Software Project Planning: Why It Matters

Transcript:

Successful software projects don’t happen by chance – they begin with a well thought out plan before any development begins.

Let me ask you this: Would you enter the world’s tallest building knowing there was no architectural plan prior to its construction? You’d be taking a major, possibly life-threatening risk.

The same could be said about software. A system designed without a plan could be very risky. Risky to the development effort, and risky to the end-user. Have you successfully completed a software development effort without a plan? Did you meet your intended milestones and timeline? Did you maintain your estimated budget?

Results from Lack of Project Planning

In our experience, a lack of project planning leads to poor software requirements, weak project management, lack of defined processes, lack of risk management and mitigation efforts, unclear objectives and scope creep – in addition to many other issues that can arise without proper project planning.

Why is project planning important?

Often times, project planning may get overlooked due to time constraints. When a go-to-market timeline is established, it can be tempting to dive right into the product or software development before a plan is established. Perhaps, project or software planning seems intimidating, so just simply ad hoc engineering can seem like a logical place to start.

We recommend planning out 8 critical components for any project. This video will provide a high-level overview of the following project planning elements:

1. Master Project Plan
2. Risk Management Plan & Mitigation Report
3. Product / Software Requirements
4. Project Schedule & Budget
5. Quality Assurance Plan
6. Architectural Design
7. Development Plan
8. Master Test Plan

For a deeper dive into each project planning element, visit our full article. Each of the 8 specific elements can be found via the links above.

Let’s Get Started

Master Project Plan
Begin project or software planning by laying out the Master Project Plan. At a high level, the Master Project Plan establishes a project management process outlining responsibilities, a project schedule, communication and reporting protocols. Ultimately, the goal of the Master Project Plan is to keep all project stakeholders on the same page.

Risk Management Plan & Mitigation Report

After establishing the master project plan, it is important to define a risk management plan early-on since this is critical to evaluate risks and hazards to end-users and users in development as well as those validating the device during clinical trials. The Risk Management plan should include a few essential pieces: management procedures, roles + responsibilities, identification + analysis, and risk planning, monitoring, control, and reporting. A risk mitigation report should then be developed as well to mitigate potential risk occurrence. Developing a report that brings attention to various options and actions to reduce risk allows project stakeholders to identify potential root causes, assess and prioritize, and implement a sound plan for mitigation.

Product / Software Requirements
Following a risk management plan and risk mitigation, it is important to then identify essential requirements from the start of the project to reduce project rework and mitigate technical risks prior to the product’s release. When doing so be sure to closely consider the difference between what the project’s goals are versus the product’s requirements to create requirements that accurately define the product’s needs.

Quality Assurance Plan
After laying out requirements, begin outlining a Quality Assurance Plan. The first step in creating a solid quality control process is to identify the roles that each stakeholder will play as they relate to risk and quality management. When outlining a plan to design and develop the system to various high-quality standards, whether that be FDA 510(k) for medical devices, NIST 800 for military systems, or ISO 9001 for industrial control systems, a quality plan and review process is a must.

Project Schedule and Budget
After planning out a quality assurance strategy, project managers can then build an appropriate budget for each phase of the project once resources are defined. Start by creating a work breakdown structure (WBS) to accurately define your product, and once the WBS is complete, work to establish a project scope and traceability. Ultimately, traceability provides a means of accountability for all stakeholders.

Architectural Design
An architectural design can ultimately make or break the system. All the more important to create a design that demonstrates a high-level structure of the system. Developing an architectural design from the start of the project provides a more realistic way to manage risk as well as managing cost expectations by supporting design decisions early on.

Development Plan
In terms of a development plan, a focus on documentation is highly encouraged. Standard documentation processes set expectations for every phase of the project. For software-related projects, it is critical that a software development plan be completed during this planning phase.

Master Test Plan
Defining the types of testing methods, as well as the testing goals and exceptions in your planning, will provide the test engineers a basis of what is expected from the test while keeping the cost of testing and budget constraints in mind. Recommendations for software testing include: requirements testing, stress testing, testing unique to product, security testing, and performance testing.

Conclusion

The thoroughness of your project’s plans can determine if your project is completed on time and within budget. Since project plans and processes can be referenced throughout the product development life cycle, having plans can lessen or even eliminate project rework, ultimately saving both time and money. Taking the time to solidify the above plans will ensure a smooth transition from each stage of the product development process. Utilizing project plans allows you to envision what can be achieved when project objectives are realized.

If you need any assistance planning out your next software development project, we are here to help! Contact us at info@psi-software.com or visit our website www.psi-software.com

To learn more about these 8 project plans check out the links below:

1. Master Project Plan
2. Risk Management Plan & Mitigation Report
3. Product / Software Requirements
4. Project Schedule & Budget
5. Quality Assurance Plan
6. Architectural Design
7. Development Plan
8. Master Test Plan

For a deeper dive into each project planning element, visit our full article HERE.