Five Keys to Software Projects

A presentation given to 2012 Aalto ITP program about software projects, their challenges and tips on coping with them.

Transcript

1. Five Keys to Software Projects Lauri Jutila, Kisko Labs Oy
2. Software is hard.
3. Software development is hard.
4. Buying software is hard.
5. Managing software projects is hard.
6. But maybe there’s hope ...
7. The Five Topics I wanted to talk about
8. #1 Preparation
9. Preparation is half the battle, and nothing is lost by being upon one's guard. Don Quixote
10. No battle plan ever survived first contact with the enemy. General Von Moltke
11. The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat. US Marine Corps
12. Hyvin suunniteltu on edelleen kokonaan tekemättä. Olli Piirainen
13. What? How? Why?
14. What are the questions we should find answers to in order to comprehend the our needs and requirements, and to form a mutual understanding of the issue?
15. How do we describe the needs and requirements so that we can form a mutual understanding with the providers, too?
16. •As an organization, who are we? Where are we now? In what direction are we heading to? •What is the key business issue we trying to improve or develop? •Who are the key beneficiaries of the development effort? A few key questions
17. A few key questions •What are the key benefits, outcomes and effects of the development effort? •How do we measure the benefits, outcomes and effects?
18. #2 Requirements
19. Software roll-out is often an outsourcing of process tasks to the software, partially or completely
20. One must be able to define and describe the target state of the process in order to determine software requirements
21. Useful software requirements definition tools
22. User Story A description of what the actor in the process requires from software in a specific phase
23. In order to reach a milestone of a project As a project owner I want to approve milestone deliverables
24. Mockup A visual of the user interface required in carrying out a process task and its information management
26. User Sketch A sketch drawn by the user about a piece of user interface of the process
27. #3 Purchasing
28. After preparation, do we know enough to define sufficiently accurate request for proposal that will generate adequate proposals?
29. The conflict in sales situation: The buyer wants to buy, the seller wants to sell
30. Common mistake: Too little time is spent on discussing the needs and requirements, and the situation as a whole
31. Common mistake: People assume a lot, fill in the knowledge gaps, especially when a complex and abstract topic is under discussion
32. Establish common goal: Profitable, successful projects - for both parties
33. #4 Project Management & Organizational Politics
34. Peter Drucker Ninety percent of what we call “management” consists of making it difficult for people to get things done.
35. Once you are past preparation phase, plan sufficiently, but not excessively.
36. Project plans don’t run projects, people do.
37. Execution is strategy Fred Malek
38. We have a strategic plan, it’s called ‘doing things’. Herb Kelleher, South West Airlines
39. Most project management problems are communication problems
40. PEOPLE & POLITICS Project Management is:
41. The Project Manager 1) All implementation failures are your fault 2)All implementation failures are people failures 3)Project management is people management 4)“Politics” is the alpha and omega of project management — love it or leave it According to Tom Peters
42. #5 People
43. Hard is soft. Soft is hard. Tom Peters
44. Build a team that is cross- functional, avoid knowledge silos and strict roles
45. Insist on participating team selection on provider’s side
46. Demand that key team members are fully allocated to your project and only your project
47. Resist all personnel changes in a project team vigorously
48. “Ain’t any project ever been late because someone didn’t type code fast enough” Antti Salonen
49. The Five Keys
50. Prepare well.
51. Define requirements with clear purpose.
52. Over-communicate!
53. Master the people & politics game.
54. Take care of people.
55. Thanks!
56. Q&A