Software project management is an essential part of any project management. Competent leadership is possible only after complete and accurate software project estimation. This process requires an integrated approach. There are many criteria to consider. But each company must choose the most significant indicators for a specific project. For example, blogs or forums should ask how to design a social media app. In this article, we will explain software project management in detail.
The Definition of Software Project Management
Software engineering project management is a process controlled by a software project manager. Such a person is responsible for the end result and also develops strategies and ways to achieve the goal. The general plan of activities includes the following stages:
- People management;
- Communication with the client;
- Creation of a hierarchy of reports of heads of working groups;
- Adjustment of the scope of the project, depending on changes in goals and circumstances;
- Monitoring progress;
- Analysis of risks at each stage;
- Taking measures to get out of crisis situations;
- Presentation of the project to the client.
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What is Project Management Software?
To manage the development process, specialized programs are used. They can be grouped based on the functionality they allow you to implement. Based on the feedback from numerous users, we have compiled a rating of the best products.
In the Agile category, noteworthy are Trello, Atlassian JIRA, LiquidPlanner. Best General Use Software: Monday, Basecamp, Asana, Workzone. The third category – Enterprise – is represented by the following programs: Smartsheet, CA Clarity, Microsoft Project, Wrike. Undoubtedly, you can resort to any software that will solve your problems. But the above options have received good and excellent ratings from numerous users.
Software Management Activities
The programs described above enable project managers to effectively fulfill their responsibilities. The functionality of each program is different, so it is necessary to make a choice in favor of important criteria. Also, many people use several software products for 100% control.
Special programs are used at each stage:
- Project planning, including content management.
- Calculation of the volume of the project based on the amount of time spent on solving each mini-task;
- Ability to control execution;
- The final assessment of the implemented tasks (this includes not only the usefulness of the result but also the time and money spent).
Common Features & Tools in Project Management Systems
The larger the project, the more risks the manager bears. For timely adjustments, you must carefully monitor the current situation. The following tools help with this:
- Gantt chart;
- PERT diagram;
- Histogram of resources;
- Analysis of the critical path.
All these methods help to find the shortest path for the successful implementation of the project.
Conclusion:
The evolution of software project management has led a manager to use special software products. It is no longer necessary to arrange presentations after completing each stage Moreover, the transparency of the reports raised doubts. And collecting the data took a lot of time and at least one additional employee. Now control and analysis of tasks are performed automatically, and the task of the manager is to develop a strategy and make important decisions at critical moments.