Planning a Software Development Project

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Imagine that you have been hired as a project manager assisting in the development of an iOS application and cloud-based solution that is designed to streamline your organization’s delivery operation. As the project manager, you are to manage the development and release of the mobile client platform in the cloud-based infrastructure that will use GPS to track the shipment and delivery of goods in airplanes across the United States.

The iOS mobile client will have three modules consisting of a search customer screen, a search address screen, and confirm delivery screen. Programmers have reviewed the requirements and estimate that each module will take one programmer 300 hours to complete.

In addition to delivering the iOS mobile application, your project will require upgrading the internal network and application infrastructure to a cloud-based model to support the new iOS mobile platform. This effort will require your team to procure network appliances to optimize the security factors of the cloud-based platform.

One last component of the project scope is to provide training to operation support staff and 30 cargo airplane pilots staffed across four regions of the United States. Your project team consists of three programmers, a technical writer, three technical trainers, two network engineers, and one system administrator.

Instructions
Section 1: Written Project Plan
Write a 3 page paper in which you:

Determine the factors that must be considered and observed throughout the work breakdown structure (WBS) development process, and explain why.
Create a work breakdown structure for the scope of the project. Note: The WBS must be in the indented format as shown in Figure 5-3 in Chapter 5 of the text.
Analyze the various activities required for this project and provide an estimate of the duration for each activity based on the number of resources available for the project. Include assumptions and basis for each estimate.
Recommend the estimation technique that should be used for each activity (that is, PERT, Delphi, analogy, expert judgment, or rule of thumb).
Determine the major milestones that the project will encounter.
Describe the logical sequence of planned activities required to achieve the project and analyze how monitoring durations on the critical path influence the success of the project.

Sample Solution

Section 1: Written Project Plan

Factors to Consider in WBS Development

A well-structured Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is essential for effective project management. It provides a hierarchical breakdown of the project scope, ensuring that all necessary tasks are identified and accounted for. When developing a WBS, several factors must be considered:

  1. Project Scope: Clearly define the project’s objectives and boundaries to ensure that the WBS includes all necessary components and excludes unnecessary ones.
  2. Deliverables: Identify the specific products or services that will be delivered as a result of the project.
  3. Dependencies: Determine the relationships between different tasks and activities. Some tasks may be dependent on others, meaning they cannot be started until the preceding tasks are completed.
  4. Resources: Consider the resources required for each task, including personnel, equipment, and materials.
  5. Timeline: Estimate the duration of each task and the overall project timeline.
  6. Budget: Allocate a budget for each task and the project as a whole.

Why these factors are important: A well-structured WBS helps to ensure that the project is completed on time, within budget, and to the desired quality standards. It also provides a framework for effective communication, coordination, and monitoring of project progress.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

  1. Project Initiation
    • Project Charter
    • Stakeholder Analysis
  2. iOS Mobile Application Development
    • Search Customer Screen
    • Search Address Screen
    • Confirm Delivery Screen
  3. Cloud-Based Infrastructure Upgrade
    • Network Appliance Procurement
    • Network Infrastructure Upgrade
    • Application Migration
  4. Training
    • Operation Support Staff Training
    • Pilot Training (4 Regions)
  5. Testing and Deployment
    • System Testing
    • User Acceptance Testing
    • Deployment

Activity Duration Estimates

Assumptions:

  • Programmers work an average of 40 hours per week.
  • Network engineers and system administrators require additional time for planning and configuration.
  • Training sessions are conducted over a two-day period for each group.
Activity Duration (hours) Basis
Search Customer Screen 900 3 programmers x 300 hours
Search Address Screen 900 3 programmers x 300 hours
Confirm Delivery Screen 900 3 programmers x 300 hours
Network Appliance Procurement 160 2 network engineers x 80 hours
Network Infrastructure Upgrade 400 2 network engineers x 200 hours
Application Migration 200 1 system administrator x 200 hours
Operation Support Staff Training 160 3 trainers x 2 days x 8 hours/day
Pilot Training (per region) 160 3 trainers x 2 days x 8 hours/day
System Testing 240 3 programmers x 80 hours
User Acceptance Testing 160 20 users x 8 hours
Deployment 80 1 system administrator x 80 hours

Export to Sheets

Estimation Technique Recommendations

  • PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique): For activities with uncertain durations, such as network infrastructure upgrades and training, PERT can be used to estimate the expected duration based on optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic estimates.
  • Expert Judgment: For activities that require specialized knowledge, such as network appliance procurement and application migration, expert judgment from network engineers and system administrators can be used to estimate durations.
  • Analogy: For activities that are similar to previous projects, the analogy method can be used to estimate durations based on the experience of previous projects.

Major Milestones

  • Completion of iOS mobile application development
  • Completion of cloud-based infrastructure upgrade
  • Completion of training programs
  • Successful deployment of the iOS mobile application and cloud-based solution

Critical Path and Monitoring

The critical path is the sequence of activities that have the longest cumulative duration and determine the overall project duration. Monitoring the durations of activities on the critical path is crucial for ensuring project success. If any activity on the critical path is delayed, it will delay the entire project. Therefore, it is essential to closely track the progress of these activities and take corrective action as needed.

 

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