Software Project Management Plan: Steps, Tips & Successful Cases

Nowadays, many organizations and individuals are becoming more aware of the importance of technological factors in all aspects of life. This situation has resulted in the increasing need for different software products and services. However, they can’t create effective software solutions if they have no proper software project management plan.

Whether you’re currently an experienced software project manager, an ambitious team member in a software project, or still very much in the dark about it, this article from Designveloper will offer something helpful. Specifically, you’ll know something about project management steps and how to make an effective project management plan. 

Software Project Management Overview

Software project management stands out as a specialized field within project management, honing in on the planning, scheduling, resource allocation, execution, tracking, and delivery of software and IT projects. Its aim? To churn out top-notch software solutions while making the most of resources, time, and budget.

In today’s ever-changing tech landscape, nailing software project management is paramount. Accordingly, the global market for project management software is on track to hit $7.24 billion by 2025, with forecasts pointing to a whopping $12.02 billion by 2030.

Typically, software project management breaks down into five pivotal phases:

• Initiation: This kickstarts by defining the project, pinpointing stakeholders, and weighing project feasibility.
• Planning: Here, detailed plans take shape, from outlining the scope and objectives to crafting a project schedule and tallying up resources.
• Execution: This is where the rubber meets the road. The project crew rolls up their sleeves and dives into software development as per the plan.
• Monitoring: As the project unfolds, keeping tabs on progress is key. Adjustments are made on the fly to stay the course.
• Closure: Once the software’s polished and ready for prime time, it’s handed over to the customer. The project gets a once-over, with lessons learned noted down for next time.

Nailing software project management can work wonders for project success rates. Stats show projects are 2.5 times more likely to succeed when project management practices are put into play. Yet, it’s worth noting that a staggering 70% of projects flop, and 42% of companies fail to grasp the essence of project management. These numbers underscore the critical role of effective software project management.

Why You Need a Software Project Management Plan

At Designveloper, we firmly believe in the power of a meticulously crafted software project management plan as the bedrock of prosperous software development endeavors. It’s not merely about coding; but it’s also about plotting, arranging, and furnishing top-tier software solutions tailored to your exacting requirements.

A software project management plan serves as a compass, steering the project team toward triumphant project culmination. It ensures crystal-clear delineation and comprehension of project objectives and goals, optimal allocation of resources, proactive identification and mitigation of risks, and methodical organization and execution of tasks.

Take, for instance, a software development endeavor we spearheaded at Designveloper. We embraced Agile methodologies and leveraged tools such as Jira to monitor progress, streamline resource management, and guarantee punctual delivery. Our all-encompassing software project management plan empowered us to furnish a top-notch software solution punctually and within budget, culminating in a contented client and a triumphant project outcome.

6 Tips on Building a Software Project Management Plan

As shown above, planning is one of the five project management steps. Just when the software project can be approved, it needs a project plan to give direction to the whole team in terms of product scope, resources and material required, quality outputs, potential risks management, and costs throughout the project. 

1. Performing requirement gathering

The first step in building a software project management plan is requirement gathering. It is about the exploratory research and documentation of the customers’ project requirements to provide them with what they want. The requirements-gathering process can conduct at the very beginning of the software project.

This phase can determine the success or failure of any software and IT-related project. More specifically, if you cannot get a correct requirement identification of deadlines, scope, and cost overrun at the outset, all these elements will negatively impact the project’s progress. In fact, over 70% of failed projects resulted from the flawed requirements-gathering process.

Indeed, there are multiple ways to gather requirements. As a software project manager, you can utilize methods such as conducting a pre-workshop survey, adopting the nominal group technique, organizing brainstorming sessions, or having one-on-one talks with those involved. Importantly, whatever means you use, you need to select the best method mix that is beneficial for the project.

2. Planning for software project risks

The project risks can be unexpected and rampant. They range from insufficient time and budget to unrealistic stakeholders’ expectations of software quality standards and human resource issues. Thus, the identification, quantification, and response to the risk potentials to mitigate their impacts are essential in the project management phases. 

Irrespective of your company’s official risk management plan, you and you project team have to identify accurately and quickly the project risks. This can be achieved by using both quantitative and qualitative risk analyses. But the former is more suitable for large projects with longer durations and more money at stake.

Recommended reading: SDLC Waterfall Model: Definition, Phases, and Pros & Cons

Besides, the risk response plan plays a vital role in risk management since it contains a list of identified risks, their impacts, and measures to address them. Remember that the risk response plan needs regular updating to make risk information current because risks are unexpected during the project and can vary from time to time.

3. Building a software project quality plan

Project quality refers to the project’s deliverables and ability to meet the specified and implied requirements. There are three interrelated constraints (project scope, cost, and time) that determine the quality of a project. As can be seen in the Iron Triangle below, three triangles’ sides correspond to three constraints. Any change in one constraint will make the two remaining ones change. And the quality in the middle is affected accordingly.

Therefore, as a software project manager, you should determine the project scope connected with the cost and required schedule. Then you need to examine the expenses needed for the achievement of the expected quality level. In some cases, you have to consider the profit margin expected to gain your software project’s optimal quality level. 

Moreover, it would help if you had a quality assurance or defect prevention plan. Which is one of the most necessary things for any software project. It ensures that your project’s satisfactory level will be obtained through the validation. And verification of the work products after each software product phase. Only when they satisfy the expected quality level can the project be permitted to move forward.

4. Selecting software project team members

A software project is a collaborative activity performed by people, and they are those in your project team. You need a project team for planning, estimating, execution, and project completion. They need you to lead the project until the end and protect them from stakeholders’ badgering. 

To determine all necessary resources for the project, you can consult those experienced in software and IT-related products. You can also refer to the resource database in your company. It will scan the resources and know people’s skill sets. And talents for your project team to be assembled quickly.

You can make a conversation with promising project team members about how you can help each other to create a win/win situation. The STAR is a method that can be used to interview. This may give you an insight into a person’s qualifications, experience, achievements, strengths, and weaknesses.

5. Creating software project time estimates

The software project manager is also responsible for creating the time estimate as accurately as possible. A reasonable time estimate will help you be more prepared for any risks, and development delays. And time-consuming tasks so that the whole project can be implemented straightforwardly to completion. 

Creating a correct time estimate of how long the project will last is a time-consuming and challenging task. However, a work breakdown structure (WBS) and a project network diagram (PND). It helps to detail what should be conducted by both the project manager and the project team for the project completion.

In addition to Gantt charts, you can use PERT charts to achieve the correct time estimate. PERT is the only time-estimation technique with a built-in risk assessment level because outside of estimating the best-case scenario. The most likely time, it considers the worst situations that can occur for any activity.

Recommended reading: An Overview of Project Management Services

6. Estimating software project cost

A critical phase in software project management planning is understanding how much a project will cost for you to commit the funds. An accurate budget estimate should include the following: product and project scope, time frame, assumptions, constraints, and variance range. 

Cost estimation helps you explain all real costs to a stakeholder about a correct ballpark figure for the project. Though not all necessary information is available until the planning process. It won’t stop customers from asking cost questions requiring quick responses. Remember that poor cost estimates win little trust from the stakeholders.

You should also bear in mind that understanding your organization’s rules for estimating is essential before diving into cost estimates. Some companies don’t have specific policy guidance on cost estimates. While others will offer some guidelines, to which you should conform. It’s also advisable for you to refer to historical information and cost-estimating templates.

FURTHER READING:

1. Web Application Architecture: Types, Components, and Tools to Creates

2. What Is The Quality Assurance Process?

Software Project Management Plan Examples

To save time and effort, you can refer to any software project management plan examples on some websites. Platforms like GanttPRO, Instagantt, and Projectmanager offer ready-made management plan templates that will be extremely helpful irrespective of your experience or organization size.

With the software project management plan example templates, you don’t need to worry about project tasks, project duration, those in charge, project progress, and so on. Thus, you can focus on your tasks, prevent risks, and meet all deadlines. And accordingly, proceed in all the project management phases.

In a nutshell, among the five project management phases, building a software project management plan is the skeleton of any project software. As a software project manager, you can refer to our suggested steps above. To create a detailed management plan, ensure the smooth operation of your project team, and lead them to successful project completion.

5 Successful Cases of Software Project Management Implementation

In the realm of software development, project management stands as a linchpin ensuring project success. Here, we highlight five remarkable instances of effective software project management in action:

• The Sydney Opera House Project: Despite encountering leadership shifts, budget overruns, and design setbacks, the project persevered, culminating in its completion in 1973, albeit a decade later than anticipated. The Opera House stands tall today, symbolizing resilience and triumphant project management amidst adversity.

• The Airbus A380 Project: This endeavor exemplifies the hurdles faced in crafting the world’s largest commercial aircraft. Despite enduring significant delays and cost escalations exceeding $6 billion, meticulous project management tactics steered the Airbus A380 to a successful launch. Accordingly, it delivered a top-tier aircraft that met customer expectations.

• The Panama Canal Expansion Project: This serves as a compelling case study, spotlighting the management’s navigation of expanding the Panama Canal’s capacity. With multiple stakeholders, technological breakthroughs, environmental considerations, and safety hurdles, the project showcases effective project management in action.

• The Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project: This venture stands as a testament to managing a large-scale subterranean tunnel construction. Despite grappling with complexities, technological glitches, budget overruns, and media scrutiny, the project successfully addressed traffic congestion, concluding in 2007.

• The London 2012 Olympics Project: Serving as a benchmark in international sporting event management, this project highlights successful project management practices on a grand scale.

Final Thoughts on Software Project Management Plan

This article has provided you with a comprehensive overview of how important a software project management plan is through real-life stats and emerging trends. We also expect that our six detailed steps can guide you seamlessly to build an appropriate plan. 
At Designveloper, a meticulously prepared plan acts as the cornerstone of every successful software venture. We’re unwaveringly dedicated to using deep expertise and experience in software project management to produce bespoke solutions that align with our clients. So if you need to assist with your next software project management, get in touch with us today!