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implement as possible. It also contains advice for avoiding the problems that a project
manager will typically encounter when bringing these tools into an organization.

By the time you have read this book, you should be able to:
• Define the scope of your project
• Estimate the effort required to do the work and schedule your project

• Conduct thorough reviews of documents and code
• Gather software requirements and create specifications
• Effectively manage the design, programming, and testing of the software
• Provide guidance if your project runs into quality problems
• Manage an outsourced project
• Make effective changes to the way projects are run in your organization

We have been researching and implementing these tools, techniques, and practices
throughout our combined careers. Each of them is the culmination of years of trial and
error in many different organizations across multiple industries. Every one of these prac-
tices is the solution to a specific, chronic problem. Many people opt to live with the prob-
lem, because the solution seems too complicated. Our ultimate goal in writing this book is
to help you build better software.
Often, the original idea (before we optimized it) came from a book that we read to solve a
specific problem that we encountered on a software project (just like you are doing right
now!). References to some of the books that we found most helpful appear in the text in
order to help you learn more.

Who Should Read This Book

Many software organizations have trouble delivering high-quality software on time. Most
of them have talented team members; almost all of them realize that there is a problem.
People in these organizations may have already read books about management, quality,
and programming. What all of these people have in common is a need to change the way
a software organization works.
They may not always recognize the nature of the problem,
or what is causing delays or bugs. What they do know is that something needs to change.
We wrote this book for anyone in a software organization where there are chronic prob-
lems producing software on schedule and without defects. The intended readers of this
book include:
• A project manager responsible for a software development project and/or team

• A programmer, designer, business analyst, architect, tester, or other member of a soft-
ware team looking to improve the product he is working on

x PREFACE