Software Project Management

Software Project Management

• Project Manager (PM):

  • Planning
  • Development direction
  • Marketing (?)
  • Interface with team, mgmt, customers
  • Technical engagement

• Full lifecycle activity

• May be part-time with other company roles

The PM Balancing Act

• Business needs

• Technology / development constraints

• Customer needs

• Team ownership

Roadmaps

• A "roadmap" describes:

  • Product features

  • Goals / "milestones" (specific achievement levels)

  • Timing / "deadlines" (when each milestone should be done)

• Produces initial "backlog" of tasks to be done

Requirements

• Usage information

  • User stories: general description of ways the product will be used

  • Scenarios: specific description of sample interactions with the product

• User interface or API requirements (when applicable)

• Constraints / "extra-functional" requirements

QA

• Ensure that a plan is in place to measure "quality"

  • Product meets requirements (verification)
  • Product meets needs (validation)

• Inspection, Testing, "Formal Methods"