1. Software Project Management
Session 1: Introduction, Fundamentals, Classic Mistakes
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

2. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Today
Course basics, administrative items
Introductions
Fundamentals
Classic Mistakes
No lab today
More lab in later term
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

3. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Syllabus Review
Grades
Exams
Assignments
Project
Class participation
Sessions
Class web site
Broadest material in program
Walk away from this course with skills applicable to all forms of projects
But software and IT projects in particular
They have special characteristics
Will bring in show & tell from my current projects
Often discuss material in relation to your projects
We can Refine the curricula
Questions?
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

4. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Textbooks
Required texts
“Rapid Development”, Steve McConnell
“Information Technology Project Management”, Kathy Schwalbe
These provide two very different viewpoints
In-the-trenches vs. PMI textbook perspective
Recommended reading
“Quality Software Project Management”, D. Shafer
“Software Project Survival Guide”, Steve McConnell
“Peopleware”, T. DeMarco and T. Lister
Not yet at bookstore
Amazon discounted
Show texts to class
Only selections from each
Chosen for balance and relevance
Going to read the Important sections and the Fun sections
Expose to a variety of practices and viewpoints
I will put together a reading list for reference
Online resources (URLs)
100’s of books on topic
Quality range of titles (age, size too)
Different Subject leanings (general, technical, people, process)
Questions?
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

5. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Basics
Essential elements of software project management
Practical, rapid development focus
Real-world case studies
And other examples like job interviews
Highly interactive
Dry as toast?
2 exams
4 or 5 small homework assignments
MS Project for your ‘book’
Small class == large input
Grade depends on participation
Questions?
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

6. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
My Background
20 years, 70 projects
Bell Labs, Hughes Aircraft, Solomon, Electronic Arts, MTV, numerous startups
Projects of all shapes and sizes
Technical questions allowed (after class)
Engineer, team lead, project manager, division head
Seen the spectrum of types and sizes of IT projects
“Hands-on” PM
Currently consulting
Step outside of PM role
Questions?
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

7. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Your Background
Name
Day Job or Equivalent
Final Project
Project Management Experience
Industry Experience
Optional: Expectations & goals from the class
Review sign-up sheet
Where are they in their ‘program’ or term
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

8. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
The Field
Jobs: where are they?
Professional Organizations
Project Management Institute (PMI) (pmi.org)
Software Engineering Institute (SEI)
IEEE Software Engineering Group
Certifications
PMI PMP
The “PMBOK” – PMI Body of Knowledge
Tools
MS Project
dice.com search “project management”
See everything from this class
Bridge Technical and non-technical
Other Certs don’t matter
Hundreds of PM programs like MS-Project
Project: the illusion of control
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

9. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
The Field Part 2
Average PM salary $81,000
Contract rates for PM’s can match techies
PMI certification adds avg. 14% to salary
PMI certs, 1993: 1,000; 2002: 40,000
Other cert: CompTIA Project+
Links: See class web site
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

10. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Job Fundamentals
Skills required
PM Positions and roles
The process
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

11. Project Management Skills
Leadership
Communications
Problem Solving
Negotiating
Influencing the Organization
Mentoring
Process and technical expertise
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

12. Project Manager Positions
Project Administrator / Coordinator
Assistant Project Manager
Project Manager / Program Manager
Executive Program Manager
V.P. Program Development
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

13. Software Project Management
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

14. PM History in a Nutshell
Birth of modern PM: Manhattan Project (the bomb)
1970’s: military, defense, construction industry were using PM software
1990’s: large shift to PM-based models
1985: TQM
: Re-engineering, self-directed teams
: Risk mgmt, project offices
2000: M&A, global projects
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

15. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
What’s a project?
PMI definition
A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service
Progressively elaborated
With repetitive elements
A project manager
Analogy: conductor, coach, captain
Temporary:
can be years
Result can be lasting
Team can be temporary
Finite duration
Ex: thousands of buildings, but each is unique
Scope s/b constant even as elaboration happens
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

16. Project vs. Program Management
What’s a ‘program’?
Mostly differences of scale
Often a number of related projects
Longer than projects
Definitions vary
Ex: Program Manager for MS Word
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

17. Interactions / Stakeholders
As a PM, who do you interact with?
Project Stakeholders
Project sponsor
Executives
Team
Customers
Contractors
Functional managers
managing all stakeholder Expectations is challenging – conflict
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

18. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
PM Tools: Software
Low-end
Basic features, tasks management, charting
MS Excel, Milestones Simplicity
Mid-market
Handle larger projects, multiple projects, analysis tools
MS Project (approx. 50% of market)
High-end
Very large projects, specialized needs, enterprise
AMS Realtime
Primavera Project Manager
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

19. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Tools: Gantt Chart
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

20. Tools: Network Diagram
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

21. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
PMI’s 9 Knowledge Areas
Project integration management
Scope
Time
Cost
Quality
Human resource
Communications
Risk
Procurement
If you study for the PMI certification you’ll need to know these
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

22. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
First Principles
One size does not fit all
Patterns and Anti-Patterns
Spectrums
Project types
Sizes
Formality and rigor
Like families, each dysfunctional in it’s own “special way”
Classic Mistakes later == Anti
Different sizes need different choices from the PM
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

23. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Why Rapid Development
Faster delivery
Reduced risk
Increased visibility to customer
Don’t forsake quality
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

24. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Strategy
Classic Mistake Avoidance
Development Fundamentals
Risk Management
Schedule-Oriented Practices
McConnell refers to “Pillars”
These provide balance
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

25. Four Project Dimensions
People
Process
Product
Technology
Peopleware issues
10-to-1 difference in Dev productivity
Teams 3 or 5 to 1 diff
Process
Dev basics, risk mgmt, QA, lifecycle planning, customer orientation
Product
Most tangible dimension
Technology
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

26. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Trade-off Triangle
Fast, cheap, good. Choose two.
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

27. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Trade-off Triangle
Know which of these are fixed & variable for every project
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

28. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
People
“It’s always a people problem” Gerald Weinberg, “The Secrets of Consulting”
Developer productivity: 10-to-1 range
Improvements:
Team selection
Team organization
Motivation
Teams: 5-to-1 range
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

29. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
People 2
Other success factors
Matching people to tasks
Career development
Balance: individual and team
Clear communication
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

30. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Process
Is process stifling?
2 Types: Management & Technical
Development fundamentals
Quality assurance
Risk management
Lifecycle planning
Avoid abuse by neglect
cut time-to-market
Improve quality
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

31. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Process 2
Customer orientation
Process maturity improvement
Rework avoidance
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

32. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Product
The “tangible” dimension
Product size management
Product characteristics and requirements
Feature creep management
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

33. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Technology
Often the least important dimension
Language and tool selection
Value and cost of reuse
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

34. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Planning
Determine requirements
Determine resources
Select lifecycle model
Determine product features strategy
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

35. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Tracking
Cost, effort, schedule
Planned vs. Actual
How to handle when things go off plan?
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

36. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Measurements
To date and projected
Cost
Schedule
Effort
Product features
Alternatives
Earned value analysis
Defect rates
Productivity (ex: SLOC)
Complexity (ex: function points)
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

37. Technical Fundamentals
Requirements
Analysis
Design
Construction
Quality Assurance
Deployment
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

38. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Project Phases
All projects are divided into phases
All phases together are known as the Project Life Cycle
Each phase is marked by completion of Deliverables
Identify the primary software project phases
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

39. Lifecycle Relationships
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

40. Seven Core Project Phases
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

41. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Project Phases A.K.A.
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

42. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Phases Variation
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

43. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
36 Classic Mistakes
McConnell’s Anti-Patterns
Seductive Appeal
Types
People-Related
Process-Related
Product-Related
Technology-Related
Gilligan’s Island
Seductive: good reason for decisions at the time
Some are IT, most not
We’ll visit these throughout course
Gilligan’s Island: new scheme, get off island, seems to work, then fails
Being aware can help prevent
Class discussion
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

44. People-Related Mistakes Part 1
Undermined motivation
Weak personnel
Weak vs. Junior
Uncontrolled problem employees
Heroics
Adding people to a late project
Motivation: studies show has largest impact
Don’t undermine Morale
2nd greatest influence on productivity
Junior != bad
Uncontrolled: most common developer complain about their managers
Heroics. Company hostage.
“Can-do”, “how high” attitudes
Brooks, reading assignment
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

45. People-Related Mistakes Part 2
Noisy, crowded offices
Customer-Developer friction
Unrealistic expectations
Politics over substance
Wishful thinking
60%of developers feel unsatisfactory environment: need quite and privacy
MS offices
Friction: classic differing viewpoints
Results in ‘poor communication’
Passive-aggressive
Realistic Expectations: 1 of top 5 reasons for success of in-house projects
Perception woe
Politics
Managing-up
Wishful
Cognitive dissonance
Closing your eyes and hoping
McConnell: maybe causes the most problems in software development
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

46. People-Related Mistakes Part 3
Lack of effective project sponsorship
Lack of stakeholder buy-in
Lack of user input
Sponsor: a must, no power
All players must buy-in
User input: Survey: number 1 reason for success
W/O input: guessing
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

47. Process-Related Mistakes Part 1
Optimistic schedules
Insufficient risk management
Contractor failure
Insufficient planning
Abandonment of plan under pressure
Similar to wishful thinking
Puts unnecessary pressure
Risk Mgmt:
Risks will manage you
Contractor: late, poor quality, or fails to meet specifications
Requires lots of management
Insufficient planning: “if you don’t care where you’re going, any plan will do”
Abandonment
Out the window
Fall into code-and-fix mode
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

48. Process-Related Mistakes Part 2
Wasted time during fuzzy front end
Shortchanged upstream activities
Inadequate design
Shortchanged quality assurance
fuzzy: before sign-off
Upstream:
Lack of analysis and design
10 to 100 times more costly
5 hrs vs. 50
Design:
Seen schedules w/o it at all
QA:
Seems easy to compress
1 day QA == 3 to 10 later
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

49. Process-Related Mistakes Part 3
Insufficient management controls
Frequent convergence
Omitting necessary tasks from estimates
Planning to catch-up later
Code-like-hell programming
Management controls
Need to be able to track
We’ll cover lots of these
PMI
Convergence
Waste of time
Missing tasks
Often 20-30% of a schedule
Catch-up later
How many times have you seen a project catch-up?
Only by all-nighters
Like hell
“Entrepreneurial” approach
See catch-up later
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

50. Product-Related Mistakes
Requirements gold-plating
Gilding the lily
Feature creep
Developer gold-plating
Beware the pet project
Push-me, pull-me negotiation
Research-oriented development
Gold
Gilding the lily
Performance is required more often than need be
Feature creep
25% average change in req.
Dev. Gold
Nifty new technology
Pet project
Push-me
Slip schedule + add features
Research vs. Development
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

51. Technology-Related Mistakes
Silver-bullet syndrome
Overestimated savings from new tools and methods
Fad warning
Switching tools in mid-project
Lack of automated source-code control
who’s heard of ‘silver bullet’ (not the beer)
SCM
Jones: 10% month, I see more
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002

52. Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002
Reading
McConnell: Chapters 1-4
We covered most of Ch 3 today
Schwalbe: chapters 1-2, 11 ( )
We covered some here
Brooks
Overview
Q7503 Principles of Project Management, Fall 2002