Software Project Management Concepts

Software Project Management
Definitions : Project, Software Project

Project and Software Project
Management and Project Management
Importance of Project Management
Imperatives of Project Management
Introduction
Operations are ongoing and repetitive

They are performed by people, constrained by resources
(machinery, material, money and manpower)

Projects are temporary and unique

Temporary means every project has definite beginning and
definite end

Unique means that product or service is different in some
distinguishing way from all similar product or services

Concepts
Project is a one-time, multitask job with a definite starting point,
definite ending point, a clearly defined scope of work, a budget, and
usually a temporary team

Project Constraints

Scope (S) : The magnitude or size of the project
Performance requirements(P): technical and functional
Cost (C) : Cost to do the job / project
Duration (T) : Time required for the project

Mathematically
C = f(P,T,S)

Project
Project Examples
Civil Infrastructure
Bridges
Roads
Metro
Dams
Power
Real Estate
and so on
IT Projects
Networking
Data Centre
CRM
SDLC
Maintenance
Product
Implementations
BPO
and so on
Others
New product
launch
New vehicle design
Campaigns
Change in Org
structure
and so on

Non routine tasks are involved
Planning is required
Specific Objectives to be met
Has a predetermined time span
Projects are large or complex
Resources are generally limited and under pressure

Project Characteristics

Software Projects and other projects

Software projects has peculiar characteristics
which makes them special from other projects :

Invisibility
Complexity
Conformity
Flexibility

Software Projects

Categories of Software Projects

Business Software : Relating to operations of the
enterprises / organizations etc.

Embedded Software : Relating to systems interface
with a machine

Software Projects

Poor estimates and plans
Lack of quality and standards
Lack of technique to make progress visible
Lack of knowledge of work (Domain)
Lack of documentation
Necessary hardware not deployed in time
Communication gap
Lack of motivation, commitment
Changing software environment
Training

Problems with Software Projects

Concepts and Various definitions of Project
Characteristics of Projects
Software Projects
Categories of Software Projects
Problems with Software Projects

Key Learning

Planning : Deciding what is to be done
Organizing : Making arrangements
Staffing : Selecting the right people for the job
Directing : Giving directions
Monitoring : Checking on the progress
Controlling : taking action to remedy hold-ups
Innovating : Coming with new solutions
Representing : Liaising with clients, users, suppliers
and other stakeholders etc

Management Activities
Project Management is facilitation of the Planning,
Scheduling, and controlling of all activities that must
be done to meet project objectives

Project Management is the application of knowledge,
skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in
order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and
expectations from a project

Project Management is sometimes used to describe an
organizational approach to the management of ongoing
operations

Project Management
Project Management involves balancing competitive demand :

Scope, Time, Cost and Quality
Stakeholders with different needs and requirements
Identified requirements (needs) and unidentified
requirements (expectations)
Project Management

Success Factors (Imperatives)

Identify Sponsor and Stakeholders
Identify Champions

Chart out proper goal, deliverables
Get the scoping right

Establish Methodology
Plan Collaboratively
Core
Team
Goal
Settings
Planning
&
Methods


Make sure you have resources
Assemble the best team

Communicate early and often
Take everyone in confidence

Keep high energy levels
Involve HR wherever required

Resource
Building
Regular
Updates

Motivation


Positive relations with Clients
Excellent Contract Management

Technical leadership & excellence
Change Management

Deliver with proper quality and
Safety Standards

Contract
& Claims
Mgmt
Change
Mgmt

Quality
&
Safety


Identify risks in the beginning
Keep the mitigation plan ready

Ensure proper documentation
Ensure version control

Ensure proper handover/Closure
Interface with knowledge bank

Risk
Mgmt
Document
Control

Closure
Mgmt

Project Management
Integration
Plan development
Project initiation
Project Time
Management
Activity definition
Sequencing
Project Cost
Management
Plan resources
Cost budgeting
Cost control
Project Management Processes
SN IDENTIFIED TASKS START COMPLETION
1 Requirements

Define Reports needed
Identify Source (Input) and the points
Understand Processing logic
Controls required

1
st
Feb 2010 31
st
Mar 2010
2 Server Requirement (Sizing)

Storage requirement
Number of Concurrent Users
Processing load
Printing load

1
st
Apr 2010 30
th
Apr 2010
3 Design

Reports Designing
Forms Design (Inputs)
Database design
Programming Specifications
Design test cases

1
st
Apr 2010 31
st
May 2010
Example (Time Management)
Project Quality
Management
Quality planning
Assurance
Control
Project HR
Management
Staff acquisition
Team development
Project
Communications and
Risk Management
Communications
planning
Performance
reporting
Risk Identification
Qualification
Response,
Development and
Control

Management Activities
Project Management Concept
Project Management - Imperatives

Key Learning

Project Phases and Life Cycle
Characteristics of Project Phases
Characteristics of Project Life Cycle
Different types of Software Projects
Software Project Life cycle

Software Project Life Cycle

Projects are unique and they involve a degree of
uncertainty

Organizations performing projects will usually
divide each project into several project phases to
provide better management control

Collectively the project phases are known as
Project Life Cycle


Each project phase is marked by completion of one or
more deliverables
A deliverable is a tangible and verifiable
Phases are generally sequential logic designed

Review to be conducted on these key deliverables and
project performance to decide to move to the next
phase. One more important aspect is to correct the
errors cost effectively.

These reviews are called as Phase Exits


Serves to define the beginning and end of a project

Generally will define :

What technical work to be done in each phase
Who should be involved in each phase
Definitions are very detailed

Characteristics Project Life Cycle

Cost and staffing levels are low at the start, higher
towards the end, and drop rapidly as the project draws
to a conclusion

Probability of successful completion is lower at the
start of the project (risk and uncertainty are at pick in
the beginning). As the project continues probability of
successful completion gets progressively higher

Subprojects with in projects may have distinct project
life cycles



Different types of Software Projects and broadly :

Information and Embedded Systems

Information Systems related Projects (representatives) :

Software Development
Product Implementation (COTS)
Maintenance
Testing

Processes used in these projects varies and needs different
treatment and tabulated as under :

SN Project Phases S/W Development COTS Maintenance Testing
1 As-Is study
2 To be Processes NA NA
3 System Design NA NA
4 Coding NA
Testing

<Extensive>

Training

NA
Documentatio
n

Data
Migration

NA* NA
Go Live

Software Development Life Cycle
Spiral Development

Four quadrants :
Proof of concept (POC) cycle capture business requirements,
product conceptual system design, construct POC, produce
acceptance test plans, conduct risk analysis, make
recommendations
First build cycle produce logical system design, construct
the first build, produce system test plans, evaluate the first
build and make recommendations
Second build cycle Produce physical design, construct and
evaluate second build, make recommendations
Final Cycle Complete unit requirements, final design,
construct final build, perform unit tests and acceptance test

Spiral Software Development

(a) General Problem Solving
Need
Need
Project
Definition
Systems
Study
Design

Coding

Installation

Post-Implementation
Audit
Project
Definition
Requirements

Evaluation

Design Implementation Post-Implementation
Audit
Gathering
Intelligence
Developing
Alternatives
Making
Choices
Implementing
The Solution
Monitoring Situation
and Results
(b) Classical SDLC
(c) COTS

Need
Need
Project
Definition
Documentation
Study
Migration /
Upgrade Process
Installation

Post-Implementation
Audit
Project
Definition
Documentation
Study
Setup
Help Desk

Support
Process
Support Audit
(d) Maintenance - Migration / Upgrades
(f) Maintenance Others
Need Project
Definition
Documentation
Study
Formal requests
From IT/Users

Testing/Approval
Process

Support Audit
(e) Maintenance - Production Support

Individuals involved directly in the project

Interests of these individuals directly affects the progress

First step is to identify Stakeholders and get the expectation
clear to manage the further project successfully

Key Stakeholders are (representative) :

Sponsor : Within organization who provides resources, sanctions etc.
Program/Project Manager : Responsible for managing the project
Customer : Who is going to use the system

Project Stakeholders

Software Development Stages
SN STAGE DETAILING
1 Definition Define the problem
Assess feasibility
Create a plan
2 Requirements Definition Input / Outputs requirements
Processing requirements
Constraints
3 Evaluation Evaluate requirements
Compare alternatives
Make decision
4 Design Hardware Sizing
Data Flow / Structures
Coding Standards/Specs
5 Implementation Testing
Installation

Definition Stage
SN STAGE DETAILING
1 Define the Problem Perception between
What is and What should be
2 Assess Feasibility Cost
Schedule
Technology
Political Environment
3 Create a Plan Stages and Tasks
Resources required
Costs
Schedule



Program Management
Product Life Cycle Management


Project Processes
Process Groups
Process Interactions


Processes are composed of series of actions
bringing about a result and performed by people

Major software project processes are

Initiation
Planning
Controlling
Executing
Closing

Project Processes

Project Processes
Initiation
Process
Planning
Process
Controlling
Process
Executing
Process
Closing
Process

Project Processes
SN PROCESS GROUPS DESCRIPTION
1 Initiating Processes Recognizing that a project or phase should
begin and committing to do so
2 Planning Processes Devising and maintaining workable scheme to
accomplish the business need that the project
was undertaken to address
3 Executing Processes Coordinating people and other resources to
carry out the plan
4 Controlling Processes Ensuring project objectives are met by
monitoring and measuring progress and taking
corrective action when necessary
5 Closing Processes Formalizing acceptance of the project or phase
and bringing to an orderly end

Overlap of Process Groups

S-Curve (Initiation Closure)

With in each process group, the individual
processes are linked by their inputs and outputs

Each process is described in terms of :

Inputs : Documents or variables(items) that will be acted upon
Tools and techniques : Mechanism applied to the inputs to
create the outputs
Outputs : Documents or Items that are result of process


Process groups are linked by the result they
produce the result or outcome of one becomes an
input to another

Project management process groups are not
discrete, one time events; they are overlapping
activities which occur at various levels of intensity
throughout each phase of the project

Closing one phase provides an input to initiate the
next process/phase
First phase in the project life cycle and is the
predecessor to the project planning phase and
delivers a document called as Project Initiation
Document (PID)

Is also called as Project Charter

Approval of Project Charter or PID marks the end
of the Project Initiation Phase

PID is a reference point during the project life
cycle

Initiating Processes
PID contains task list (statement of work), project Title,
start and end date (as per the contract), Initial risks
envisaged in the project (risk log)

Project Organization Chart (PM, Resources etc.)

Budget (Cost) to complete the project

Administrative Support required

Other important aspects such as : Documentation standard to
be followed during the project, Client responsibilities during
the project execution

Initiating Processes
Amount of planning performed should be commensurate with the
scope of the project

Planning processes may be iterated many times during phase of the
project life cycle

Process will help you to manage time, cost, quality, change, risk and issues

A useful tip in planning is work backwards, from the end aim, identifying all
the things that need to be in place and done, in reverse order

Complex projects will have a number of activities running in parallel. Some
parts of the project will need other parts of the project to be completed
before they can begin or progress

Planning Processes

Picking the proper team (direct employees, contractors, consultants, mentors etc.)

Planning processes include many core and facilitating processes and explained in the subsequent slides

Core Processes : Clear dependencies that require them to be performed in essentially the same order on most
projects

Facilitating Processes : Interactions among the other planning processes are more dependent on the nature of
the project and are performed intermittently (as required)

Planning processes include :

Scope Planning : Developing scope statement (Deliverables)
Scope Definition : Divide deliverables into smaller and more manageable components
Activity Definition : Identify specific activities that must be performed to produce the various project
deliverables

Planning Processes
Planning Processes
Core Planning Processes are mainly :

Planning Processes (Core)
SN PROCESSES DESCRIPTION
1 Scope Planning Developing proper Statement of Work to serve reference point
2 Scope Definition Subdividing major project deliverables into smaller and
manageable components
3 Activity Definition Identifying the specific activities that must be performed to
produce the various project deliverables
4 Activity Sequencing Identifying and documenting interactivity dependencies
5 Activity Duration Estimating Work periods to complete the activity
6 Schedule Development Analyze activity sequencing, activity durations, resource
requirements to create the project schedule
7 Resource Planning Resource skill sets and numbers
8 Cost Estimating Develop approximate cost of the resources
9 Cost Budgeting Arrive final cost budget of the project
10 Project Plan Development Make a consistent and coherent document out of the above results
Facilitating Planning Processes are mainly :

Planning Processes (Facilitating)
1 Quality Planning Explore which Quality Standard(s) are applicable
2 Organization Planning Identifying, Documenting, assigning project roles etc.
3 Communications Planning Plan the communication document, who should be
informed about the project and the periodicity, decide
the format
4 Risk Identification,
Qualification and mitigation
plan
Maintain the risk log and mitigation plan
5 Procurement Planning Determining what to procure and when
6 Solicitation Planning Product requirements and identify potential sources

Executing Processes
1 Project Plan Execution Carrying out the project plan by performing the activities
2 Scope Verification Formalizing acceptance of the project scope
3 Quality Assurance Evaluating overall project performance on a regular basis to
provide confidence that the project will have necessary
compliance with the standard
4 Team Development Developing team to build the necessary skills for the project
5 Information Distribution Communications to be sent out to interested parties
6 Solicitation Obtaining quotations, bids, offers or proposals
7 Source Selection Choosing from approved suppliers
8 Contract Administration Managing the relationships with the customers and vendors

Project performances must be measured regularly to
identify variances

For the significant variances project plan needs to be
altered and if required adequate measures like providing
more resources

Controlling also includes taking preventive action in anticipation
of possible problems

Controlling Processes
Controlling Processes
1 Overall change Control Coordinating all changes across the entire project
2 Scope change Control Controlling changes to scope
3 Schedule Control Controlling changes to the project schedule
4 Cost Control Controlling changes to the project budget
5 Quality Control Monitoring project to see the compliance standard
6 Performance Reporting Collecting and disseminating performance information. This
includes status reporting, progress measurement, and forecasting
7 Risk response control Responding to changes in risk over the course of the project
Last and fifth Phase of the project life cycle

All the activities and no matter how small the activity is close all the
activities properly

In this phase, you will formally close your project and then report its
overall level of success to your sponsor

Project Closure involves handing over the deliverables to your customer,
passing the documentation to the business, cancelling supplier contracts,
releasing staff and equipment, and informing stakeholders of the
closure of the project

After the project has been closed, a Post Implementation Review is
completed to determine the projects success and identify the lessons
learned and upload the technicalities in Knowledge Portal

Closing Processes

Program is a collection of projects managed in a
coordinated way to obtain benefits and control which is
not available from managing them individually

Needs a great coordination efforts to optimise the
resource utilizations

Managing the interdependencies between projects

Provide recommendation or terminate projects (To keep
the business objectives consistent)

Program Management

Portfolio is a collection of projects or programs and
other work that are grouped together to facilitate
effective management of the work to meet strategice
objectives

Portfolio Management
Across all of the process groups, there are 9 knowledge
areas which span all of the different kinds of
information and are as follows

Integration Management
Scope Management
Time Management
Cost Management
Quality Management
Human Resource Management
Communications Management
Risk Management
Procurement Management

9 Knowledge areas

9 Knowledge areas
SN KNOWLEDGE AREA PROCESS
1 Integration Management Project Charter
Preliminary Scope Statement
Project Management Plan
Manage Project Execution
Monitor and Control project
Integrated Change Control
Closing a Project
2 Scope Management Scope Planning
Scope Definition
WBS
Scope Verification
Scope Control
3 Time Management Activity Definition
Activity Sequencing
Activity Resource Estimating
Activity Duration Estimating
Schedule Development
Schedule Control

9 Knowledge areas
S
N
KNOWLEDGE AREA PROCESS
4 Cost Management Cost Budgeting
Cost Estimation
Cost Control

5
Quality Management Quality Planning
Perform Quality Assurance
Perform Quality Control

6
HR Management Human Resource Planning
Acquire Project Team
Develop Project Team
Manage Project Team

7
Communications Mgmt
Communications Planning
Information Distribution
Performance Reporting
Manage Stakeholders

9 Knowledge areas
SN KNOWLEDGE AREA PROCESS
8 Risk Management Risk Management Planning
Risk Identification
Qualitative Risk Analysis
Quantitative Risk Analysis
Risk Response Planning
Risk Monitoring and Control
9 Procurement Management Plan Purchase and Acquisitions
Plan Contracting
Request Seller Responses
Select Sellers
Contract Administration
Contract Closure
Products are tangible items that are produced by a project or
purchased by a vendor (the vendor would have created the
initial product through a project)

Product is delivered by a project. Product Management is an
approach for centrally coordinating the activities surrounding
the long-term support and enhancement of a product

The product management process can start during the project
that created the product. If you purchased the product, the
product management process can begin when the product is
purchased, or a little earlier in the product evaluation and
selection process

Product Management

Major Product Life Cycle Phases are given as under :

Active Phase
Maturity Phase
Retired Phase

Development of product(s) will follow SDLC (Software
Development Life Cycle) methodology

Product Life Cycle Management must ensure stringent
product maintenance


SN Phase Explanation
1 Active Phase Fully supported and receive new features and enhancements
Products are taken for certifications one new environments
Technical Support will interact on the problems resolution
Functionality stable product
2 Mature Phase Support services are limited and Products are completely stable
3 Retired Phase Product sale is not allowed (using media or Web)
Only additional licensing will be allowed
No further updates on functionality, technicality
No support or Limited Support
Product Versioning Scheme reflects the extent of changes between product releases
Based on the versioning scheme, customers can understand the level of effort required to migrate to new releases and make
their development plans accordingly
Example :
R12.3.05

Major Version
Enhancements
Patch

Active Phase
Maturity Phase
Retired Phase

Development of product(s) will follow SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) methodology

Product Life Cycle Management must ensure stringent product maintenance

Product Maintenance

Major Version Release new product features and
functionality , technicality

Enhancement Release Product enhancement (mainly
functionality) and bug fixes

Patch Releases (also called Maintenance Release) : Primarily
kept for bug fixes

Product Maintenance

Program Management

Key Learning

Types of Software Contracts
Tendering Process
Formulation of Contracts

Software Project Formulation

Information Systems related Projects (representatives) :

Software Development (Bespoke or Tailor made)
Product Implementation (COTS)
Maintenance
Testing

Types of Software Contract

Software Contracts :

Fixed Price Contracts
Cost+ Contacts (Time and Material Contracts)

Types of Software Contract
Price is fixed when the contract is signed with the customer

If there are no changes in the contract then, customer will
have to pay on the successful completion of the project/work

To arrive fixed price contract

Requirements must be known and fixed properly
Detailed requirement analysis must be carried out properly
Strong project management skills required to complete the work (during
project execution customer tend to change/add the requirements without
further negotiating or expect software contractor to be accommodative)

Advantages :

Known Customer Expenditure : If the requirements have been
defined adequately and if there are no changes in the
contract terms or in the requirements then, customer is
aware about the cash outflow

Service Provider/Software Contractor motivation : Software
Contractor has a motivation to manage the delivery of the
system in a cost-effective manner (by deploying efficient
Project Management Techniques)

Disadvantages :

Higher prices to allow for contingency : Supplier absorbs the risk for any
errors in the original estimate. To reduce the impact of this risk, the supplier
will add a margin when calculating the price to be quoted in a tender

Rigidity in modifying requirements : If the requirements are not spelt out
correctly (example, not only current business processes we need to think about
future business expansions in different business lines, locations, provisions etc.)
this may cause friction between Software contractor and Customer (again,
important point is at what point Change request has occurred !)

Upward Pressure on the cost of changes : Competition may push Software
Contractor to have the aggressive pricing and then, once awarded look out for the
opportunities to demand more

Threat to System Quality : Sometimes to need to meet the dead lines in No
Margin/Less margin projects software contractor is compromise on the quality


Typical Examples :

Developing an Information System using SDLC model

Implementing COTS Solution

Software Training

Cost+ Contracts some times referred as Time and Materials Contracts :

In this type of contract customer is charged on the per man day / man hour
basis or per month basis (month = 22 days or 26 days as per the Service
providers costing and clients working).

Customer prefer to have such engagements for a shorter duration where there
exist some kind of definite plan and the project management or strong
supervision from customer side exist.

Proper records of attendance to be kept to arrive at the monthly payment.

Customer is at the demanding stage (or at the steering wheel) to amend / sharpen
the requirements and also dictate his own standards too.

Such engagements sometimes called as Body Shopping or Staff Augmentation or
Staff Outsourcing.
Cost Plus Price Contracts
Advantages of Cost+ Contracts :

Ease of Changing requirements Customer is unsure about the project
requirements or need to explore different options in the software.

Lack of price pressure Lack of price pressure may allow better quality
software to be produced

Disadvantages of Cost+ Contracts

Customer Liability Customer absorbs all the risks associated with poorly defined
or changing requirements

Lack of incentives for supplier service provider has no incentive to work in cost
effective manner or to control the scope of the system to be delivered. In such a
model Service Provider is not able to demonstrate the software project
management qualities.


Typical Examples :

Software or Hardware Maintenance

Software Offshore Units

Technical Writing Jobs

Exploring new technologies

Data Entry Jobs

Software Training (Specialized)

Often associated with function point (FP) counting
Size of the system to be delivered may be estimated in lines of code or in function
points (these can be derived based on requirement definition)
A price per unit is also quoted. Final price is then the unit price multiplied by the
number of units
Advantages

Customer understanding : Visibility or transparency exist with the customer and
aware about the price calculation and also aware about the change in price based on
the requirements variation
Emerging Functionality and risk : Supplier does not take the risk of increasing
functionality
Supplier Efficiency : Supplier still has an incentive to deliver the required
functionality in a cost-effective manner

Disadvantages

Increase in line of code (either because of inefficiency in coding or requirement
definition) is a concern

Fixed Price per unit
Open Tendering Process

Based on the requirements (Indents or requisitions) of services or goods a
proper Request for Proposal (RFP) is prepared

These RFPs are then sent to all the service providers / vendors to quote (or
obtain proper quotation). This is called as a Tendering Process (or RFP Process).
It is further called as Open Tendering Process as it is sent to all the
vendors/service providers irrespective of the country.

Restricted Tendering Process

In this case only selected vendors / service providers are invited to respond to
RFP or Tender
These vendors or service providers are also called as Approved
Supplier/Service List (ASL)
In this case Tendering process is restricted to less number of suppliers and
hence, scrutiny of tenders is at the manageable stage

Tendering (Basic Definitions)
Invitation to respond (RFP Process)

Description of existing systems and the current environment

Customers future strategy or plans

System requirements

Mandatory
Desirable

Standards (if known or available)

Deadlines

Additional information required from Service Providers / Vendors like brief about
the organization, relevant experience, financial information etc.

Tendering Process (Step I)
Potentially identify provisional requirements
Work out your other factors to select the partner
for delivering the solution
Evaluation

Meeting mandatory requirements

Evaluate the path to fulfill the desirable requirements

Quality standards and Methodology

Staff competency

Project credentials in the similar industry segment / domain and demonstrations

Corporate/Company Profile, Financial performance

Support matrix

Locations / Language preference

Time & Cost to Develop and implement
Tendering Process (Step II)
Work out strong evaluation criteria
Form an evaluation committee
Contract Preparation

Definition : Terminologies to be defined

Form of agreement : Service or goods deliveries

Ownership of the software : IPR related issues

Environment

Acceptance Procedures

Standards and methodologies

Time Table

Price and Payment method

Support arrangements
Tendering Process (Step III)
Contracts to be worded for Services / Goods
Have the standard templates

Types of Software Contracts
Tendering Process
Formulation of Contracts

Key Learning

Recruitment Process
Motivation & Team Development
Project Manager

HR in Project Management
Need

Manpower Budget:

Manpower budget(requirement) is usually worked out based on the business plan and usually is an annual
exercise
Specify the positions, numbers required and the expected cost of hire and time
To recruit(or Hire) correctly job description is essential

Out of Turn positions :

Based on the project requirements specialised skill set may be required
Resignations may also trigger recruitment process
Additional force (bench or shadow resources)

Recruitment Process (Step I)
Tools to handle Recruitments

Advertisements : News Paper, Web Portals
Job Mela : Campaign about the Organization, have the job descriptions clear, have the
process in place to collate the CVs, process of standardize and effective
communications with the prospective candidates at the stalls
Walk in Interviews : Have the interview panel in place, HR to respond quickly on the offer letters
Referrals : Have the referrals scheme in place
Web Portals : Have the membership to surf important Job related Web Portals such as
Naukari.com, Monster.com
Internal Database : Develop strong data base of CVs
Recruitment Agency: Take the help of recruitment agencies for specific positions

Recruiting Graduate Trainees

Campus Interviews and further put on the rigorous training course aligned with the organizational
objectives

Recruitment Process (Step II)
Interviewing Process (Selection Criteria)

Relevant Skills
Experience in Years
Qualification(s)
Past Experience (Domestic, International)
Age , Gender, last salary drawn
References (either mentioned on CVs or obtained)

Recruitment Process (Step III)
Elimination

First process is to screen the CVs which are obtained
Eliminate or bring CVs to the next process of Technical round
Eliminated CVs to be stored in the database with the proper reasoning for further references

Technical Interview

Organize interview(s) with the selected candidate(s) using Audio/Video Conference with the Technical panel or call candidate (s) in person

Test the various skills such as Communications, Technicalities (either by way of written test or verbal interview) and see t he best fit for the post

Select the shortlisted candidates for the further HR interview in person. Rejected to keep in the database with the reasons f or further reference

HR Interview

Communication Skills, Personality traits, Joining date and current cost and expected salary
Rejected candidates to be kept in the database for the further reference

Recruitment Process (Step IV)

Motivation (Software Projects)
SN Software
Projects
Performance Targets Measuring the Targets
1 SDLC Completing each phase in time and cost with proper
standards and quality
Complex
2 COTS <Same as Above> Complex
3 Maintenance

Coding
Training
Upgrades

Based on the Successful Completion of activities
mentioned under Maintenance phase

Easy
4 Testing Based on the successful completion Easy
Common Motivational Schemes

SDLC

Motivation (Software Projects)
SN Issues highlighted Motivational Steps
1 Not par with the market Understand the problem, conduct market
survey for the similar size, grades etc and then
take a call on the salary revision
2 Lack of clarity Work out a proper job description at every level
3 Lack of training Find out Training Needs Analysis (TNA) based
on the Job Description and then align a proper
training
4 Job Rotation / Satisfaction Analyze job situation and try to switch the jobs
5 Dissatisfaction in group Have weekly meetings on Official and Personal
issues
SDLC and COTS

SN Issues Motivational Issues
1 Project Slippages Try & address these issues along with the
customer and not to have Blame Game
2 Communications with the
customer
Must know how to handle the customer. A
proper training program can be scheduled
3 Not getting rewarded in
spite of doing an excellent
job
Have reward programs such as Star person of
the month
4 Logistics related issues Must be aligned with the customer timings and
venue. Compensate adequately in terms of
holidays and conveyance etc.
5 Environment or locations
related issues
Try and sort them out by providing facilities
such as entertainment, sports etc (Staff
welfare)
Maintenance & Testing SDLC

SN Issues Motivational Issues
1 Job rotation and preferred
to have SDLC
Try & address these issues with proper dialog
and then map the decision
2 Communications with the
customer
Must know how to handle the customer. A
proper training program can be scheduled
3 Not getting rewarded in
spite of doing an excellent
job
Have reward programs such as Star person of
the month
4 Logistics related issues Must be aligned with the customer timings and
venue. Compensate adequately in terms of
holidays and conveyance etc.
5 Environment or locations
related issues
Try and sort them out by providing facilities such
as entertainment, sports etc (Staff welfare)
The role of the Project Manager is to plan, execute, and
finalize projects according to strict deadlines and within
budget.

This includes acquiring resources and coordinating the
efforts of team members and third-party contractors or
consultants in order to deliver projects according to plan.

The Project Manager will also define the projects
objectives and oversee quality control throughout its life
cycle

Project Manager

Creates and executes project work plans and revises as appropriate to meet changing
needs and requirements.
Identifies resources needed and assigns individual responsibilities.
Manages day-to-day operational aspects of a project and scope.
Reviews deliverables prepared by team before passing to client.
Effectively applies methodology and enforces project standards.
Prepares for engagement reviews and quality assurance procedures.
Minimizes our exposure and risk on project.
Ensures project documents are complete, current, and stored appropriately

Project Manager

Recruitment Process
Project Manager

Key Learning

Bar Charts
Project Manager

Software Project Scheduling

Background
Project Schedules
Project and Activities
Sequencing and Scheduling Activities

Planning & Scheduling
Background

Plan must be started as a set of targets and made
up of activities
Achievement or unachievement is unambiguously
measured and monitor against the targets
Ensure appropriate resources are mentioned on the
plan and measured against the actual deployment
Plan must give detailed costing

Planning & Scheduling (Background)

Activity Planning & Scheduling techniques place an
emphasis on completing the project in a minimum at
an acceptable cost or, alternatively meeting a set
target at minimum cost

Planning is an ongoing process of refinement, each
iteration becoming more detailed and more accurate
than the last

Planning & Scheduling

Project Schedule

Step I Step II Step III
Decide what activities Risk Analysis Resource Allocation
Need to be carried out &
in what order

Step IV Draw up and
Publish

Project Scheduling (4-Steps)
Scheduling Concerns

Estimating the complexity and effort of implementing
certain requirements is hard

Productivity is not proportional to the number of people
working on a task

Simply adding people to a late project does not improve
your chances of meeting deadlines

The unexpected always happens. Always allow
contingency in planning

Projects and Activities
Characteristics

Project is composed of number of interrelated
activities
Project may start when at least one of its activities
is ready to start
Project is said to be completed when all the
activities are completed
Activity must have a resource to work on
Duration of an activity must be forecastable
Some activities might need precedence

WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)
The work breakdown structure (WBS) is a powerful tool for
expressing the scope or extent of a project in simple
graphic terms

It represents the project in terms of the hierarchy of
deliverables and services it will produce

The WBS starts with a single box at the top which
represents the whole project. The project is then
partitioned into its components with lower level boxes

WBS Role
Partition the major project deliverables into smaller components to
improve the accuracy of cost estimates

Provide a mechanism for collecting and organizing actual costs

Provide a mechanism for performance measurement and control

Note that the WBS provides a simple map of what is to be produced. It
does not deal with schedules and therefore has no time dimension

It is however used as entry criteria for schedule development
Typical WBS (sample based on deliverables)

Project

Installed
System
Analyze
Requirements
Outline Design
Integrate
System
Test System
UAT & Signoff
Review
Requirements
Outline Design
Code Software
Test Software
Analyze
Requirements
Design Manual
Capture Screens
Print Manuals
Training
Course
Analyze
Requirements
Design Course
Write Manual
Print
Handouts
Deliver Course
S/W Comp User Manual
WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)

Project is composed of number of interrelated
activities
Project may start when at least one of its activities
is ready to start
Project is said to be completed when all the
activities are completed
Activity must have a resource to work on
Duration of an activity must be forecastable
Some activities might need precedence


Graphical notations are used to show the project
schedule. They show project breakdown into tasks
and sub-tasks

Activity Charts show the dependencies between tasks and the
Critical Path.

Bar Charts show the schedule of tasks against calendar time

Note: Tasks should not be too small for example on a six month
project they should typically take about a week or two

Bar Charts & Activity Networks

Gantt charts are bar charts used to track project
schedules and progress

Gantt charts provide us with information about
durations, criticality

They come, essentially, directly from the work
breakdown structures
Bar Charts

Bar Charts (GANTT Charts)

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique)
charts represent the project schedule as an
activity network

The original PERT charts were designed for
projects with uncertainty and so are ideal for the
early stages of project planning

Network Planning Methods (PERT)
A Milestone is an event that takes zero time. It is often
used to represent the completion of an activity or the
delivery of something
An Activity is part of a project that requires resources
and time
Optimistic time (O): the minimum possible time required
to accomplish a task, assuming everything proceeds better
than is normally expected
Pessimistic time (P): the maximum possible time required
to accomplish a task, assuming everything goes wrong (but
excluding major catastrophes)
Most likely time (M): the best estimate of the time
required to accomplish a task, assuming everything
proceeds as normal
Expected time (T
E
): the best estimate of the time
required to accomplish a task, assuming everything
proceeds as normal

PERT Concepts

Identify Goals, Activities and Milestones
Determine the dependencies between activities and
the sequence of activities to meet goals and
achieve milestones
Construct the network diagram
Estimate activity times:
Optimistic time
Most likely time
Pessimistic time
Determine the critical path

PERT Construction

PERT Example
Activity Duration (days) Dependenci es
T1 8
T2 15
T3 15 T1 (M1)
T4 10
T5 10 T2, T4 (M2)
T6 5 T1, T2 (M3)
T7 20 T1 (M1)
T8 25 T4 (M5)
T9 15 T3, T6 (M4)
T10 15 T5, T7 (M7)
T11 7 T9 (M6)
T12 10 T11 (M8)

Activity Chart
4/ 7 11/ 7 18/ 7 25/ 7 1/ 8 8/ 8 15/ 8 22/ 8 29/ 8 5/ 9 12/ 9 19/ 9
T4
T1
T2
M1
T7
T3
M5
T8
M3
M2
T6
T5
M4
T9
M7
T10
M6
T11
M8
T12
St art
Fi nish

Network Chart
For each activity we need to estimate:

ES Earliest start time
EF Earliest finish time
LS Latest start time
LF Latest finish time

The length of each path is calculated by adding up the
optimistic, expected and pessimistic durations of
each activity on the path

The LONGEST path in the project is the CRITICAL
PATH

Critical Path

Delays on the critical path will delay the project

For the activity network above :

T1 T3 T9 T11 T12 = 55 days CRITCIAL PATH
T1 T6 T9 T11 T12 = 45 days
T1 T7 T10 = 43 days
T2 T6 T9 T11 T12 = 52 days
T2 T5 T10 = 40 days
T4 T8 = 35 days

Critical Path

Capital Investments

Objectives
Common Weakness

Phases of Capital Budgeting
Decision of Making
Project Analysis

Project Selection (Finance Options)
Capital Investments

Capital Investments
Types
Physical Monetary Intangible
Land, Buildings
Plant & Machinery
Vehicle, Office Equipment
Customer Receivables
Deposits, Bonds etc.
Cash in Bank/Hand
R&D, Campaigns
Training
Software, Office Automation
Capital Investments

{Significant impact on the {Implementation of a current strategy
Business Strategies} as efficiently as possible}

Examples :

Expansion Investment
Diversification Investment
R&D Investments

Capital Investments
Strategic Investments Tactical Investments
Examples :

Mandatory Investments
Replacement Investments

The length of time required to recover the cost of an investment

For example, if a project costs $100,000 and is expected to
return $20,000 annually, the payback period will be $100,000 /
$20,000 (5 Yrs)

It ignores any benefits that occur after the payback period and,
therefore, does not measure profitability

It ignores the time value of money

Definition (Pay Back Period PBP)

Average profit Average investment as a percentage

The profit number used is Operating Profit (usually from a
particular project)

The average investment is the book value of assets tied up (in
the project)

This is important as the profit figure used is after
depreciation and amortization. The means that value of assets
used should also be after depreciation and amortization as
well

Definition (Accounting Rate of Return - ARR)

A very simple example is say that you will have a cash flow of $10
in year 2. Assume that in order to generate that cash flow, you
had to invest $50. Thus you have an out flow of $50 the first
year, and an inflow of $60 in year two ($10 earnings plus the $50
return of your initial investment). In order to convert or
discount the $60 back to today's dollars to equal $50, you must
use a discount rate of 20%. Thus, your IRR is 20%

Another way to look at it is the internal rate of return (IRR) is
the discount rate at which the "net" present value of future cash
flows is zero (discounted future cash flows = starting investment
amount). The "net" meaning you subtract your initial investment

Definition (Internal Rate of Return IRR)

The present value of an investment's future net cash flows
minus the initial investment. If positive, the investment
should be made (unless an even better investment exists),
otherwise it should not

Definition (Net Present Value NPV)

In its simplest form, benefit cost ratio is a figure that is used to
define the value of a project versus the money that will be spent
in doing the project in the overall assessment of a cost-benefit
analysis

This ratio provides a value of benefits and costs that are
represented by actual dollars spent and gained

Definition (Benefit Cost Ratio BCR)
Selection Criteria
SN Criterion Accept Reject
1 PBP (Pay Back Period) < Target Period >= Target Period
2 Accounting Rate of Return (ARR) > Target Rate < Target Rate
3 Net Present Value (NPV) > 0 < 0
4 Internal Rate of Return (IRR) > Cost of Capital < Cost of Capital
5 Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) > 1 < 1

ISO 9000-3:1997
CMM Standards

Project Management Quality Standards
Design and Implementation Guidelines
Input and output should be specified, and design rules and internal interface
definitions should be examined.
A systematic design methodology appropriate to the type of software being
developed should be used (application specific methodology).
Past design lessons learned should be used, and past mistakes avoided.
Product design should facilitate testing, maintenance, and use.
The product of the design phase should be subject to review.
While these requirements are easy enough to accept, they provide little or no
practical guidance for the design process. The same is true for implementation,
which in ISO 9000-3 clearly refers to coding (implementing the design) and
producing a test-ready product:
The activities should be carried out in a disciplined manner.
Rules and standards (e.g., coding standards, language choice) should be specified
and observed.
Methods and tools should be appropriate to satisfy user requirements.
The product of the coding phase should be subject to review

Project Management Quality Standards
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in
Geneva, Switzerland first published ISO 9000 quality system
standards in 1987. Almost all countries, including the USA,
have adopted it as their national quality standard

ISO 9000 is primarily concerned with a quality assurance
process that applies universally to all industries

ISO 9000 defines the key principles for quality assurance
and standards for rigorous conformance to specifications

ISO 9000 is a Quality assurance System that can be summed
up in four words: PLAN, DO, CHECK, and ACT.

ISO Basic Concepts
PLAN. Answering the "five Ws" (who, what, when, where, why) and "How," will create
objectives within your organization to guide what you do. For our industry, planning
deals with what resources will be applied to the construction process, including labor,
materials, tools, and equipment. A combination of codes, regulations, scopes of work,
and standard operating procedures must define how these resources are used. Quality
plans also define how the quality system will be managed.
DO. This is easy. Simply do what you say. In this phase of quality assurance, the plan is
put into motion and work on the jobsite is performed.
CHECK. Check that you are doing what you say. Document what happens, check that
against the customers requirements, and record the results. A production record will
verify what actually occurred on each job and the crew chief will keep track of all
materials used, critical discussions made, and will sign-off upon completion of the job.
ACT. Improve what you do. Identify ways that your systems can be improved and revise
them as needed. In order to avoid recurrent problems, adjust the plan so that the root
cause of the problem is removed. This could involve using better materials, improving
construction methods, or adding more training for craftsmen.

ISO Basic Concepts
The ISO standards do not tell a business how to structure these basic principles
because all businesses are unique. Instead, they help to establish quality as a
foundation for success. Conceptually, many businesses have the framework of the ISO
requirements integrated into how they currently do business, but they are unaware
that most of the work is already done. More companies would likely apply for ISO
certification if they clearly understood what it is and how much their organizations
would benefit.

The key to achieving quality assurance is not to reinvent your company in the image of
these principles. Rather, the secret lies in realizing how your company already
conforms to these guidelines and enhancing these areas where something is lacking as
you plan and follow through on your quality objectives.

ISO Basic Concepts
ISO 9001 was designed to be a generic standard, applicable to any business. As a
result, it may be difficult to interpret the twenty requirements for a specific industry. In
addition, 9001 has a "manufacturing" focus.

These software-specific differences include the intangible nature of the software
product, potential complexity of the software, potential complexity in the interaction
among software subsystems and softwarehardware subsystems, and a unique
product life cycle. To help address the additional challenges faced by software
development organizations, ISO developed 9000-3, a guidance document designed to
assist software development organizations seeking to create ISO-compliant quality
assurance systems.
Computer softwares ethereal nature creates challenges in project management and
tracking. The inherent complexity of many software products creates design challenges
as well as testing problems. It may be difficult to assess the "goodness" of a design. In
addition, because of the huge number of possible execution thread permutations,
testing a software product adequately may prove troublesome. Furthermore, because
software products never wear out, their persistence can create configuration,
maintenance, and support problems not encountered by other types of products.

Software Development Challenges
Management responsibility
Quality policy : Define a policy that describes your organization's attitude
towards quality. Your quality policy should:
State a clear commitment to quality.
Recognize customer needs and expectations.
Be actively supported by senior management.
List the quality objectives you want to achieve.
Be understood by everyone in the organization.
Be consistent with your organization's goals.
Be maintained throughout your organization.
Be applied throughout your organization.
Organization
Define the organizational structure that you will
need in order to manage a quality system.

ISO 9001-3:1997
Responsibility and authority
Define quality system responsibilities, give quality system personnel the authority to carry out these
responsibilities, and ensure that the interactions between these personnel are clearly specified. And make sure all
of this is well documented. This requirement must be met for those who:
Manage quality system work.
Perform quality system work.
Verify quality system work.
More specifically, this quality system requirement
must be met for those who:
Control nonconforming products.
Prevent product nonconformities.
Prevent process nonconformities.
Prevent quality system nonconformities.
Identify problems related to the quality system.
Report problems related to the quality system.
Record problems related to the quality system.
Recommend solutions to quality system problems.
Design solutions to quality system problems.
Verify that solutions were implemented.
Evaluate whether solutions were effective.
4.1.2.2 Resources
Identify and provide the resources that people will need to manage,
perform, and verify quality system work. Make sure that:
Only trained personnel are assigned.
Managers have the resources they need to verify work.
Internal auditors have the resources they need.
4.1.2.3 Management representative
Appoint a senior executive to manage your quality system and give him or her the necessary authority. This
senior executive must ensure that your quality system is developed and implemented. This executive must:
Monitor the performance of your quality system.
Control the performance of your quality system.
Report on the performance of your quality system.
Help improve the performance of your quality system.
Act as your organization's spokesperson on quality.
4.1.3
Management review
Define a procedure that your senior managers can use
to review the effectiveness of your quality system.
Quality system reviews should be:
Carried out on a regular basis.
Documented and records should be maintained.
Quality system reviews should ensure that your:
Quality system requirements are being met.
Quality objectives are being achieved.
Quality policy is being applied.

Responsibility and authority
Define quality system responsibilities, give quality system personnel the authority to carry out these responsibilities, and ensure that the interactions between these personnel are
clearly specified. And make sure all of this is well documented. This requirement must be met for those who:
Manage quality system work.
Perform quality system work.
Verify quality system work.
More specifically, this quality system requirement
must be met for those who:
Control nonconforming products.
Prevent product nonconformities.
Prevent process nonconformities.
Prevent quality system nonconformities.
Identify problems related to the quality system.
Report problems related to the quality system.
Record problems related to the quality system.
Recommend solutions to quality system problems.
Design solutions to quality system problems.
Verify that solutions were implemented.
Evaluate whether solutions were effective.
Resources
Identify and provide the resources that people will need to manage,
perform, and verify quality system work. Make sure that:
Only trained personnel are assigned.
Managers have the resources they need to verify work.
Internal auditors have the resources they need.

ISO 9001-3:1997
4.1.2.3 Management representative
Appoint a senior executive to manage your quality system and give him or her the necessary
authority. This senior executive must ensure that your quality system is developed and
implemented. This executive must:
Monitor the performance of your quality system.
Control the performance of your quality system.
Report on the performance of your quality system.
Help improve the performance of your quality system.
Act as your organization's spokesperson on quality.
4.1.3
Management review
Define a procedure that your senior managers can use
to review the effectiveness of your quality system.
Quality system reviews should be:
Carried out on a regular basis.
Documented and records should be maintained.
Quality system reviews should ensure that your:
Quality system requirements are being met.
Quality objectives are being achieved.
Quality policy is being applied.

ISO 9001-3:1997
Develop a quality system and a manual that describes it.
Your quality system should ensure that your products
conform to all specified requirements.
Your quality manual should:
State your quality policy.
List your quality objectives.
Provide an overview of your quality system.
Describe the structure of your organization.
Discuss your quality system procedures.
Introduce your quality documents and records.
Teach people about your quality system.
Control quality system work practices.
Guide the implementation of your quality system.
Explain how your quality system will be audited.
4.2.2
Quality system procedures
Develop and implement quality system procedures
that are consistent with your quality policy.
Develop your procedures for all areas of your quality system.
Document your procedures, and keep them up to date.
ISO 9001-3:1997
Each procedure should:
Specify its purpose and scope.
Describe how an activity should be carried out.
Describe who should carry out the activity.
Explain why the activity is important to quality.
Describe when and where it should be carried out.
Explain what tools and equipment should be used.
Explain what supplies and materials should be used.
Explain what documents and records should be kept.
Procedures may also refer to detailed work instructions
that explain exactly how the work should be done.

ISO 9001-3:1997
4.2.3
Quality planning
Develop quality plans that show how you intend to fulfill quality system requirements. You are expected to develop
quality plans for products, processes, projects, and customer contracts.
Your quality plans should list the quality objectives you intend to achieve, and the steps you intend to take to
achieve these objectives.
When you construct your quality plan, consider
the following questions:
Do you need to purchase any new equipment or
instruments, or any new inspection and test tools?
Do you need to carry out any special training in
order to fulfill all quality system requirements?
Do you need to improve design, production, testing,
inspection, installation, or servicing procedures?
Do you need to improve your quality
measurement and verification procedures?
Do you need to develop any new
measurement methods or instruments?
Do you need to clarify your organization's
standards of acceptability?
Do you need to develop any new documents,
forms, reports, records, or manuals?
Do you need to allocate more resources in
order to achieve the required levels of quality?

ISO 9001-3:1997
Develop quality plans to control your software development projects.
Your quality plans should control:
Project implementation.
Project schedules.
Project resources.
Project approvals.
Project phases.
When a phase can begin.
When a phase has been completed.
Your quality plans should define:
Quality requirements.
Responsibilities.
Authorities.
Life cycle model.
Review methods.
Testing methods.
Verification methods.
Validation methods.
ISO 9001-3:1997
Develop detailed quality plans and procedures, and define
specific responsibilities and authorities to control:
Configuration management.
Product verification.
Verification of your developed products.
Verification of your purchased products.
Verification of your customer-supplied products.
Product validation.
Validation of your developed products.
Validation of your purchased products.
Nonconforming products.
Corrective actions.
Your quality plans may include or refer to:
Generic project, product, or contract procedures.
Special project, product, or contract procedures.
Your quality plan can be a separate document or it can
be part of another larger document. Or, it can be made
up of several specific documents.
Your quality plan should be updated and refined
as your software development plan is implemented.
Make sure that all participating groups and organizations get a chance to review and approve the
quality plan before it is implemented.

ISO 9001-3:1997

ISO 9001 vs CMM (Softare Industry)
Organizations concerned with ISO 9001 certification often question its overlap with the Capability Maturity
Model (CMM). Lets compare the two and answer a few questions.
>ISO 9001 targets the manufacturing process, although it also includes manufacturing services and
software development.
>CMM offers a model for judging the software processes of an organization and for identifying key
practices required to increase the maturity of these processes. It establishes a successful means for
modeling, defining, and measuring the maturity of the processes used by software professionals.
>ISO 9001 and the whole ISO process approaches software from a manufacturing standpoint.
>CMM approaches it from a development standpoint.
The CMM model was designed with five levels of maturity. ISO does not have them.
>CMM standards are more stringent than ISO standards.
>ISO does not say you have to have certain standards, but CMM says you must meet the prescribed
standards.
>CMM was designed to ensure bug-free development.
>ISO is designed to put quality into the manufacturing process.
Their purposes are different. However, some versions of CMM and ISO have been merged together.

Iso vs cmm

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