Software Project Management: Methods and Techniques
Utilizing more than 36 years experience in this field, Dr. Peters demonstrates how to be successful in the software field. He focuses on what the industry has cited for 25 years as the key to success: management. He does this by presenting a unique set of the latest and most effective techniques adapted from business, psychology, engineering, accounting, law and other fields which contribute to bringing projects in on time, on budget and exceeding client expectations. The reader is presented with a tool set designed to ensure success in software project management which includes topics not found in combination in other Software Project Management texts including COTS and COCOTS, Risk Management, Project Plan Optimization, COCOMO II and How to Motivate and Evaluate Software Professionals, with guidance on how and when to use each. The book takes a process modeling view of software project management, avoiding the pitfalls of the recipe style treatment found elsewhere. The book is laden with real world examples, process models, lessons learned and problem solving principles. The book begins with the basics of software project management then goes well beyond them by introducing and demonstrating advanced methods for successfully managing software projects.
Review By: Karin Hodyl
07/08/2010Author Lawrence J. Peters goes straight to the facts with no fancy language in "Software Project Management: Methods & Techniques." The methods and techniques used are easy--one might even say elementary. Many have been around a long time, and the book explains them in depth.
"Software Project Management" is written like a textbook, including a summary, review questions, and exercises at the end of every chapter. This makes the reader think about various situations in which to use the methods and techniques. Peters dispels some myths about software in general and discusses many lifecycle models. Chapters four and five are the bridge into the various models and techniques, while chapters six through nine focus on the true heart of project management. Many methods are supported and expanded. The reader can choose the best one for her organization. The rest of the book highlights the actual team members within the scope of any software project. Peters explains that having the best people is not necessarily a recipe for successful results.
The book contains good subject matter overall, but the tables and charts used are basic. The author shows great comprehension and is a great resource for a software analyst who wants to become a project manager. The author incorporates recent events throughout the book. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter feature a persuasive writing style that spurs one to read the next chapter.
Readers may be boggled by the different acronyms and formulas used on some of the more complex models. It is great to see the different models used when project managers plan projects, as well as how projects flow and the different phases encountered. When a project manager estimates, there are popular methods that usually follow a logical, sequential, systematic approach. The author’s use of a continuing "project" throughout the book captures the reader in an ongoing example.
Straightforward and to the point, "Software Project Management" tells of the various models and techniques, explains them, and then leaves it up to the reader to decide which one to use—if any. It’s great for those who want to make a career change from software analyst to project manager, or--since it is written with summary, review questions, and exercises--for a person learning about project management in general.