8 a] Elucidate the concepts in activity planning in software project management.
Activity planning in software project management involves defining and organizing the tasks and activities required to complete a software project successfully. Effective activity planning ensures that all aspects of the project are covered, resources are allocated efficiently, and the project stays on track. Here are key concepts in activity planning:
- The feasibility study
The feasibility study assesses whether a project is worth starting that it has a valid business case. Information is gathered about the requirements of the proposed application. Requirements elicitation can, at least initially, be complex and difficult. The stakeholders may know the aims they wish to pursue, but not be sure about the means of achievement. The developmental and operational costs, and the value of the benefits of the new system, will also have to be estimated. With a large system, the feasibility study could be a project in its own right with its own plan. The study could be part of a strategic planning exercise examining a range of potential software developments. Sometimes an organization assesses a programme of development made up of a number of projects
2. Planning
Planning If the feasibility study indicates that the prospective project appears viable, then project planning can start. For larger projects, we would not do all our detailed planning at the beginning. We create an outline plan for the whole project and a detailed one for the first stage. Because we will have more detailed and accurate project information after the earlier stages of the project have been completed, planning of the later stages is left to nearer their start.
3. Project execution
Project execution The project can now be executed. The execution of a project often contains design and implementation sub-phases. Students new to project planning often find that the boundary between design and planning can be hazy. Design is making decisions about the form of the products to be created. This could relate to the external appearance of the software, that is, the user interface, or the internal architecture. The plan details the activities to be carried out to create these products. Planning and design can be confused because at the most detailed level, planning decisions are influenced by design decisions. Thus a software product with five major components is likely to require five sets of activities to create them.