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Project Management Lessons from the Frontlines In the natural world, systems tend to go from order to disorder. The same often happens with projects, teams, and organizations. Fortunately, there are things we can do as project leaders to improve our ability to thrive within chaotic project environments. In this session, you'll join fellow project leaders and managers in a frank discussion about practical lessons learned through real-world experience.
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Andy Kaufman, Institute for Leadership Excellence and Development
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Solid Software: Is it Rocket Science? While we can't guarantee that our software will never fail, we can take serious steps to reduce the risk. The toughest kind of system to build involves safety-critical software where the reliability requirements are extremely strict-and whose failure puts lives in jeopardy. Shari Lawrence Pfleeger looks at what "solid software" means, and explores ways we can achieve it. She examines solid software within the context of the proposed National Missile Defense System.
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Shari Lawrence Pfleeger, Systems/Software, Inc.
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Software Sizing: There is an Easier Way Project managers and software engineers need to accurately calculate delivery dates and resource needs for their software. This means they have to measure the size of the requirement, and estimate how much it will require in time and expense. But is there a sizing technique that's both effective and efficient? Popular sizing techniques such as the function point method can be difficult and labor intensive. However, there are alternative methods that produce quicker results, often without compromising accuracy. This presentation shares new ways to determine the size of your software deliverable while maintaining accuracy.
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David Herron, The David Consulting Group
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Avoiding Project Failure Let's face facts: Software projects fail more often than they succeed-and nothing a project manager does will ever completely eliminate the possibility of failure. But there are steps an organization and you as a project manager can take to detect problems early and avoid classic mistakes. This presentation is designed for project managers and sponsors who want to reduce their risk of project failure and improve their ability to successfully deliver.
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Payson Hall, Catalysis Group, Inc.
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Understanding Variation and Stability: The Key to Managing Your Software Process The control chart is a form of instrumentation that acts like a pressure gauge in the world of software development. It provides critical data to help guide the decisions made by software engineers and managers. This presentation shares the results of studies using statistical process control analysis to monitor and adjust software process improvement activities. It also highlights the correlation between the use of control charts and improved processes.
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Anita Carleton and William Florac, Software Engineering Institute
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IS and IT Benchmarking: Current Status Are you having trouble making a business case for benchmarking at your organization? Mark Czarnecki delivers his benchmarking expertise in a presentation designed to help participants impact their corporate culture as well as their benchmarking abilities. He reviews the current status of information systems and technology benchmarking, and he explains current benchmarking theory. The presentation also covers generalized database sources for benchmarking.
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Mark Czarnecki, The Benchmarking Network, Inc.
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Activity-Based Cost Estimating for Web-Based Software What does it cost to provide a feature or complete a transaction for Web-based software? In traditional activity-based cost estimating, a company looks at a product's sales activity and resources used in order to determine its cost. But how do we measure the resources used by one product, when all of the company's products share a common Web site or server? Avon Leong explores the matters involved in calculating the ongoing cost of providing online functions, and why it's important. He offers participants strategies to tackle these modern-day eCommerce issues.
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Avon Leong, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc
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Requirements Are Requirements Are Requirements - Not! "This isn't what I need," states Customer Bob. "But it's what you said you wanted," replies Engineer Joe. "It's not right. I need something else." We've all encountered this classic users-don't-know-what-they-want scenario. The fact that software professionals continue to have this same experience over and over again suggests that we're overlooking the real reasons for the user/engineer disconnect. This presentation contrasts the different uses of the term "requirements" as it explores the possible solutions to improving understanding between business people and technical people.
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Robin Goldsmith, GoPro Management, Inc.
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Get Real! Creating Realistic, Actionable Project Schedules The preparation of a realistic, practical project schedule is an essential management function for obtaining stakeholder commitment, setting expectations, and communicating within the team and organization what is achievable. Doing this preparation well is another challenge-one that must be conquered. Rex Black helps participants see the bigger project scheduling picture by focusing on issues such as constituent tasks, the underlying dependencies between them, and the risks attached to the completion of those tasks.
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Rex Black, Rex Black Consulting Services, Inc.
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Project Management in the e-World Successful project management in today's e-world depends on more than just solid project planning and tracking skills. A thorough understanding of the unique issues and opportunities faced by e-projects, as well as an in-depth knowledge of the scope and integration needs of these complex projects, is essential. This presentation steers participants through the maze of issues that confronts any e-world project, including its business application, infrastructure, portal, customer experience, content management, and communications requirements.
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Bonnie Vaughan, LexisNexis
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