COURSE OVERVIEW

According to a 2009 Standish Group study, 68% of all software projects in the U.S. are delivered late or outright cancelled, typically due to a lack of proper project management practices.

Attend our seminar to find out how successful organizations deliver high-performance software on-time, within budget, and within desired quality levels. Our hands-on course follows PMI®’s PMBOK® Guide (Project Management Body of Knowledge) and is catered specifically towards managing software development projects.

BENEFITS

Learn the history and predominant influencers of the software development industry
Review organizations you should know about
Examine software industry project success rate trends
Examine successful vs. unsuccessful project profiles
Discuss how software projects are different than other projects
Discuss Project vs. Product management
Examine customer value
Learn to identify stakeholders and create a stakeholder register
Learn how to manage three common project constraints: Scope, Schedule, Cost
Learn how to manage scope creep using an effective Change Control process
Review the nine project management knowledge areas
Distinguish between a formal project vs. a new idea
Learn how to draft a Project Request Document (PRD)
Learn how to create a Business Case Analysis (BCA)
Learn six ways to evaluate the economic value of a software business opportunity
Learn your role in the Project Initiation phase
Learn to draft a Project Charter (PCH)
Learn how to manage project risks
Learn how to create a High Level Analysis (HLA)
Learn to create an order of magnitude estimate, or project forecast
Examine your role in the Project Planning phase
Learn how to create a Project Plan (PLN)
Learn techniques for creating scope, schedule, and cost baselines
Learn how to create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Learn the fundamentals of software project quality management
Learn the importance of gaining Project Plan approval
Discuss your role in the Execute, Monitor and Control phases
Learn about Rolling-wave planning
Learn to produce project status updates with Gantt charts and burn charts
Learn effective ways of communicating with project stakeholders
Learn to plan effectively for project releases
Discuss your role in the Project Release and Stabilization phases
Learn to perform effective of project closeouts
Examine effective end-of-project performance metrics
Learn about centralized IT Governance, or Portfolio Management
Learn about centralizing Project Management into a Project Management Office (PMO)
Discuss what should be in your organizations Enterprise Asset Library

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Project Mangers, Developers, Database Designers, Development Managers, Development Directors, VP’s of Software Development, CTO, CIO

THE SEMINAR INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING TOPICS

Part I – The Business Side of Software

1. The History of Software Development
2. The Software Industry Today
3. Project Success Rate Trends
4. Software Development Industry Profile
5. Industry Organizations You Should Know About
6. Understanding Customer Value

Part II – A Closer Look at Software Projects

1. PMI® Definition of a Project
2. Product vs. Project Management
3. How are Software Projects different than Other Projects
4. What is a Successful Software Project?
5. Where Projects Fit in the Development Arena
6. The DNA of a Software Project

Part III – What is the Role of the Project Manager?

1. PMI’s® Nine Areas of Project Management
2. A Special Type of Project Manager
3. Three Types of Skill Sets
4. What Project Management Isn’t
5. Traits of an Effective Project Manager
6. The Phases of a Software Project

Part IV – Project Inception

1. Your Role
2. The Project Request Document (PRD)
3. The Statement of Work Document (SOW)
4. The Business Case Analysis (BCA)

Part V – Project Initiation

1. Your Role
2. The Project Charter (PCH)
3. High-level Analysis (HLA)
4. Project Approval

Part VI – Project Planning

1. Project Types
2. Documentation Uses
3. Documentation vs. Trust
4. Speeding up the Documentation Process
5. The Project Plan
a. Scope, Schedule, & Cost Management
b. The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
c. Quality Management
d. Customer Value Management
e. Human Resource Management
f. Procurement Management
g. Communications Management
h. Development Lifecycle Management
i. Risk Management
j. Configuration Management
k. Release Plan
l. ROI Management
6. Project Plan Approval
7. Project Kickoff Meeting

Part VII – Executing, Monitoring & Controlling

1. The Project Heartbeat
2. Rolling Wave Planning & Control
3. The Project Status Meeting
4. Managing Scope Creep with Change Control
5. Status Reporting
a. Gantt Charts
b. Burn Charts
c. Milestone Charts
6. Earned Value Charts
7. Semaphore Indicators
8. Mixed Reporting
9. Risk Analysis Reporting

Part IIX – Release & Stabilization

1. The Release Package
2. Release Plan Checklist
3. Project Release Approval
4. The “Stabilization” Phase

Part IX – Project Closeout

1. End of Project Metrics
2. Project Retrospective Meeting
3. End of Project Metrics
4. RIO Validation
5. Project Closeout Checklist

Part X – Enterprise Practices

1. Centralized IT Governance
2. Centralized Project Management Office (PMO)
3. Enterprise Asset Library