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GLOSSARY

Epic. A high-level or complex user story to be refined into more detailed user stories.

Governance. The process of establishing and enforcing strategic goals and objectives, organizational policies, and
performance parameters.

Ideal Time. A best-case estimate of the time needed for a developer or team to complete a task or deliver a feature.

Increment. A tested, deliverable version of a software product that provides new or modified capabilities.

Information Radiator. A large and frequently updated display of project information that is continually visible to the
project team and other stakeholders. Examples of information radiators include burndown charts, cumulative flow
diagrams, and parking lot diagrams.

Iteration. A systematic repetition of one or more software development activities.

Late Binding. The assignment of tasks to specific resources when the resources are available to start work, rather
than when the project is planned.

Modeling. The activity of representing some elements of a process, device, or concept.

On-Demand Scheduling. A scheduling approach in which work is pulled from a backlog according to the perceived
value to customers and is assigned as resources become available. See late binding.
Parking Lot Diagram. A displayed listing of incomplete tasks or user stories not yet being worked on, in progress,
or completed. This listing may be grouped by function with the estimated priority and expected date to start, finish,
or dispose of the items. See information radiator.

Production Rate. A measure of the amount of work completed per unit of time, such as user stories or features
per week. Compare burndown rate and velocity.

Refactor. To restructure software code without altering its behavior for the purpose of improving quality attributes,
easing future extension or adaptation, or adhering to an architectural style.

Release Map. A displayed forecast of when software features will be released and how they will be grouped into
releases.

Retrospective Meeting. A team meeting at the end of an iteration cycle or at the end of a software project to reflect
on what went well, what was learned, and what should be done differently next time.
Schedule as Independent Variable (SAIV). A date-certain scheduling method for a project with a specific end
date, after which the value of a product declines precipitously or a penalty for noncompletion is applied.

Sequence Diagram. A Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagram that depicts time-sequential ordering of
interactions, as in a use case scenario of interactions between an actor and some system elements. Can be used
to depict sequential and concurrent data flow or process flow.

254 ©2013 Project Management Institute. Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition
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