Project Management: People and Technology – Summary 2019
Index
Lecture 1 – Introduction (CH 1, 5, 6, Rigby et. al. 2016) ........................................................... 2
Lecture 2 – System development (Ch 2, 5, Brooks 1987, Jarke et. al. 2011) ...................... 8
Lecture 3 – Business Case and Software cost estimation (CH 3 + 6, Bacon) .................. 18
Lecture 4 – Stakeholder and Support (Kenny Meesters) (CH 7, 8, Bruin and ten
Heuvelhof 2002, Bryson) ................................................................................................................ 25
Lecture 5 – Agile and DevOps (Duba et. al 2015, Fitzegerald 2017) ................................... 33
Lecture 6a - Rabobank Agile Journey........................................................................................ 41
Lecture 6b - Agile and ERP (Avenade) ...................................................................................... 42
Lecture 7 – Organizational Change; Conclusions (CH 9, 10, 11) ......................................... 43
• exam: June 11, 2019.
• opportunity for inspection of exam or group project: June 20, 13.00 - 15.00, P1.174a.
• resit: July 3, 2019.
Compulsory Reading - Marchewka, Jack T. (2013) Information Technology Project Management, John Wiley and Sons,. 4th Edition (or later
edition) - During the course, articles will be made available on Blackboard
Recommended Reading - Schwalbe, Kathy (2019) An Introduction to Project Management, CENGAGE, 9th Edition
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, Project Management: People and Technology – Summary 2019
Lecture 1 – Introduction (CH 1, 5, 6, Rigby et. al. 2016)
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Part 1: Project Management
What is Project?
A temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. A project is temporary and there is a clear start
point and end-point, when the goal has been fulfilled. Temporary implies that it can also end unsatisfactory. Resources are only
assigned temporarily. Example: a person works for sales their whole life but is assigned to a project only temporarily.
What is a process?
A project differs from a process. A process is a series of actions taken in order to achieve a result. Processes are ‘standing
operations’; with a stable budget and stable roles. A project has a limited budget.
What is Software project management?
Software project management is concerned with activities ensuring that software is delivered on time, within budget and in
accordance with the requirements of the organization developing and procuring the software. The underlying assumption is
that you can actually manage this; you really can do things right.
What is the triple constraint (devil’s triangle)?
Once the MOV and the scope, schedule and budget objective are agreed upon by the client, customer, governing committee
and project manager, the project could be thought of as being ‘in balance’. The project becomes imbalances when scope
increase without adjusting schedule and budget accordingly. If one side of the triangle becomes large, the other points of the
triangle change too. For example, if you’re requirements increase, you’ll need to pay more, and it takes longer time.
The project manager must protect the scope, schedule and budget objectives once they are agreed upon.
Part 2: Agile
Starting point: software development is a social process. Use social mechanisms to improve software quality (reviews;
discussions). In particular, work with the business in multi disciplinary teams. This provides early feedback and support from
users and sponsors. Agile principles: (1) satisfy customer, (2) welcome change in requirements (3) deliver frequently etc. The
development of software programs became increasingly bureaucratic. It limited what people can do, while in projects it’s about
creativity. Agile has uncovered better ways of developing software by doing it and helping other do it. Through this work we
have come to value:
1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools. Focus on communication and interaction is much more valuable.
2. Working software over comprehensive documentation. Make small incremental changes and show these to the client, then
the client will gain trust in the project delivery.
3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
4. Responding to change over following a plan. You have to adapt to changing laws and regulation. Also, the strategy of the
company may be changing and software may need to be changed as well.
That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.
Agile is a hype. C-suite are the executives on top of the board, such as the CEO, CIO. They often only do half agile, because
they don’t fully know what it is.
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