Course Code MIT231

Description Advanced Software Engineering

College / Department:
School of Graduate Studies Assignment No. 2
Online Education

ASSIGNMENT 2(Project Management) Page 1 of 1

Practical Case Analysis

The Project Hand - off Method

Dragan Z. Milosevic, Russ J. Martinelli, and James M. Waddell
Hospi-Tek is a medical equipment manufacturing company who has historically used aproject hand-off approach to
develop its products. They are currently under intense time to market pressure from their primary competitor, forcing
senior management to reevaluate this approach.
A HAND - OFF METHOD
Under the project hand - off method, the Hospi - Tek product development effort began with the architectural team who
developed an architectural concept and derived the high - level requirements of the medical device from the work of the
product marketing team. The architectural concept and specifications were then handed - off to the hardware engineering
team, who assumed ownership of the project. The engineering team developed the hardware requirements, engineering
specifications, and the product design, which were then handed - off to the manufacturing team, who assumed ownership
of the project. The manufacturing team developed the manufacturing processes, retooled the factor, and produced the
physical product. The product and project ownership were then handed - off to downstream engineering teams, such as
the software development team. The software team developed the software stack, then handed - off the combined
hardware/ software product, as well as project ownership, to the validations and test team. Finally, the validations and test
team performed product - and component - level testing to ensure the product achieved the functional, quality, usability,
and reliability requirements. Management of the project was accomplished through a project management - only model,
with multiple project managers in control of the project as it progressed through the development life cycle. Thus, a project
manager with the functional expertise specific to the phase of development the product was currently in assumed
ownership of the project.

JUDGEMENT
The hand - off method of development is common in smaller, less mature, and technically focused companies in which
true project management value is usually not well understood and the engineering functions reign king. Unfortunately, this
method is not scalable, and as a company begins to succeed and grow, product and process complexity requires the
management team to look at alternative methods to structure and manage its product development efforts.
Discussion items
1. Why (by implementing the hand - off method) are there multiple project managers in control of the project as it
progresses through the development life cycle?
Yes, the project is overseen by numerous project managers. The book also explains why there are so
many project managers. “The project was managed using a project management-only approach, with different
project managers in charge as the project went through the development lifecycle. As a result, a project manager
with functional competence unique to the product's present development phase gained ownership of the project,
and we may deduce that each phase has its own project manager who will be responsible for everything at the
moment.
2. Do you agree with the judgment that the hand - off method is popular in companies where true project management
value is usually not well understood? Why or why not?
I agree since the true benefit of project management is not commonly appreciated, and this strategy is
not scalable as a firm grows and succeeds. Companies require a way to boost work in order to ensure a creative
vision for the firm and to assist management in making the best decisions possible.
3. What are the pros and cons of the hand - off method?

Pros: Product quality was improved as a result of product and component level testing performed by the
validations and test team to verify that the product met all functional, quality, usability, and reliability
requirements. Cons: The product was not as reliable as it could have been.
Cons: The company requires information resulting from the project, and because this method involves
numerous project managers in control of the project, the information will be presented late and there will
be a scarcity of information available.
Assessment Rubric:

Criteria (%) 5 4 2-3 1

Accuracy Accurate, Accurate user User requirements Insufficient user
comprehensive, and requirements and and technical requirements and
sufficiently specific technical specification cover technical
user requirements specification that only some aspects specification:
and technical cover most aspects of the system, and meeting the stated
specification. of the system. miss some requirements and
significant aspects, specifications does
or characterize not solve the stated
them inaccurately. problem.
Organization All information is Can find Information difficult Very hard to find
easy to find and information with to locate. information.
important points slight effort.
stand out
Completeness All major system Most major system Only some system Non-representative,
components are components are components are or missing system
identified. identified. identified. Some components.
major components
are missing.

Grammar and There are no errors There are 1-3 errors There are 4-5 errors There are more
Spelling in spelling, in spelling, in spelling, than 5 errors in
punctuation or punctuation or punctuation or spelling,
grammar in the final grammar in the grammar in the punctuation or
draft of the final draft of the final draft of the grammar in the
documentation. documentation. documentation. final draft
documentation.