Introduction to Software Project Management

Chapter 7

Managing Software Development Projects

7.1 Project Life Cycles

So far, we have looked at the activities to build software (Chapter 2) and at the activities to manage software development processes (Chapter 3, Chapter 4 and Chapter 5). We paid less attention, however, to the way in which they integrate in a coherent process.

In this chapter, we look at the development processes that have been proposed to accommodate the needs of different types of software development. Some favor a more thorough definition of the problem and solution before moving to the implementation phase. Others embrace flexibility and start implementation with partial information. In some cases, processes also come with a set of best practices and prescriptions ...