Introduction to Software Project Management

University Institute of Information Technology (UIIT),

PMAS-Arid Agriculture University (AAUR), Rawalpindi
Course Information
Course Title: Software Project Management (SPM)
Lecture Time:
Instructor: Dr. Yaser Hafeez
Course Cr. Hrs: 03 Hours
Class Website: Course Materials: Syllabus, Lecture Notes, Projects,
Slides all available in due time
Contact Details: e-mail: yasir@uaar.edu.pk
Off: Consultation Hours:
Course Organization - Learning and Assessment

SPM Course Contents

Lectures Assessment

Quiz Assignme Project Demonstrati

nt ons
Course Reference Material
Primary Sources
▪Managing & Leading Software Projects by F. Richard E. (Dick),
2009 (find e-copy at website)
▪Software Project Management in Practice, Pankaj Jalote, 2008

Reference Text
▪Sudhakar, G.P, Elements of Software Project Management,
2010 (Case Study)
▪PMBOK Guide 4th edition (find e-copy at website)
http://ebookbrowse.com/pmbok-english-4th-edition-pmi-pdf-d46
1809300
▪Software Engineering, A Practitioner’s Approach by Roger S.
Pressman
 Software Project Management
=
Software + Project + Management
(Managing Projects to Develop Software-intensive Systems)
Course Objectives
Software Project Management (SPM) course introduces the students to the core
concepts of SPM including but not limited to planning, estimation, risk analysis and
management, execution, and monitoring software projects in a scientific way.

The course aims to disseminate theoretical knowledge and practical skills that can
help students to become successful software engineers in general and software
project managers in particular.

Economics of SPM, Advanced Topics and Learning Reflections

Project Scheduling, Estimation and Risk Management

Fundamentals of Software Process and Project Management

 Do and Do not in the Lecture
Do
- Participate and contribute!
- Argue and counter-argue
- Basically, do whatever that promotes
discussion and learning regarding SPM and beyond

Do not
- Compromise class discipline (chats, off-line discussions)
- Be late, however if you are late do inform me
- Use mobile phones
- Use mobile phones
 Lecture 01

Software

Project Management
Lecture Agenda
▪ What is Software Project Management (SPM)
▪ Why Software Project Management
▪ Major Activities of Software Project Management
▪ Function of Effective of Management
▪ Factors of Successful SPM
▪ Professional Bodies & Introduction to PMI - PMBOK
▪ Course Contents, Learning Expectations and Outcomes
 What is Software?
▪ Software can be considered a product of engineering just like an
airplane, automobile, television, or an other object that requires a high
degree of skill to turn a raw material into a usable product.

▪ But software is developed or engineered, not manufactured! No wear-

out

▪ Software is a set of programs or data combined with its documentation

which is helpful or even needed to run the application. (Hesse et al.
1984)
What is Software?
Software can be of different types:
- System software - Application software
- Engineering / Scientific software - Embedded software
- Product-line software - Web-applications
- Information system - Medical software
- Telecommunication software - Dependable software i.e.
Different Taxonomies?
Each type is exhibiting different characteristics e.g. Safety is more critical for Dependable
Software
This is one Facet of Project Situation
Stakeholders, Project Size, Team Expertise, Environmental & Organizational Factors,
infrastructure, Budget & Time. Level of information is available etc.
What is Software?
Taxonomies: (common classes exhibit common properties)
▪ System software: Drivers, operating system components, compilers,
▪ Application software: Stand-alone software for specific business need,
transaction processing system
▪ Scientific software: Stress analysis software, simulation software
▪ Embedded software: Reside within a product or system, keypad control for
microwave,
▪ Product-line software: Word-processing, spread sheets
▪ Artificial Intelligence software: Game playing, expert systems

Other Taxonomies…
▪ Web Application OR Desktop Application
▪ Static or Dynamic, Hard & Non-Hard Problems
What is Software?
▪ System Context
▪ Set of elements having specified relationships among each other (Duden, 1974)

▪ Software as Part of the System

▪ To understand software and to define its requirements, it is necessary
▪ to consider software only as a small part of a system (in case of software-intensive /
complex system).
▪ Need to understand all its interfaces
▪ Examples:
▪ Information system - Organization context
▪ Embedded system - Physical context
Management – an overview
▪ Managers: the group of individuals who make decisions about how a
business is run.
▪ A stream of decision and actions to achieve goal(s) efficiently and
effectively.
▪ Management is the process of designing and maintaining an environment
in which individuals, working together in groups, efficiently [and
effectively] accomplish selected aims.
What is a Project?

▪ Project Management Institute (PMI) definition: A project is a temporary

endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service.

▪ Software project management is the art and science of planning and

leading software projects. It is a sub-discipline of project management in
which software projects are planned, implemented, monitored and
controlled. [Wikipedia]
What is a Project?
A project is characterized as follows:
• a one-time effort is planned
• starting and ending dates are prescribed
• a project team is assembled
• schedule and budget are allocated
• well-defined objectives are established
• activities are defined, roles are identified,
responsibilities are assigned, and authority is delegated
Software projects are temporary
organizational units
What is a Project?
▪ Temporary
▪ It means that every project has a definite beginning and definite end
▪ End is reached when project’s objectives have been achieved OR it is clear
that objective will not be met. The project is terminated in such a situation
▪ The term temporary does not apply to a project’s product or service
(which is a lasting result)

▪ Unique
▪ It means that the product or service is different in some distinguishing
way from all similar products or services
What is a Project?
▪ Projects may involve a single person or thousands
▪ Projects may be completed in hours, several months or years
▪ Examples of projects; different situation
▪ Developing a new product or service
▪ Designing a new vehicle
▪ Constructing a building
▪ Running a campaign for political office
▪ Implementing a new business procedure or process
▪ And so on …

Are Projects cancelled sometime before achieving the

objective...?
What is Management?
It is a set of activities and tasks undertaken by one or more persons for the
purpose of planning & controlling the activities of others in order to achieve
an objective or complete an activity that could not be achieved by others
acting independently.

Koontz, H., C. O’Donnell and H. Weihirch, Management, 7 th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York,N. Y., 1980

Synergy: the combined effect is greater than the sum of the individual
effects

Good
GOV. NGO’s
Social
Efforts Work
Work
Management – an overview
▪ Effectiveness and Efficiency
▪ Effectiveness: The achievement of objectives
▪ Efficiency: The achievement of ends with least amount of resources
▪ Managing is concerned with productivity
▪ “Productivity” ?
▪ Productivity = outputs/inputs
▪ Productivity can be increased by
▪ Using “same” amount of resource but more output
▪ Using less resources but giving “same” output
▪ Using less resources but more output
▪ Business vs non-business
Five Core Functions of Management - I
▪ Planning ▪ Involves selecting missions and
objectives and the actions to achieve
▪ Organizing them
▪ Staffing ▪ Requires decisions making that is,
choosing future courses of action from
▪ Leading among alternatives
▪ Controlling
Five Core Functions of Management - II
▪ Planning ▪ People working together in groups to
achieve some goal must have roles to play
▪ Organizing
▪ Organizing involves establishing an
▪ Staffing “intentional” structure of roles for people
to fill in an organization.
▪ Leading
▪ intentional in the sense of making sure
▪ Controlling that all the tasks necessary to accomplish
goals are assigned.
Five Core Functions of Management - III
▪ Planning ▪ Involves filling, and keeping filled the positions in the
organization structure.
▪ Organizing ▪ This is done by identifying work-force requirements,
inventorying the people available; and
▪ Staffing
▪ Recruiting, selecting, placing, promoting, appraising,
▪ Leading planning the careers of, compensating, and training or
otherwise developing both candidates and current
▪ Controlling jobholders so that tasks are accomplished effectively and
efficiently
Five Core Functions of Management - IV
▪ Planning ▪ Influencing people so that they will
contribute to organization and group goals
▪ Organizing
▪ Predominantly with the interpersonal
▪ Staffing aspect of managing.

▪ Leading ▪ Deals with problems arising from people’s

desires and attitudes. Their behavior as
▪ Controlling individuals and in groups
▪ Involves motivation, leadership styles and
approaches, and communication
Five Core Functions of Management - V
▪ Planning ▪ Measuring and correcting individual and
organizational performance to ensure that
▪ Organizing events conform to plans
▪ Staffing ▪ Involves measuring performance against
goals and plans, showing where deviations
▪ Leading form standard exist, and helping to correct
them
▪ Controlling
 Project Management

It is the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing

resources to bring about the successful completion of specific
project goals and objectives

PMI*, Project Management Body of Knowledge

PMBOK® Guide Project management is “the application of
knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in
order to meet project requirements”

*The Project Management Institute (PMI) is an international professional society. Their web site is
www.pmi.org.
Project Management
Project Management Quality
Management

Risk
Processes Managerial Management

HR
Planning Management
Technical
Configuration
Scheduling
Management
Context Procurement
Control Management

Context of your Learning:

Project Management Tools
Knowledge, Skills…
Communication & Reporting
Software Project Management

Management A Software Project

Management is sub-
Project Management discipline of project
Software Project management in
Management which software projects
are planned, monitored
and controlled…
Software Project Management
Adding the term SOFTWARE in Previous Definitions of Project
Management

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and

managing resources to bring about the successful
completion of specific SOFTWARE project goals and objectives

Project management is “the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and

techniques to SOFTWARE project activities in order
to meet SOFTWARE project requirements”
Software Project Management
▪ Software development is a complex undertaking particularly when it
involves many people working over a relatively long time.

▪ Hence software development projects need to be managed.

▪ Everyone involved “manages” to some extent, but the scope of

management activities varies for every person.
Software Project Management
Software Project Management (SPM) is the art
and science
 of planning and coordinating the work of software
developers and other personnel

- to develop and modify software artefacts

- that are pleasing to users and customers
- that are developed and modified in an economical and
timely manner
- and that can be maintained efficiently and effectively
Project Success Factors
Project Management Trade-off Triangle
Project Management Trade-off Triangle
▪ Know which of these are fixed & variable for every project
Project Success

Product

Client/Customer Satisfaction

Time Cost
Introduction to Project Management Bodies
 Project Management
▪ Professional Bodies
▪ Professional Organizations
▪ Project Management Institute (PMI)*
▪ Software Engineering Institute (SEI)
▪ IEEE Software Engineering Group.
▪ Certifications (offered by PMI)
▪ PMP (Project Management Professional)
▪ CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management)
▪ PMBOK – Project Management Body of Knowledge, published by PMI
▪ Tools
▪ MS Project
▪ Primavera Project Manager

*The Project Management Institute (PMI) is an international professional society. Their web site is www.pmi.org.
PMI * - PMBOK
▪ The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is a collection of processes
and knowledge areas generally accepted as best practice within the project
management discipline.

▪ Generally accepted means that it is applicable to most of the projects most of

the time.

▪ IMP: Guidance for project management in all fields in general however it is not
specific to any engineering domain i.e. chemical, system, software engineering or
civil

▪ It is an internationally recognized standard (IEEE Std 1490-2003).

PMBOK
▪ PMBOK recognizes 5 basic process groups and 9 knowledge
areas typical of almost all projects.

▪ The five basic process groups are:

▪ Initiating
▪ Planning
▪ Executing
▪ Monitoring and Controlling
▪ Closing
Questions/Discussion/Feedback