Project Management

 Define project, project management, RAD, JAD

 Describe project management activities
 Describe the advantages, disadvantages and
characteristics of SDLC (System Development Life
Cycle) and prototyping
 Describe the phases of SDLC
 Describe project dimensions affecting risk
 Discuss integration and project management tools
to use in dealing with risk
 Discuss issues in managing behavioral factors
Project Management
Project - temporary endeavor undertaken
to create a unique product or service
 may be divided into subprojects
Project management - application of
knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to
project activities to meet or exceed
stakeholder needs and expectations from
a project
 T.A.N.S.T.A.A.F.L.
Project Management
Activities
Ensuring progress of project using metrics
Identifying risks and assessing the
probability of them occurring
Ensuring progress toward deliverables
within constraints of time and resources
Running coordination meetings of the
project team
Negotiating for resources on behalf of the
project
Project Modeling
Common vocabulary (beyond data repository)
Teamwork
Cycle Plan
Management
 Demonstrated in SDLC and other approaches
 Project planning & requirements identification
 Project control (status, corrective action)
 Team management
 Organizational integration
Development Models
Systems Development Life Cycle
Rapid Applications Development
(RAD)
Prototyping
Joint Applications Development
(JAD) (like RAD with users)
Object-Oriented
Systems Development Life
Cycle (SDLC)

Overview
Software Acquisition Choices
SDLC Overview
SDLC:Phases
Alternative Approaches
SDLC - Prior Problems
Failure to meet:
 Budgets
 Schedules
 Expectations

TOO LITTLE…. TOO LATE

SDLC - Characteristics
“Problem” or “Opportunity”
Many names; Widely applicable
“Analysis” vs. “Synthesis”
Variance across stages
Disciplined approach
Systems approach
Iterative (not sequential)
Cyclical
SDLC - Advantages
Focus on tradeoffs
Focus on goals
Controls: milestones, checklist,
accountability
Tools, models, CASE
Hierarchical decomposition
Designed for user & manager
involvement
SDLC - Reasons for
Failure
Scope too broad or too narrow
Lack of needed skills
Incomplete specifications
No control/no framework
Lack of management/user
involvement
Too time-consuming
SDLC Phases
Initiation and Feasibility
Requirements Definition
Functional Design
Technical Design and Construction
Verification
Implementation
Maintenance & Review
I. Initiation & Feasibility
Project objectives & Scope
Preliminary survey & feasibility
 Technical
 Economic
 Operational
Project proposal and schedule
Identify assumptions & constraints
II. Requirements
Definition
Problem/Opportunity definition
Analyze current system
Focus on decisions and related
information needs
Define business functionality
Plan for training, user acceptance
Problem/Opportunity
Definition
Symptoms vs. real problems
Question decision maker’s
statement of problem
Bound problem realistically
Try to ascertain actual cause
Sometimes figuring out the
problem is half the solution
Analyze Current System
+ Understand activities involved
+ Identify decision points
+ Help identify problems &
deficiencies
+ Be aware of history
- Bias thinking
III. Functional Design
Focus on business needs
 usability, reliability
Logical design
 Outputs
 Inputs
 Presentation
 Processes
 Databases
 Personnel
IV. Technical Design and
Construction
Finalize architecture and acquire
hardware
Complete technical definition of data
access and other system components
Make (program) vs. buy
Develop test plans
Revise schedule, plan and costs
V. Verification
Program Testing
 Structured walkthrough
 Code inspection
 Unit test
 Pairs testing
Verification, stress, user and
security testing
VI. Implementation
Cut-over
 Parallel conversion
 Direct cut-over
 Pilot conversion
 Phased conversion
User training
VII. Maintenance and
Review
Post-implementation audit
 Ends - information requirements
(information, performance)
 Means - process
Maintenance (correcting bugs &
scheduled maintenance)
Enhancement (adding functionality)
Rapid Applications
Development (RAD)
Like prototyping, uses iterative
development
Uses tools to speed up
development
 GUI
 reusable code
 code generation
 programming, language testing and debugging
Iterative Development
System
Concept

Version
“1”
Version
“2”

Version
Software “N”
Development
Process
Uses of Prototyping
 Verifying user needs
 Verifying that design = specifications
 Selecting the “best” design
 Developing a conceptual understanding of novel situations
 Testing a design under varying environments
 Demonstrating a new product to upper management
 Implementing a new system in the user environment quickly
 Prototyping
Proposed Advantages Disadvantages in practice
 Improved user  Prototypes are used “as is”
Integration often difficult
communication
Design flaws
 Users like it
Poor performance
 Low risk  Difficult to manage process
 Avoids over-design  Creates unrealistic
 Experimentation expectations
and innovation  Documentation is difficult
 Spreads labor to
user department
 Observed Effects of
Prototyping
Software Product Software Process
 ease of use (+)  effort decreased (+)
 user needs (+)  difficult cost-estimation
 unrealistic user (-)
expectations (-)  end-user participation
 added features (?) increased (+)
 poorer performance (-)  more expertise needed
 mixed design quality (-)
 mixed maintainability  difficult planning &
 less need control (-)
 more difficult to do
Examples of Software
Risk Items
 personnel shortfalls
 unrealistic schedules/budgets
 developing wrong functionality
 developing wrong user interface
 “gold plating”
 continuing stream of requirements changes
 shortfalls in externally furnished
components
 shortfalls in externally performed tasks
 real-time performance shortfalls
 strained technical capabilities
Project Dimensions
Affecting Risk
Project Size (relative to others)
 Interchangeable man months
 The pregnant lady
Experience with Technology
Project structure
 High vs. Low
Complexity???
Low Company-Relative
Technology
LOW HI GH
STRUCTURE STRUCTURE
LARGE Low Risk Low Risk
PROJ ECT (susceptible to
mismanagement)

Very Low Very Low

SMALL Risk Risk
PROJ ECT (susceptible to
mismanagement)
High Company-Relative
Technology
LOW HI GH
STRUCTURE STRUCTURE
LARGE Very High Medium
PROJ ECT Risk Risk
SMALL High Medium-
PROJ ECT Risk Low Risk
Tools for Project
Management
External integration tools
(beyond project team)
Internal integration tools ( within
project team)
Formal planning tools
Formal results-control
mechanisms
Integration Tools
EXTERNAL INTERNAL
 User project manager  IT professional team
 User specification leader
approval process  Frequent team
 User-managed control meetings
process  Regular technical
 Users as team
status reviews
members  Outside technical
 User responsibility for
assistance
education&installation
 Goal setting by team
Tools of Project
Management
Formal Planning Tools 
Formal Control
 PERT, CPM
Tools
 Milestones
 Periodic formal status
 Systems specification
reports vs. plan
standards
 Change control
 Feasibility study
specifications
disciplines
 Project approval  Regular milestone
processes presentation meetings
 Postaudit procedures  Deviations from plan
reports
Project Management Tools -
Low Structure
Project External I nternal Formal Formal
Description I ntegration I ntegration Planning Control
Low tech, High Medium High Hign
large
Low tech, High Low Medium High
small
High tech, High High Low+ Low+
large
High tech, High High Low Low
small
Project Management Tools -
High Structure
Project External I nternal Formal Formal
Description I ntegration I ntegration Planning Control
Low tech, Low Medium High Hign
large
Low tech, Low Low Medium High
small
High tech, Low High Medium Medium
large
High tech, Low High Low Low
small
 Comparison of Software
Acquisition Choices
Method Cost Risk Meets Ease of Maintenanc Firm-
Needs Installation e Wide
Impact
Packaged Low Low Limited Moderate Moderate Limited
Application
s
Moderate Moderate

Customized Moderate Moderate Limited Moderate Moderate Limited

Software Extensiv
High Extensive Extensive
e

Outsourced Moderate Moderate Limited Not Not Limited

Developme Applicable Applicabl Extensiv
nt
High
e e

Enterpris High Moderate Limited Difficult Moderate Extensiv

e-Wide e
High Complex Extensive
Systems

In-House High Moderate Extensive Moderate Extensive Limited

Developme
nt
High
Managing Behavioral Factors
Balance goals of stakeholders
 project manager
 customer
 end-user (there’s a difference)
 sponsor
Sustain commitment
 project
 psychological (personal responsibility, biases)
 social (rivalry, norms for consistency)
 organizational (political support, culture)