CS 501: Software EngineeringAdministrationProfessionalism: Planning for the Final PresentationWho is the Audience? What do they Want?What do You want to Achieve?How much Time do You Have? How much can You Cover?What Materials should you Deliver?Delivery: Check List for CS 501 ProjectsDo you need a Rehearsal?Failures and RisksManaging RiskCanceling a ProjectFailure to Cancel a ProjectToo Big to Cancel!We are doing it the Wrong Way!How to Stop GracefullyTime to Complete a Software ProjectA Sense of UrgencyOvertaken by EventsChanging Requirements and DesignChanges of LeadershipClient OversightToo Difficult!Accept the Obvious!Engineering and MarketingSenior Management DynamicsSlide 27Sobering ThoughtsThe End1CS 501 Spring 2006CS 501: Software EngineeringLecture 27Risk in Software Engineering2CS 501 Spring 2006Administration3CS 501 Spring 2006Professionalism: Planning for the Final PresentationQuestions for every presentation1. Who is the audience? What do they want?2. What do you want to achieve?3. How much time do you have? How much can you cover?4. What facilities are in the room? Who should be there?5. What materials should you prepare?6. Do you need a rehearsal?4CS 501 Spring 2006Who is the Audience? What do they Want?ClientsThe clients have invested effort in this project:• Is it ready for production?• Should they invest more effort to bring it into production?• Should they abandon the project?Course team• What has been accomplished? What has been learned?• Is the client satisfied?• Are you handing over a maintainable system?5CS 501 Spring 2006What do You want to Achieve?• Personal and team satisfaction in handing over a good piece of work to the client• Complete the course in good style with good grade• A clean handover without loose endsPerhaps: a good basis for future involvement with the client, team, or this project6CS 501 Spring 2006How much Time do You Have?How much can You Cover?Plan for 45 minutes total. You should cover:Presentation:• Brief review of goals• Honest summary of achievements and gaps• Summary of what is being deliveredDemonstration of operational system:• Show the system in operation• Be honest about gaps, weaknesses, etc.Time for discussion7CS 501 Spring 2006What Materials should you Deliver?When you leave, all that the client has is your documentation and your software. Imagine that you work for the client and are asked to take over this system. What would you want?• Materials can be in any format, need not be huge, but must be current.• Place your materials on your GForge or other project site.8CS 501 Spring 2006Delivery: Check List for CS 501 ProjectsDocumentation• Requirements, updated to reflect delivered system• System and program design, updated to reflect delivered system• Instructions for: users, administrators, operators• Presentation slides, updated to reflect delivered system• Business documentation, e.g., copyright licenseSystem• Source code and matching binary for all programs• Installation scripts, etc.• Test scripts, test data, and test reports Different projects will have different deliverables9CS 501 Spring 2006Do you need a Rehearsal?You need a rehearsal• Will you have a single presenter, a moderator, or with each presenter handing to the next?• Decide on the running order of the presentation and stick to it.• When will you take questions?• How will manage the time? Who will take notes?Do not change the system after the rehearsal !10CS 501 Spring 2006Failures and RisksSoftware development projects can fail in many ways:Bad software engineering• Late, over budget• Lack of function, full of bugs, bad performance Changing circumstances• Changing markets• Better alternatives• Changes of managementThe biggest single source of problems is poor understanding of requirements11CS 501 Spring 2006Managing RiskManage projects to avoid risk:• Open and visible software process=> Avoid surprises• Continual review of requirements• Willingness to modify or cancel projects12CS 501 Spring 2006Canceling a ProjectExample: Andrew Window Manager (wm)• Technically superior to X (MIT's Athena project) in 1986but ... Digital Equipment Corporation turning X into a product with massive supportnobody ready to support wm• Therefore wm cancelled in 1986, Andrew user interface and applications ported to X13CS 501 Spring 2006Failure to Cancel a ProjectExample: University F developed a novel programming language.• From 1985 to 1989, this was a promising language for simple programming of window-based applications• By 1990, it clearly not gaining acceptance beyond University F• But development continued for many more years (about $500K)Not cancelled because ...14CS 501 Spring 2006Too Big to Cancel!Example: University A has antiquated administrative systems. Senior management decides to replace them all with commercial packages from X. The timetable and budget are hopelessly optimistic.• Staff get dispirited.• The Chief Information Officer finds another job.• A new Chief Information Officer is appointed.What should she do?15CS 501 Spring 2006We are doing it the Wrong Way!Example: University B has a (big) joint project with Company Y to develop a new computer operating system. After two years work, a junior software developer persuades the university leader that the technical approach is wrong.• What should the university do?• What should the company do?16CS 501 Spring 2006How to Stop Gracefully• It is harder to cancel a project than to start it.• It is harder to withdraw a service than introduce it.Considerations• The proponents of the system must now reverse their public stance.=> Management of expectations• Users of the service need a migration strategy.• Technical staff must have a graceful path forward.17CS 501 Spring 2006Time to Complete a Software ProjectLarge software projects typically take at least two years from start to finish• Formative phase -- changes of plan are easy to accommodate• Implementation phase -- fundamental changes are almost impossibleYet many things can change in two years.18CS 501 Spring 2006A Sense of UrgencyExample: A not-for-profit corporation is developing a system for a government organization. • By 1996 all research had been completed and the system demonstrated successfully with real users.• In 2005 the system was still not in full productionReasons:=>
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