SPM(Software Project Management) with real life examples

Summary

This video delves into Software Project Management (SPM), an essential blend of art and science for planning and executing software projects. It highlights the pivotal role of the project manager in leading teams, overcoming challenges like technological changeability and project complexity. The video outlines key responsibilities, including planning, organizing, staffing, directing, monitoring, controlling, innovating, and representing. It also emphasizes the need for a project manager to possess a range of skills, from managerial and technical to problem-solving and communication. The script provides a comprehensive guide to the intricacies of SPM, from estimation and risk management to scheduling and achieving milestones.

Takeaways

• 🎓 **Software Project Management (SPM) Overview**: SPM is described as both an art and a science, focusing on planning and leading software projects to successful completion.
• 👨‍💼 **Project Manager's Role**: The project manager is the administrative leader responsible for guiding the team to deliver the project successfully to the client.
• 🚀 **Main Goal of SPM**: The primary objective of SPM is to assemble a skilled team that can effectively build and deliver the project to meet client expectations.
• 📈 **Challenges in Software Projects**: Software projects face unique challenges such as rapid technological change, complexity, and the need for uniqueness in the market.
• 🔄 **Changeability**: The fast pace of technological change can render a project obsolete if it is not delivered promptly, emphasizing the importance of timely execution.
• 🏗️ **Complexity in Software**: The complexity of software projects, often measured in lines of code, requires meticulous planning and management.
• 🌟 **Uniqueness and Competition**: Every software project is unique, and competition in the market can make it challenging to stand out and succeed.
• 🛠️ **Project Manager's Skills**: A successful project manager must possess a range of skills including managerial, technical, problem-solving, and communication abilities.
• 📊 **Planning and Organizing**: Key responsibilities of a project manager include planning, organizing resources, staff management, and ensuring the project stays on track.
• 🔍 **Risk Management**: Assessing and managing risks is crucial in software project management to prevent setbacks and ensure project success.
• 📈 **Estimation and Scheduling**: Accurate estimation of project size, effort, duration, and cost is fundamental to effective project planning and scheduling.

Q & A

What is Software Project Management (SPM)?

Software Project Management (SPM) is the art and science of planning and leading software projects. It involves coordinating the efforts of a team to successfully complete a project and deliver it to the client.

Why is proper planning crucial in software projects?

Proper planning is crucial in software projects because it helps to avoid failures that can occur due to a lack of foresight in areas such as cost, project size, staffing, and revenue generation models.

What challenges does software project management face?

Software project management faces challenges such as changeability in technology, complexity due to the size and functions of the software, uniqueness of each project, and the need for multiple solutions to meet diverse requirements.

What is the role of a project manager in software project management?

The project manager in software project management acts as the administrative leader of the team, responsible for planning, organizing, directing, monitoring, and controlling the project to ensure its successful completion and delivery.

How does the rapid change in technology affect software projects?

The rapid change in technology can make a software project obsolete if it is not delivered on time. Delays in project completion can result in the project becoming irrelevant due to technological advancements.

What are the key responsibilities of a project manager?

Key responsibilities of a project manager include planning, organizing, staffing, directing, monitoring, controlling, innovating, and representing the project to the client or users.

What skills are necessary for a project manager?

A project manager needs managerial skills, technical strength, problem-solving skills, coping skills, conceptual strength, leadership qualities, and strong communication skills.

What is the significance of estimation in project planning?

Estimation is significant in project planning as it involves calculating the cost, duration, effort, and resources required to complete the project. It helps in setting realistic project goals and managing expectations.

How does risk management play a role in software project management?

Risk management in software project management involves analyzing and assessing potential risks that could impact the project. It is crucial for planning mitigation strategies to prevent or minimize the effects of these risks.

What is the importance of achieving small milestones in a software project?

Achieving small milestones in a software project is important as it allows for the tracking of progress and ensures that the project is on track. It also helps in maintaining motivation and provides a sense of accomplishment for the team.

How does the project manager ensure quality in the software project?

The project manager ensures quality in the software project by implementing a quality assurance plan, which includes processes for testing, validation, and verification to meet the required standards and client expectations.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Introduction to Software Project Management (SPM)

The speaker welcomes the audience to the video and introduces the topic of Software Project Management (SPM). They explain that SPM involves planning and leading software projects, with a focus on the challenges and complexities unique to the software industry. The goal is to enable a team of developers to work effectively towards the successful completion and delivery of the project. The speaker emphasizes the importance of proper planning, including considering factors like cost, project size, staff, and revenue models. They also touch upon the high failure rate of startups, often due to inadequate planning. The video promises to cover these topics in detail with real-life examples.

05:01

🛠 The Role and Responsibilities of a Project Manager

This paragraph delves into the role of a project manager in software projects. The project manager is described as the administrative leader responsible for guiding the team to deliver the project successfully. The speaker discusses the challenges of software projects, such as changeability due to rapidly evolving technology, the complexity of large code bases, and the uniqueness of each project. They also mention the importance of innovation and representing the project to clients and investors. The paragraph outlines the key responsibilities of a project manager, including planning, organizing, staffing, directing, monitoring, controlling, innovating, and representing. Additionally, it highlights the need for managerial, technical, problem-solving, coping, conceptual, leadership, and communication skills.

10:02

📈 Project Planning and Estimation Techniques

The final paragraph focuses on the practical aspects of project planning, starting with estimation as the most critical part. It covers the need to estimate costs, duration, effort, and resources required for the project. The speaker introduces the concepts of line of code and function points estimation, which are essential for project sizing. They also discuss staff organization, scheduling, risk management, and quality assurance plans. The paragraph concludes with a mention of precedence order and cost estimation, which are integral to project staffing and resource allocation. The speaker teases further discussion on PERT/CPM and COCOMO models, indicating that these will be covered in more detail in the video.

Keywords

💡Software Project Management (SPM)

Software Project Management (SPM) is defined as the art and science of planning and leading software projects. It is crucial for ensuring that a group of developers can work effectively towards the successful completion of a project. In the video, SPM is the central theme, with the speaker discussing how to plan, execute, and deliver software projects to clients. The video aims to provide insights into the complexities and challenges unique to software projects, emphasizing the importance of proper planning and management.

💡Project Manager

A project manager is the administrative leader of a team working on a project, responsible for its successful delivery. In the context of the video, the project manager's role is highlighted as critical in leading the team, managing resources, and ensuring the project meets its objectives. The script mentions that the project manager must have a variety of skills, including managerial, technical, and communication skills, to navigate the complexities of software projects.

💡Planning

Planning is an essential initial step in software project management, involving the strategic organization of tasks, resources, and timelines to achieve project goals. The video emphasizes the importance of planning in software projects, as it sets the stage for execution and helps anticipate potential challenges. Proper planning is highlighted as a key factor in the success or failure of startups, with the speaker suggesting that a lack of planning can lead to project failure.

💡Complexity

Complexity in the video refers to the intricate and multifaceted nature of software projects, which can include large codebases, numerous functionalities, and the need for coordination among various teams. The speaker uses examples like Facebook and YouTube, which have billions of lines of code, to illustrate the scale and complexity that project managers must contend with. Managing this complexity is a significant challenge in software project management.

💡Changeability

Changeability is mentioned in the context of the rapid evolution of technology and its impact on software projects. The video script uses the example of the evolution from transistors to LED TVs to illustrate how quickly technology can change, potentially rendering a project obsolete if it is not completed and delivered in a timely manner. Project managers must account for this changeability when planning and executing software projects.

💡Risk Management

Risk management is the process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential risks that could impact a project's success. In the video, risk management is presented as a critical aspect of software project management, where the project manager must anticipate and prepare for potential setbacks. This includes planning for staff turnover, technological changes, and other uncertainties that could affect the project's timeline or budget.

💡Estimation

Estimation in the video refers to the process of predicting the cost, duration, and effort required to complete a software project. The speaker emphasizes the importance of accurate estimation in planning, as it helps in allocating resources and setting expectations for the project's timeline and budget. Estimation techniques such as line of code or function points are mentioned as tools for project managers to gauge the size and scope of the project.

💡Scheduling

Scheduling is the act of planning and managing the timeline for completing various tasks within a software project. The video discusses how project managers use scheduling to break down the project into smaller milestones and to coordinate the work of different team members. Effective scheduling is crucial for ensuring that the project progresses smoothly and that deadlines are met.

💡Innovation

Innovation in the context of the video refers to the introduction of new ideas, technologies, or methods that can improve the project or give it a competitive edge. The speaker argues that project managers must encourage innovation to keep the project relevant and valuable in a rapidly changing technological landscape. This could involve adopting new tools, streamlining processes, or developing unique features that differentiate the project from competitors.

💡Leadership

Leadership is highlighted in the video as a key skill for project managers, involving the ability to guide, motivate, and inspire a team towards achieving project goals. The speaker suggests that strong leadership is necessary to navigate the challenges of software project management, including managing diverse teams, making tough decisions, and maintaining momentum during difficult times. Leadership qualities are essential for building a cohesive and effective team.

💡Communication

Communication is described in the video as a vital skill for project managers, enabling them to effectively convey information, ideas, and instructions to team members, clients, and stakeholders. The speaker emphasizes that clear and effective communication is necessary for coordinating efforts, resolving conflicts, and ensuring that everyone involved in the project understands their roles and responsibilities. Good communication skills are also crucial for representing the project to external parties, such as investors or users.

Highlights

Introduction to Software Project Management (SPM) as an art and science of planning and leading software projects.

The importance of planning and executing software projects successfully to meet client expectations.

Challenges and complexities in software project management due to rapid technological changes.

The role of a project manager as the administrative leader of the team responsible for project delivery.

The impact of technology changeability on the relevance and success of software projects.

The significance of proper planning in preventing project failure, especially in startups.

Discussion on the factors involved in project planning such as cost, size, staff, and revenue model.

The concept of software project uniqueness and the challenges of competition in the market.

The necessity for multiple solutions and innovation in software project management.

Key job responsibilities of a project manager including planning, organizing, staffing, directing, monitoring, controlling, innovating, and representing.

The importance of managerial skills, technical strength, problem-solving, coping skills, leadership qualities, and communication skills for a project manager.

The process of project planning, starting with estimation of cost, duration, effort, and staffing.

The role of risk management in analyzing and assessing potential issues in software projects.

The significance of quality assurance, configuration management, and installation planning in project management.

The process of scheduling and achieving small milestones in software project management.

Introduction to PERT/CPM and Cocomo models for project management planning.

Conclusion and a summary of key points in software project management.

Transcripts

Dear students, welcome to Gate Smashers.

In today's video,

I am going to explain SPM

that is software project management.

What happens?

How does the project manager work,

& what are the responsibilities and roles?

I will explain all the points to you

with real-life examples.

So immediately like this video

& subscribe to the channel,

if you haven't done it yet.

And if you have done it, then you can

subscribe to it from other devices & also share it.

So let's get started.

SPM is an art and science

of planning and leading software projects

I mean to say that,

In project management,

we talk about how to plan

the entire project.

and then executed.

How to give the entire system

successfully to the client?

The whole thing comes under planning.

And software project management is

a very big term in itself.

Because whenever we talk about software,

there are, you can say, a lot of challenges

and complexities come.

that I will tell you in this video one by one.

So the main goal is to

enable a group of developers

to work effectively towards successful

the completion of the project.

So, what is the main goal?

Why this software management

topic has come up?

Its main goal is how to build such a team,

bring such skilled people

who can make my project successfully

and deliver to the client.

So the planning of

all these things have to be done.

If all these things will properly be planned.

Only then the execution will be done.

Because there are so many projects.

This means if we talk, even in today's time,

you can even see the startups.

We generally say that

out of every 10 startups.

5 or 6 fail.

Now it can have a lot of reasons.

But one of the reasons can be,

You can also say, proper planning.

If there is a lack in planning.

Now in planning,

You can also talk about cost,

you can also talk about the size of the project.

Now you can also talk about the staff.

You can also say that

how will we generate the revenue model?

We discuss all those stories here.

so the project manager is

the administrative leader of the team.

so the team we are talking about

who has to work on the project.

And deliver it successfully,

the one who will lead that team

is called the project manager.

Now here, Whenever we talk about projects,

here we are talking about software.

By the way, there can be many projects.

There can be automobile projects

and civil projects.

There can be a lot of challenges

in all those projects too.

But the software itself has a lot of

challenges and due to this

it becomes quite complex & more

challenging than the rest of the project.

I will tell you the reason.

Like one of the reasons is

Changeability.

Changeability in technology

because technology is changing rapidly.

So because of that, let's say

you started working on a project,

You want that project to come out

in two or three months.

But let's say, you take an extra month.

Maybe after four to five months,

the technology has completely changed.

And your project has become vain,

which means it is of no use.

So this is also a possibility.

As I give you a simple real-life example.

Like, You must have heard,

as now in today's time,

we talk about the LED LCD & all this

but how did this story start?

From the transistor.

Earlier people used to listen to transistors

After that, black and white TV came.

Then came the shutter TV.

After that, the color TV came in big sizes.

And then LCDs, LEDs.

Now it's time for O net. So means,

so the old stuff is kind of lost

So this changeability,

can also destroy your software project.

If you did not deliver it properly,

didn't make it according to the proper technology

This thing is very important.

Then complexity,

complexity is itself a major thing. Why?

Because if you talk about the complexity,

you can talk about size

You can talk about it,

there are a lot of functions written in it.

If we talk about the line of code.

Just like Facebook.

We talk about Facebook, YouTube.

Google, two billion.

Their size of the line of code is two billion.

One billion means 100 crores.

200 billion lines are written in it.

If we talk about windows,

their line of code is three billion,

such a major project.

We are the 10-15 line.

We get tired of writing simple

programs of 10-15 lines.

That brother, we have done a great thing

But projects are made too complex.

Then uniqueness.

Every software project is a kind of unique,

which means any idea has come up,

and we started making a project on that.

If there is anyone else in the market

who is working on that.

So somewhere there will be competition

& if there is competition

then it will be difficult for you

to revive and survive there.

Like, let's talk about a mobile company.

You must have heard about many companies.

Like, Nokia, went on a boom & then failed.

Samsung came and went on a boom,

now you cannot say that

it has failed but now

many of its competitors have come,

OnePlus has arrived, & even Oppo and Xiaomi

are giving a lot of competition

So somewhere you need uniqueness too.

The possibility of Multiple solutions means multiple.

Maybe in the whole world,

your project means the way you are working

and other people are doing it,

so how will you deliver things?

If we talk about job responsibilities,

So, planning.

It is very important initially to plan

all the things properly.

Then organizing means

that arrange everything.

Whether you talk about staff,

whether you talk about resources,

whether you talk about costs.

Initially, you will also have to raise funds,

which means if you have a client,

then the client gave you the money.

How is he paying

or if you have a startup,

then how are you taking money from investors?

All those things are organizing.

Staff.

What type of staff it is, technical staff,

Non-technical staff, or administrative staff

How to deal with them?

Even in the meantime, it should not happen

that someone is leaving in the

middle of the project, there is also a risk.

You will have to deal with that too.

Directions

You have to give proper instructions.

You have to give proper direction to them.

so that you keep walking on the right path.

Monitoring.

Proper monitoring, there is progress or not?

It is very important to monitor that thing properly.

Controlling,

somewhere in between the project,

a lot of small failures can also come.

Setbacks may have come.

loops may have come.

How do you deal with them

& control those things?

Innovating

Bringing a new thing.

It should not be that

you are working on an old thing,

and you have developed the old thing.

There will be no benefit.

New innovation is necessary.

Representing. In representing,

you are properly representing the things

to the client or the users

that how will our project work

and what actually you will deliver them.

Like, You must have seen in the shark tank.

That how did they all represent that

we need this investor,

We need that much money.

So somewhere all these responsibilities

come to the project manager.

Here manage is written

it is a project manager

Skills

Obviously then, skills are also needed in that way.

Let's talk about managerial skills,

which means that he can manage properly.

It is not that he is not able to take the decision properly,

not able to manage the staff,

then so somewhere failure may come.

He should be technically strong.

Yes, he may not have to do

anything himself technically

But that skill should be in him.

So that if the team is stuck somewhere,

then he should also guide technically.

He may give advice.

Then, problem-solving skills.

Problem-solving skills mean that

as I mentioned earlier that

the project is going on,

it is not that it will run smoothly.

Okay, if the problem comes in the middle,

then how do we deal the things smoothly?

Coping skills

This means how is he interacting with the people?

In what way he is convincing people?

All these skills are very important.

He should be conceptually strong.

Must have leadership qualities.

Communication skills should be strong.

Only then he will convey his message.

And if he has to pitch to investors,

wants to tell something to the users,

deliver something about his project,

then, these things he should know

These all are the theoretical part

that you can write well.

Then, the project planning.

The main story begins here.

The estimation is the main work first.

This is the most important thing.

means in the whole story,

if you talk about the main part

then that is an estimation.

in which, the cost has to be estimated.

The duration has to be estimated.

How much effort will it take,

how many persons, and months will it take,

you have to manage those efforts.

In the estimation, we talk about mainly,

Such as the line of code,

estimate the size.

So it is very important to estimate

the line of code initially,

Or estimate the function points

in which we will later see the

Cocomo model & all those things one by one.

Staff, Organizing the staff,

planning the staff, and recruiting.

If someone is not working,

how to shift them, all these things.

Scheduling everything.

In what way,

which person has to be engaged in what works

& for how long put, all these things

Risk management.

It is very important to analyze

and assess the risk.

This is another topic in itself,

which I will explain further.

A miscellaneous plan means,

assure the quality,

the things you are making

should also be good.

How will be the configuration?

How will the installation be done?

You have to manage all those things.

Then

Precedence order means

that if we talk about how things will run,

then the first step is to estimate the size,

whether you talk about a line of code,

talk about function points

First estimate the size of the project.

Based on that you will estimate the efforts.

How many people & months will it take?

How much staff will be used?

And then the duration.

How much duration can be

taken to make this project?

Then both of them together decide

the staffing of your project.

How many people do you need,

how long will it take,

& how much will the staff to your project?

they both manage it all

And cost,

What does the cost mean?

How much are your efforts?

How many people do you need,

and for how long?

All these together estimate your cost.

And finally when the project,

You have made the staff,

that is, you put the persons on the project,

and you have made different categories.

After that, after forming the teams,

The schedule has come,

that how will the work run?

In the first week because

The project itself is a big thing.

Before achieving it,

you have to achieve small milestones,

as we make at the Gate chart,

Or if we make PERT/CPM,

so in that we say, not all at once,

we have to achieve small milestones one by one.

so it comes under the scheduling.

So this is,

you can say that in a way,

the initial portion of the

software project planning.

But later on, the main portion

will come from PERT/CPM.

We will talk about cocomo models

where we will also discuss

the numerical portions.

Thank you.