Software Project Management
Target group: CS 3rd year Students
Instructor: Alebachew D.
Course Description
Software project management is concerned with knowledge about
the planning, organization, and monitoring of all software life-
cycle phases.
Management is critical to ensure that a project is properly managed
using formal project management frameworks;
Integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resource, communication,
risk, and procurement.
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Course Objective
A student completing this module unit will be able to
understand and apply
Formal software project management approach
Tools and techniques
Principles and theories
Project management framework, and
How to develop software project management plan
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Course Content
Chap 1: Overview of Software Project Management
Chap 2: Software Project Context and Processes
Chap 3: Software Project Planning and Integration
Management
Chap 4 -11: Project Management Framework (Scope, Time,
Cost, Quality, HR, Communication, Risk, and Procurement)
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Project Management Framework
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Software Project Management (SPM)
Introduction
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Why you study SPM?
Failure of many Software Projects. For instance,
The United States Internal Revenue System was to
abandon its tax system modernization program after
having spent $4 billion;
The state of California spent $1 billion on its non-
functional welfare database system;
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Why you study SPM?
The €339 million United Kingdom air traffic control system was
reported as being two years behind schedule;
A 1995 Standish Group study (CHAOS) found that only 16.2% of IS
projects were successful and over 31% were canceled before
completion, costing over $81 B in the U.S. alone
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Causes of Project Management
Failure
Bad Communications
Poor schedule or resource Management (mismanagement)
Weak requirements definitions (leads to inadequate
planning)
Inadequate planning, assumptions, risks, or resources
Use of new or unproven technologies/methods
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Causes of Project Management Failure
Ineffective (or nonexistent) quality controls
Managing multiple projects at once or multi-tasking resources
Supply chain failures
Scope creep or poor impact analysis
Lack of qualified resources
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Advantages of Using Formal SPM
Better control of financial, physical, and human resources
Improved customer relations
Shorter development times
Lower costs
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Advantages of Using Formal SPM
Higher quality and increased reliability
Higher profit margins
Improved productivity
Better internal coordination
Higher worker morale
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What is a Project?
A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a
unique product or service.
Project Management is the art of maximizing the probability
that a project delivers its goals on Time, to Budget and at the
required Quality.
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Attributes of projects
unique purpose
temporariness
require resources, often from various areas
should have a primary sponsor and/or customer
involve uncertainty
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The Triple Constraint
Every project is constrained in different ways by its
Scope goals: What is the project trying to accomplish?
Time goals: How long should it take to complete?
Cost goals: What should it cost?
It is the project manager’s duty to balance these three often
competing goals
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The Triple Constraint of Project Management
16
What is Project Management?
Project management is “the application of knowledge, skills,
tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet
project requirements.” (PMI*, Project Management Body of
Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 2000, p. 6)
*The Project Management Institute (PMI) is an international professional society. Their web site
is www.pmi.org.
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Project Management Framework
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Project Stakeholders
Stakeholders are the people involved in or affected by project
activities
Stakeholders include
the project sponsor and project team
support staff
customers
users
suppliers
opponents to the project
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9 Project Management Knowledge Areas
Knowledge areas describe the key competencies that
project managers must develop
4 core knowledge areas lead to specific project objectives (scope,
time, cost, and quality)
4 facilitating knowledge areas are the means through which the
project objectives are achieved (human resources,
communication, risk, and procurement management
1 knowledge area (project integration management) affects and is
affected by all of the other knowledge areas
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Project Management Tools and Techniques
Project management tools and techniques assist project managers and
their teams in various aspects of project management
Some specific ones include
Project Charter and WBS (scope)
Gantt charts, network diagrams, critical path analysis, critical chain scheduling
(time)
Cost estimates and earned value management (cost)
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More Advantages of Project Management*
Bosses, customers, and other stakeholders do not like surprises
Good project management (PM) provides assurance and reduces risk
PM provides the tools and environment to plan, monitor, track, and manage
schedules, resources, costs, and quality
PM provides a history or metrics base for future planning as well as good
documentation
Project members learn and grow by working in a cross-functional team
environment
*Knutson, Joan, PM Network, December 1997, p. 13
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How Project Management (PM) Relates to Other Disciplines
Much of the knowledge needed to manage projects is unique to PM
However, project managers must also have knowledge and
experience in
general management
the application area of the project
Project managers must focus on meeting specific project objectives
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Project Management and Other Disciplines
Application Project
area management
knowledge knowledge
and practice and practice
General
management
knowledge
and practice
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I thank you.
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