Software project management focuses on the four P’s: people, product, process, and project.
The People: For success of any type of project, the most important factor is the skilled people. These people participated actively for the success of project.
Software Engineering Institute has developed a people management capability maturity model (PM-CMM), that guides the organization for improve the capability of people and how to tackle complex applications.
The people management maturity model focus on the following key practice areas for software people: recruiting, selection, performance management, training, compensation, career development, organization and work design development. An organization that follows PM-CMM in the people management area has a higher success rate of software.
The Product: Before developing any software product objectives and scope should be properly defined. The software analyst and customer must meet to define product objectives and scope.
The Process: There are different types of model available that are used to develop the software.
Linear sequential model
Prototyping model
RAD model
Incremental model
Spiral model
WINWIN spiral model
Component-based development model.
We can choose any model according to the need of software development and need of customer.
The Project: For the success of any project we must understand the risk/problem that may or may not come in future.
According to John Reel the following ten points indicate that an information systems project is in trouble:
1. Software people don’t understand their customer’s needs.
2. The product scope is poorly defined.
3. Changes are managed poorly.
4. The chosen technology changes.
5. Business needs change or are ill-defined.
6. Deadlines are unrealistic.
7. Users are resistant.
8. Sponsorship is lost or was never properly obtained.
9. The project team lacks people with appropriate skills.
10. Managers [and practitioners]