Conventional Software Management

• Best thing about software is its flexibility

• It can be programmed to do almost anything

• Worst thing about software is also its flexibility

• “Almost anything” characteristic has made it difficult to
plan, monitor, and control software development
•This unpredictability is the basis for software crisis

Dr N Raja Kumar Reddy

Sri Kalahasteeswara Institute of Technology
Srikalahasti
 Analyses on the state of the software
engineering industry
• In the mid-1990s, three important analyses were
performed on the state of the software engineering industry

• All three analyses reached the same general conclusion:

• The success rate for software projects is very
low

• Although, the analyses had some differing perspectives

• But their primary messages were complementary and
consistent

Dr N Raja Kumar Reddy

Sri Kalahasteeswara Institute of Technology
Srikalahasti
 Analyses on the state of the software
engineering industry
• Three important analyses, in the mid-1990s, on the state of
the software engineering industry are summarized as follows:
• Software development is still highly
unpredictable
• Only about 10% of software projects are delivered successfully
within initial budget and schedule estimates
• Management discipline is more of a
discriminator in success or failure than are
technology advances
• Level of software scrap and rework is indicative
of an immature process
Dr N Raja Kumar Reddy
Sri Kalahasteeswara Institute of Technology
Srikalahasti
 Analyses on the state of the software
engineering industry
• Three analyses provide a good introduction to

• Magnitude of the software problem

• Current norms for conventional

software management performance

• There is much room for improvement!

Dr N Raja Kumar Reddy
Sri Kalahasteeswara Institute of Technology
Srikalahasti
 WATERFALL MODEL
• Most software engineering texts presents the
Waterfall Model as

– Source of the Conventional Software

Process

– Benchmark of the Software Process

Dr N Raja Kumar Reddy
Sri Kalahasteeswara Institute of Technology
Srikalahasti
 WATERFALL MODEL - Theory
• In 1970, Winston Royce presented a
paper titled “Managing the Development
of Large Scale Software Systems” at IEEE
WESCON
– Based on the lessons learned on managing large
software projects
– Provides an insightful and concise summary of
conventional software management philosophy
circa 1970
Dr N Raja Kumar Reddy
Sri Kalahasteeswara Institute of Technology
Srikalahasti
Paper – “Managing the Development of Large Scale Software
Systems” by Winston Royce

• Presented the following three important points:

1. There are two essential steps common to the
development of computer programs :

1. Analysis

and

2. Coding
Dr N Raja Kumar Reddy
Sri Kalahasteeswara Institute of Technology
Srikalahasti
 Paper – “Managing the Development of Large Scale Software
Systems” by Winston Royce
• Presented the following three important points (contd):
2. In order to manage and control all of the intellectual freedom
associated with software development,
» one must introduce several other “overhead” steps,
including
• System requirements definition
• Software requirements definition
• Program design and
• Testing
» These steps supplement the analysis and coding steps
• Fig illustrates the resulting project profile
and the basic steps in developing a
large-scale program
Dr N Raja Kumar Reddy
Sri Kalahasteeswara Institute of Technology
Srikalahasti
 Paper – “Managing the Development of Large Scale Software
Systems” by Winston Royce
• Presented the following three important points (contd):
3. Basic framework described in the Waterfall Model is
risky and invites failure
•TesTesting

Dr N Raja Kumar Reddy

Sri Kalahasteeswara Institute of Technology
Srikalahasti