Main Project Control Methods
Project management in software development is an extremely complex issue. That is why many beginning developers wonder: “What are project control methods?” The answer to this question is not as simple as it might seem. Before giving it, it is necessary to say a few words about project management and to find the proper definition for control in it.
Project management is a process necessary for every software development project. It is aimed at creating high quality software products and delivering them in time. Project management in software development has lots of specific aspects. First of all, it is necessary to mention, that the project management methodology of a certain software development team depends on the software development method it uses. That is because of the fact that the structure of project realization is different in various methodologies. For example, traditional software development methods like Waterfall have sequential structure. Agile projects, on the other hand, are iterative. It means that the developers must use different methodologies to manage them.
The process of project management in software development is subdivided into three sequential stages. The first of them is the stage of plan creation. A good and realistic plan is required for any software development project to create all necessary software and deliver it in time. The implementation of this plan is the main goal of all further project management activities. The next stage of it is called project monitoring. Monitoring is conducted constantly during all software development projects. The main goal of this project management stage is to implement all requirements of the plan and to detect problems in its realization.
Project control is the third and the final stage of project management process. It is aimed at testing the software product and detecting defects in it. If there were any problems with realization of a certain software development project, they could impact the quality of software product. That is why tests are necessary components of the last project management stage.
The list of project control methods is not too long. In most cases they depend on the software development methodology you use. For example, in Waterfall methodology the final product is tested only at the final stage of each project. This method has lots of advantages.
In Agile projects the intermediate and final products are tested constantly during their development. This methodology is considered more efficient because it allows the developers to detect defects on early stages.
