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See Also
Best Practices for Software Projects - Risk Management.
More...
Beyond Broken Links. More...
Minimizing Software Defects via Inspections.
More...
Testing GUI. More...
Test Methods. More...
Test Reviews. More...
Weekly Status Report
Sample. More...
Stocking and Managing a Test Lab.
More...
Best Practices for Software Projects
- Software Measurements. More...
Improving the Quality process by
doing the
Metrics Calculation
Download
Documentation Tips. More...
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More Resources
Some templates that
you will find useful
during the development
of your software product.
More...
When is a test plan
to complicated
by Charles Shelby. More...
Test Development
Life Cycle. More...
Test Plan Outline. More...
The test specification should
explain "how" to implement
the test cases described in the test plan. More...
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Ever have a manager give you a brief description
of a possible project and ask you for an estimate? After listening to the manager describe the project, you give
him a "seat-of-the-pants" estimate, explaining that that it is a ball-park estimate based on what you've
been told.
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| Best Practices for Software Projects - Estimating |
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______________ |
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To your surprise, you learn a week later that the
manager has presented the estimate to a client and puts you in charge of delivering a complete solution based on
the estimate you provided. You shockingly explain that the estimate was just a ball-park estimate and you need
to learn the detailed requirements before you can provide a final estimate. The manager argues that it is too late
for that, saying that the customer has already approved your original estimate and the manager expects you deliver
what you initially agreed to.
Reluctantly, you proceed with the original estimates. 12 months later, your manager calls you into his office and
asks why you are already 4 months late delivering the project and wants to know how you could be so incompetent
in your estimating (not acknowledging that it was his fault for communicating the ball-park estimate to the client
in the first place)! Does this sound familiar?
Unfortunately, this happens often. Most projects are underestimated by anywhere from 25 to 100 percent, and this
is normally caused by providing preliminary estimates that are published as the "golden estimate". To
provide a better estimate, you must make it all the way through the product design phase before publishing the
estimate, where it will have an error margin of 25%.
Researchers have found that project estimates fall within a predictable range at various stages of the software
lifecycle. According to Boehbm 1995 (Cost Models for Future LIfe Cycle Processes COCMO 2.0), your estimates will
improve as the software lifecycle matures:
As you can see, it is practically impossible to
provide an adequate estimate in the Initial Requirements stage, so don't fall into that trap. Below are some tips
for providing better estimates:
Management Education - If your manager is not an experienced project manager,
explain the estimating process to your manager so that they understand how estimates improve as you know more about
the project.
Document Initial Estimates as Ball-Parks - If your manager requires an initial estimate, submit your
estimate to them in writing, explaining in detail that the estimate is a ball-park and should not be taken as a
reliable estimate at this stage of the project.
Detailed Design Specs - Insist that your team meets with the client to hash out
all features of the product. Then take those requirements back to your technical team to get detailed design specifications.
If the detailed design specifications are done properly, your margin of error for the estimate should be less than
25%.
Risk Mitigation - Document your project risks and add additional hours to
your project plan for risk mitigation.
Project Management - To stay on track with your deliverables, your team should
meet regularly to review progress and to aid team members that are falling behind. Team leaders should provide
regular code reviews to shorten testing cycles and to prevent major errors from stalling your project schedule.
Online Collaboration - Use an online collaboration tool (web-based preferably)
to manage your entire life cycle and your project tasks as to improve project collaboration and communication.
A solid tool for this is Software Planner. More...
 Share your thoughts on Best Practices for Software Projects
- Estimating in SQAtester Group.
 E-mail to a Friend.
|
|
Manage all phases of your software
development with
Software Planner
Software Planner is a project collaboration tool
that allows you to manage all phases of your software development. In the initial stages of the project, it allows
you to post functional specifications and post project related documents (like meeting minutes, client proposals,
etc.). As the project progresses, it allows you to post baseline documents (like detailed designs and project plans).
As development proceeds, it allows your project managers and developers to track project deliverables.
The developers can update the percentage complete for all items assigned to them. Once testing begins, it allows
your testers to create test cases and track software defects. Developers are automatically alerted, by email, as
defects are assigned to them. Team members are alerted as new documents are uploaded or re-uploaded (like project
plan updates, etc.). And each person has the ability to control the email alerts they wish to receive. Use the
discussion forums to communicate all issues with clients and project team members. Keep your appointments and to
do list on-line and updated at all times.
Try Software Planner FREE for 2 weeks.
|
| Books to Read |
|
________________________________________ |
|
|
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Quality Web Systems
This book provides a framework for ensuring that key Web system success criteria are addressed during the development
of a Web system. Detailed technical guidance is provided for all criteria, along with testing strategies that allow
for verification of a quality implementation. More...
|
|
|
|
Automated Software Testing
Written for those with some background in software engineering, Automated Software Testing: Introduction, Management,
and Performance delivers a rigorous guide to the state of the art in managing automated testing in a text that
will benefit anyone who tests software for a living. More...
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