The Project Manager's Guide to Software Engineering's Best Practices (Practitioners) (Paperback)

by Mark Christensen (Author), Richard H. Thayer (Author) "This chapter describes the application of systems engineering principles to the development of a computer software system..." (more)
Key Phrases: software maintenance plan, software productivity metrics, work package specification, New York, Los Alamitos, Computer Society Press (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Since the earliest days of the computer industry, managing a software project has been a complex and demanding activity. While the technical content of software products and the technical methods used to build them have changed over time, the fundamental issues that determine the success or failure of software projects have remain fairly constant. That is, the same fundamental management mistakes continue to be made. To cite a few examples; requirements are unclear at the beginning of projects and are not managed during the project, the product is not tested adequately, schedules are misestimated or not tracked in sufficient detail. The contents of this book, together with the underlying IEEE Standards, are dedicated to helping the reader in their work: The continuing quest to produce quality software products in a predictable manner.

This book, containing all original material, is based on the proposition that the IEEE Software Engineering Standards capture many of the fundamental 'best practices' of software project management. It is written to assist the reader in applying those standards to their projects and company. To meet this goal, the authors discuss and elaborate the standards that bear on the three key management areas of:  Software systems engineering, Processes for developing software products, Planning and control of software project activities.

The body of the book is correspondingly organized into three parts. Software Systems Engineering, which argues that software development projects are most successful when developed using a systems level viewpoint. Process Management and Control, which describes the key activities needed to define, support, and manage a project's software development processes. Project Planning and Management completes the book, integrating the elements of cost and schedule estimation and control, risk management, and the role metrics play in performing those tasks.

From the Back Cover
Since the earliest days of the computer industry, managing a software project has been a complex and demanding activity. While the technical content of software products and the technical methods used to build them have changed over time, the fundamental issues that determine the success or failure of software project have remained fairly constant. The contents of this book, together with the underlying IEEE Standards, are dedicated to helping the reader in their ongoing task to produce quality software products in a conventional manner.

This book, containing all original material, is built on the proposition that the IEEE Software Engineering Standards capture many of the fundamental "best practices" of software project management. It will assist the reader in successfully applying those standards to their projects and their organization. To meet this goal, the authors discuss and elaborate on the standards covering these three key management areas:

• Software systems engineering
• Process for developing software products
• Planning and control of software project activities

The body of the text is correspondingly organized into three important parts: Software Systems Engineering; Process Management and Control; and Project Planning and Management.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 552 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-IEEE Computer Society Pr; 1st edition (April 27, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0769511996
• ISBN-13: 978-0769511993
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #819,081 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lives up to its title - best practices and sound approach, August 1, 2002

By	Mike Tarrani "www.tarrani.com" (Deltona, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This is a completely updated book that departs from the earlier "Software Engineering Project Management" by Thayer (1997) in that it's more anchored in software engineering standards than in project management. To be sure, this book is about project management, but takes a more holistic view.

The best practices, predicated upon the view that the common thread is software engineering standards and practices, are presented in three sections:

(1)Software Systems Engineering - a critical success factor for any software project.
(2) Process Management and Control - what must be done in order to effectively scope, support and manage the development process itself.
(3) Project Planning and Management - standard fare, including estimation, risk management, and metrics.

Each of these sections contain papers that discuss aspects of the topic area, which include: Software Systems Engineering, Concept of Operations, Software Requirements Specification, Software User Documentation, Software Verification and Validation, Software Life Cycle Process Management, Software Process Improvement, Software Reviews, Software Configuration Management, Software Quality Assurance, Maintenance, Software Engineering Project Management, Software Cost and Schedule, Software Risk Management and Software Metrics.

Personally I completely agree with the book's approach (standards and processes are critical to successful development projects). However, even if taken as individual papers, each chapter presents excellent advice and insights that will benefit not only project managers, but all members of a development team. If you do agree with me that the overall approach is valid you will also find " SWEBOK: Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge" by Alain Abran(ISBN 0769510000) will complement this book by providing more foundation material about key areas of the software engineering process.