Initiating Process: Inputs, Outputs, Tools and Techniques

<< Software Process, PM Process Groups, Links, PM Phase interactions

Planning Process Tasks, Executing Process Tasks, Controlling Process Tasks >>

Software Project Management (CS615)

LECTURE # 21

3. Processes

3.5

Initiating Process

⇒ Inputs

· Product Description

· Strategic Plan

· Selection Criteria

· Historical Information

⇒ Outputs

· Project Charter

· Project Manager assignments

· Constraints

· Assumptions

⇒ Tools and Techniques

· Project selection methods

· Expert judgment

The tasks performed for project initiation are mentioned below:

Requirement gathering: The first task is to gather the customer requirements.

Customer requirements may be spoken or unspoken. Therefore, the challenge for

the project manager is to elicit the requirements in such a way that both the

spoken and unspoken customer needs and wants are gathered. After collecting the

required information, you need to translate the customer requirements into

technical specifications for the software project.

Scope determination: The scope of a software project can be defined as the

combination of the software product arid services to be delivered to the customer.

You carry out the scope determination exercise to define the scope of the software

project. The scope determination exercise enables you to refine and understand

the customer requirements. You can refine the scope definition further by

breaking down each deliverable into smaller and more manageable activities. The

scope determination exercise also helps you identify the technology for creating

the software product.

Resource allocation: During project initiation, you identify the resources required

and allocate them to the software project. The resources identified may be people,

reusable software components, and hardware or software tools. You allocate the

resource to the software project on the basis of the activities defined in the scope

134

Software Project Management (CS615)

determination exercise. While allocating appropriate resources for a software

project, you also need to calculate the cost of each resource. The cost of a

resource is calculated according to the duration of the resource in the software

project. Estimating the cost of resources also helps you prepare a budget for the

software project.

Initial project plan: Another exercise that you carry out during project initiation

is the creation of a rough project plan. This plan is a draft version and carries only

the primitive project plan features. This project plan carries the initial risk

analysis of the software project, the initial start and end dates, the duration of the

activities in the project, and the sequencing of these activities.

3.6

Planning Process

Devising and maintaining a workable scheme to accomplish the business need

that the project was undertaken to address

Planning is setting the direction for something -- some system -- and then guiding

the system to follow the direction.

The basic planning process typically includes similar nature of activities carried

out in similar sequence.

The phases are carried out carefully or -- in some cases -- intuitively, for example,

when planning a very small, straightforward effort the complexity of the various

phases (and their duplication throughout the system) depend on the scope of the

system.

For example, in a large corporation, the following phases would be carried out in

the corporate offices:

In each division

In each department

In each group, etc.

Planning typically includes use of the following basic terms

Goals: Goals are specific accomplishments that must be accomplished in total, or

in some combination, in order to achieve some larger, overall result preferred

from the system, for example, the mission of an organization. (goals are outputs

from the system.)

Strategies or Activities: These are the methods or processes required in total, or

in some combination, to achieve the goals. (strategies are processes in the

system.)

135

Software Project Management (CS615)

Objectives: Objectives are specific accomplishments that must be accomplished

in total, or in some combination, to achieve the goals in the plan. Objectives are

usually "milestones" along the way when implementing the strategies

Tasks: Particularly in small organizations, people are assigned various tasks

required to implement the plan. If the scope of the plan is very small, tasks and

activities are often essentially the same.

Resources (and Budgets): Resources include the people, materials, technologies,

money, etc., required to implement the strategies or processes. The costs of these

resources are often depicted in the form of a budget. (Going back to our reference

to systems, resources are input to the system.)

Goals and Objectives Should Be SMARTER

SMARTER is an acronym, that is, a word composed by joining letters from

different words in a phrase or set of words. In this case, a SMARTER goal or

objective is:

Specific:

For example, it's difficult to know what someone should be doing if they are to

pursue the goal to "work harder". It's easier to recognize "Write a paper".

Measurable:

It's difficult to know what the scope of "Writing a paper" really is. It's easier to

appreciate that effort if the goal is "Write a 30-page paper".

Acceptable:

If I'm to take responsibility for pursuit of a goal, the goal should be acceptable to

me. For example, I'm not likely to follow the directions of someone telling me to

write a 30-page paper when I also have to five other papers to write.

However, if you involve me in setting the goal so I can change my other

commitments or modify the goal, I'm much more likely to accept pursuit of the

goal as well.

Realistic: Even if I do accept responsibility to pursue a goal that is specific and

measurable, the goal won't be useful to me or others if, for example, the goal is to

"Write a 30-page paper in the next 10 seconds".

Time frame: It may mean more to others if I commit to a realistic goal to "Write

a 30-page paper in one week". However, it'll mean more to others (particularly if

they are planning to help me or guide me to reach the goal) if I specify that I will

write one page a day for 30 days, rather than including the possibility that I will

write all 30 pages in last day of the 30-day period.

136

Software Project Management (CS615)

Extending: The goal should stretch the performer's capabilities. For example, I

might be more interested in writing a 30-page paper if the topic of the paper or the

way that I write it will extend my capabilities.

Rewarding: I'm more inclined to write the paper if the paper will contribute to an

effort in such a way that I might be rewarded for my effort.

137

Table of Contents: