Page 119 - DCAP305_PRINCIPLES_OF_SOFTWARE_ENGINEERING

Unit 5: Software Project Planning

• Customer Characteristics: Risks associated with the sophistication of the customer and Notes
the developer’s ability to communicate with the customer in a timely manner.
• Process Definition: Risks associated with the degree to which the software process has
been defined and is followed by the development organization.

• Development Environment: Risks associated with the availability and quality of the tools
to be used to build the product.

• Technology to be built: Risks associated with the complexity of the system to be built and
the “newness” of the technology that is packaged by the system.

• Staff Size and Experience: Risks associated with the overall technical and project experience
of the software engineers who will do the work.
The risk item checklist can be organized in different ways. Questions relevant to each of the
topics noted above can be answered for each software project. The answers to these questions
allow the planner to estimate the impact of risk. A different risk item checklist format simply lists
characteristics that are relevant to each generic subcategory. Finally, asset of “risk components
and drivers” are listed along with their probability of occurrence.
Product Size Risks
Few experienced managers would debate the following statement: Project risk is directly
proportional to product size. The following risk item checklist identifies generic risks associated
with product size:
• Estimated size of the product in LOC or FP?
• Degree of confidence in estimated size estimate?
• Estimated size of product in number of programs, files, and transactions?
• Percentage deviation in size of product from average for previous products?
• Size of database created or used by the product?

• Number of users of the product?
• Number of projected changes to the requirements for the product? Before delivery? After
delivery?

• Amount of reused software?
In each case, the information for the product to the developed must be compared to past
experience. If a large percentage deviation occurs or if numbers are similar, but past results was
considerably less than satisfactory, risk is high.
Business Impact Risks

An engineering manager at a major software company placed the following framed plaque on his
wall: “god grants me brains to be a good project manager and the common sense to run like hell
whenever marketing sets project deadlines!”. The marketing department is driven by business
considerations, and business considerations sometimes come into direct conflict with technical
realities. The following risk item checklist identifies generic risks associated with business impact:
• Effect of this product on company revenue?

• Visibility of this product to senior management?
• Reasonableness of delivery deadline?
• Number of customers who will use this product and the consistency of their needs relative
to the product?

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 113