Quality Management and PMP

One of the most contoversial PMP mantra in quality control is Gold Plating. Gold Plating is giving customer extra beyond the scope of the project.

Why it is bad? Any thing you give extra cost you, nothing is free. It will also cost you to maintain that feature after customer acceptance. Some time this extra feature can cause you more problems in later stage. On one of software development project one developer added a feature where user can export a file. The developer told that it did not cost extra as it was part of the features. Customer liked it. Later on the developer spent most of the time troubleshooting exported files. It became an headache and also nuisance. These file will have error or format problem. Now it was too late to delete this feature because customer is using it. This happens all the time in our projects. So if you thing something is being delivered extra, change the scope and incorporate this in your project plan and assign the resources to it. You may think it is free or but it will effect the three constraints cost, time and specifications.

Project.

What is a project?

Whatever task you are doing or handling if it has following charactersitics,then it is a project.

1. It has a start and an end.
2. It is unique.
3. It is temporary.
4. It is progressive elaboration.

Free PMP Resources

Here is a summary of some free resources on the web. These are links to the resources.

Free Sample Questions

PMP Test Practice Questions

PMP Sample Questions

More PMP Exam Questions

PMP Mock Exam

More Resources for sample questions

Visit these links and get a sense of questions in PMP Exam. As these are external resources Admin assumes no responsibility for accuracy and validity.

PMP Exam Prep Questions, Answers, & Explanations: 800+ PMP Practice Questions with Detailed Solutions

PMP Exam Practice Questions (First Set): PMP Practice Test & Exam Review for the Project Management Professional Exam

PMP Exam Success Series: 3500 Question Exam Simulation CD-ROM

PMP Exam Practice Questions and Solutions-Why the best answer is best and the wrong answers are wrong-4th Edition

RUP-Nine Disciplines and Four Phases

There are nine disciplines in RUP methodology of software development. These are followed during four phases.

The nine disciplines are

1. Business Modeling
2. Requirements
3. Analysis and Design
4. Implementation
5. Test
6. Deployment
7. Configuration and Change Management
8. Project Management
9. Environment

The four phases are as follow

1. Inception
2. Elaboration
3. Construction
4. Transistion

The nine disciplines are followed in the above four phases. Hump Chart gives the generic pictorial repersentation.

There is lot of business modeling being done during inception phase. Very little analysis and design work is being performed during the inception phase. More emphasis is on analysis and design during elaboration phase.

Adopting the Rational Unified Process: Success with the RUP
Software Development for Small Teams: A RUP-Centric Approach (The Addison-Wesley Object Technology Series)
Agile and Iterative Development: A Manager's Guide

RUP Best Practices

Following are the best practices if you are using RUP methodology to develop an software application.

1. Develop Software Iteratively.
2. Manage Requirements.
3. Use Component-based Architectures.
4. Visually Model Software.
5. Continuously Verify Software Quality.
6. Control Changes to Software.

Different Phases of Software Development SDLC

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) use different models or methodologies like Waterfall, Spiral, RUP, Agile, Prototype, JAD. In every model there are different phases. The Waterfall Model I mentioned in my previous post has phases as:

System Requirements,
System Design,
Programming,
Code & Unit Test,
Integration & Test,
Deployment

These can be called by different names in another project or have totally different phases.

Another example of SDLC phases:

Feasability
Analysis
Design
Implementation
Test
Maintain

In RUP methodology the phases are pretty standard as follow:

1. Inception
2. Elaboration
3. Construction
4. Transition

Another example of phases of Project Management and SDLC

Project Initiation
Requirement Analysis
Design
Development
Testing
Deployment
Maintenance




SDLC 100 Success Secrets - Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) 100 Most asked Questions, SDLC Methodologies, Tools, Process and Business Models

PMP PMBOK Processes

The average project life cycle consists of five phases or processes. Please note that there is not a single or unique way to define project life cycle.

1. Initiation

a. Develop Project Charter
b. Identify Stake holder


2. Planning Processes

a. Define Scope
b. Define Requirements
c. Create WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)


3. Executing Process

a. Acquire and Develop Project Team
b. Perform Quality Assurance

4. Monitoring & Controlling Processes
a. Verify Scope
b. Perform Quality Control

5. Closing Proceses

a. Close Procurement
b. Close Project or Phase

PMBOK and RUP

If you are an PMP certified and working on software development project using RUP, you are asked how does both go together? Does RUP maps to PMP style of project management?
Also check out another post

RUP (Rational Unified Process) is mostly applicable to software development process whereas PMI (Project Management Institute) covers every project.
Let us how project phases are defined in the Rational.

There are four phases according to RUP.
1. Inception
2. Elaboration
3. Construction
4. Transistion.

Checkout RUP HUMP Chart for graphical repersentation.

As per PMI's PMBOK there are five phases of project management. These are called processes or process groups.
1. Initiating Processes
2. Planning Processes
3. Executing Processes
4. Controlling Processes
5. Closing Processes

I look at it as both RUP and PMBOK overall map each other. The only extra in PMBOK is Controlling Processes. Controlling Processes is basically esuring that project objectives are met by measuring and montoring the progress and then controlling it by taking necessary action. In RUP this is done all the times as it is iterative process and you can come back and make changes so that project objectives are met.

More reading

    and    

Agile Software Development

This methodology develops software through iterations for the whole life cycle of the software development project. You can find lot of stuff written about this on internet and in books. There are many ways to define this method of programming. The Owner Admin of Agile Alliance explains Agile Software Development as follow.

In the late 1990’s several methodologies began to get increasing public attention. Each had a different combination of old ideas, new ideas, and transmuted old ideas. But they all emphasized close collaboration between the programmer team and business experts; face-to-face communication (as more efficient than written documentation); frequent delivery of new deployable business value; tight, self-organizing teams; and ways to craft the code and the team such that the inevitable requirements churn was not a crisis.

Agile development is based on adapting the requirement changes. There is very active user involvement. Small incremental development is done and released and tested. These tested pieces of the code are delivered to the client on regular basis. These are functional codes. Testing on regular basis is one of the main feature of this methodolgy.


There are similar methods to Agile like SCRUM, DSDM, XP (extreme programming) being used.

DSDM is Dynamic System Development Method.



Agile Web Development with Rails, 2nd Edition

Book Description by Amazon


The definitive, Jolt-award winning guide to learning and using Rails is now in its Second Edition. Rails is a new approach to web-based application development that enables developers to create full-featured, sophisticated web-based applications using less code and less effort. Now programmers can get the job done right and still leave work on time.
NEW IN THE SECOND EDITION: The book has been updated to take advantage of all the new Rails 1.2 features. The sample application uses migrations, Ajax, features a REST interface, and illustrates new Rails features. There are new chapters on migrations, active support, active record, and action controller (including the new resources-based routing). The Web 2.0 and Deployment chapters have been completely rewritten to reflect the latest thinking. Now you can learn which environments are best for your style application, and see how Capistrano makes managing your site simple. All the remaining chapters have been extensively updated. Finally, hundreds of comments from readers of the first edition have been incorporated, making this book simply the best available.

Rails is a full-stack, open source web framework that enables you to create full-featured, sophisticated web-based applications with a twist...you can create a full Rails application using less code than the setup XML you'd need just to configure some other frameworks.

With this book, you'll learn how to use Rails Active Record to connect business objects and database tables. No more painful object-relational mapping. Just create your business objects and let Rails do the rest. You'll learn how to use the Action Pack framework to route incoming requests and render pages using easy-to-write templates and components. See how to exploit the Rails service frameworks to send emails, talk to web services, and interact dynamically with JavaScript applications running in the browser (the "Ajax" architecture).

You'll see how easy it is to deploy Rails. You'll be writing applications that work with your favorite database (MySQL, Oracle, Postgres, and more) in no time at all.

Spiral Model

This is extension of Waterfall methodology with Prototype. In this model software is developed in incremental increases. Each phase starts with a design goal and ends with the user. In each phase progress is reviewed. You can revisit each phase. Analysis and engineering efforts are applied at each phase of the project, keeping in mind the end goal of the project. This model also addresses the risk management. Credit goes Dr. Barry Boehm for developing this methodology.

Waterfall Model

Waterfall Method It was introduced by Winston Royce in 1970. Waterfall method of software development is the oldest and most of the software engineers are familiar with it. Some people think SDLC and Waterfall are same. It used to be same long time back when the software development was new and systems were not complex. It involves sequence of steps or stages. Output of one stage is input to another stage. Some time there are hard boundaries between the two stages and sometimes the two stages may overlap. Some software development teams may add or delete steps. Some may change the name of the steps according to their requirements. As this is a very straight forward method, it facilitates the project management, scheduling and estimation.

Once one phase of the software development is complete, the development of next phase starts. You cannot come back.

There are very definite goals for each phase of the development.
The biggest drawback of waterfall model is that it does not allow much of revision. It is very difficult to go back and change something. Some times the requirements are not well figured out in initial stage of the project.

The waterfall method is not suitable when requirements are changing. The customer or stakeholder wants to monitor the progress all the time and this is not suitable as you are working on only one phase at a time. It needs lot of effort on planning. All the phases are frozen and there is no turn around.

Typical Waterfall Phases



System Concept
System Requirements
System Design
Programming
Code & Unit Test
Integration & Test
Deployment


Here a sample diagram for Waterfall Model for SDLC. These are generic phases. These different phases can change depending upon a project.





Waterfall Model of SDLC

RUP Hump Chart

Here is high level graphical  representation of the Hump chart. The X-axis represent the various phases. The Y-axis represents various disciplines.




The following picture refers the RUP (Rational Unified Process) life cycle. It is called the 'hump chart' in RUP circles. It has 4 Phase of RUP on X-axis. The software development disciplines are on y-axis. The humps signifies effort of the certain discipline in a particular phase. This is generic model. Notice the discipline Business Modelling has big hump in the Inception stage as lot of this activity happens in the inception phase and fades down as the project progress through Elaboration, Construction and Transition phases.

RUP and PMBOK

Lot of us uses Rational tools for software development. RUP is one of the hottest techniques. We develop software application based on Rational Unified Process. This is a project management tool being widely used. Some PM consider RUP focuses on best practices of software project management. Then comes PMI Project Management Institute with its own PMBOK. It focuses on the best practices for management of projects in any domain. As a PMP certified manager how you can work on RUP projects. This question is asked almost every day.

Here is an interesting article by Serge Chabonneau of Xelaration Software Corporation under the title "Software Project Management -- A Mapping between RUP and the PMBOK" (From The Rational Edge: This paper compares the Rational Unified Process (RUP) with the PMI's Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and provides a mapping between best practices in the RUP project management discipline and best practices in the PMBOK).

This article gives RUp overview and then mentions dimensions of RUP, RUP disciplines, RUP lifecycles and RUP PM disciplines. Then it gives comparison between RUP and PMBOK. It is pretty interesting.

In the end the author concludes in his own words

"Based on the comparison between RUP and PMBOK, there are no fundamental incompatibilities between the two standards. As highlighted in this paper, different terms are used to describe semantically similar or identical concepts, but nothing in RUP contradicts the PMBOK practices and nothing in PMBOK contradicts the RUP practices."

Further Reading

 

PMP Exam and Certification

How to become PMP?
How to prepare for PMP?
How to pass PMP exam?
Do you need PMP exam training or not?

First check if your are qualified or not.


Experience requirements: As of today. Please check PMI Project Management Institute web site pmi.org

University degree or baccalaureate : Minimum of 4500 hours (at least 3 years of this experience within the 6 years prior to the application).

OR

High school/Secondary school diploma: Minimum of 7500 hours (at least 5 years of this experience within the 8 years prior to the application).

AND

Project management education : 35 contact hours , earned through colleges, training companies, PMI Registered Education Providers, employer-sponsored programs or distance learning.

These 35 hours could have been in your regular college studies. You can get them online. There are lot online PMP exam and test prepration courses are available. Make sure that PMI recognises the course. Some of the names are Rita Mulachy, Project Management Training Online, cheetah learning.

Best way is to register online at pmi.org . It is free. You do not pay any thing till you are approved for taking the test. becoming member of PMI is optional. If you become a member then you have access to PMI resources. I will advise you become member before you apply for exam. It builts your confidence

Further Reading

Prepare for PMP Exam and get PMP Certification - Project ManagementBasics

From the desk of an PMP:

PMP Certification exam is based on the A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Third Edition (PMBOK Guides). You have to understand PMI way of project management. I will discuss salient basic features here. You have to read the book. It is dull and boring but you have to read it. Later on you will start enjoying it.

According to PMBOK
A Project is temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or results.

Project Mangement is the the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to activities to meet project requirements.

The PMBOK Process Groups. There are five Process Groups:

1. Initiating Process Group.
2. Planning Process Group.
3. Executing Process Group.
4. Monitoring and Controlling Process Group.
5. Closing Process Group.

The Project Management Knowledge Areas as defined by PMBOK are as follows:

1. Integration
2. Scope
3. Time
4. Cost
5. Quality
6. Human Resource
7. Communication
8. Risk
9. Procurement

There are other very imporatant topics which I will touch in my next entries. These topics are as follow and are not limted

1. Triple Constraint
2. Schedules and PERT formulas Gantt chart
3. Earned Value Management
4. Risk Analysis both qualitative and quantitative
5. Communication
6 Work Break Down WBS

Further Study

Government Extension to PMBOK

Government Extension to a Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)--2000 Edition

Courtsey Amazon:
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
As the pre-eminent standard for the project management profession, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) — 2000 Edition identifies and describes the subset of principles and practices within the PMBOK® that are generally accepted and applicable to most projects most of the time. However, the PMBOK® Guide also identifies the need for application area extensions when there are generally accepted knowledge and practices for a category of projects in one application area that are not generally accepted across the full range of project types in most application areas. Government contracting is one such application area, and is the basis for this much-anticipated book.
Designed to complement, rather than replace, the PMBOK® Guide — 2000 Edition, contents of the Government Extension to a Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), also known as the Government Extension, are based upon the same, easy-to-follow numbering system.

Unaffected areas of the PMBOK® Guide are identified as such, with reference made to the corresponding PMBOK® Guide section. However, those areas of the Government Extension that contain revised or additional government-related content are easily identified.

This book is a must-read for project practitioners involved with government contracts, as well as anyone who wants a better understanding of the PMBOK® Guide, as it applies to the government sector.

The Government Extension to the PMBOK® Guide teaches you how to get government jobs done right, on time and within budget. Newcomer or veteran, you will be surprised that someone finally made government projects understandable!

Government Extension to the PMBOK Guide

Further Reading

Calculate Communications Channels :PMP Exam Prep

Communication is very important on a project. Project manager is communicating 90% of the time. Project Manager is responsible for good communication among team members. In communication there are two entities, sender and the receiver. Receiver is most important. Communication channels is very important subject in PMP studies. Communication channel is a path between the team members. These members belongs to same team.

Formula for determining the number of communication channels on a team.
Communication Channels = [N (N-1)] / 2

where N is number of team members.

In case there are 3 team members.
Then number of communication channels are [3 (3-1)] / 2 = 3




Communication among three team members. There are three channels.



You add one new member. Total members of the team are now 4.
Then number of communication channels are [4* (4-1)] / 2 = 6.





Communication among four team members. There are six channels.


By adding one more member to the three member team , three more communication channels are added. It is a very important to note that by just adding one more team member, your communication channels have doubled.


Further Reading