Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Software Project Secrets is the first book to analyze and address the problems that project management's best practices cause in software development projects. It shows how to integrate agile methodologies with project management to resolve these problems.
The book is aimed at managers, developers and customers who use industry standard methodologies, but whose projects still struggle to succeed. In 2000, only 28% of software projects succeeded outright. 23% were cancelled, and the remainders were substantially late and over budget. (In contrast, 94% of construction projects succeed.) No-one has yet found a satisfactory explanation for why so many software projects fail so badly.
Synopsis
Software Project Secrets: Why Software Projects Fail offers a new path to success in the software industry. This book reaches out to managers, developers, and customers who use industry-standard methodologies, but whose projects still struggle to succeed.
Author George Stepanek analyzes the project management methodology itself, a critical factor that has thus far been overlooked. He explains why it creates problems for software development projects and begins by describing 12 ways in which software projects are different from other kinds of projects. He also analyzes the project management body of knowledge to discover 10 hidden assumptions that are invalid in the context of software projects. Table of Contents IntroductionWhy Software Is DifferentProject Management AssumptionsCase Study: The Billing System ProjectThe New Agile MethodologiesBudgeting Agile ProjectsCase Study: The Billing System RevisitedAfterword