Software Project Management
Assignment # 03
Spring 2011
Marks: 20
Q.No.1
When we start development of the project the first that we consider is planning. There are number of steps involved in the planning process. You are given following three planning steps.
1. Resource Plan
2. Financial Plan
3. Procurement Plan
Now you have to state that how each given step is different from each other. Also give
examples to support your answer.
Solution:
Develop Resource Plan
Immediately after the Project Plan is formed, it is necessary to allocate the resources
required to undertake each of the activities and tasks within the Project Plan. Although
general groups of resources may have already been allocated to the Project Plan, a
detailed resource assessment is required to identify the:
ˇ Types of resources (labor, equipment and materials)
ˇ Total quantities of each resource type
ˇ Roles, responsibilities and skill-sets of all human resources
ˇ Items, purposes and specifications of all equipment resource
ˇ Items and quantities of material resource
A schedule is assembled for each type of resource so that the Project Manager can assess
the resource allocation at each stage in the project.
Develop Financial Plan
Similar to the Resource Plan, a Financial Plan is prepared to identify the quantity of
money required for each stage in the project. The total cost of labor, equipment and
materials is quantified and an expense schedule is defined which provides the
Project Manager with an understanding of the forecast spending vs. the actual spending
throughout the project. Preparing a detailed Financial Plan is extremely important as the
project's success will depend on whether or not it is delivered within the 'time, cost and
quality' estimates for this project.
Develop Procurement Plan
The last planning activity within the Planning phase is to identify the elements of the
Project which will be acquired from external suppliers to the project. The
Procurement Plan provides a detailed description of the Products (i.e. goods and services)
to be procured from suppliers, the justification for procuring each product externally, as
opposed to from within the business, and the schedule for procurement. It also references
the process for the selection of a preferred supplier ("Tender Process") and the process
for the actual order and delivery of the procured products ("Procurement Process").
Q.No.2
What are the support Phase in Project management process and what type of changes
occurs during it, elaborate it briefly?
Solution:
The support Phase focuses on Change associated with error correction, adaptations
required as the software's environment evolves, and changes due to enhancements
brought about by changing customer requirements. The support phase reapplies the steps
of the definition and development phases but does so in the context of existing software.
Four types of change are encountered during the support phase:
1. Correction
Even with the best quality assurance activities, it is likely that the customer will uncover
defects in the software. Corrective maintenance changes the software to correct defects.
2. Adaptation
Over time, the original environment (e.g., CPU, operating system, business rules, external
product characteristics) for which the software was developed is likely to change.
Adaptive maintenance results in modification I the software to accommodate changes to
its external environment.
3. Enhancement
As software is used, the customer/user will recognize additional functions that will
provide benefit. Perfective maintenance extends the software beyond its original
functional requirements.
4. Prevention
Computer software deteriorates due to change, and because ( this, preventive
maintenance, often called software reengineering, must be conducted to enable the
software to serve the needs of its end users, in essence, preventive maintenance makes
changes to computer programs so that they ca be more easily corrected, adapted, and
enhanced.
In addition to these support activities, the users of software require continuing support.
In-house technical assistants, telephone-help desks, and applicationspecific
Web sites are often implemented as part of the support phase.
