Navy Polaris Missile Program and Project Management
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Questions and Answers

What was the management consulting firm involved in the Navy Polaris missile program?

  • NASA
  • Booz Allen & Hamilton (correct)
  • IBM
  • Lockheed Missile System

    • What was introduced in the 1960s for Government sponsored projects?

  • Earned Value Analysis (EVA)
  • PERT/COST and WBS
  • Configuration management
  • All of the above (correct)

    • What was one of the pitfalls of software development highlighted in 'The Mythical Man-Month'?

  • Insufficient budget allocation
  • Inadequate training of team members
  • Many pitfalls of software development (correct)
  • Lack of project management

    • What was introduced in the 1980s to predict software complexity?

    <p>Estimation models (FP and COCOMO)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When did IBM start using project management commercially?

    <p>1961</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was promoted by project organizations (PMI, IPMA) in the 1960s?

    <p>The profession and techniques</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterized the 1990s in terms of project management?

    <p>Total quality, leaner, quicker, more responsive organizations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do the hardware capacity and software do according to Moore's Law?

    <p>Grow exponentially</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of many courses in computer science and electronic engineering?

    <p>Technical aspects and software development notations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of a controlled process in software development?

    <p>To accept changes and trace revisions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the consequence of not having a controlled process in software development?

    <p>Not having time left for testing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary goal of software project management?

    <p>To organize activities in an efficient and controlled way</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common mistake in software development?

    <p>Underestimating development time</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary benefit of software project management?

    <p>To have a well-defined and managed process</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the computing capacity of the Saturn V stack compared to today's typical cell phone?

    <p>Less powerful than a cell phone</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who is credited with the first theory of work and management?

    <p>Frederick Winslow Taylor</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of Frederick Winslow Taylor's 'Scientific Management'?

    <p>All of the above</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the notation system used to schedule projects, still used today?

    <p>Gantt chart</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the primary application of Henry Gantt's chart during the First World War?

    <p>Ship building</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the primary motivation behind the development of CPM (Critical Path Method)?

    <p>To plan maintenance activities in plants</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In what year was PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) developed?

    <p>1958</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the primary application of PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) during its development?

    <p>U.S. Navy's Polaris missile program</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one characteristic that makes software project management challenging?

    <p>The product is uniquely flexible</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why are many software projects considered 'one-off'?

    <p>Because they are never repeated</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a safety-critical system in software project management?

    <p>A system that is critical to human life</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is shown in the graph on page 7 of the content?

    <p>The complexity of software projects over time</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of software products that makes them challenging to manage?

    <p>They are intangible</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why are software projects often more complex than other types of projects?

    <p>Because they have a unique combination of size, complexity, and flexibility</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an example of a safety-critical system in software project management?

    <p>The control system of an airplane</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main challenge in software project management?

    <p>Managing the complexity and flexibility of the project</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of software development processes?

    <p>They are flexible and adaptable</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why are software projects becoming increasingly complex?

    <p>Because they have an increasing size and complexity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are some activities involved in delivering a product on time and within budget?

    <p>Defining a schedule, budget, and product characteristics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is required to deliver a product on time and within budget?

    <p>A process to define a schedule, budget, and product characteristics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are some skills and competences required to manage a software development project?

    <p>Specific techniques to manage a project, including goal setting and risk management</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key benefit of applying Project Management techniques to software development?

    <p>Applicability of these techniques to virtually any other engineering domain</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are some questions that will be answered by the end of this course?

    <p>How to estimate task duration, charge for a project, and motivate the team</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What makes the management of software projects particularly interesting?

    <p>The project management techniques are intrinsically multidisciplinary</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is essential to keep a project on track?

    <p>Assessing project risks, controlling quality, and keeping the project on schedule</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary goal of a software project manager?

    <p>To deliver a product with agreed-upon quality properties</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    • Booz Allen & Hamilton, a management consulting firm, worked as an ORSA (Operations Research and Systems Analysis) team for Lockheed Missile System in the Navy Polaris Missile Program.

    Motivation for CPM and PERT

    • The 1960s saw big government contracts, such as the Vietnam War and NASA Apollo, which led to standardization and automation.
    • PERT/COST and WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) became compulsory in government-sponsored projects.
    • Earned Value Analysis (EVA) was defined, and configuration management and project organizations (PMI, IPMA) promoted the profession and techniques.

    History of Software Project Management

    Fifties and Sixties

    • 1960s: IBM used PM (Project Management) commercially.
    • 1961: Software development became a significant factor, and EVA was developed for monitoring schedule and cost.
    • The Waterfall model was introduced for software development, and the book "The Mythical Man-Month" highlighted the pitfalls of software development.

    The Computer Revolution

    • 1980s: Hardware and software proliferation made PM tools accessible to smaller firms.
    • Estimation models (FP and COCOMO) were introduced to predict software complexity.
    • 1990s: Total quality and leaner, quicker, and more responsive organizations emerged.
    • Today: Web applications and new application distribution models have developed, and agility, quick interaction, and constant feedback are essential.

    Characteristics of Software Project Management

    • Software project management is unique due to the intangible nature of the product.
    • The product is flexible, with different sizes and constraints.
    • Many software projects are one-off, and the development process is flexible.
    • Size and complexity are increasing exponentially.
    • Human lives might depend on software running as expected, making it safety-critical.

    Complexity of Software Projects

    • A graph showing the complexity of software projects, with the number of lines of code on the y-axis and the years on the x-axis.
    • The graph shows the exponential growth of software complexity.

    A Brief History of Software Project Management

    • Frederick Winslow Taylor introduced the first theory of work and management, "Scientific Management," in the early 1900s.
    • Henry Gantt developed the Gantt chart notation, which is still used today to schedule projects.
    • The 1950s saw the development of CPM (Critical Path Method) and PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique).

    Motivations for Software Project Management

    • Software project management is essential to build good software, as it organizes activities in an efficient and controlled way.
    • A well-defined and managed process is necessary to deliver software on time, within budget, and with the required quality properties.
    • Software project management involves specific competences, skills, and techniques, including estimating task duration, budgeting, team motivation, risk management, and quality control.

    Skills and Goals of the Course

    • The course aims to teach students how to manage a software development project, including estimating task duration, budgeting, team motivation, risk management, and quality control.
    • The skills and techniques learned in this course are applicable to virtually any other engineering domain.

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    Description

    This quiz covers the Navy Polaris missile program, involving Booz Allen & Hamilton and Lockheed Missile System, and introduces project management concepts, including CPM and PERT.

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