Written Assignment Unit 1

University of the People

BUS 5611 - Managing Projects and Programs

Dr. Alexius Emejom

Introduction

To provide the firm a competitive edge over its rivals, it is crucial to adhere to

project management principles. This is especially important in competitive marketplaces

where standing out is essential. If a company can deliver a good or service on time and

within budget, we can frequently predict if a product will be a hit on the market or whether

it will be the subject of the following transaction.

In order to emphasize the necessity of establishing a project management

department within the business, it is essential to define what software businesses do.

Software developers and computer programmers create and develop software.

They create, test, and assess the software programs and systems that operate

computers using computer science and mathematical principles. Software is used in a wide

variety of other projects, such as video games, business applications, operating systems,

network control systems, and more (Watt, 2014). Software developers use project

management skills for a variety of reasons, which I will briefly go over.

Creating the software's specifications

Given the competitiveness of the market today, a growing number of software development

companies are depending on project management to remain profitable and deliver high-quality

products on schedule. Software product developers are beginning to rely on project management

and sound software engineering practices to get their goods out into the cutthroat market of today.

The actions necessary to complete all phases of a project must be initiated, planned,

monitored, and controlled. Project stakeholders must also be provided with progress updates. The
completion of a project or product's technical components is the focus of the software development

process.

Functional and technical requirements, analytics, databases, a reference book, testing and

maintenance, and quality assurance throughout the software's lifespan are just a few of the many

elements that must be taken into account. Engineers and project managers must collaborate to

perform their tasks in order for everything to happen as planned.

Recognizing and keeping track of the tasks required for product development

Even though engineers are aware of the order in which tasks should be accomplished when

designing software, unforeseen occurrences and changes might nevertheless happen. In this

situation, the team needs individuals who are aware of the risks they face and how to handle them

effectively. Project management also involves adjusting to changes and minimizing risks in order

to reduce significant corporate interruptions and unplanned costs.

For organizations that don't focus on a single product at a time, this is extremely important.

The optimum project management approach must be chosen from among the various available

options.

Communicating with clients and the development team

Without efficient communication, projects cannot be successful, and here is where the

project manager's role becomes crucial. A communication plan is beneficial for any project

because it:

o Produces written documentation that everyone can refer to.

o Setting forth clear rules for when and how updates will be released.
 o Increasing the project's status and visibility.

o Giving people the chance to provide and receive feedback.

o Making team meetings more effective.

o Ensuring that the project's goals are still being met (LaPrad, 2018).

Case studies

Testing is one of the most important steps in the software development lifecycle. The

project manager needs to be able to see the large picture, even when sometimes more engineers

may be working on the test's brass components.

Organize resources, the timeline, and the quality (staff, equipment, labs, and more).

Project managers are almost twice as likely to deliver products on time, according to a

research (The Value of Project Management, n.d.). Instead of responding directly to an investor,

managers are more likely to meet or even exceed expectations when they reply to a project.

Conclusion

A lot of time and money must be spent on department organization. However, establishing

a project management department in a business that has outgrown its infancy or is no longer a

startup can be quite advantageous in the long run. In conclusion, the project manager, or project

department management, has overseen the undertaking from inception to completion and is a

crucial aspect of it. Having a project management department or project manager is insufficient.

Project participants must cooperate and show consideration for one another. It's the only way to

guarantee that the project is finished successfully and on schedule.

 References

• Ulf Eriksson. (2016, March 31). What Test Managers Should Know About the Software

Development Life Cycle | ReQtest. ReQtest. https://reqtest.com/testing-blog/what-

testmanagers-should-know-about-the-software-development-life-cycle/

• The Value of Project Management. (n.d.). https://www.pmi.org/-

/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/white-papers/value-of-

projectmanagement.pdf?v=893cecac-1fec-4ea9-b855-7b80aab3213b

• Watt, A. (2014). Project Management. BCcampus Open Textbook project. Licensed under

the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License.

• LaPrad, L. (2018). How to Create a Project Management Communication Plan |

TeamGantt.Teamgantt.com; TeamGantt. https://www.teamgantt.com/blog/project-

managementcommunication-plan

• The Importance Of Project Management For Software Development. (2020, August 3).

Orases. https://orases.com/the-importance-of-project-management-for-software-

development/

• Luba, E. (2002). Successful project management for software product and information

system development. Pmi.org. https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/pm-software-

product-isdevelopment-1079