IS 556 Fall 20031 IS 556 Project Management On Time On Budget: Chapter 5 - MANAGING SOFTWARE...

IS 556 Fall 2003 1

IS 556 Project Management

On Time On Budget: Chapter 5 - MANAGING

SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS

Case Study: Ford Motor

David Lash

2David LashCS 556 - Winter

Objectives

Project OrganizationTeam OrganizationTypes of reporting and whyStatus ReportsStatus MeetingsSome notes on managing developers


Managing Software Developers “Average” developer tends to be …

highly creative, highly logical. Possessive? Temperamental? Introverted?

Sackman Productivity study25:1 ratio – programming28:1 ratio – debugging

Development methods help reduce ratioAdd more organized and systematic processes

(documentation, standards, meetings, reviews)5:1 ratio

Organization & social structure can add variance of 25% or more


Organizational Structure

Supervise developers VS lead direct vs facilitate

The larger the project the more important the structure

For small team (<=5) a very basic structure


Medium Project Structure

• Staff from 5-~20


Large Projects

Staff > ~ 40 Require further decomposition


Project Issues Affecting Structure Project Size - Issues with Communication/coordination Simultaneous Hardware and Software development If software requires more high reliability -> more QA Corporate structures may be centralized

Support structure like IT, Secretarial, legal, H/R


Matrix Organization

Project manager manages technical project development issues

Function manager handles other issues such as salary, reviews, training. Functional managers within project

management organizationCommon in larger organizations


Matrix Organization


Matrix Organization Advantages

Expertise in special fields Rapid development of specialists Assigned to projects as needed

Flexibility in assigning people to projects as needed People have functional home as project ends Manager concentrates on technical issues

Shared responsibility (and stress) w/ functional areas

Can relieve top-management from day-to-day


Matrix Organization Disadvantages

Weak project management authority No control over salary, promotion Potential for conflicting priorities (function vs

project) Susceptible to role ambiguity.

Weak loyalty to project manager or team Developers more likely to be loyal to who pays

them. More difficult for developers to change area

Project decisions can be more difficult


Projects are organized by teams

Will look at some types of teams Democratic teams Chief Engineer Teams Expert Teams


Project teams

Projects are best organized into teams At least those ~ >= about 5 developers

Advantages Delegation of authority Knowledge of team members tasks Sharing of knowledge Ease of communication within team Identification of contribution


Projects are organized by teams

Democratic Teams No specific leader – but may be one for admin

tasks (e.g., coordinating mtgs, communications).

Leader mightRepresents project to teamRepresents team to project managerRepresents team to other functions

Ideally decisions made by everyone


Chief Engineer Teams

Chief Engineer Team leader - coordinator and technical mentor Supervise work of others Technical mentor to others Administrative and coordination Represent Project Manager to team and team

to PM


Expert Teams

Formed as needed – (AKA SWAT Teams)Used to assure quality or solve problemsExpert at specific taskExpert at communicationOften are managed as a democratic

team.


Most Common Team Structures

When do we use each? How? What is vital to success of each?


Objectives



ReportingTypes of management reports

written reports, verbal reports, status meetings, product demonstrations and even Intranet

Support QA and test reports90/10 rule - takes 50% of the time for last

10% Why?

Tacit assumption that “work = new functionality” and work is not fixing small details.

Last 10% can be the most complex

Better to ask - how much longer until finished


Team Status Report Suggests status reports from each team member Could include:

Red flags Concerns for Manager’s attention Frequently involve resources (personnel) and things needed from client

(sign off) Update on activities during period

Description of activities on WBS during period Planned activities

What plan to do for next period (Includes tasks and administration). Problems

Reconcile activities with those planned in previous report Problems are frequently mundane, but shouldn’t sound whiny

PM often collect status reports and roll into a master report.


Project Status Meeting

Periodic and regularAddress issues in team status reportsAttended by all key project membersHeld to report and to resolve issues


Basic Reporting TechniquesProject status deliverables are separate

and apart from other project deliverables Periodic, written status reports Verbal updates E-Mail updates Status meetings Project status meetings Steering Committee updates Timesheets


Basic Reporting Techniques

Along with timesheets, the status report is the basic historical document.

Status reports should be issued . . . From team members to team leaders From project managers to project sponsors and

stakeholders. Status reports are summaries, not detailed diaries.

Usually 1-2 pages. Provide early warnings of potential issues or problems

between the team and team/project leadership. Real problems shouldn’t be buried in status reports. Any red flagged item should have been previously

disclosed. Significant changes in project status require:

advance notice, as soon as the information is known. a personal visit to verbally update the key sponsor(s).

Reading about a major delay in a status report or finding out about a significant issue for the first time at a steering committee meeting is not acceptable.


Basic Reporting TechniquesPeriodic, written status reports should contain:

Accomplishments Planned Activities Problems and general issues, including resource

constraints Red flags

The periodic, written status report should contain: Date prepared Date covered Name of submitter Project name (team name)

If the status report is written by the project manager to management . . . budget and schedule variances must be discussed.



Another form of status report is the stoplight report. A summary style report for reporting to

top management. Uses traffic lights to indicate current

status. Stop Light Report For Release 1.23

Item Status Developer Issue

FID 12345 Green Ghs1

FID 2332 Yellow Tish

FID 1211 Red Msmith Major interface issues.

FID 1231 Green Sjackson



The stoplight report approach can also be used in conjunction with key performance indicators (KPIs) to present a balanced scorecard for to management for the project.

Might includeList of tasks completedDefect statisticsTop 10 Risk ListPercent of schedule usedPercent of resources used



Periodic written status reports Adopt and use a consistent format for

all team members Publish weekly or bi-weekly.

Page 108 (OTWB) has sample report. (next slide)


Weekly Status Report



Timesheets Organize the project in such a way that

significant development events are tracked and reported.

There are differing schools of thought about the method and the extent of the details in capturing time worked against a project.

If you want to improve your estimating accuracy for future projects, you’ll be wise to keep good records of time spent.



Capture all time. Develop activity codes and report what

was done. Capture time to the work breakdown

structure (WBS). Capture time to the work product or

deliverable. Page 108/109 (SPSG) has sample time

codes.


Example Time Codes

Page 108/109 (SPSG) has sample time codes.


Status Meetings Meetings . . .

The event we love to hate in the business world. Biggest complaint - they are too long. Usually wander off the subject. Usually don’t start on time.

What to do: Hold fewer formal meetings. Make these meetings shorter. Have a prepared, formal agenda or format and stick to

it for every meeting. The project manager is the meeting leader/facilitator. Appoint another team member as the scribe to record

the notes of the meeting. Rotate the scribe function if possible.

However, if someone takes good notes and doesn’t mind, stay with that person.


Status MeetingsA typical status meeting:

Coverage of outstanding issues or questions from last meeting.

Project progress since last meeting.Review the project schedule.Review the project budget.

New issues or developments.Review the issues list.

• Resolve issues or approve resources for further investigation.

Review the changes list.• Approve, reject or defer action on changes.


Status MeetingsA typical status meeting (continued):

Potential problems,focused onDeliverables (Scope Reductions and Delays)Estimates (Plan versus Actual Comparisons)Resources and Constraints

• (Plan versus Actual)

Personnel Changes and Issues • (Turnover, Absences)• Overtime Worked

Schedules• Affect on Deliverables• Affect on External Events, such as production and

training schedules


Status MeetingsHow to keep meetings shorter:

Encourage frequent, informal or working meetings between team members.

There is a difference between idle conversations and informal meetings.

The project manager or team leader should:Insist on both an agenda for and notes from

informal or working meetings. These can be e-mail updates to the

participating parties with copies to the team and project leaders.


Status Meetings

Meeting books: The meeting agenda and supporting

documents that will be discussed should be in the hands of attendees at least 24 hours prior to a scheduled meeting.

Attendees need to review these and should be prepared to ask questions or discuss them.

Reading at a meeting is counterproductive.Meeting minutes:

Publish as soon as practical after the meeting concludes.


How to ReportProject Intranets

(department to department)Project Extranets

(consultant to client)What are they:

Web sites containing all documentation and deliverables related to the project.


Using Web Sites

Web Sites or “Project Portals” are a great way to manage the project management related deliverables and other project work products.

Many of the latest versions of Project Management tools include collaboration and web scheduling pieces.

Most importantly: Don’t rely exclusively on or hide behind the

project’s web site. Project management remains largely a person to person

activity.


Example software project intranet

There are no secrets on a successful software project. Both good and bad news must be able to move up and down the project hierarchy without restriction. – SPSG – Pg 93.


Motivating DevelopersSoftware development is an analytic but

creative task Analytic/creative types are sensitive and often cynical

If a project manager is too controlling can often be problematic If not detailed enough can be problematic If not egoless (humility) enough can be problematic. Management by edict seldom works.

Your personal style, sense of humility, attention to detail and own emotional stability may Be more important to you and your project’s success

(then getting an A++++ in IS556).


Objectives


IS 556 Fall 20031 IS 556 Project Management On Time On Budget: Chapter 5 - MANAGING SOFTWARE...

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