reliability

Aug 14 2009   10:00AM GMT

Six indicators for a project manager - of their downfall (or failure) in project management

Posted by: Jaideep
Software Project, Project Management, reliability, quality, software quality, testing, Bug, project manager

If you, as a project manager, are fond of thunderstorms, volcano eruptions, etc. it is ok howsoever you drive a project. Otherwise look below at six indicators mentioned below. Even if one of the reason prevails in your project’s lifecycle, manage it, get rid of it, immediately, before a small wound becomes a big septic.

Irregular releases – when plan or commitment varies from actual delivery inconsistently. Some plans finish in time, some with small variation and some with huge variation. It means there may be a volcanic surprise.

Drop in quality or inconsistent quality of product built: Testing is happening, bugs are being reported but if the product coverage is incomplete while testing, or volume of low quality bugs reported is higher as compared to some severe bugs skipped in reporting, there is a mishap going to happen for sure.

Wrong cycle time estimations: if your estimations are going haywired, you plan milestones and achieving them itself if becomes a project, and go beyond control for achievement – there is a mess, in a big way.

Unplanned expenditure like overheads, delays: all these estimates going wrong, will call for extra time for team members and extrapolation of deadlines – a clear indication of a thunderstorm coming on the way.

Predictability: if your team members lose their commitment level, your predictability will become a big question mark for your management and for the customer.

Reliability: your team members’ reliability will invariably start decreasing the moment all this starts happening – and so will be yours.

Jun 17 2009   10:00AM GMT

Why User Manuals are so important in Software Project Management

Posted by: Jaideep
User Manual, Software Project, software project management, key user, stakeholder, project implementation, post implementation, user feedback, usability, reliability, stability, durability, report, analytic, feel and look, product support, project support, live run, product training, software training, training team, implementation team, project team, project sign-off, sign-off, business scenario

The product owners or stakeholders might be many in a software project, but the real frontrunners who drive, run and use the software product post implementation are the key users and other users. It is their feedback that matters most. They must be the most comfortable lot on usability, functionality, reliability, stability, durability, resultant outputs in terms of reports and analytics, feel and look of the product. They are the one who are going to matter most in the success or failure of a product during and post implementation. The best tool to give them comfort, satisfaction, confidence and support is the User Manuals that they refer to most of the time during post implementation live run.

Even if the product is excellent and trainings are most rigorous ones, in absence of the project implementation team, every now and then the key users will be seeking help from User Manuals. User Manuals are the supporting agents for them at all times. That is why User Manuals have to be perfect in all aspects.

Infact a user manual prepared for product users should be such treated as a replacement of implementation and training team right from the moment the project is signed off and users start using the product in real business scenario.