Case Studies and Project Briefs
November/December 2005
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- Implementation of P2M for Software Development to Multi-Projects Environment by Yuji Kishira
- Standard Processes for Software Cost Estimation Saves 6 Effort-Months per Proposal by Greg Braun
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Implementation of P2M for Software Development to Multi-Projects Environment
by Yuji Kishira
A recent survey by Nikkei Business reported that more than half of all software development projects were missing project due dates, more than half completed over the budget, and one-fourth were forced to reduce originally intended functions during the development. This paper details the findings of a case study for the implementation of a P2M (Project & Program Management for Enterprise Innovation) framework for software development in a multi-project environment.
In real life, projects are not carried out in a single project environment. A real challenge which every corporate management team faces everyday is how to deal with multi-projects. The case study demonstrates not only the elimination of problems such as missing due dates, man-power problems, and too much overtime work, but also the shortening of lead time to 1/2-1/4 of what it used to be without increasing resources.
Read the full text at Implementation of P2M for Software Development to Multi-Projects Environment
About the Author:
Yuji Kishira, Director of Being Corporation, Director of Japan TOC Advancement
Committee, joined Kyocera Corporation in 1984 and headed various projects
in high technology ceramic products and market development for telecommunications,
information technology, medical, and automotive industries. In 2004,
he joined Being Corporation which has developed Japan`s de facto-standard
cost estimation software for public construction. He is actively supporting
various BPR (business process reengineering) projects in commercial companies
and government organizations using P2M (Project & Program Management
for Enterprise Innovation) and the TOC (Theory of Constraints) framework.
Yuji is the author of “A Practical Guide to Marketing for Presidents” Chukei
Publishing 2003 and is publishing a bi-weekly article, “Marketing
Course for Construction Industry,” a Web Publication of KEN-Platz,
Nikkei BP http://kenplatz.nikkeibp.co.jp/cpd/0020/
Contact:
kishira@beingcorp.co.jp
Standard Processes for Software Cost Estimation Saves 6 Effort-Months per Proposal
by Greg Braun
In 1993, the Air Force initiated the Range Standardization and Automation (RSA IIA) Program, a long-term effort to modernize the nation's two spacelift ranges and more specifically, the complicated high-tech systems tracking and data systems each range uses known as the Spacelift Range System (SLRS). In late 1995, Lockheed Martin Mission Systems, located in Santa Maria, California, was chosen to conduct the RSA program with the goal to provide safe mission execution and staunch customer support, standardize designs and interfaces, and improve flexibility, capacity and responsiveness of the SLRS.
To help achieve this goal, Lockheed Martin has implemented a structured software cost estimation process that is saving them an estimated six effort-months per proposal, and with up to three proposals submitted per year, the savings have become quite substantial. The majority of the time-savings arises from the fact that the new cost estimation process provides a consistent method that is understood and accepted by the customer, the Air Force Space & Missile Systems Center, greatly reducing the need for discussion and rework of estimates. Additional efficiencies are derived from the estimating process itself, because the new method automates the large amount of manual data entry and calculations that were needed in the past.
Read the full text at Standard Processes for Software Cost Estimation Saves 6 Effort-Months per Proposal
About the Author:
Greg Braun has a B.A. in Computer Science, Physics and Mathematics from
the
University of Colorado, Boulder, and over 27 years experience in the Defense
Industry. Mr. Braun spent 11 years with Ford Aerospace in the NORAD Cheyenne
Mountain Complex both as a software developer and manager, and then 10
years
in San Jose with Ford Aerospace/Loral/Lockheed Martin, Western Development
Labs as a manager with the Software Productivity Lab (SPL). Mr. Braun
transferred to the California Central Coast and RSA IIA in 1998 where he
still supports new business proposals with Parametric/Monte Carlo based
software estimation. Mr. Braun is also the Manager, of RSA IIA Process,
Metrics Tools and Training where he has led the development and/or revision
of many software processes (SDP, Inspections, Quality Gates, Development
Files, Program Mgt Plan, etc.).
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