1. R&D SDM 1 Software Project Management Project Scheduling and Tracking
2010
Theo Schouten

2. Content What is project scheduling & tracking ?
Which steps can be recognized in project scheduling?
Work Breakdown Structure
Techniques: CPM, Gantt Charts
Examples
Final remarks
Book chapter 24 (27 for 7e)

3. What is project scheduling&tracking?
The partitioning of the total work in tasks, which deliver defined products.
The planning of those tasks in calendar time.
The allocation of resources to these tasks.
Tracking:
Following of the progress of the tasks.
Adapting the schedule according the latest developments.
How software projects fall behind schedule?

4. Why software is delivered late?
Unrealistic deadline established outside the team
Changing customer requirements not reflected in schedule
Underestimating the resources required to complete the project
Risks that were not considered when project began
Technical difficulties that have not been predicted in advance
Human difficulties that have not been predicted in advance
Miscommunication among project staff resulting in delays
Failure by project management to recognize project falling behind schedule and failure to take corrective action
people, process, technology

5. Perspectives the end-date for the software release is set externally
the software organization is constrained to distribute effort in the prescribed time frame.
the rough chronological bounds have been discussed by the developers and customers
the end-date is best set by the developer after carefully considering how to best use the resources needed to meet the customer's needs.
negotiation process

6. Basic principles for scheduling
Compartimentalization
decomposition of both the product and the process
the work is divided in tasks (work-breakdown structure)
each delivers (possible in combination with other tasks) a part of the product.
Interdependency
minimize the dependency between tasks
which products of other tasks are needed to start a task
sequential and parallel tasks
Time allocation for each task
How much work is needed in e.g. person-days
Determine whether this will be part-time of full-time
Assign a start and completion date (not assigned yet to a person).

7. …continued Matching total time with available resources
Are the needed resources (persons, tools, hardware) available? (not assigned yet to a person).
Defining responsibilities
Every task should be the responsibility of a person.
Defining outcomes of tasks
Each task should have a defined outcome. (SMART)
More than 1 of these work products may be grouped into a deliverable.
Defining milestones
the milestones of the project: a moment in time on which a (group of) deliverables should be finished.

8. Effort distribution
Use the data on the organization’s historical experience with similar projects
When such data is not available, publicly available factors can be used for guidance.
The rule (a rule of thumb):
40% front-end analysis and design
20% coding
40% back-end testing
Generally accepted guidelines are:
02-03 % planning
10-25 % requirements analysis
20-25 % design
15-20 % coding
30-40 % testing and debugging

9. Critics of % rule
Some Software Engineering Managers believe that more than 40% of overall effort should be expended during Analysis and Design.
Some proponents of Agile Development Method argue that Less time should be expended on “Front-end’’ of Project Phase and that a team should move quickly to Construction Phase (Build phase).
Theo: when a program is working, the documentation still need a lot of work.

10. Parts and steps
Project task: A task is executable and delivers a well defined work product (SMART);
Work-breakdown structure: Division of the total trajectory into tasks;
Deliverable Intermediate or final product delivered by a task or a number of tasks;
Milestone: Date on which a deliverable should be ready;
Network of dependencies of project tasks:
sequential
parallel

11. …continued
Determine which tasks are critical in the network: they determine the run time of a project;
Determine what the size of the tasks are;
Determine which resources are needed to execute each task;
Building up of a project schedule:: dividing the tasks over time and allocating resources to tasks;
Tracking of the progress of the project on basis of its schedule.

12. Milestones, deliverables
Steering project
Steer on
goals
Steering Committee
Project Sponsor
Project Steering Committee
Steer on
goals, milestones
and deliverables
Attention in
this course
Steer on
Milestones, deliverables
and tasks
Project Manager(s)
Technical Project
Leader
Functional/Process Groups
(User Focal Points)
Steer on
Tasks and
resources
Analysts
Designers
programmers
…..
User Group 1
User Group 2
User Group n

13. Work-Breakdown Structure
A detailed breakdown of the product into manageable work elements.
A method for breaking down work within a project into logical steps:
Product WBS:
Work is broken down by system, subsystem, modules & the structure of the software product.
Activity WBS:
Work is broken down by activities of the project members such as management, requirements analysis, design & programming.

14. Product WBS

15. Activity WBS

16. Work-breakdown structure
Example
Main phases of an information system based on
software packets on the market.
Phase 1
Develop
Blueprint
Phase 2
Design
Information
system
Phase 3
Realize
Information
system
Phase 4
Implement
Information
system

17. Steps in phase 1 Development blueprint Deliverables phase 1 Blue-
1.1.
Pre-
paration
&
Project-
definition
1.2.
Develop
process-
model
current
situation
1.3.
Analysis
current
situation
1.4.
Develop
blueprint
1.5
Fit-analysis
shortlist
Packets
1.6
make
principle
choice
1.7.
Make
plan
next
phases
Principle -choice
Fit-
analysis
Plan phase 2

18. Steps in phase 2 Design Information System Iterative Input
Deliverables
Phase 2
Blue-
print
Final
choice
Iterative
Principle -choice
Process model
future sit.
Preparation
Execution
Fit-
analysis
2.1.
Develop
simulation
case
2.2.
Make
simulation
environment
2.3.
Prototype
step-
through
2.4.
End-
report
2.5.
Design
interfaces
+ conversion
Final-
report
Plan phase 2
Solutions
for
“gaps”

19. Relation deliverables-milestones
Project
Goals
Constraints
Deliverable 1
Deliverable n
Milestone 1
......
Milestone n
Task 1
Task n
Timing,
resourcing
and
dependencies

20. Relation between people and effort
Putnam-Nordon-Rayleigh (PNR) curve
putting more people on a project does not decrease time linearly
people need time for communication
4 zones in the curve for a certain defined project:
1) it can not be completed within a certain time
2) overstaffed: completed fast,
but inefficient
3) linear range: efficient staffing, man-power trade-off with time is good possible
4) understaffed: becomes also inefficient

21. PNR Formula’s
The number of delivered lines of code L is related to effort and development time by the equation: L = P × E 1/3 t 4/3
E is development effort in person-months
P is a productivity parameter that reflects various factors (typically 2,000-12,000)
t is the project duration in calendar months
Rearranged to solve for development effort: E = L3/(P 3t 4)

22. Setting up of a schedule
Define deliverables and milestones;
Identify tasks which belong to deliverables;
Identify relations between deliverables and activities;
Determine the type and size of the resources needed for a task;
Allocate people to activities;
Create activity networks and ‘bar charts’ (Gantt Charts).

23. Example Task Run time in workdays Dependencies (milestone) T1 8 T2 15
T1 (M1) T4 10 T5 19
T2, T4 (M2) T6 5
T1, T2 (M3) T7 20 T8 25
T4 (M5) T9
T3, T6 (M4)
T10
T5, T7 (M7)
T11 7
T9 (M6)
T12
T11 (M8)

24. Activity network Insight in parallel and sequential tasks
+ dependencies
15 days
14/7/99 T3
15 days
8 days M1
4/8/99 T9 T1 M4
4/7/99
25/7/99
5 days
25/8/99 M3 M6
Start T6
15 days
7 days T2
20 days
T11 T7
25/7/99
10 days
5/9/99 M2
11/8/99 T4 T5 M8 M7
10 days
18/7/99
15 days
10 days M5
T10
25 days
T12 T8
End
19/9/99

25. Critical path Start End T3 M1 T9 M4 M3 M6 T2 T11 T7 M2 T4 T5 M8 M7 M5
15 days
14/7/99 T3
15 days
8 days M1
4/8/99 T9 T1 M4
4/7/99
25/7/99
5 days
25/8/99 M3 M6
Start T6
15 days
7 days T2
20 days
T11 T7
25/7/99
10 days
5/9/99 M2
11/8/99 T4 T5 M8 M7
10 days
18/7/99
15 days
10 days M5
T10
25 days
T12 T8
= Critical Path
End
19/9/99

26. Bar chart (Gantt chart)
4/7
18/7
11/7
1/8
25/7
8/8
22/8
15/8
29/8
5/9
12/9
19/9
26/9
Start T4 T1 T2 M1 T7 T3 M5 T8 M3 M2 T6 T5 M4 T9 M7
T10 M6
T11 M8
T12
End

27. Extra time 4/7 18/7 11/7 1/8 25/7 8/8 22/8 15/8 29/8 5/9 12/9 19/9
26/9 T4 T1 T2 T7 T3
T12
End T9 T8 T5 T6
T10
T11 M1 M5 M8 M7 M4 M2 M3 M6
Start

28. Allocation of persons to tasks and time
Software Engineer T1
Jan T2
Carolien T3 T4
Frank T5
Isabel T6 T7
Jim T8 T9
T10
T11
T12
4/7
18/7
11/7
1/8
25/7
8/8
22/8
15/8
29/8
5/9
12/9
19/9
26/9
Frank
Jan
Carolien
Jim
Isabel T5 T2
T12
T11 T8 T4 T9 T3 T1 T7
T10 T6
Resources can influence the critial path,
e.g. Frank with T8-T11

29. Gantt chart