Software Project Management

Software Project Management

by Robert Bruce Kelsey
Released March 2006
Publisher(s): Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 9781523096305

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

Software Project Management: Measures for Improving Performance focuses on more than the mechanics of project execution. By showing the reader how to identify and solve real world problems that put schedule, cost, and quality at risk, this guide gets to the heart of improving project control and performance.
• Identify measurement needs and goals
• Determine what measures to use to maximize the value of data
• Interpret data and report the results
• Diagnose quality and productivity issues
• Use metrics data to solve real problems
This is a must-read for project managers and engineering managers working in organizations where deadlines are tight, the workload is daunting, and daily crises are the rule rather than the exception. The text provides simple run rate data through progressively advanced measures, as well as:
• Examples that show you how to combine measures to solve complex problems
• Exercises that guide you through best practices for metric program development and implementation
From beginning to end, Software Project Management: Measures for Improving Performance guides you to improved project performance — long before you turn the last page!

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. About the Author
  6. Table of Contents
  7. Preface
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. Chapter 1. Measures, Goals, and Strategies
    1. Measuring Performance within a Project
    2. Two Ways to Use Measurement
    3. What Is Software Measurement?
    4. What Do You Want to Accomplish with Measurement?
    5. A Commitment to the Future
    6. Think Globally, Act Locally
    7. Identify Areas of Opportunity
    8. Select an Operational Measure and Strategy
    9. A Strategy for Addressing Product Quality
    10. A Strategy for Addressing Productivity and Workflow
    11. Applying What You’ve Learned
      1. Exercise 1-1: A Clear Rationale
      2. Exercise 1-2: A Strategy to Meet Real Needs
  10. Chapter 2. Implementing a Measurement Architecture
    1. Measures Are Answers to Questions
    2. The ISO/IEC 15939 Architecture
      1. Measurable Concepts
      2. Base Measures
      3. Derived Measures
      4. Models and Indicators
    3. Putting the Architecture to Work
      1. Step 1: Identify When, Where, and What to Measure
      2. Step 2: Determine the Details
      3. Step 3: Establish the Architecture
      4. Step 4: Identify Tools and Infrastructure Requirements
    4. A Typical Measurement Implementation
      1. Base Measures
      2. Derived Measures
      3. Indicators
    5. Applying What You’ve Learned
      1. Exercise 2-1: Identifying Information Needs
      2. Exercise 2-2: Learning from History
      3. Exercise 2-3: Approaching Measurement as Risk Mitigation
      4. Exercise 2-4: Selecting a Strategy and an Implementation Plan
  11. Chapter 3. Applying the Basics: Run Rates
    1. Proceed with Caution
    2. The Key Attributes of Defects and Time
    3. Defects, Defects, Everywhere
      1. What Is a Product Defect?
      2. What Is a Process Defect?
      3. How to Use Defect Run Rates
      4. Interpreting Defect Run Rate Data
    4. Project Events Affecting Run Rates
      1. Static and Dynamic Test Approaches
      2. Dynamic Test Events
      3. Time Period for Release Phases
    5. What Do You Mean, You Aren’t Done Yet?
      1. Project Time vs. Work Time
      2. Typical Time and Effort Run Rates
      3. The Hidden Danger of Blocked Time
    6. Applying What You’ve Learned
      1. Exercise 3-1: Interpreting Defect Run Rates
  12. Chapter 4. Behind the Lines: Attribute Analyses
    1. Key Defect Attributes
    2. Defect Status and Productivity
      1. Example: Defect Rates and States
    3. Injection Phase and the Development Process
      1. Example: The Significance of Injection Rates
    4. Detection Phase and Quality Control
      1. Example: The Ones That Got Away
    5. Key Time and Effort Attributes
    6. Putting the Pieces Together: Iterative Development Risk Analysis
    7. Problem Report Tracking System Requirements
      1. Injection Phase
      2. Detection Phase
      3. Effect of Change
      4. Documentation Affected
      5. Prioritization
      6. Configuration Information
      7. Report Status and History
      8. Defect/Fix Status
      9. Time Fields
    8. Should You Measure Defect “Severity” Ratings?
    9. Applying What You’ve Learned
      1. Exercise 4-1: Looking into the Future
      2. Exercise 4-2: Interpreting Detection Phase Data
      3. Exercise 4-3: Interpreting Injection Phase Data
      4. Exercise 4-4: Applying Injection and Detection Phases
      5. Exercise 4-5: Reviewing Your Problem Report Tracking
      6. Exercise 4-6: Personal Time Tracking
      7. Exercise 4-7: A Project Team Exercise in Defect Injection and Risk Mitigation
  13. Chapter 5. Measuring Up: Historical Data and Indicators
    1. Using Previous Release Data
    2. Using Indicators
    3. Phase Containment Indicator
      1. Sample Application
    4. Defect Density Indicator
      1. Sample Application
    5. A Twist on the Earned Value Indicator Application
      1. Sample Application
    6. Cost of Quality/Poor Quality Indicator
      1. Cost Types and Categories
      2. Sample Application: Cost of Poor Quality
      3. Sample Application: Combining Cost of Poor Quality with Earned Value
    7. Putting the Pieces Together
    8. Applying What You’ve Learned
      1. Exercise 5-1: Historical Data Comparisons
      2. Exercise 5-2: Using Defect Rates and Attributes
      3. Exercise 5-3: Creating a Measurement Specification
  14. Chapter 6. Graphical Display of Data
    1. Guidelines for Common Graph Types
      1. Data Tables
      2. Line Charts
      3. Bar Charts
      4. Pie Charts
      5. Area Charts
    2. Graphical Pitfalls
      1. Focus and Vibration
      2. Details and Clutter
      3. Fonts, Weights, and Patterns
    3. Applying What You’ve Learned
      1. Exercise 6-1: Release Profile
  15. Chapter 7. Reality Check: The Human Side of the Numbers
    1. No News Isn’t Always Good News
    2. Are We Ready to Ship?
    3. Some Cheese with the Whine
    4. That’s My Resource!
    5. Sizing Up the Situation
    6. Know When to Use Plan B
    7. Applying What You’ve Learned
  16. Appendix A. The Rationale for “Mixed-Methods” Measures
  17. Appendix B. An Alternative Approach to Severity and Priority
  18. Further Reading
  19. Index

Product information

  • Title: Software Project Management
  • Author(s): Robert Bruce Kelsey
  • Release date: March 2006
  • Publisher(s): Berrett-Koehler Publishers
  • ISBN: 9781523096305