Understanding the Customer and Building the Right Team

1. Understanding the Customer and Building the Right Team Before we start construction, let’s lay the groundwork.

2. Outline for Tonight • Homework Question (34 competencies) • Critical Success Factors • Importance of Considering the Corporate Process • Key Players and their Motivations • Importance of Teamwork • Leadership vs Management

3. Which are most important? Product Develop Skills Awareness of Process Standards Evaluating Alternative Processes Tailoring Processes Assessing Processes Defining the Product Managing Requirements ManagingSubcontractors Performing the Initial Assessment Selecting Methods and Tools Tracking Product Quality Understanding Development Activities Project Management Skills Building a WBS Documenting Plans Estimating Costs Estimating Effort Managing Risks Monitoring Development Scheduling Work Selecting Metrics Selecting Project Management Tools Tracking Processes Tracking Project Progress People Management Skills Appraising Performance Handling Intellectual Property Holding Effective Meetings Interaction and Communication Leadership Managing Change Negotiating Successfully Planning Careers Presenting Effectively Recruiting Selecting a Team Teambuilding

4. Critical Success Factors 10 signs of IS project failure: • Project managers don’t understand users’ needs. • The project’s scope is ill-defined. • Project changes are managed poorly. • The chosen technology changes. • Business needs change. • Deadlines are unrealistic. • Users are resistant. • Sponsorship is lost. • The project lacks people with appropriate skills. • Managers ignore best practices and lessons learned. 1 – 7 occur before even the design starts Source: “Critical Success Factors in Software Projects” by John Reel, IEEE Software, June 1999

5. Critical Success Factors • Stable Requirements • Accurate Estimations • Teamwork and Unified Vision • Attention to Risks Source: lots of reading by Dannelly

6. Why consider the Corporate Process? • The Critical Point of View is the End-User • the best software solutions come from understanding the customer's view of the world and addressing the customer'sproblems

7. Why consider the Corporate Process? • Perceived Valueis based on how well the software solves the customer's problem in their domain • Value is not entirely based on Quality • for example - Microsoft software crashes • Perceived Value ≠ Actual Costs • for example - Microsoft security holes costs millions of dollars

8. Why consider the Corporate Process? • Customer's take the Business View ($), not the computer science view • The system should revolve around the Company's Objectives

9. Question… • So who are the key players? • Who should we try to make happy?

10. People in the Process • Managers • Employees / Users • Company's Stock Holders • Consumers

11. Managers' Motivations • Return On Investment • Intangible Benefits • Market Strategy • meeting existing or expected demand • being the first to market • securing our niche in the market

12. Others’ Motivations? • Employees / Users • Consumers • Stock Holders

13. Other considerations… • How we conduct the project and who we need on our team is also dependant on the type of product and the type of work to be conducted.

14. Types of Software Products • business • biggest class • includes services • consumer • mass market / shrink wrap • price sensitive • Industrial and real-time • really timely • scientific

15. Project Types • new software product • component integration • re-engineered product • heroic maintenance

16. Summary • We must understand the Company Process • We must recognize the key players and know their objectives • The type of product dictates a lot • Now that we have a good idea of the environment that we are dealing with, it is time to build a team and start planning

17. Questions… • What is the number one determiner of a group’s productivity? • What is the difference between a “manager” and a “leader”?

18. Important Teamwork Ideas • Software Projects are Cultural Events • Management ≠ Leadership • Team’s ability is based more on its personality than its skill

19. Cohesion • Biggest influence on Productivity is TeamCohesion • Team cohesion influences how the team reacts to external influences, internal problems, and project challenges

20. Cultural Roles • Leader • Listener • Talker • Expert • Complainer • …

21. Engineering Roles • Requirements Analyst • Designer • Quality Assurance • Marketing / Customer Liaison • Tools Expert • Documentation • Trainer • …

22. Cultural To-Dos • Monitor and Manage Culture, as well as technical issues • Understand each team member’s background and personality • Match Roles to Personalities • Understand the Organizational Culture

23. Management vs Leadership • Management is derived by title • People are required to do the work specified by the manager • Leadership draws extra effort without obligation • Most managers rose because of technical skills, not people skills

24. Management vs Leadership Manager – Do things Right Leader – Do the Right Thing

25. Manager’s ToDo List • Gain visibility without micromanagement • Review process and products, not people • Coordinate, don’t manipulate • Use your knowledge, not your power • Focus on project’s needs and people’s needs, not your power

26. Leader’s ToDo List • Hire for trait and train for skill • Be confident in self and team • Be fallible • Lead by example • Utilize team member’s talents • Complete commitments on time

27. Leader’s ToDo List • Allow staff to make decisions • Place workers physically together • Limit the number of projects assigned to a person • Never impose phony deadlines • Allow teams to jell, don’t mix them up frequently • Create ritual (e.g. team meetings)

28. How much Leadership? Team Leader Unwilling & Unable strong direction Unwilling & Able soft direction, sensitive to feelings Willing & Unable concern for feelings, help do tasks Willing & Able stand back and get out of their way see table 6-14 and Figure 6-9.

29. Improving the Team • Make professional development a project goal • Recognize long and short term development goals • Let each member specify personal goals • Have members track their time

30. P-CMM www.sei.cmu.edu/cmm-p The People Capability Maturity Model (People CMM) is a framework that helps organizations successfully address their critical people issues. Based on the best current practices in fields such as human resources, knowledge management, and organizational development, the People CMM guides organizations in improving their processes for managing and developing their workforces. The People CMM helps organizations characterize the maturity of their workforce practices, establish a program of continuous workforce development, set priorities for improvement actions, integrate workforce development with process improvement, and establish a culture of excellence. Since its release in 1995, thousands of copies of the People CMM have been distributed, and it is used worldwide by organizations, small and large.

31. SEI's Motivation to develop P-CMM • Scarce talent • High salaries • High turnover • Increased workloads • Unfinished work

32. P-CMM • Level One – ad hoc • Level Two – stable foundation of processes across organization • Level Three – best practices are made the common practice • Level Four – processes are managed • Level Five – continuous improvement

33. Next Time… • Now that we have a team and know the customer's environment, let's start creating something. • Step One - define the scope, set some measurable goals • Step Two - start figuring out all the tasks that need to be done

34. “Homework” • Before class #3, read the article from Navy regarding value of defining scope, etc.