Software Project Management lecture 12
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The document discusses various stages of software project management, focusing on migration strategies and plans. It provides: 1) An overview of migration strategies including flash-cut, which involves an immediate replacement, and staged replacement of parts over time. 2) Details on key components of a migration plan such as describing existing systems, data needs, operational constraints, and affected organizations. 3) Guidance on communication with customers during migration and minimizing disruption through careful planning of the approach and understanding of customer timelines.
Software Project Management lecture 12
- 1. 1 Software Project Management Final Stages
- 2. 2 Migration • Moving users from existing system to your new one
- 3. 3 Migration Plan • Includes – Description of environment (computers, DBs, interfaces) – Description of existing data needed – Description of operational constraints (ex: when can we move to the new system? Weekends only? Last week of month only?) – List of affected organizations and contacts – Plan of steps to be taken
- 4. 4 Migration Plan • Does it require a service interruption? • If so, when does this happen? A weekend? • Training? • Is there a helpdesk? • If do, do they have “scripts” or new material?
- 5. 5 Migration Strategies • Communication with customers is crucial • What is happening, when, and why • “Why” should remind them of the benefits • Not too much detail or too little • Where do customers go for more information? • Minimize intrusiveness • Find-out about customer’s key dates • When does the system absolutely need to be stable? • Know about their important deadline dates • They must buy-into the approach!
- 6. 6 Migration Strategies • 1. Flash-Cut – Straight-move from old system to new – A) Immediate Replacement – Fastest approach – Still want a back-out plan – Requires strong planning and testing – B) Parallel Operation – Mitigates risk – Parallel to either existing manual or system process – Cut occurs once new system “burned-in” • 2. Staged • Replace one part of existing system at a time
- 7. 7 Migration Strategies • Considerations: – Level of business disruption – Degree of latitude in “production” date – How much internal opposition to system is there? • If higher, perhaps a longer ‘adjustment’ period – Your comfort level of system quality • If questionable, may want to mitigate risk
- 8. 8 Cutover • Criteria: What conditions must be met prior? • Responsibility: Who decides? • Operations: Who ‘owns’ it once it’s live? • Rehearsals: Sometimes used.
- 9. 9 Flash-Cut • Immediate Replacement – Ex: new corporate-wide calendaring system • Requires very careful planning & testing • Still try to get some users to “try” it first if possible • Develop a back-out plan
- 10. 10 Back-Out Plan • Especially important for “conversions” • Customers already have expectations and needs as defined by their existing system • Must be able to restore customer’s service ASAP • May mean running both simultaneously “just in case” • Leave it in place for awhile (more than a day!) • When to fall-back? • Mgmt: sooner, Tech: one-more-fix • Set a time limit (ex: 3 hours of start)
- 11. 11 Data Conversion • Quote: – If you add a cup of champagne to a barrel of sewage, you’ll have a barrel of sewage – If you add a cup of sewage to a barrel of champagne, you’ll have a barrel of sewage • Most systems need this step • Most PMs forget this • Impacts both completely new and replacement systems • The “data” often more valuable than the “system”
- 12. 12 Data Conversion Areas • Data Sources: • Where does it come from? • Do you need to modify data on the way in? • Is it accurate? • Process Controls: • Does it happen all at once? • How do you guarantee it’s been done correctly? • Completion: • How do you handle any ‘exceptions’? • Do you make backups? Can you restart?
- 13. 13 Parallel Operation • Multiple variations of this method • An “adoption” period – See telephone industry w/new area codes – Both work for a period of time • Strategies – Avoid flash-cuts if possible • Start with test subjects
- 14. 14 Rollout • Create a “Release Checklist” – Avoid activities falling through the cracks – Example – Activities by Group: • Engineering, QA, Documentation, Operations – Possibly sign-off signatures • Roll-out: Must have a plan for the process – Often on a given day (ex: a Sat.) – Must be a very detailed plan
- 15. 15 Training • Often more than just end-users – Users – Sales & Marketing staff – System operators – Maintenance engineers (possibly) – Sales engineers (possibly)
- 16. 16 Documentation • Must be ready by ship-date • Final user documentation • Updates to other – Operations documentation – Development documentation – Sales and marketing material – Wed site – Test reports
- 17. 17 Shipping Details • Packaging (if commercial product) • Marketing collateral • Security mechanisms (if commercial product) • Licensing • Plan • Mechanism
- 18. 18 Installation • Scripts • Uninstall (if not Web-based) • If you need to install your software (as on PCs): – Don’t underestimate: • Time this takes to develop • Importance of a “first impression” • Or, if “custom” software you’re reselling – Installation at site is often a “mini-project”
- 19. 19 Project Recovery • How to save a “drowning project” • 3 Approaches – 1. Cut the size of the software – 2. Increase process productivity – 3. Slip the schedule, proceed with damage control • Opportunity for decisive leadership action • Not a time to ‘just cut corners’ – Be realistic (not foolish) • Timing: politically important – Not too early, not “too” late
- 20. 20 Project Recovery • Steps • Assess situation – Is there a hard deadline, what’s negotiable, etc. • Don’t do what’s been done already • Ask team what needs to be done – People Steps • Restore morale – Cleanup personnel problems • Focus people’s time – Remove non-essential work
- 21. 21 Project Recovery • Process Steps – Fix classic mistakes • Inadequate design, shortchanged activities, etc? – Create “Miniature Milestones” • Small (in day(s)), binary, exhaustive • Boosts morale: getting things done! – Track progress meticulously – Recalibrate after a short time – Manage risk painstakingly
- 22. 22 Project Recovery • Product Steps – Stabilize the requirements – Raise the bar on change requests – Trim the feature set • Determine priorities, cut the low ones – “Take out the garbage” • Find error-prone modules; re-design – Get to a known, stable state & build from there
- 23. 23 Post Project Reviews (PPR) • a.k.a. – Lessons Learned Review – Postmortem – Post Project Analysis (PPA) – Post Performance Analysis • Focused on: Process not People! – Potentially a finger-pointing, blame-game exercise
- 24. 24 PPR Steps • Email team to schedule meeting • Use a Survey Form to gather initial feedback • Ask them to collect all potentially relevant data – Dimensional project data work products: size, qty, etc – Change requests – Time and effort data • Conduct meeting • Collect data and feedback, discuss • Summarize in a PPR report
- 25. 25 Questions?