Software Engineering Management - Report Example

INTRODUCTION This paper discusses the six phases associated in the Implementation phase of an IT project. The project in question relates to the automation system for a Human Resources department. The phases of coding, testing, installation, documentation, training and support are described along with some pictorial representations of the activities. CODING Activity Team Member Team member 1 Team member 2 Team member 3 A ( design) P S B (coding) S P C (testing) S P The coding phase involves translating the requirements in the design phase into usable code that is the foundation of the system being built. The coding phase involves using the technical specifications and the design specifications and then developing appropriate code for the same. Some of the common pitfalls associated with the coding phase include scope creep that results in additional requirements being added to the system and that requires the design phase to be redone for those requirements. Following the CMM level repeatable and defined processes ensures a level of control that otherwise would be lacking and hence may lead to schedule slippage and the like. The coding phase also involves unit testing of the components by the developers so that a usable and bug free unit of code can be developed. Of course, the system testing and regression testing are described in the sections below. TESTING The testing phase follows the coding phase and consists of mapping the functional code to the expected outcomes. The outcomes are developed after the business requirements are broken down into unit level specifications for testing and quality control. The process involves breaking down the technical specifications to testing plans that encompass the whole range of functionality. During the testing phase, the system is tested for reliability and usability by making it go through black box and white box testing. The former is concerned with the overall usability and the outputs are mapped with the inputs whereas the latter part is concerned with the components of the system. Regression testing is done to ensure that the components work well with each other when changes to one component are introduced. The testing phase is one of the most crucial phases from the user point of view as any potential bugs in the system are caught during this phase. The diagram above describes the various phases in the project along with the breakdown of the same. According to the PMBOK (2006) (Project Management Body of Knowledge), this is known as a WBS (Work Breakdown Structure). This gives the high level representation of the phases along with the break up into components of the phases. INSTALLATION This phase is carried out onsite by the personnel responsible for implementation. In the current context, it would entail the support team to travel to all the plants of the Riordain manufacturing facilities and then install the system there. There can be an additional round of testing at the client site if the client so desires. Usually during the system testing phase, the client participates in what is called as the User Acceptance Testing (UAT). In some cases, this is done at the client site if the environmental conditions needed for the UAT can only be met at the client site. DOCUMENTATION This phase is concerned with documenting the processes and the system specifications. Technically, the documentation starts with the business requirements phase onwards. In a mature organization that follows the SEI CMM defined processes, documentation is taken at high priority and care is taken to ensure that the processes are documented and all the specifications follow the templates described by the quality team of the organization. At the end of the project, the documents that are shared with Riordian would include the business specifications, high level design documents and the testing plans. Unless explicitly requested by the customer, the documents relating to the unit test plans and the low level technical specifications are not shared with the customer. TRAINING This phase involves the training of the end users of Riordian by the staff of the organization that is responsible for building the system. This entails travel to the Riordian plants by the personnel of the organization and then training them on the system that they are going to use. Training usually does not get high priority by many of the software companies. But, as many studies have shown, training is essential for the users of the new system to get acquainted to the new system and familiarize themselves with the new system. SUPPORT This is the final phase of the project and this is an ongoing activity as far as many of the organizations are concerned. This is also known as warranty support or post implementation support. The initial support during the installation phase is for a limited time where the users and the vendors work in tandem so that the users get a feel of the system. And any bugs in the system are caught during the phase of testing and installation. But, zero defect software is something that is in the realm of theory and in most of the implementations, there are bound to be defects and bugs that are detected during the use of the system. On the other hand, new requirements might come up once the system is being used as the users and the business sponsors may need new functionality to go along with the system. The support phase is usually turned into an ongoing phase if a user agreement is reached between Riordian and the vendors. CONCLUSION Following the defined and repeatable processes that are mandated by the SEI CMM model is useful and improves the efficiency of the SDLC during the coding as well as subsequent phases of the project. The rationale behind the CMM model is that software organizations achieve greater levels of productivity and quality in their activities. Thus, any organization that strives for high level of quality in the work that they do would well be advised to follow the CMM processes. In conclusion, the implementation phase is the crucial part in the SDLC that makes or mars the chances of a successful “go-live” of the system. This is the phase where the actual system is implemented and theory turns to practice. Sources Project Management Body of Knowledge. 3rd Ed. Project Management Institute. New York: PMI, 2006. CMM Model Handbook. Software Engineering Institute. Boston: CMU, 2008. Portney, Stanley .Project Management for Dummies. New York: Prentice Hall, 2007. Read More