Managing a software project

[Philipp]

Hello,

I want to learn about software management methods. I guess that most
contributors to this group are full time developers and are confronted
to some sort of software management. Would you share your knowledge?

I'm interested to know how different companies manage their software
projects. I read about RUP (from IBM Rational) and XP, there are mixes
like AUP (Agile Unified Process). I don't have the experience to know
which methods work.

What management tools do you use in your company, to structure a
software project? What size are the teams working on one project? How
often do you make meetings to define new objectives for the different
developers? Do you often use/create artifacts. Are specs written and
reviewed or adapted when a problem arises? How would a change in specs
be communicated?

Would you recommend your companie's way of doing things?
Which methods should I be familiar with, which should I learn? (any
book refs are welcome)

Thanks for your input.
Phil

 

[Jason Cavett]

Hello,

I want to learn about software management methods. I guess that most
contributors to this group are full time developers and are confronted
to some sort of software management. Would you share your knowledge?

I'm interested to know how different companies manage their software
projects. I read about RUP (from IBM Rational) and XP, there are mixes
like AUP (Agile Unified Process). I don't have the experience to know
which methods work.

What management tools do you use in your company, to structure a
software project? What size are the teams working on one project? How
often do you make meetings to define new objectives for the different
developers? Do you often use/create artifacts. Are specs written and
reviewed or adapted when a problem arises? How would a change in specs
be communicated?

Would you recommend your companie's way of doing things?
Which methods should I be familiar with, which should I learn? (any
book refs are welcome)

Thanks for your input.
Phil

1. Keep your team consistent! Developing software is a learning
process. The software itself is just a side-artifact. If you are
constantly moving people around on the project (or, worse, on and off
a team), you will lose a lot of knowledge and time.

2. If your team is small (less than 10 people), a quick status meeting
every day is great. But when I say quick, I mean QUICK. 15 minutes
tops. Enforce it also. Don't let people prattle on too long.

3. If you're a manager, do not hound your team. Trust that they will
make good decisions. Bothering them constantly, or having frequent,
unnecessary meetings will only increase the time that they are not
spending on the project.

4. Look for results. If your team is producing, excellent. If not,
talk to them and find out where they're having trouble. They may have
their own suggestions. (However, do not tolerate whining. That'll
just drag the rest of the team down.)


I'm not extremely experienced with project management, but these are
four things that I have found to be effective.

Hope that helps.