Software Project Management in Practice

Aimed at developers and IT managers alike, Software Project Management in Practice
offers an invaluable guide to using lightweight software processes in
real projects. Filled with sample documents, this book can benefit any
organization seeking to improve the ways it manages software.

In an
era of ever tighter schedules, implementing a serious software process
becomes even more difficult. This book ventures a simple argument: that
the techniques for software process management used by InfoSys (a
company with a “mature” software process) can be applied to other
organizations. Packed with sample documents drawn from real projects,
this book is also notable for its clear presentation and the absence of
the theoretical and jargon-laden prose that can be found in many
software engineering texts.

The author first looks at how to
assess a company’s software process using the Capability Maturity Model
(CMM) and other schemes. Surprisingly, the tools at InfoSys (which earn
high CMM marks) are not fancy case tools, but databases, spreadsheets,
and Microsoft Project files. Its software process database, for
example, allows new projects to reuse existing documents and expertise.
After an overview of the modified waterfall model software process used
at InfoSys, the author looks at techniques for estimating the size and
scope of projects. Then it’s on to quality planning. A consistent theme
here is that metrics and statistical process control (SPC) should be
used to track defects. The book then covers risk assessment and the
structure of teams. A standout section on configuration management
outlines the role for preserving builds and project documents at each
stage of the game.

Later sections examine the actual
implementation and deployment of software. The author’s argument for
peer review of code is a strong one. He details strategies for running
design and code reviews (if even by a single person) to catch defects
and improper designs, as well as tips for overcoming resistance to such
practices.

Sample defect tracking and status for projects also
gets its due. Sample documents (using spreadsheets and even the layout
of disk directories) to store project information show that a simple
approach can yield productive results. The author then shows how to
analyze the patterns of defects in software, including how to use
statistical techniques to spot out-of-control projects. The book closes
with the ways in which a project postmortem (or “project closure
analysis”) can be used to spot what went wrong and to improve things
the next time around.

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