Introduction

A number of methods evolved in managing a Software Project during the past decade. Whether it is a Traditional or Agile Development, the emphasis on the phases of the Software Development Life Cycle remain unchanged. While the earlier Project Managers are inclined more to the principles of Managing the Projects, their competencies in the technology that is being used in the Project are least bothered. The rapid change in Technology and the Internet Boom made the newer generation of Project Managers to be competent technically and experienced in Principles of Project Management(2) . Globalization and Outsourcing of IT Projects demanded additional skills for managing these Projects.

In this challenging IT World, creating a project plan with cost-savings techniques and better metrics for quality assurance became an ever-demanding task for the current Project Managers.

When the Software Project Manager is well-versed in the business process and experienced in Software Development/Analysis, then this author believes that the below explained “Functionality-Based SDLC” will be more successful when compared to the traditional SDLC.

Major Functions Identification:For any application, the best way to identify the functions involved is to discuss more with the Business Community. The End-Users are the best resources for gathering the requirements and identifying the tasks and grouping them into functions. In most of the Software Projects, it’s the Project Manager who decides how to plan the Project and get it executed. Theoretically, it works if the Project Manager had any previous experience as a Business Analyst or a Systems Analyst.

Since most of the Projects are not started from scratch, there is always the business process flow for most of the functionalities and their inter-dependencies already in place. The primary task is to gather all the functionalities required to be developed or enhanced based on the Project Scope. Organizing these functionalities at a higher level for presenting to the Business Community and Senior Management will provide a better commitment to the Project Manager. This Presentation would be the first step for the Business Sponsors and the Project Manager to come to an agreement that all the functionalities are within the Scope defined. Any miscommunication or misleading information MUST be clarified at this stage. Most of the failed Software Projects are due to lack of clarity in the Project Scope.

Digging through more in detail for each functionality with the Business Community and in particular with the responsible End-Users provides a better understanding of how the Project should be planned. During this Phase, the author expects the Project Manager to be well-versed technically about the in-and-out of the Business Process. A Technical Leader might be a catalyst during this Phase. Read the rest of this entry »