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On Structuring Projects in Today Software Magazine

Fortech at another edition of Today Software Magazine

In the 21th issue of Today Software Magazine, Fortech shared some insights on project phasing and planning paradigms.

The article takes a close look at project phases and processes throughout the entire project life-cycle, pointing out that most average size or large projects are split into well-defined stages. Also, such projects employ a subset of widely accepted project management processes, regardless of the development methodology employed. Such an approach minimizes risks and ensures that the parts of the services or products delivered at the end of a stage meet customer expectations as closely as possible and the project team is always ready for the next phase of the project.

The main stages of a projects are then presented briefly, from “devising the project strategy” to “closing the project”, with emphasis on their objectives, main activities, skill sets required, stakeholders involved, and risk management. Specific project management processes that occur in most if not all project stages, such as stage management, control, planning, and team management are also addressed by the author.

A careful planning of all these phases is recommended, as they are all equally important for the quality of what is delivered to the customer and for the satisfaction and evolution of the project teams.

An important and recurrent topic is the human implication, which we’ve seen as critical in any phase of a software project. For example, involving all team members early in the analysis and planning stage is vital to creating a sense of ownership and engagement. In the same context, closing the project should be done with particular care for proper consolidation of the knowledge the team acquired within the project, and, consequently, a proper redistribution of the members in subsequent projects, based on this knowledge.