Chapter 3 - Project Management

Abstract

Project management is the process of coordinating the several interrelated tasks of developing a product and bringing it to market. As project teams develop larger and more complex applications, managing the life cycle becomes more difficult and more time-consuming. Good project management is, therefore, vital to the success of a software development project. This chapter discusses some of the key concepts in project management under three main topics: (1) development projects and teams; (2) project planning and control; and (3) project documentation. Digital relies on product teams to develop and deliver products. This approach recognizes that bringing a new product to market on time and within budget requires cooperation and shared decision making. The purpose of project planning is to carry a project through all phases of development on time and within budget while meeting all technical objectives. Effective project planning entails the following key activities: (1) identifying the project tasks; (2) identifying the resources necessary to carry out the project tasks; and (3) organizing the tasks and resources to meet project objectives. Good project documentation is essential to successful project management. The chapter also describes a number of the project-related documents used at Digital to plan and control product development.