SPM AND ITS NEED

Project management is ―the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project

activities to meet the project requirements.

Software project management is the art and science of planning and leading software projects.

It is a sub-discipline of project management in which software projects are planned,

implemented, monitored and controlled. SPM is 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.

A disciplined project management process is important to any project.  Project managers are

expected to deliver results, on time (if not sooner) and on budget.  Solid project planning reduces

the risks associated with any project you take on.

Here are ten reasons why we need project management:

1. Control Scope Creep and Manage Change

Small changes in demands occur on every project.  They come from management, the customer,

your project team, suppliers, or other stakeholders.  Individually, they may appear acceptable,

but collectively these project demands can add up to a significant project expansion (referred to

as “scope creep”) that can overrun your budget.  With project management, if the manager

effectively manages the scope of their project, they have a better than even chance of effectively

managing project resources — time, money, etc. — and managing change.

2. Deliver Project Results On Time and On Budget

The project management process starts with a well thought out business case justification that

usually includes some type of cost calculation associated with Return On Investment (ROI). 

Once these measures are established, it is up to the project manager to ensure that on-time, on-

budget performance is maintained; otherwise, the project will never produce the expected

results.  That’s what good project management is all about.

3. Focus the Project Team on the Solution

The project team can easily drift off topic and spend too much time on the wrong tasks.   A

good project manager keeps the project team focused by using a clear and concise project

charter, resolving barriers, or shielding the team from unnecessary interference.

4. Obtain Project Buy-In from Disparate Groups

As President Lincoln once said, “Public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail;

without it, nothing can succeed.” A good project manager uses the tools in the initiation phase of

project management   to collect user requirements, project constraints, and a feasibility study to

build a strong business case justification.  Using input from various sources, the project manager

overcomes dissent and obtains buy-in   by communicating the project benefits as the different

stakeholder groups see them.

5. Define the Critical Path to Optimally Complete your Project

Every project is made up of a series of connected activities, each of which has its own

constraints.  The project manager identifies the critical path of activities — the optimal sequence

of actions that best ensure the project’s successful completion.

6. Provide a Process for Estimating Project Resources, Time, and Costs

Using project management software, previous project experiences, and a solid project initiation

phase can provide the discipline needed to reduce project estimating errors, increasing the

likelihood that the project will finish on time and on budget.

7. Communicate Project Progress, Risks, and Changes

As a project progresses, stakeholders must be kept informed of the outcomes, changes, stumbling

blocks, or successes that the project experiences.  Project management creates a

project communication plan to address these communication issues, provide a format, and lay

out a process for execution.

8. Surface and Explore Project Assumptions

All projects are based on assumptions to some extent.  A good project manager delves into user

requirements, project constraints, and management expectations to understand

whatis said and what is not said.  Relying on too many unconfirmed assumptions can invalidate a

project schedule or, worse, sink the project.

9. Prepare for Unexpected Project Issues

Every project runs into unforeseen issues, such as changes in market conditions, and is hit

with random cause variability.  Experienced project managers plan for the unexpected by lining

up alternative courses of action.

10. Document, Transfer, and Apply Lessons Learned from Your Projects

The last phase of project management focuses on “closing out” the project.  The project manager

reviews how well each prior phase — project initiation, project planning, project execution, and

project monitoring and control — was performed.  As part of good knowledge management, all

project review notes should be dissected and analyzed for patterns, trends, and opportunities for

improvement.  These “lessons learned” should be documented and communicated to other

project managers before starting the next project.