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CHAPTER 7 PROJECT SCHEDULING AND TRACKING 173

should define a collection of task sets, each designed to meet the needs of different
types of projects.
A task set is a collection of software engineering work tasks, milestones, and deliv-
A “task set” is a erables that must be accomplished to complete a particular project. The task set to
collection of software be chosen must provide enough discipline to achieve high software quality. But, at
engineering tasks, the same time, it must not burden the project team with unnecessary work.
milestones, and Task sets are designed to accommodate different types of projects and different
deliverables.
degrees of rigor. Although it is difficult to develop a comprehensive taxonomy of soft-
ware project types, most software organizations encounter the following projects:

1. Concept development projects that are initiated to explore some new business
concept or application of some new technology.
2. New application development projects that are undertaken as a consequence
of a specific customer request.
3. Application enhancement projects that occur when existing software under-
goes major modifications to function, performance, or interfaces that are
observable by the end-user.

4. Application maintenance projects that correct, adapt, or extend existing soft-
ware in ways that may not be immediately obvious to the end-user.
5. Reengineering projects that are undertaken with the intent of rebuilding an
existing (legacy) system in whole or in part.
Even within a single project type, many factors influence the task set to be chosen.
When taken in combination, these factors provide an indication of the degree of rigor
with which the software process should be applied.

7.3.1 Degree of Rigor
Even for a project of a particular type, the degree of rigor with which the software
process is applied may vary significantly. The degree of rigor is a function of many
The task set will grow project characteristics. As an example, small, non-business-critical projects can gen-
in size and complexity
as the degree of rigor erally be addressed with somewhat less rigor than large, complex business-critical
grows. applications. It should be noted, however, that all projects must be conducted in a
manner that results in timely, high-quality deliverables. Four different degrees of rigor
can be defined:
Casual. All process framework activities (Chapter 2) are applied, but only a
minimum task set is required. In general, umbrella tasks will be minimized
and documentation requirements will be reduced. All basic principles of soft-
ware engineering are still applicable.
Structured. The process framework will be applied for this project. Frame-
work activities and related tasks appropriate to the project type will be
applied and umbrella activities necessary to ensure high quality will be