Effective Software Project Management

The Iterative SDPM Strategy

The definition of the Iterative SDPM strategy allows for several types of iteration. Iteration can be on requirements, functionality, features, design, development, solutions, and others. Figure 17-1 is the generic model of the Iterative SDPM strategy. There are several models that I discuss that follow this generic framework.

Figure 17-1. Iterative SDPM strategy

The Iterative SDPM strategy kicks in when not all of the solution is clearly known. This strategy requires a solution that broadly covers the requirements but might be missing some of the details. In other words, the functions are known and will be built into the solution through a number of iterations but the details (the features) are not completely known at the beginning of the project. The missing or detailed features will come to light as the customer works with the most current solution in a prototyping sense. As is true of other Quadrant 2 strategies (goal is clearly defined but solution is not), the Iterative SDPM strategy is a learn-by-doing strategy. The use of intermediate solutions is the pathway to discovering the intimate details of the complete solution.

Scope Phase

The Scope Phase takes on a bit more complexity than in the previous strategies. In the Iterative SDPM Strategy, you move into waters where the complete solution is not known. In this book, iterative strategies ...