Software Project Management

BIT-402
Introduction to software project
management activities
Software Project Management consists
of many activities, that includes
planning of the project, deciding the
scope of product, estimation of cost in
different terms, scheduling of tasks, etc.
The list of activities are as follows:
 Project planning and Tracking
 Project Resource Management
 Scope Management
 Estimation Management
 Project Risk Management
 Scheduling Management
 Project Communication Management
 Project Planning: It is a set of multiple processes, or we can say that it a
task that performed before the construction of the product starts.
 Scope Management: It describes the scope of the project. Scope management is
important because it clearly defines what would do and what would not. Scope
Management create the project to contain restricted and quantitative tasks, which may
merely be documented and successively avoids price and time overrun.
 Estimation management: This is not only about cost estimation because whenever we
start to develop software, but we also figure out their size(line of code), efforts, time as
well as cost.
 Scheduling Management: Scheduling Management in software refers to all the
activities to complete in the specified order and within time slotted to each activity.
Project managers define multiple tasks and arrange them keeping various factors in
mind.
 Project Resource Management: In software Development, all the elements are referred to
as resources for the project. It can be a human resource, productive tools, and libraries.
Resource management includes:
1. Create a project team and assign responsibilities to every team member
2. Developing a resource plan is derived from the project plan.
3. Adjustment of resources.
 Project Risk Management: Risk management consists of all the activities like
identification, analyzing and preparing the plan for predictable and unpredictable risk in the
project. Several points show the risks in the project:
1. The Experienced team leaves the project, and the new team joins it.
2. Changes in requirement.
3. Change in technologies and the environment.
4. Market competition.
Project Communication Management:
Communication is an essential factor in the success
of the project. It is a bridge between client,
organization, team members and as well as other
stakeholders of the project such as hardware
suppliers.
Attributes of a project
 Key Attributes of a Project are:
 Projects have a start and finish point.
 Projects have a set budget, which is capitalized.
 The first prototypes of a mass produced product would be
considered a project
 A project seeks to make instant changes/benefits.
 A project has a number of steps that make up the project life
cycle.
Project life cycle
 The project life cycle is critical for any managers hoping to
deliver projects to clients successfully.
 The Project Phases Involved
 Phase 1 The Conceptualization Phase
 Phase 2 The Planning Phase
 Phase 3 The Execution Phase
 Phase 4 The Termination Phase
Phase #1 The Conceptualization Phase

This can also be referred to as the ‘Initiation Phase’

and is the starting point of any project or idea.

For the Conceptualization Phase to begin, a strategic

need for the project or service must be recognized by
upper management.
Ask yourself the following questions
during Conceptualization
What is the problem?
Will the development of a project solve that problem?
What are the specific goals of the project?
Do we have enough resources to create and support
the project?
The Conceptualization Phase typically involves

Creation of the statement of work (SOW).

Presenting the business case.
Creation of a business contract.
Phase #2 The Plan Phase

The Plan Phase is focused on scheduling and staffing

projects at a professional services organization.

Once management has given the OK to launch a

project, a more formal set of plans—outlining initial
goals—is established.
Ask yourself the following questions
during Planning
What is the project purpose, vision, or mission?
Are there measurable objectives or success criteria?
Do you have a high level description of the project,
requirements and risks?
Can you adequately schedule and budget high level
milestones?
The Planning Phase typically involves

Determining resource availability.

Creating a project budget.
Beginning to allocate tasks to certain
resources.
Phase #3 The Execution Phase

The third phase is labeled Execution.

This is when the actual work of the project is

performed. Required materials, tools, and resources
are transformed to reach the project goals. During this
phase, performance is continually measured to ensure
the project is successful.
Ask yourself the following questions
during Execution
Are all resources being tracked?
Is the project on budget and on time?
Can resource planning be optimized?
Are there major roadblocks that require change
management?
The Execution Phase typically involves

Strategic
planning.
Implementation planning.
Phase #4 The Termination Phase

The fourth and final phase is called Termination

Phase, also referred to as Project Closure.

This phase begins once the project has been

completed.
Ask yourself the following questions
during Termination
Are the project’s completion criteria met?
Is there a project closure report in progress?
Have all project artifacts been collected and archived?
The Termination Phase typically involves

The disbandment of the project team.

Personnel and tools are reassigned to new
duties.
Resources released back to parent
organization.
Project transferred to intended users.
 Project selection
 One of the biggest decisions that any organization would have to make is related to the
projects they would undertake. Once a proposal has been received, there are numerous
factors that need to be considered before an organization decides to take it up.
 The most viable option needs to be chosen, keeping in mind the goals and requirements
of the organization.
How is it then that you decide whether a project is viable?
How do you decide if the project at hand is worth approving?
 This is where project selection methods come in use.
 Choosing a project using the right method is therefore of utmost importance. This is
what will ultimately define the way the project is to be carried out.
Selection Methods
Selection of projects is based on:
• Benefits: A measure of the positive outcomes of the project. These are often described as "the
reasons why you are undertaking the project". The types of benefits of projects include:
Biodiversity
Economic
Social and cultural
Fulfilling commitments made as part of national, regional or international plans and
agreements.
• Feasibility: A measure of the likelihood of the project being a success, i.e. achieving its objectives.
Projects vary greatly in complexity and risk. By considering feasibility when selecting projects it
means the easiest projects with the greatest benefits are given priority.
 Selection Methods
 There are various project selection methods practiced by the modern business organizations. These
methods have different features and characteristics. Therefore, each selection method is best for different
organizations.
 Although there are many differences between these project selection methods, usually the underlying
concepts and principles are the same.
 Following is an illustration of two of such methods (Benefit Measurement and Constrained Optimization
methods):
Comparative Approach

 Scoring Model: You and your team could come up with certain criteria that you
want your ideal project objectives to meet. You could then give each project scores
based on how they rate in each of these criteria and then choose the project with the
highest score.
 Discounted Cash flow method: the future value of a project is ascertained by
considering the present value and the interest earned on the money. The higher the
present value of the project, the better it would be for your organization.
 Internal Rate of Return: The rate of return received from the money is what is
known as the IRR. Here again, you need to be looking for a high rate of return from
the project.
Mathematical Approach

 The mathematical approach is commonly used for larger projects. The

constrained optimization methods require several calculations in order to
decide on whether or not a project should be rejected.
 Cost-benefit analysis is used by several organizations to assist them to make
their selections. Going by this method, you would have to consider all the
positive aspects of the project which are the benefits and then deduct the
negative aspects (or the costs) from the benefits. Based on the results you
receive for different projects, you could choose which option would be the most
viable and financially rewarding.
 These benefits and costs need to be carefully considered and quantified in
order to arrive at a proper conclusion.
Questions that you may want to consider asking
in the selection process are:
Would this decision help me to increase
organizational value in the long run?
How long will the equipment last for?
Would I be able to cut down on costs as I go
along?
Request for proposal
 The software development request for proposal is the initial
document you create before you select a software development
firm.

A software RFP can also be used for other projects. In it, you
will outline specifics about the project, your requirements, even
expected deliverable dates.
 Vendors will read this document. They will then submit a bid
based on your request.
How do Software Development
Companies Use RFP?
 When a company receives a properly composed RFP for
software development, they are more likely to respond
appropriately.
 Companies that are interested in the work, and capable of
doing it will respond with a detailed proposal.
 Your software RFP is also a time-saving tool.
 Companies that don’t have the required staff or skill set will
know to move onto the next solicitation.
Preparing Request for Proposal
 An RFP template for software development consists of the following sections:
1. Executive Summary of the project along with your company's description
2. Project scope and deliverables:
 Project Management
 Infrastructure Requirements
 Functional Design
 Product Requirements
 Development
 QA
 Product Management
3. Timeline for bid submission
4. Format for vendor bids
5. Selection criteria
Preparing Request for Proposal
Executive Summary of the Project and
Company Overview
 The first part that comes in a sample RFP document for software development is the executive
summary of the project and a little bit about your company.

 Write the project's summary in a simple and easy to understand manner. Make sure you present
the following highlights about your project:

 Software project goals

 Software requirements
 Restrictions
 Target audience
Project Scope and Required Deliverables
Project management requirements

 In this section, we will discuss how your software projects shall be managed by the vendor.
 It includes your requirements related to:
• Communication methods
• Development platforms
• Testing methods
• Project management tools
 Moreover, you should also iron out the details regarding the team structure. Specify
whether you want to go for a dedicated team, remote project management, or a custom
hybrid solution.
 Infrastructure requirements
 You should always list down the infrastructure requirements that your
project will need and gauge your vendors on the kind of infrastructure they
have.
 This is critical because vendors take up many software projects together
and are unable to finish them on time due to infrastructure constraints.
 To have clarity on the IT vendor’s infrastructure facilities, ask the following
questions:
• What is the software and hardware infrastructure that your company has?
• How will you protect intellectual property rights?
• What about data security?
Functional design for the required software

 Functional requirements are those specific pieces of

requirements that your software projects must satisfy in
order to be competent.
 The functional requirements of your software project
could either be:
• High level (general)
• Low level (those which contain lots of details).
Product requirements
 Defining product requirements is essential as it will have an
overbearing effect on the final shape of your product.
 While defining your product's requirements, try to answer the
following questions:
• How will the user experience be?
• What would be my product's capabilities?
• What tasks will be automated?
• Which are the entity details that each product component must have?
• Are there any processes that are  non-comprisable?
Quality assurance
 QA is a very critical function of the software delivery process and
without a robust QA process, your vendor won't be able to deliver
flawless software.
 You should seek clarity on the following aspects with your software
vendor upfront:
• The testing approach and tools used by the vendor
• How the vendor will adjust the testing process according to your
project
• The communication process between your team and the vendor's team
Timeline for a response to your RFP software
development
Timeline for a response to your RFP software
development
 In this section, you will set the deadlines for various RFP software
development stages like:
• RFP release date
• Deadline for submitting and intention to bid by the vendors
• Meetings with the vendors for any clarifications
• Deadlines for submitting RFP responses
• Final interviews
• Selection deadlines
Format for Vendor Bids
 To simplify the process of analyzing various bids, prepare a format in which all the
vendors must submit their proposals.
 The format should seek the following data from IT vendors:
• Location of the software vendor
• Name of the vendor and all the software projects previously completed by the vendor
• The qualifications of various team members
• A detailed cost breakdown
• Post-development training and support plan
• A vision for the final product
• KPIs, analytics, and the process of development which the vendor wishes to follow
• References, if any
Selection criteria
 Selection criteria for companies depend on their individual and industry
preferences.
 For example, for a nuclear power plant or a defense company, the past experience
of the vendor is critical.
 On the other hand, for a startup, the cost is of prime importance. Normally while
selecting a vendor, you will likely go through two stages:
 Pre-qualification stage
 Selection stage
Pre-qualification stage
 Here, you should conduct a preliminary elimination process to filter the vendors
that are potentially able to handle this type of project.

 Getting references and asking for similar types of software projects are great ways
to shorten your list of potential vendors.

 The idea behind the pre-qualification stage is that you do not want to waste time
sorting through hundreds of vendor RFQ replies.
Selection stage
 The second stage is a more detailed one in which the company shares the details of
the projects and asks for the following things from shortlisted vendors:
• Cost of software development
• The technical vision of the project
• Deadlines
 While preparing an RFP, it is a good idea to let the vendors know about absolute no
compromise terms. This will save both your time as well as the vendor's time and
will avoid future problems for both of you.
Types of proposals
 Consider the situations in which proposals occur. A company may send
out a public announcement requesting proposals for a specific project.
This public announcement--called a request for proposals (RFP)--could
be issued through newspapers, trade journals, Chamber of Commerce
channels, or individual letters.
 Firms or individuals interested in the project would then write
proposals in which they summarize their qualifications, project
schedules and costs, and discuss their approach to the project.
 The recipient of all these proposals would then evaluate them, select
the best candidate, and then work up a contract.
Types of proposals
 Internal, external.
 If you write a proposal to someone within your organization (a
business, a government agency, etc.), it is an internal proposal. With
internal proposals, you may not have to include certain sections (such
as qualifications), or you may not have to include as much information
in them.
 An external proposal is one written from one separate, independent
organization or individual to another such entity. The typical example is
the independent consultant proposing to do a project for another firm.
Types of proposals
 Solicited, unsolicited.
 If a proposal is solicited, the recipient of the proposal in some way requested
the proposal. Typically, a company will send out requests for proposals (RFPs)
through the mail or publish them in some news source. But proposals can be
solicited on a very local level: for example, you could be explaining to your
boss what a great thing it would be to install a new technology in the office;
your boss might get interested and ask you to write up a proposal that offered
to do a formal study of the idea.
 Unsolicited proposals are those in which the recipient has not requested
proposals. With unsolicited proposals, you sometimes must convince the
recipient that a problem or need exists before you can begin the main part of
the proposal.
Questions ??