Effective Software Project Management

Why another book on software project management?


For some time, the fields of project management, computer science, and software development have been growing rapidly and concurrently. Effective support for the enterprise demands the merging of these efforts into a coordinated discipline, one that incorporates best practices from both systems development and project management life cycles. Robert K. Wysocki creates that discipline in this book--a ready reference for professionals and consultants as well as a textbook for students of computer information systems and project management.

By their very nature, software projects defy a "one size fits all" approach. In these pages you will learn to apply best-practice principles while maintaining the flexibility that's essential for successful software development.

Learn how to make the planning process fit the need
* Understand how and why software development must be planned on a certainty-to-uncertainty continuum
* Categorize your projects on a four-quadrant model
* Learn when to use each of the five SDPM strategies--Linear, Incremental, Iterative, Adaptive, and Extreme
* Explore the benefits of each strategic model and what types of projects it supports best
* Recognize the activities that go into the Scoping, Planning, Launching, Monitoring/Controlling, and Closing phases of each strategy
* Apply this knowledge to the specific projects you manage
* Get a clear picture of where you are and how to get where you want to go

Table of Contents:

Foreword xxxi
Introduction xxxiii

Part One The Evolving State of ESPM 1
Chapter 1 The Changing Landscape of Software Development 3
Chapter 2 SDPM Roadmap 35

Part Two Linear ESPM 61
Chapter 3 Linear SDPM Strategy 63
Chapter 4 The Linear SDPM Scoping Phase 77
Chapter 5 The Linear SDPM Planning Phase 93
Chapter 6 The Linear SDPM Launching Phase 103
Chapter 7 The Linear SDPM Monitoring and Controlling Phase 111
Chapter 8 The Linear SDPM Closing Phase 121
Chapter 9 The Linear SDPM Strategy Summary 127

Part Three Incremental ESPM 133
Chapter 10 Incremental SDPM Strategy 135
Chapter 11 The Incremental SDPM Scoping Phase 145
Chapter 12 The Incremental SDPM Planning Phase 157
Chapter 13 The Incremental SDPM Launching Phase 169
Chapter 14 The Incremental SDPM Monitoring and Controlling Phase 177
Chapter 15 The Incremental SDPM Closing Phase 185
Chapter 16 The Incremental SDPM Strategy Summary 195

Part Four Iterative ESPM 201
Chapter 17 Iterative SDPM Strategy 203
Chapter 18 The Iterative SDPM Scoping Phase 219
Chapter 19 The Iterative SDPM Planning Phase 229
Chapter 20 The Iterative SDPM Launching Phase 239
Chapter 21 The Iterative SDPM Monitoring and Controlling Phase 249
Chapter 22 The Iterative SDPM Closing Phase 261
Chapter 23 The Iterative SDPM Strategy Summary 273

Part Five Adaptive ESPM 279
Chapter 24 Adaptive SDPM Strategy 281
Chapter 25 The Adaptive SDPM Scoping Phase 301
Chapter 26 The Adaptive SDPM Planning Phase 309
Chapter 27 The Adaptive SDPM Launching Phase 321
Chapter 28 The Adaptive SDPM Monitoring and Controlling Phase 329
Chapter 29 The Adaptive SDPM Closing Phase 339
Chapter 30 The Adaptive SDPM Strategy Summary 347

Part Six Extreme ESPM 353
Chapter 31 Extreme SDPM Strategy 355
Chapter 32 The Extreme SDPM Scoping Phase 371
Chapter 33 The Extreme SDPM Planning Phase 381
Chapter 34 The Extreme SDPM Launching Phase 389
Chapter 35 The Extreme SDPM Monitoring and Controlling Phase 395
Chapter 36 The Extreme SDPM Closing Phase 403
Chapter 37 The Extreme SDPM Strategy Summary 411

Part Seven In Summary 417
Chapter 38 Where Are You? 419
Chapter 39 Where Do You Want To Go and How Can You Get There? 449

Appendix A What's on the Web Site? 461
Appendix B Bibliography 463
Appendix C The Project Overview Statement 473
Appendix D Requirements Gathering 479
Appendix E The Work Breakdown Structure 499
Appendix F Estimation 511
Appendix G The Project Network Diagram 519
Appendix H The Resource Schedule 531
Appendix I Organizing the Project Team 537
Appendix J Project Performance Reporting 545
Appendix K Business Process Flow Diagramming 571

Index 587