Effective Software Project Management

The Launching Phase of an Adaptive SDPM Strategy

Figure 27-1 highlights the Launching Phase of an Adaptive SDPM strategy.

Figure 27-1. The Launching Phase of an Adaptive SDPM strategy

An Adaptive SDPM strategy differs in principle from an Iterative SDPM strategy in one important way. In the Adaptive SDPM strategy each iteration presents the customer with the complete solution, as well as the results of probes into the missing functions of the solution. The complete solution can be deployed if it is deemed by the customer to have sufficient business value. Most likely that will require several cycles to accomplish. The results of the probes will be to gain further knowledge of the missing pieces and probe again if needed to dig even deeper. Sooner or later the probes in a certain part of the solution stop. The answer may have been found, and the team and customer can rejoice; or the probes may be abandoned because of failure to uncover any additional or useful information.

Four tasks must be done in the Launch Phase of an Adaptive project that are not done or done differently in the Launch Phase of an Iterative project. They are:

• Processing scope change requests

• Handling solution handoffs

• Handling solution rollout

• Scheduling iterations

These are discussed in the subsections that follow.

Processing Scope Change Requests

The Adaptive SDPM strategy is the second of three strategies ...