risk identification - Identify project, product and business risks


Risk analysis - Assess the likelihood and consequences of these Risks

Risk planning - Draw up plans to avoid or minimize the effects of the risk

Risk monitoring - Monitor the risks throughout the project

Common questions

Powered by AI

Challenges associated with estimating the cost of developing software solutions include the difficulty of accurately assessing the complexity of problems, predicting the resources required, and accounting for potential variables that could affect development time and resources. Additionally, prodictivity is not always proportionate to team size, which can distort cost predictions .

Various types of project plans, such as the quality plan, validation plan, configuration management plan, maintenance plan, and staff development plan, support the main software project plan by detailing specific procedures and standards, resources and schedules, configuration structures, maintenance requirements, and skill development pathways. These plans work in tandem to maintain focus on specific project aspects, ensuring overall alignment with the project’s goals .

Risk management is critical in software project planning because it helps identify potential risks that could affect the project's schedule, resources, quality, and the business as a whole. By assessing the likelihood and consequences of risks, planning to minimize their effects, and monitoring them throughout the project, risk management helps mitigate adverse impacts and supports more stable project execution .

Scheduling problems impact the efficiency of software project management by making it difficult to accurately estimate the duration and resource allocation for tasks. This can lead to delays due to task dependencies, misallocation of resources, and unexpected issues not being accounted for. Issues such as productivity not being proportional to the number of people and added communication overhead when more people are involved further complicate project timelines .

Risk identification and analysis shape the outcome of software development projects by preemptively identifying potential threats to project success and assessing their likelihood and potential impact. This enables the development team to prioritize risks and focus resources on mitigating significant threats, therefore increasing the project’s chances of success by reducing unforeseen disruptions .

Project planning in software development addresses continuous changes and uncertainties by treating planning as a continuous activity, from the initial concept through to system delivery. Plans are regularly revised as new information becomes available, and this adaptability helps manage the inherent uncertainties and dynamic nature of software projects .

Updating project schedules is important in response to project progress and unexpected issues as it allows for re-evaluation and reallocation of resources, helps keep the project on track, and aligns expectations with current realities. Regular updates ensure adaptability and responsiveness, helping mitigate risks and manage stakeholder expectations effectively .

The primary goals of software project management are to ensure that a project is completed on time, on budget, with the required functionality, to the client's satisfaction, and without exhausting the team. Meeting these goals contributes to successful project completion by balancing constraints and expectations, maintaining team morale, and delivering a product that meets the client's requirements .

Personnel selection and evaluation contribute to the overall success of a software project by ensuring that team members possess the necessary skills and experience for their roles. Regular evaluation helps identify areas for improvement and opportunities for skill development, thereby enhancing team performance and productivity, which are crucial for meeting project goals .

A project schedule can be optimized to use the workforce effectively by splitting the project into tasks, estimating the time and resources required for each, and organizing tasks to run concurrently. This minimizes task dependencies and makes optimal use of available workforce, reducing delays caused by waiting for preceding tasks to complete .

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