Essay Collection 2008

Abstract:Current software systems have complex structure. Their development represents time-consuming, financially and sophisticated processes, by witch are used different knowledge and techniques. On base of this serenity, in forefront is given the question about optimalization these process, in purpose for good results. The aim of this essay is to show different tools available to support these activities and show the main performance of these tools. In the parts of this essay are presented different possibilities of these tools. In this essay is answered the question about right tool selection. The writer of this essay use owns know-how and he try to integrate this knowledge into the context of given problem.

Abstract:Software projects often end up being unsuccessful, fail or are cancelled. Projects of all dimen-sions are affected – ranging from small assignments created by students to vast international projects. The so-called “software crisis” still endures, since no one has yet invented an all-purpose solution that would once and for all put an end to software failures. There are multiple causes to that. This essay studies what roles planning and plan management plays in unsuccess-ful software projects of all sizes, clarifies the importance of accurate project planning, gives reasons why even the most perfect plans fail, and also gives practical tips on how to create the most robust “bulletproof” plan for (not only) a software project.

Abstract:Today large, medium but also small software projects can't stand without project management. More and more project managers realize that risk management is a part of the management of software project too and it is necessary to take a look at this domain in a project planning. Risks are often considered as a indication of problem that will have greater or smaller negative affect on a project objectives. The truth is that risks can be indication either positive or negative event. In order to minimize negative and to maximize positive impacts it is necessary to identify, analyze, plan, monitor and control risks. In this essay I'm concerned with theme what is a risk and what is a risk management. I will outline single phases of risk management and usage of agile methods in risk management.

Abstract:The process of software project management consists of several subprocesses and tasks requiring various amount of resources to be run. Nowadays companies use quite a lot of aiding tools that collect and analyze information regarding given project, speed up distribution of the information to managers, generate outputs helping to make efficient decisions. Sometimes they even propose decisions. These tools need to interact with employees to function the way they are meant to do. Based on the character of the interaction it impacts the employees. Hence I believe, from the managerial point of view, it is reasonable to consider the extent to which the employees should be bound to this interaction. The management should not only consider the rather easily measurable process advantages of using these tools, but the impacts on the employees, too. Insensible decisions in implementing this kind of helpers can cause the employees to negatively change their attitude towards the management processes, faith in the management and finally motivation of the employees.

Abstract:Fast and cheap development of high-quality applications is nowadays considered as a standard. Actual software development processes are trying to adapt to these requirements - their phases are defined in a way to minimize potential problems. Wrong understanding of customer’s requirements, their instability, errors in software, that all are reasons for development delays and further grow of expenses. Test-driven development together with acceptance tests is a technique trying to prevent these problems and it is getting more and more popular in the field of software development. This essay describes problems with classic approaches of testing and also problems with communication between customer and development teem, introduces test-driven development and shows its advantages by summing up multiple studies. It also presents advantages not often mentioned – psychological and motivational.

Abstract:It is general knowledge, that work on many software project is several time overrun. To avoid this, it is very important to make high quality project plan and also to monitor project work progress. Manager is than able to identify how project varies form original plan and divide project's sources to project's tasks. This process can avoid cost and time overrun. Software project monitoring is difficult process, which require cooperation between managers and programmers. The goal of this essay is to offer author's point of view at software project monitoring in several aspects. Author describes reasons why to monitor software project, and he identifies it's advantages and disadvantages. Next he presents reasons, that cause project failure. The end of the paper contains analysis of some tools, that are used to monitor project.

Abstract:Software project management of project development is a long-run process, which includes several phases that every project should get through. One of the most important phase, maybe the most important, is planning. It is the initial phase where we can secure successful completion of the project or in the worse case scenario to convict it to the failure. In the next few pages I will try to introduce you into the process of software project planning. In the first part I will search for answers which are connected with software project planning: Why bother with planning of the project at all? Is it necessary to create two plans? How it is possible to predict something that we have limited knowledge about? In the second part of the document I will focus on one of the most common approaches in software project planning known as Iterative project planning.

Abstract:This paper is trying to explain some essentials of risk management and presents simple model to estimate of cost of software project failures and the breakeven effectiveness of project risk management.

Abstract:People working together on a project of any kind usually have one common goal. To work through all parts of its life circle from initialization to the successful ending. In our case the goal is to create a software product. In order to prevent and learn from previous mistakes it is one of the most important things to monitor the whole process of its development. This essay presents basic rules and criteria that have to be followed in order to be successful in monitoring software product development. Their wrong identification can cause premature termination of the project and waste of financial resources.

Abstract:In software engineering software quality is one of the most discussed topics of the present. Software is becoming critically important for many firms and institutions which increases its quality and reliability requirements. Increasing software complexity means higher chance of fatal error occurrence in early development stages which are very hard to correct in later stages. Because of this software engineers orient on error prevention by application of software quality management methods covering the whole development process. This essay focuses in detail on main processes of software quality management, testing as a process of software quality evaluation and basic support tools used in software development process.