Effective Software Project Management

Points to Remember

Looking back at the chapters in this part, I want to drive home a few messages that you need to consider as you deliberate on the strategy to use in your project.

Risk Situations

As you move into projects that are more complex and less certain, you will see that risk takes on more importance. Risk in the Incremental SDPM strategy is slightly more pronounced than in the Linear SDPM strategy. First of all, the same risks that apply in the Linear SDPM strategy also apply in the Incremental SDPM strategy, but there are some new ones as well. There are six that deserve some discussion. They are briefly described in the following subsections.

Risk of Project Closure

The time between the end of one increment and the beginning of the next can seem like an eternity if your organization is in any state of unrest. You have just completed an increment and deployed its deliverables. Everybody is thrilled with your accomplishments. In fact, they have become so enamored with what you have delivered that future increments are at risk. Senior managers are toying with the idea of ending your project on the high note and moving the resources to other ventures. Too bad.

Risk of Team Changes

The time between two successive increments can seem like an eternity for another reason somewhat related to the first but not as drastic. Your team has excelled. They have done such a great job in a difficult situation that others up the food chain have taken notice. There is another project ...