97 Things Every Project Manager Should Know

Chapter 87. Effectively Manage the Deliverables

MBA, PMP, PgMP. Ernani Marques da Silva

PROJECTS ARE COMPRISED OF A SET OF DELIVERABLES that, when completed, constitute the completion of the whole product, service, or result. For software development projects, integrating all of the components is crucial for the final result to work properly. The components, of course, vary depending on the kind of software you are building. So, the deliverables are the major components that should actively be planned, controlled, monitored, and managed by following these tips:

• Identify the deliverables. Identified deliverables outline the full solution, identify the order in which they should be created and delivered, identify metrics that should be used to monitor and control their development and delivery, and actively monitor their progress against the planned baseline and metrics defined.

  It is very important to break deliverables into partial packets of code, each created to provide a special software function. This is especially important for complex projects/environments and projects developed by third parties. Do not wait to receive the full work package at the end. It is a good practice to arrange for the delivery of project parts bit by bit, and follow a preplanned process to deploy them to other members of the software team for use in their own development work.

• Monitor and control the deliverables ...