Murali Chemuturi is an information technology and software development subject matter expert, hands-on programmer, author, consultant and trainer. He has more than 25 years of information technology and software development experience and several years of academic experience teaching a variety of computer & IT courses. In 2001, he formed his own IT consulting, training and software development firm known as Chemuturi Consultants. Mr. Chemuturi’s undergraduate degrees and diplomas are in Electrical and Industrial Engineering and he holds an MBA and a Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Methods & Programming. He is a published author in professional journals, a member of IEEE, a senior member of the Computer Society of India and a Fellow at the Indian Institute of Industrial Engineering.

Thomas M. Cagley Jr. has over 20 years experience in the software industry. He currently leads the David Consulting Group’s IT Performance Improvement, Software Process Improvement and Software Measurement consulting practices. He is also the current president of the International Function Point Users Group and is a Certified Function Point Specialist. Tom is a frequent speaker at metrics, quality and project management conferences. Tom earned his BS from Louisiana State University and has done extensive postgraduate work at Cleveland State University, Case Western Reserve University and Kent State University.

Chapter 1: Basics of Software Projects
Introduction
Types of Software Project
Classification of Software Projects
Conclusion

Chapter 2: Approaches to Software Project Management
Alignment of Software Engineering Methodology with Project Management Methodology
The Ad Hoc Methods-based Approach
The Process-Driven Approach
So, What Is the Right Approach

Chapter 3: Software Project Acquisition
From an External Client
From an Internal Client
Reference

Chapter 4: Software Project Initiation
Introduction
Initiation Activities
Project Management Office-Level Activities
Software Project Manager-Level Activities
Common Pitfalls in Project Initiation

Chapter 5: Software Project Planning
Introduction
Planning Defined
Plans Prepared in Software Project Management
The Project Management Plan
The Configuration Management Plan
The Quality Assurance Plan
The Schedule Plan
The Induction Training Plan
The Risk Management Plan
The Build Plan
The Deployment Plan
The User Training Plan
The Handover Plan
The Software Maintenance Plan
The Documentation Plan
Roles in Planning
Pitfalls in Software Project Planning
Best Practices in Software Project Planning

Chapter 6: Software Project Execution
Introduction
Work Management
Configuration Management
Quality Management
Morale Management
Productivity Management
Stakeholder Expectations Management
Product Integration Management
Pitfalls and Best Practices

Chapter 7: Software Project Execution Control
Introduction
Aspects of Control in Project Execution
Control Mechanisms
Project Progress Assessment

Chapter 8: Change Management in Software Development Projects
Introduction
Origins of Change
The Change Request Register
Change Request Resolution
The Value of Metrics Derived from a Change Request Register

Chapter 9: Scheduling
Introduction
The Initial Work Breakdown Structure
A Work Breakdown Structure with Predecessors Defined
A Work Breakdown Structure with Initial Dates
A Work Breakdown Structure with Resource Allocation
Scheduling in Practice
Graphic Representation of a Schedule

Chapter 10: Software Project Closure
Introduction
Identifying of Reusable Code Components
Documentating the Best Practices
Documenting the Lessons Learned
Collecting/Deriving and Depositing the Final Project Metrics in the Organizational Knowledge Repository
Conducting Knowledge-Sharing Meetings with Peer Software Project Managers
Depositing Project Records with the Project Management Office
Depositing Code Artifacts in the Code Repository
Conducting the Project Postmortem
Releasing the Software Project Management
Closing the Project
The Role of the Organization in Project Closure
Reference

Chapter 11: Agile Project Management
Introduction
Project Management Roles
Agile Project Management Characteristics
The Nuts and Bolts of Agile Project Management
Process Improvement
Reference

Chapter 12: Pitfalls and Best Practices in Software Project Management
Introduction
Organizational-Level Pitfalls and Best Practices
Software Project Manager-Level Pitfalls and Best Practices
Additional Best Practices for Software Project Management
Some Closing Words

Appendix A: Management of Software Development Projects
Appendix B: Decision-Making for Software Project Managers
Appendix C: People Management
Appendix D: Productivity Concepts for Software Project Managers
Appendix E: Issue Resolution in Software Project Management
Appendix F: Measurement and Metrics in Software Development Organizations
Appendix G: Measurement and Management of Customer Satisfaction
Appendix H: An Introduction to PERT-CPM
Appendix I: Abbreviations
Appendix J: Templates for Software Project Managers
Index