Philadelphia University
Faculty of Information Technology
Department of SE
Examination Paper
Lecturer: Dr. Samer O. Hanna
Internal Examiner: Dr. Mohammad Taya
Software Project Management (0721331)
Final Exam’s Key
Date: Wednesday 04/02/2014
First Semester of 2014/2015
Time: 2 hours.
Question 1: (8 marks, 2 mark each)
Discuss in details the following:
1. The differences between objective based and product based projects.
Objective based project  Only the objectives of the projects are specified
Product based project  The specifications of the final products are specified in details,
2. Four reasons that make software effort estimation a difficult task.
a. Complexity of software projects
b. Invisibility of software projects
c. Intensity of human activities
d. Novelty of software applications
e. Changing technology
3. Parkinson’s Law of software effort estimation
Works expands to fill the available time. Giving an easy target staff will work less hard.
4. Brook’s Law of software effort estimation
Putting more people on a late job will make it later
Question 2:
(6 Marks)
Software effort estimations are carried out at various stages of a software project. At each stage, the
reasons for estimate and the methods used vary;
1. Discuss in details four of the estimates done at various stages of a project. (4 marks)
2. Mention the steps in step wise framework that include software effort estimation. (2 marks)
1.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Strategic planning
Feasibility study
Project specifications
Evaluation proposals
Project planning
2.
Step 3
Step 5-8
1
Question 3:
(6 Marks)
Consider the following case study:
As a project manager, you are tasked with developing a new library system for Philadelphia
University. The University would like a new client-server system to replace its much older system
developed around mainframe technology.
Step Wise is a framework that specifies the steps in project planning. According to this framework, what
will be the needed steps to build the library project?
0. Select project
The project has already been selected which is library system.
1. Identify project objectives
1.1 Identify objectives and measures of effectiveness
Objectives:
 Reducing the needed time for borrowing books by student.
1.2 Establish a project authority
Dr. Samer Hanna is in charge of this project
1.3 Identify all stakeholders in the project and their interests
student, academic staff , developer
1.4 Modify objectives in the light of stakeholder analysis
1.5 Establish methods of communication with all parties
Emails will be the method of communication and there will be a meeting each 2 weeks between
the authority and representatives of the stakeholders.
2. Identify project infrastructure
2.1 Establish link between project and any strategic plan
System should be connected with the financial department’s system
2.2 Identify installation standards and procedures
2.3. Identify project team organization
3. Analyse project characteristics
3.1 Distinguish the project as either objective or product-based.
Since the University did not exactly specified the products them this project is an Objective-based
project.
3.2 Analyse other project characteristics (including quality based ones)
Security quality attribute is very important
Usability is important in order to encourage borroweres to use the new system.
a. Identify high level project risks
b. Take into account user requirements concerning implementation
The library wants us to use ASP.NET only to build the system.
c. Select general life cycle approach
Since we are uncertain about the precise nature of requirement then the evolutionary
(incremental) approach will be used.
2
d. Review overall resource estimates
4. Identify products and activities
Products:
1- PBS
Equivalences Screen
Library Screen
Student Screen
Staff Screen
Admin Screen
2- PFD
PFD for the registration screens
….
3- PD
Login screen design
Product identity: LSD
Description : the design of the screen that will be used by the users of the system to login.
Derivation: Registration screen
Composition: none
Format:
Student id
Password
Relevant standard: use HTML, CSS to build it
3
Quality criteria: Security
4.4. Produce ideal activity network
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
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
7. Allocate resources
Mohammad Ali is in charge of the login screen design, he will start 1/6/2013
Etc.
8. Review/publicize
9. Execute Plan
10. Lower level planning Not all of a project, especially when it is large like this project, can be planned
in detail at the outset. Not all the information needed to plan the later stages will be available at the
beginning: for example software development cannot be broken down into precise sub-tasks with
realistic target times until more is known about what the overall design of the system is known.
Question 4:
(8 Marks)
Suppose that you are a project manager and you have the following estimated project cash flow:
Year
Cash-flow
0
-120,000
1
30,000
2
30,000
3
30,000
4
30,000
5
75,000
Compute the following Cost-benefit evaluation values:
1. Net profit (1 mark)
75000
2. Payback period using the accumulated cash flow (2 mark)
4 years
3. Return on investment (ROI) (1 mark)
12.5 %
4. Net present value (NPV) for a 9% rate (3 marks)
25933
5. IRR equation (1 marks)
4
Question 5:
(8 Marks)
For the following network diagram
1. Apply the forward pass in order to find the earliest dates in which each activity maybe started and
finished. (2 marks)
2. Apply the backward pass in order to find the latest date at which each activity maybe started and
finished. (3 marks)
3. Specify the critical path depending on branch 1 and 2. (1 mark)
4. Find the total float, free float, and interfering float for each activity. (2 marks)
Question 6:
(4 Marks)
A company has to choose between two project, smoke & fire detector or motion detector, given the
data in the below decision tree, what will be your choice if you were the project manager of this
company? Justify your answer.
5
Solution:
6