what’s different about is project management?
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What’s different about IS project management?. William R. Mussatto CyberStrategies, Inc. [email protected]. Topics. Software Intensive / People Intensive Projects Information Technology Projects. Software Intensive Projects. The Nature of Software Five Basic Steps of Project Planning - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
What’s different about IS project management?
William R. MussattoCyberStrategies, [email protected]
Topics
Software Intensive / People Intensive Projects
Information Technology Projects
Software Intensive Projects
The Nature of SoftwareFive Basic Steps of Project Planning
where software projects begin to differ from other projects
Differences in Tracking and Control
The Nature of Software
Always Something New reuse, yes, but ...
Pure Mind StuffExtremely MalleableComplexity and Functionality
Gravitate to Software
The Nature of Software
Doesn’t Wear OutDefects Designed InDefects Hard to Detect
Five Basic Steps in Project Planning
Decomposing Project into TasksDefining Dependencies among TasksEstimating Resource Requirements
for Each TaskPerforming a Risk AnalysisScheduling the Project
Source: William H. Roetzheim, “Managing Software Projects: Unique Problems and Requirements”, from Paul Dinsmore, editor, The AMA Handbook of Project Management.
Five Basic Steps in Project Planning Where Software Projects Differ
Traditional projects emphasize dependency definition and scheduling evidence: commercial PM software
Software projects emphasize resource estimation and risk analysis
Decomposing the Project into Tasks
Large Portion of Software Project Consists in Deciding What to Do 30% not true of traditional projects
Three Different Kinds of Decomposition Orientations concept, capability, implementation
Decomposing the Project into Tasks
Concept-Oriented rough, generic outline of project
requirements ballpark estimates accurate to within +/- 50%
Capability-Oriented after functional requirements analysis before top-level design accurate within +/- 25%
Decomposing the Project into Tasks
Implementation-Oriented after software design is well advanced
post top-level design
fairly accurateprovided skill sets of programmers are well
understood
Essential Incompleteness of Software Tasks never know when they are really finished
Decomposing the Project into Tasks
Actual Construction of Software Only 10-15% of Effort
Bulk of Work in Integration and Test different from traditional projects
Scope of Software Tasks Varies with Interpretation varying in cost and complexity by factor
of 10 for same requirements
Defining Dependencies Among Tasks
Software Tasks Often Exhibit “Partial-Finish-to-Start” Dependencies Task A must be X % complete before
starting Task Bfor traditional projects, X=100for software projects, X ranges from 25 to
75
Dependencies Not So Rigid
Defining Dependencies Among Tasks
Dependencies Arise from People, Not Tasks different skill sets different work habits have to allocate right persons to specific
tasks
Estimating Resource Requirements
Area of Major Difference with Traditional Projects
Software Project Costs Nonlinear linear example: construction industry
@ $50/foot software costs linear as long as number
of people involved remains fixed jumps in nonlinear ways when more
people are added
Estimating Resource Requirements
ComplexityThe Rule of 7 +/- 2Sheer Combinatorics of RelationsBulk of Cost on Large Software
Projects is Primarily Communications Costs
Number of Interactions and Relationships
Performing a Risk Analysis
Risk Analysis of Paramount Importance to Software Project Managers
Software Projects Always Creating Something New
Usually Pushing State of the Art in Some Area especially true of embedded, real-time
software like R&D projects, this usually involves risk
Performing a Risk Analysis
Successful Project Managers Consider Risk for Each Task in WBS typically for risk avoidance
early prototypingassigning top talentcontingency planning
Risk Measurement: Measure of Severity times Probability of Occurrence subjective nature of probability
Performing a Risk AnalysisFive Risk Considerations
Technical software fails to realize intended
functionalitySchedule CostNetwork Risk
ripple effect on other tasksOverall Risk
Performing a Risk Analysis
Software Project Managers Probably Need to Spend More Time on Risk Consideration than Traditional Project Managers
Scheduling the Project
Later Developments Can Cause Previously Completed Tasks to Become Incomplete Once Again later software module impacts design
of previously completed modules try to minimize
Scheduling the Project
Close Coupling of Cost and Schedule software projects are dependent on
expensive laborengineers do the construction work!Workers are highly mobile.Workers have different skill sets.
Scheduling the Project
Some Estimates of Cost and Schedule Relationship for Software Projects with schedule compression, costs
increase as an inverse fourth power (according to some researchers
cutting schedule in half increases cost by factor of sixteen!
adding requirements while holding the schedule fixed amounts to the same effect
Differences in Tracking and Control
Greater Technical Astuteness Required of Software Project Managers must understand top-level aspects
Quality Control Very Important on Software Projects
Customer Expectations Must Be Carefully Managed creeping featurism, aka requirements creep
Software Engineering Institute
SEI CMM - Capability Maturity ModelLevel 1: InitialLevel 2: RepeatableLevel 3: DefinedLevel 4: ManagedLevel 5: Optimizing
Software Engineering Institute
Higher Levels Not Easy to Reach expensive and time consuming
Most Organizations at Level 1Very Few at Level 5
less than a dozen worldwide
Software Intensive ProjectsSummary
Software Is Very ComplexSoftware Projects Are People IntensiveResource Estimation and Risk Analysis
Major Factors Software ProjectsFunctional Baselines Shift in Software
ProjectsSEI CMM Step in Right Direction
IT Projects:Characteristics
Rapid Market Change Rapid Technology ChangeDistributed Systems
networked systems many different organizations
Source: Otto, Dhillon, Watkins, “Implementing Project Management in Large-Scale Information Technology Projects”, from Paul Dinsmore, editor, The AMA Handbook of Project Management.
IT ProjectsHow IT Projects Differ
Fuzzy Scope Definition interrelationship and interdependency
of business functions use of text to define scope difficulties in defining end deliverables frequent changes in business
requirements during project life cycle
IT ProjectsHow IT Projects Differ
Multiproject Environment Challenges finite resource pool to draw from specialized technical talent has to be
shared across multiple projectsleads to more intensive conflict resolution
resource management needs to be done continuously to control costs
IT ProjectsHow IT Projects Differ
Organizational Structures Weak Matrix Structure
project managers often serve as functional managers
• not really full-time project managers• potential conflict of interest
lack authority that counterparts in aerospace have
Some Benefitsfaster reaction timemore control over direct subordinates
IT ProjectsSummary
IT Projects Are Software Intensive Software projects are people intensive
Subject to Rapid Technological Evolution
Constrained by Incompatible Organization Structures in some cases