Blog Project Management
Software project effort estimation – the agile way
Estimating the effort needed to complete a certain software project is incredibly difficult. At the same time it is important to have some indication of development effort in order to estimate cost and decide whether to do the project. We shared four estimation methods with our students in our software project management course, and have…
Sieuwert van Otterloo
Four methods for software effort estimation
Understanding the size and effort of a software project early on is a difficult problem. Several different methods exist, but no method is perfect. In this article we present an overview of the four methods most mentioned in literature: 1) expert opinion-based, 2) top-down estimation, 3) bottom-up estimation and 4) estimation using a parametric or algorithmic model.
Joost Schalken-Pinkster
Getting non-functional requirements right
Getting non-functional requirements right early on is an important success factor for successful projects. This is why, in the course on software project management, one of the practical assignments focused exactly on this topic. In this article we summarize the most important steps: discovering requirements, making them precise and making them flexible .
Joost Schalken-Pinkster
Software project management: managing scope
From March to May 2016, we are teaching the course Software Project Management at the Free University of Amsterdam. Each week we treat one aspect of project management, and last week we discussed project scope management. Managing project scope is crucial for project success, but unfortunately it is often neglected or undermanaged. In this article…
Sieuwert van Otterloo
Why having a vision is key in software project management
From March to May 2016, we are teaching the course Software Project Management at the Free University of Amsterdam. In eight weeks, students learn the fundamentals of project management and are creating their own project plan for a software project of their choice. In the course we devote the first week on the project vision….
Sieuwert van Otterloo