Catastrophe Disentanglement: Getting Software Projects Back on Track

by E.M. Bennatan

“There are many books available on software risks and software failures. There are very few books that provide step-by-step information on getting troubled software projects back on track. This book provides detailed guidelines for software project recovery. Some of the steps the author recommends may be unpleasant, but all are important.” —Capers Jones, chief scientist emeritus at Software Productivity Research LLC “This is a well-conceived, well-written, interesting book about an important topic. The author is right in saying that no one else has covered this particular facet of project failure.” —Robert L. Glass, publisher of the Software Practitioner A 10-STEP PROCESS TO IDENTIFY SEVERELY TROUBLED PROJECTS AND AVOID COSTLY FAILURE It’s a software development a project that’s rapidly spiraling out of control...or already a disaster. Conventional project management techniques won’t save these there are no standard rescue processes to follow. You need something radically Catastrophe Disentanglement . Drawing on in-depth data from hundreds of development organizations, E.M. Bennatan presents a proven, 10-step program for rescuing any project that’s worth saving. You’ll find specific guidance for addressing massive budget overruns, schedule slippage, poor quality—or all three at once. Using practical examples drawn from decades of hands-on experience as a software development leader and consultant, Bennatan shows how to Catastrophe Disentanglement is an effective, comprehensive approach to software project rescue. Whenever projects are in trouble—whether you are a senior manager, project manager, team member, or software customer—this book could save your career. Preface xi Chapter 1 An Introduction to Catastrophe Disentanglement 1 Chapter 2 When Is a Project a Catastrophe? 15 Chapter 3 Step 1–Stop 43
Chapter 4 Step 2–Assign an Evaluator 57
Chapter 5 Step 3–Evaluate the Project 73
Chapter 6 Step 4–Evaluate the Team 95
Chapter 7 Step 5–Define Minimum Goals 113
Chapter 8 Step 6–Can Minimum Goals Be Achieved? 133
Chapter 9 Step 7–Rebuild the Team 147
Chapter 10 Step 8–Risk Analysis 169
Chapter 11 Step 9–Revise the Plan 189
Chapter 12 Step 10–Create an Early Warning System 209
Chapter 13 Putting the Final Pieces in Place 233
References 245
Glossary 255 About the Author 257 Index 259 © Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Genres: Software

Paperback

First published April 1, 2006