Project management with the IBM Rational Unified Process : lessons from the trenches / / R. Dennis Gibbs.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gibbs, R. Dennis.

Contributor:

Books24x7, Inc.

Series:

IBM Press

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Project management.

Information technology--Management.

Information technology.

Computer software--Development.

Computer software.

Software engineering.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (312 pages)

Edition:

1st edition

Place of Publication:

Upper Saddle River, N.J. : IBM Press/Pearson plc, c2007 (Norwood, Mass. : Books24x7.com [generator])

Language Note:

English

System Details:

text file

Summary:

· Master win–win techniques for managing outsourced and offshore projects, from procurement and risk mitigation to maintenance · Use RUP to implement best-practice project management throughout the software development lifecycle · Overcome key management challenges, from changing requirements to managing user expectations The Hands-On, Start-to-Finish Guide to Managing Software Projects with the IBM® Rational Unified Process® This is the definitive guide to managing software development projects with the IBM Rational Unified Process (RUP®). Drawing on his extensive experience managing projects with the RUP, R. Dennis Gibbs covers the entire development lifecycle, from planning and requirements to post-mortems and system maintenance. Gibbs offers especially valuable insights into using the RUP to manage outsourced projects and any project relying on distributed development teams—outsourced, insourced, or both. This “from the trenches” guidebook is invaluable for anyone interested in best practices for managing software development: project managers, team leaders, procurement and contracting specialists, quality assurance and software process professionals, consultants, and developers. If you’re already using the RUP, Gibbs will help you more effectively use it. Whatever your role or the RUP experience, you’ll learn ways to · Simplify and streamline the management of any large-scale or outsourced project · Overcome the challenges of using the RUP in software project management · Optimize software procurement and supplier relationships, from Request for Proposals (RFPs) and contracts to delivery · Staff high-performance project teams and project management offices · Establish productive, consistent development environments · Run effective project kickoffs · Systematically identify and mitigate project risks · Manage the technical and business challenges of changing requirements · Organize iterations and testing in incremental development processes · Transition new systems into service: from managing expectations to migrating data · Plan system maintenance and implement effective change control · Learn all you can from project post-mortems—and put those lessons into practice

Contents:

Cover

Contents

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Introduction

Chapter 1 Introduction to Outsourcing

Outsourcing Defined

Four Common Scenarios Encountered in Outsourced Projects

Scenario 1: Colocated Contractors

Scenario 2: Offshore Projects

Scenario 3: Distant Contractors, Same Country

Scenario 4: Multiple Contractors

Where Does the Rational Unified Process Fit in All of This?

Summary

What's Next?

Chapter 2 Overview of the Rational Unified Process

The Traditional Software Development Process

Advantages of the Waterfall Process

Disadvantages of the Waterfall Process

Introducing the Rational Unified Process

History

The Six Best Practices

RUP Lifecycle Phases

Is the RUP Agile?

Chapter 3 Getting Started: Request for Proposals (RFPs), Proposals, and Contracts

How Is Procurement Accomplished for Outsourced Systems?

The Ten Steps in the Procurement Process

Advantages of the Procurement Process

What's Wrong with This Procurement Process?

How Can Procurement of Software Systems Be Improved?

A Proposed Progressive Acquisition Model for Small Projects

A Progressive Acquisition Model for Medium to Large Projects

Issues with Managing Fixed-Price Projects

Monitoring Project Performance

Releases

Earned Value

Project Estimation

Selecting a Contractor Proficient in the RUP

Lessons Learned for Outsourcing Organizations

Lessons Learned for Contractors

Chapter 4 Best Practices for Staffing the Outsourcing Organization's Project Management Office (PMO)

Key Roles Defined

The Project Manager

The Lead User Representative

The PMO Project Architect

The Internal Project Champion

The Contracting Officer

The IT Manager

Other Role Issues

Developing a Data Model.

Developing Common Code

Chapter 5 Best Practices for Staffing the Contractor's Software Project Team

Governing Principles for Staffing the Team

Roles on the Contractor's Software Development Team

The Project Manager Role

The Developer Role

The Architect Role

The Technical Lead Role

The Toolsmith Role

The Requirements Analyst Role

The Tester Role

The Configuration Management/QA Role

Best Practices for Managing Teams

Chapter 6 Establishing the Software Development Environment

Build, Buy, or Borrow

Shareware Tools

Commercially Available Tools

Custom "In-House" Tools

Requirements Management

Important Features to Look for in a Requirements Management Tool

Change Request Management

Features Needed in Change Request Management Tools

Configuration Management Tools

Features Needed in Configuration Management Tools

Considerations for Servers for the Software Development Environment

Requirements for Servers

Other Considerations

Considerations for Client PCs

Best Practices for Deploying New Tools

Chapter 7 Inception: Kicking Off the Project

Purpose and Goals of the Inception Phase

Artifacts Produced in the Inception Phase

The Project Business Case

The Project Vision Statement

The Project Risk List and Risk Management Plan

The Project Software Development Environment

The Project Software Development Plan (SDP)

The Iteration Plan

The Development Process

The Project Glossary

The Use Case Model

Optional Artifacts

Soft Skills

Setting the Project Vision

Maintaining Communication on the Project

Establishing a Project Web Site

Advantages of Project Web Sites

Suggestions for Content of Project Web Sites

Other Best Practices for Project Web Sites.

What Can Go Wrong During the Inception Phase

Establishing a Sense of Ownership of the Project Plan

Chapter 8 Identifying and Managing Risks

Technical Risks

Managing Technical Risks

Political Risks

An Example of Discovering a Political Risk

Identifying Political Risks

Funding Risks

Funding on Government Projects

Sources of Funding Often Are Not Straightforward

Business Risks

Risks Resulting from Dependencies on External Sources

An Example of Managing Dependency on a Vendor

Risks from Other Contractors

Creating a Risk Tracking System

Characteristics of a Risk Tracking System

Chapter 9 Navigating the Requirements Management Process

Identifying Stakeholders

Enabling Success in Requirements Management

Attribute 1: The Contractor Has Easy Access to the Proper Set of Stakeholders in the Outsourcing Organization

Attribute 2: Establishing a Strong Working Relationship with Stakeholders

Attribute 3: Collecting and Disseminating Information Obtained from Stakeholders

Considerations for Offshore and Other Long-Distance Projects

Looking for Communication Opportunities

Understanding Cultural Differences for Offshore Projects

Modeling the Business Process

Definition of Business Modeling

Use Cases: A Best Practice for Capturing Business Processes and Functional Requirements

Transitioning to System Use Cases

When the Requirements Process Goes Wrong

They Tell You That the Requirements Analysis Is Already Finished

Lack of Agreement on the Business Process in the Outsourcing Organization

Avoiding Unbounded Growth in Requirements, or Requirements "Churn"

Multiple Contractors and "Forgotten" Stakeholders

Chapter 10 Construction Iterations: Staying on Target.

How Can You Tell if the Project Is Ready for Construction?

Assessing Project Readiness for Construction: Checklists

Iteration Planning, Execution, and Assessment

How Long Should Iterations Be?

Determining the Content of Iterations

Construction Phase Iteration Planning

Assessing the Results of an Iteration

Demonstrating the Results of an Iteration

Regrouping After the Demonstration

Contractual Issues Revisited

Common Mistakes Implementing Iterative Development in the Construction Phase

Mistake 1: Plunging into Construction Before the Project Is Ready

Mistake 2: Iterations of an Inappropriate Length

Mistake 3: Iterations with No Stated Purpose

Mistake 4: Getting Derailed by Change Requests

Mistake 5: Trying to Plan All Iterations in Detail Up Front

Anecdotal Observations from Development Teams Using Iterative Techniques Versus Waterfall Techniques

Chapter 11 Testing

How Traditional Waterfall Lifecycle Models Inhibit Testing

Testing with Iterative Lifecycle Models

Advantages of Testing with Iterative Development

Prerequisites for Testing with Iterative Lifecycle Models

The Different Types of Testing

Functional Testing

Unit Testing

Reliability Testing

Performance/Stress Testing

Other Types of Testing

Other Best Practices for Testing

Involve Testing Expertise During Requirements Elicitation

Keep Testing Staff in the Loop

Replicate the Production Environment

Testing Is Part of the Delivered Product

Final Thoughts and Philosophies on Staffing for the Testing Discipline

What if a Separate Team, Perhaps Offshore, Performs the Testing?

Testing Efforts Gone Awry

Chapter 12 Transitioning a System into Service

Staffing Considerations in the Transition Phase

Project Tasks in the Transition Phase.

Deploying the IOC

Online Help

Installation Scripts

Change Requests

Data Migration

Training

Acceptance Testing

Setting End-User Expectations for Production

Identifying User Groups to Aid in Production Rollout

Chapter 13 System Operations and Maintenance Issues

Procuring Maintenance Services

Operations Support

Maintenance Support

Chapter 14 Using Consultants Effectively

Staff Augmentation

Expert Consultants

Expert Consultants from Vendors

Expert Process Consultants from Consulting Firms

Consultant Pricing

Chapter 15 The Project Postmortem

Defining the Project Postmortem

Sources of Information for Lessons Learned

Why Bother with a Project Postmortem?

Instilling Lessons Learned into the Organization's Memory

Project Management Forums

Examples of Trends from the Configuration Management Discipline

Defect Trends on Iterative Projects

Trends in the Requirements Management Discipline

Collecting the Project Data

(Mis)Using Metrics Data

Appendix A: Common Mistakes Utilizing RUP

Mistake 1: Iterations of Inappropriate Length

Mistake 2: Iterations with No Clear Goal

Mistake 3: Choosing the Wrong Project for Your First Experience with the RUP

Mistake 4: Failing to Integrate Change Requests into Iterations

Mistake 5: Failing to Tailor the RUP Appropriately

Mistake 6: Failing to Test Properly During the Iteration

Mistake 7: Assuming You Can Implement the RUP Perfectly the First Time

Appendix B: Implementing a Two-Stage Procurement Process

Cultural Changes Needed

Contract Types

Who Bids on the Second Phase?

What Artifacts Should Be Produced and Made Available During the First Phase?

Glossary

Vision Statement

Software Architecture Document.

Set of Business and System Use Cases.

Notes:

Title from title screen.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Digitized and made available by: Books24x7.com.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9786612646638

9780132704403

0132704404

9781282646636

128264663X

9780132055284

0132055287

OCLC:

1027168132