Essay Collection 2011

Abstract:When a man stands in front of a problem, the first instinctive thing that occurs to him is to create a plan to solve that problem. Although that plan is not formally written, each person creates a plan in his mind. For creating a software product, a plan is also needed. The plan is the cornerstone of creating a good software product. As each person is an unique individual, so must any new plan be unique. Poorly designed project plan is the most common reason for software project failures. This essay identifies errors that occur while creating a plan. It highlights the shortcomings of bad planning and also offers a way on how to recognize a bad plan. The essay describes the most common causes of plan failures. It offers a way as to avoid the disruption of plans and it shows that a plan is not just something that consumes time, but more a means of improving the process of creating a software product.

Abstract:Software development process must take into account the area of the real world it models. Problems with expression of specification together with the interim changes have become a major barrier to clearly describe target software product. Software development typically must rely on some degree of uncertainty and adapt a plan so that it can meet those changes. However, we are not talking about marginal cover of unexpected change, but its full-fledged processing to achieve the required level of quality. Proper incorporation of changes to the system must be consistent with the actual state and must continue to allow its expansion potential, few expected direction in advance. Differences between views on the development of the waterfall model, iterative / incremental methodology and agile development methods are good candidates to analyze the nature of quality. We can conclude that the change in the software development process can be efficiently captured and processed. Even the mere provision of quality tends to be more successful in processes that are built for change.

Abstract:Monitoring software project is an activity that provides control over the project and can detect potential problems that may occur in this process. Software projects are often different, the complexity of their moniroting differs in many cases, so in the recent years, there have been created many methodologies for monitoring them. An example of the diversity of software projects is the open-source project on the one side and the classical project on the other side, where we can expecet that monitoring will be done differently. This essay provides an insight into different approaches to the monitoring software project depending on the type of project, indicates the factors influencing this process and compares the selected approach to possible problems that are likely to occur during the given type of project.

Abstract:A lot of software project failures could be prevented by investing enough attention and energy into risk management. In software project there is identifying possible risks in the first place, then risk analysis and prioritisation. Ending here, though, would mean possible project troubles in the future, potentially leading to complete failure – risk planning & monitoring should accompany the whole process. Essay deals with continual risk management and its overlap from one project to another. The outcome of such well-considered and purposely involved software project risk management processes are among others also experience and knowledge, which software team takes advantage of when dealing with other projects. Risk assessment and controlling is being better handled thanks to team members’ skills. But forementioned experience and knowledge stays in the heads of staff. This essay is looking for possible answers to questions such as how to effectively extract and gather knowledge and experience in small-scale project in connection to risk management, how to formalize them and organize, make them accessible and thus making them available even if particular experienced team-member leaves and reuse them when dealing with new projects. It also offers possibilities of knowledge management utilisation towards effective risk management.

Abstract:Not long ago, the only measure taken into consideration when choosing a suitable candidate for a job or participation in a task was their professional competence and in many companies it is this way even nowadays. However, especially in leading companies increasing emphasis is placed on the nature and personality traits of individuals, as expertise is relatively easily obtainable in comparison to the effort necessary to achieve set targets with inefficient ill-composed team. There are many studies on the ways of assorting people into groups according to their personality and the impact of this personality on the ability to work in a team and to occupy particular roles in a team or whole organization. In my essay I consider the suitability of individual personalities and their attributes for certain positions in a team not only according to the ability to fulfill their tasks, but also the mutual compatibility, ability to tolerate each other and co-operate on the way to a common goal. I also reflect on other factors influencing team performance, which include for example the motivation, which is connected both to the professional competence and the personality of individual.

Abstract:The ground of successful software engineering is built on creating and delivering high quality software. But how is this quality achieved? There are many roads to quality software. One of the most important tasks is to choose the right software development process model. In this essay, I discussed three modern existing models, namely RUP, MSF and XP. Ideal model is obtained by comparing and combining practices of these models. But is this really true? Choosing the right testing methods is also important and depends on selected model. Testing increases the quality of software. In this essay I described the ideal principles of testing. Theoretical world focuses attention on these principles and spends significant effort to achieve them. Are they really achievable in real world? Wouldn’t be communication in team more important? Or wouldn’t motivation of developers to focus on quality software development make more sense?

Abstract:Creating software is a difficult process. Often it involves many people, who constitute one or more teams. In order to achieve the desired success, not only knowledge is needed, but it is necessary to ensure perfect functioning of the individual teams. To some extent, this can be provided by an analysis of personality. Then this analysis can serve as a guideline, which determine, who has the major assumptions for specific role. The essay deals with two methods by which it can be determined the type of personality, namely the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Keirsey Temperament Sorter. Based on these two methods, I analyzed the composition of our team within the Team Project Course. I wondered what would be the most ideal allocation of roles within the team, and I issued from real studies of software engineering.

Abstract:Non group of poeple can exist without communication between its own members or between this group and its enviroment. This won’t be different in a team, specifically in a team working on a software project. To reach the project’s goal quickly and effectively team’s discussion shoud be qualit, appropriate, rich, open and accurate. It is clear now that also communication has to be managed, planed and monitored. To do this, there are many collaboration softwares making communication planing and communication itself easier. Which of these tools to choose and when to use them? Are there any reasons to use them also in really small teams or are they convenient only in big temas? What to do if the discussion somehow failed or how to predict such a scenario? I wiil try to answer these questions and summarize my ideas in this essay.

Abstract:Software development is a complex process which may have adverse consequences of wrong decisions. Is it really appropriate to deal with the consequences when they arise? Wouldn‘t it be better to reconsider the decision and avoid consequences or at least suppress them? Planning and setting out what should be done in software development is essential, but not enough. Given that projects are not running always on schedule, it is necessary to include risk management to the process. This allows early identification and recognition of the risks and the subsequent adaptation of the development process so that risks are reduced or mitigated. Mostly we look at risk management from the perspective of a developer. It is to realize that software acquisition is also risky process for customer. For example, delay deployment is a problem for both parties. Essay deals with the inclusion of customer in risk management of software project. Discusses the advantages and disadvantages associated with the team (unified) risk management of customer and supplier and compares them with traditional procedures.

Abstract:Monitoring of software project is highly important due to control of observing plan. There are metrics which serve us to monitor the state of the project , with different measure of complexity, relaibility so as evaluation value. The choosing of the correct metric and sensible approach of their evaulation might have crucial influence on time keeping of planned harmonogram. This essay deals with the disputableness of measure in which we could rely upon metrics as well as concluding results from them and simultaneously deals with the probability of revealing the correct reason with assistance of metrics. The essay makes effort to point the importance of human approch in choosing proper metrics and correct evaluation of their results by analyzing and comparing of different methods of software project monitoring.

Abstract:Software development is very complex and diverse field. There are usually a lot of people, working on one project. Everyone is expert in his area. To make this process effective, it has to be well managed. What is necessary for the successful management of the software development process? It is important for managers to have sufficient knowledge to make their decisions. However, it is not possible to understand all the activities carried out by their subordinates. To solve this problem, there are different methods and tools to make the work of programmers and analysts visible to their superiors. This phenomenon also exists on the opposite side, in the area of requirements definition. Are there other areas in the management of software development, where can be used supporting tools? In this essay I discuss the areas of application support tools in software engineering. I focus on their use in the area of visualization of software and definition of requirements.