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CHAPTER 7 PROJECT SCHEDULING AND TRACKING 181
I.1 I.3a I.5a
Concept Tech. risk Concept
scoping assessment implement.
I.2 I.3b I.4 I.5b
Concept Tech.Risk Proof of Concept Integrate
planning assessment concept implement. a, b, c
I.3c I.5c I.6
Tech. risk Concept Customer
assessment implement. reaction
Three I.5 tasks are
applied in parallel to
3 different concept
functions
FIGURE 7.3 A task network for concept development
as a whole is to be completed on schedule. These issues are discussed in more detail
later in this chapter.
It is important to note that the task network shown in Figure 7.3 is macroscopic.
In a detailed task network (a precursor to a detailed schedule), each activity shown
in Figure 7.3 would be expanded. For example, Task I.1 would be expanded to show
all tasks detailed in the refinement of Tasks I.1 shown in Section 7.5.
7.7 SCHEDULING
Scheduling of a software project does not differ greatly from scheduling of any multi-
task engineering effort. Therefore, generalized project scheduling tools and tech-
For all but the simplest niques can be applied with little modification to software projects.
projects, scheduling
should be done with Program evaluation and review technique (PERT) and critical path method (CPM)
the aid of a project [MOD83] are two project scheduling methods that can be applied to software devel-
scheduling tool. opment. Both techniques are driven by information already developed in earlier proj-
ect planning activities:
• Estimates of effort
• A decomposition of the product function
• The selection of the appropriate process model and task set
• Decomposition of tasks
Interdependencies among tasks may be defined using a task network. Tasks, some-
times called the project work breakdown structure (WBS), are defined for the product
as a whole or for individual functions.
Both PERT and CPM provide quantitative tools that allow the software planner to
(1) determine the critical path—the chain of tasks that determines the duration of the