Software Project Management
Introduction & Fundamentals
1.1 What is Management?
Basically, the management involves the following activities:
Planning- deciding what is to be done
Organizing- making arrangements
Staffing- selecting the right people for the job
Directing- giving instructions
Monitoring- checking on progress
Controlling- taking action to remedy hold-ups
Innovating- coming up with new solutions
Representing- liaising with users, etc.
Planning- deciding what is to be done
Organizing- making arrangements
Staffing- selecting the right people for the job
Directing- giving instructions
Monitoring- checking on progress
Controlling- taking action to remedy hold-ups
Innovating- coming up with new solutions
Representing- liaising with users, etc.
1.2 What is Project Management?
Project Management is the art of maximizing the probability that a project
delivers its goals on Time, to Budget and at the required Quality.
The art of planning for the future has always been a human trait. In essence a
project can be captured on paper with a few simple elements: a start date, an end
date, the tasks that have to be carried out and when they should be finished, and
some idea of the resources (people, machines etc) that will be needed during the
course of the project.
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and
techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. Project management
is accomplished through the use of the processes such as: initiating, planning,
executing, controlling, and closing. It is important to note that many of the
processes within project management are iterative in nature. This is in part due to
the existence of and the necessity for progressive elaboration in a project
throughout the project life cycle; i.e., the more you know about your project, the
better you are able to manage it.
Project management is also defined as a strategic competency that has successfully been
applied in such high profile projects as the construction of silk root, organizing and managing the
Olympics Games, and the construction of Islamabad-Lahore motorway, just to name a few. If
project management can play a major role in these success stories, just imagine what it might be
able to do for your own organization.
The term project management is sometimes used to describe an organizational
approach to the management of ongoing operations. This approach, more properly
called management by projects, treats many aspects of ongoing operations as
projects to apply project management techniques to them.
delivers its goals on Time, to Budget and at the required Quality.
The art of planning for the future has always been a human trait. In essence a
project can be captured on paper with a few simple elements: a start date, an end
date, the tasks that have to be carried out and when they should be finished, and
some idea of the resources (people, machines etc) that will be needed during the
course of the project.
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and
techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. Project management
is accomplished through the use of the processes such as: initiating, planning,
executing, controlling, and closing. It is important to note that many of the
processes within project management are iterative in nature. This is in part due to
the existence of and the necessity for progressive elaboration in a project
throughout the project life cycle; i.e., the more you know about your project, the
better you are able to manage it.
Project management is also defined as a strategic competency that has successfully been
applied in such high profile projects as the construction of silk root, organizing and managing the
Olympics Games, and the construction of Islamabad-Lahore motorway, just to name a few. If
project management can play a major role in these success stories, just imagine what it might be
able to do for your own organization.
The term project management is sometimes used to describe an organizational
approach to the management of ongoing operations. This approach, more properly
called management by projects, treats many aspects of ongoing operations as
projects to apply project management techniques to them.
Almost any human activity that involves carrying out a non- repetitive task
can be a project. So we are all project managers! We all practice project
management (PM). But there is a big difference between carrying out a very
simple project involving one or two people and one involving a complex mix of
people, organizations and tasks.
can be a project. So we are all project managers! We all practice project
management (PM). But there is a big difference between carrying out a very
simple project involving one or two people and one involving a complex mix of
people, organizations and tasks.
1.3 What is Software Project Management?
When the plan starts to involve different things happening at different times, some
of which are dependent on each other, plus resources required at different times
and in different quantities and perhaps working at different rates, the paper plan
could start to cover a vast area and be unreadable.
Nevertheless, the idea that complex plans could be analyzed by a computer to
allow someone to control a project is the basis of much of the development in
technology that now allows projects of any size and complexity, not only to be
planned, but also modeled to answer 'what if?' questions.
The original programs and computers tended to produce answers long after an
event had taken place. Now, there are many project planning and scheduling
programs that can provide real time information, as well as linking to risk
analysis, time recording, and costing, estimating and other aspects of project
control.
But computer programs are not project management: they are tools for
project managers to use. Project management is all that mix of components of
control, leadership, teamwork, resource management etc that goes into a
successful project.
Project managers can be found in all industries. Their numbers have grown
rapidly as industry and commerce has realized that much of what it does is project
work. And as project-based organizations have started to emerge, project
management is becoming established as both a professional career path and a way
of controlling business.
So opportunities in project management now exist not only in being a project
manager, but also as part of the support team in a project or program office or as a
team leader for part of a project. There are also qualifications that can be attained
through the professional associations
of which are dependent on each other, plus resources required at different times
and in different quantities and perhaps working at different rates, the paper plan
could start to cover a vast area and be unreadable.
Nevertheless, the idea that complex plans could be analyzed by a computer to
allow someone to control a project is the basis of much of the development in
technology that now allows projects of any size and complexity, not only to be
planned, but also modeled to answer 'what if?' questions.
The original programs and computers tended to produce answers long after an
event had taken place. Now, there are many project planning and scheduling
programs that can provide real time information, as well as linking to risk
analysis, time recording, and costing, estimating and other aspects of project
control.
But computer programs are not project management: they are tools for
project managers to use. Project management is all that mix of components of
control, leadership, teamwork, resource management etc that goes into a
successful project.
Project managers can be found in all industries. Their numbers have grown
rapidly as industry and commerce has realized that much of what it does is project
work. And as project-based organizations have started to emerge, project
management is becoming established as both a professional career path and a way
of controlling business.
So opportunities in project management now exist not only in being a project
manager, but also as part of the support team in a project or program office or as a
team leader for part of a project. There are also qualifications that can be attained
through the professional associations
1.4 What is a Project?
A project is an activity with specific goals which takes place over a finite
period of time.
“A temporary organization that is needed to produce a unique and pre-defined
outcome or result at a pre-specified time using pre-determined resources”
Projects are often implemented as a means of achieving an organization’s
strategic plan. Operations and projects differ primarily in that operations are
ongoing and repetitive while projects are temporary and unique. A project can
thus be defined in terms of its distinctive characteristics—a project is a temporary
endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service. Temporary means
that every project has a definite beginning and a definite end. Unique means that
the product or service is different in some distinguishing way from all other
products or services. For many organizations, projects are a means to respond to
those requests that cannot be addressed within the organization’s normal
operational limits.
Projects are undertaken at all levels of the organization. They may involve a
single person or many thousands. Their duration ranges from a few weeks to more
than five years. Projects may involve a single unit of one organization or may
cross organizational boundaries, as in joint ventures and partnering.
Examples of projects include:
• Developing a new product or service.
• Effecting a change in structure, staffing, or style of an organization.
• Designing a new transportation vehicle.
• Developing or acquiring a new or modified information system.
• Constructing a building or facility.
• Building a water system for a community in a developing country.
• Running a campaign for political office.
• Implementing a new business procedure or process.
1. Temporary
Temporary means that every project has a definite beginning and a definite end.
The end is reached when the project’s objectives have been achieved, or it
becomes clear that the project objectives will not or cannot be met, or the need for
the project no longer exists and the project is terminated. Temporary does not
necessarily mean short in duration; many projects last for several years. In every
case, however, the duration of a project is finite; projects are not ongoing efforts.
2. Unique, Product Service or Result
Projects involve creating something that has not been done in exactly the same
way before and which is, therefore, unique and distinct. Projects create:
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period of time.
“A temporary organization that is needed to produce a unique and pre-defined
outcome or result at a pre-specified time using pre-determined resources”
Projects are often implemented as a means of achieving an organization’s
strategic plan. Operations and projects differ primarily in that operations are
ongoing and repetitive while projects are temporary and unique. A project can
thus be defined in terms of its distinctive characteristics—a project is a temporary
endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service. Temporary means
that every project has a definite beginning and a definite end. Unique means that
the product or service is different in some distinguishing way from all other
products or services. For many organizations, projects are a means to respond to
those requests that cannot be addressed within the organization’s normal
operational limits.
Projects are undertaken at all levels of the organization. They may involve a
single person or many thousands. Their duration ranges from a few weeks to more
than five years. Projects may involve a single unit of one organization or may
cross organizational boundaries, as in joint ventures and partnering.
Examples of projects include:
• Developing a new product or service.
• Effecting a change in structure, staffing, or style of an organization.
• Designing a new transportation vehicle.
• Developing or acquiring a new or modified information system.
• Constructing a building or facility.
• Building a water system for a community in a developing country.
• Running a campaign for political office.
• Implementing a new business procedure or process.
1. Temporary
Temporary means that every project has a definite beginning and a definite end.
The end is reached when the project’s objectives have been achieved, or it
becomes clear that the project objectives will not or cannot be met, or the need for
the project no longer exists and the project is terminated. Temporary does not
necessarily mean short in duration; many projects last for several years. In every
case, however, the duration of a project is finite; projects are not ongoing efforts.
2. Unique, Product Service or Result
Projects involve creating something that has not been done in exactly the same
way before and which is, therefore, unique and distinct. Projects create:
to download this course click here
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