Critical success factors for software projects

Group 8

Introduction
Software projects are notorious for being delivered behind schedule, over budget and with low quality. The Standish Group's 2009 CHAOS report shows only 32 percent of software projects were completed successfully. Effective software projects share common critical success factors, and you must identify and implement some of these in order to complete one.

Factors which results in successful software projects

Clearly defining the scope Appropriate staffing Manage project changes Set realistic deadlines Track progress

Clearly Define Scope

A clearly defined scope is one of the most important secrets to success in a software project. Understanding and defining the requirements, stakeholder expectations and deliverables associated with a software project is all-important. Make sure the team fully comprehends the scope of the project by properly documenting it based on the software development methodology being used and by creating effective avenues for communication. Communication is critical, as a project's scope changes as it unfolds.

Manage Project Changes

Changes in requirements, scope, resource availability, and many other factors are inevitable in most software projects. The critical success factor is to effectively deal with these changes. Fully understanding any alterations to a software project and taking the proper corrective actions will largely determine whether a project fail or succeeds. Project change management includes identifying the impact of the change, accepting or rejecting the change, and communicating decisions made regarding the change effectively to stakeholders.

Appropriate Staffing
Teams need to be staffed properly in order to deliver a successful software project. Often a key member of the team is neglected until too late in the project and rendered unable to contribute. Proper staffing requires the right people, not just people with the right job title. Ensure that a project will not fail by sitting down with the project team and making sure the proper personnel will be able to contribute and identify any deficiencies.

Set Realistic Deadlines

Software projects often fail due to unrealistic deadlines and schedules that have not been properly thought through. Sometimes the deadline is set by a contractual commitment or circumstances outside the control of the project team. However, successful project schedules have been thought through carefully by the team and met by those performing the work. A team can work together to set realistic deadlines using techniques such as creating user stories, assigning story points, using work breakdown structures and task decomposition (depending on the software development methodology).

Track Progress
Successful software projects track the progress made toward the objectives captured in the scope. Good metrics need to be implemented in order for the team to measure the real movement being made toward completion. Track progress by measuring key areas such as schedule variation, quality, scope coverage and budget usage. Each project team needs to determine what metrics should be used to help it track progress through to completion.

Creating the conditions of success

Principles of approaching the management of a project in this way include: The exploitation of knowledge and experience gained from previous projects; The use of structured review sessions; The availability of a consistent, high-level framework for the management of the project. These approaches are best used on projects from the outset, but can also be applied as a diagnostic tool on projects that have already started.

Case study: The Eden Project, phase one

The Eden Project in Cornwall is a mature scheme that is now in its fourth construction phase. It has been a major success, demonstrated through visitor numbers, its impact on local regeneration and as a construction project, by delivery on budget and ahead of schedule. The Eden Project was conceived and built ahead of the development of Livering Success, but the principles behind the system were applied intuitively by the project management team. In fact, experiences of the project and its management were fed into the development of the system. The management of the Eden Project exemplifies all of the principles that underpin effective project management and delivery, in the following ways:

 Purpose The vision and objective of the project as a visitor attraction, research facility and education resource was formed by chief executive Tim Smit at the outset and remained constant throughout the project. Appraisal The basic concept was tested using a number of design options and locations as part of the development of a robust business case ahead of funding. The business case was based on realistic assessments of visitor numbers and income projections.

 Cost management Budgets were realistic and markettested. When funds proved to be insufficient, the scope of the project was reduced at an early stage without significant disruption to the project. Use of a GMP and active risk management enabled the contingency to be retained through the project. Programme The project was delivered two months early as the result of the development of a realistic master programme and the flexibility of the re sequencing of work to deal with on-site disruption.

 Precedent The scheme had no direct precedent either in terms of a business proposition or as design and construction. As a result, significant effort was focused on active risk management to reduce the uncertainty associated with the project. Later phases of the project have benefitted from lessons learned through staff continuity and formal knowledge capture. Definition The scope of the project was clearly defined and linked to business plans and budgets. It helped that the project was relatively self contained

 Communications The Eden Project benefited from a close-knit, co-located team with a decisive, hands-on client. Close-control project management kept the team informed of progress and actions required to meet targets. Risk management A formal risk management process was run, with registers updated on a regular basis. Integrating the register into the contract ensured the ownership of risks was clear and that actions were taken to mitigate potential risk exposure.

Thank you so much and