Philadelphia University
Faculty of Information Technology
Department of SE
Examination Key
Lecturer: Dr. Samer O. Hanna
Software Project Management (0721331)
First Exam’s Key
Date: 20/11/2014
First Semester of 2014/2015
Time: 50 min.
Question 1: (6 marks, 2 mark each)
1. Characteristics of projects.

Non-routine

Planned

Aiming at a specific target

Work carried out for a customer

Involving several specialisms

Made up of several different phases

Constrained by time and resources

Large and/or complex
2. Four examples of the commonly experienced problems by managers, staff or clients regarding
software project management.
Managers:

Poor estimates and plans.

Lack of quality standards and measures
Staff

Inadequate specification of work

Management ignorance of IT
Clients
The US Internal Revenue System was to abandon its tax system modernization after having spent
4$ billion.
3. Plans vs. methods vs. methodologies.
Method: type of activity in general
Plan: takes the method and identify start and end dates, who will carry out, and what tools and
materials will be used for each activity in a method.
Methodology: a group of related methods.
1
Question 2:
(10 Marks)
Consider the following case study:
As a project manager, you are tasked with developing a new student registration system for
Philadelphia University. The University would like a new client-server system to replace its much
older system developed around mainframe technology. The new system will allow students to register
for courses and view report cards from personal computers attached to the campus LAN. Professors
will be able to access the system to sign up to teach courses as well as record grades.
Step Wise is a framework that specifies the steps in project planning. According to this framework, what
will be the needed 10 steps to build the above project?
4. Identify products and activities
Products:
1- PBS
Graduation Projects screens
.... etc.
Login screen design
Design of the screen for
selecting projects
2- PFD
2
Registration
screen code
….
3- PD
Login screen design
Product identity: LSD
Description : the design of the screen that will be used by the users of the system (students and
doctors) to login.
Derivation: Registration screen
Composition: none
Format:
Student No
Password
Relevant standard: use HTML to build it
Quality criteria: Security
4.4. Produce ideal activity network
3
Step 4.5 Add check-points if needed
5. Estimate effort for activity.
5.1 Carry out bottom-up estimates
Specify the needed effort for each activity
Plan testing needs 2 days and 3 testers
Select subjects need 1 day and 2 testers
Design questionnaire needs 7 days and 3 testers
…..
Login screen design needs 2 days and 1 graphic designer.
6. Identify activity risks
The graphic designer may take 3 days to design the login screen
6.1.Identify and quantify risks for activities
– damage if risk occurs (measure in time lost or money)
– likelihood if risk occurring
6.2. Plan risk reduction and contingency measures
– risk reduction: activity to stop risk occurring
– contingency: action if risk does occur
Question 3:
(6 Marks)
An IT project is to replace the locally held paper-based records with a centrally organized database. Staff
in a large number of offices that are geographically dispersed need training and then need to use the new
IT system to set up the back-log of manual records on the new database. The system cannot be properly
operational until the last record has been transferred. The new system will only be successful if new
transactions can be processed within certain time cycles.
1- As a project manager, identify the data that you would collect to ensure that during execution of
the project things were going to plan. (2 marks)
2- Draw and discuss a model that represents this project's control cycle. (4marks)
1Data – the raw details
e.g. ‘6,000 documents processed at location X’
Information – the data is processed to produce something that is meaningful and useful
4
e.g. ‘productivity is 100 documents a day’
Comparison with objectives/goals
e.g. we will not meet target of processing all documents by 31st March
Modelling – working out the probable outcomes of various decisions
e.g. if we employ two more staff at location X how quickly can we get the documents processed?
Implementation – carrying out the remedial actions that have been decided upon
5