Software Project Secrets is the first book to analyze and address the problems that project management's best practices cause in software development projects. It shows how to integrate agile methodologies with project management to resolve these problems.

The book is aimed at managers, developers and customers who use industry standard methodologies, but whose projects still struggle to succeed. In 2000, only 28% of software projects succeeded outright. 23% were cancelled, and the remainders were substantially late and over budget. (In contrast, 94% of construction projects succeed.) No-one has yet found a satisfactory explanation for why so many software projects fail so badly.

Autorentext
George Stepanek is a senior software developer and team leader for Unisys New Zealand. He earned a master's degree from the University of Cambridge and certification as an architect in J2EE and Microsoft's .NET.

Klappentext

• No other writer on the popular topic of Agile methods and software development methods has identified project management's best practices as a cause of software project failure. The analysis clearly shows how these best practices can create problems for software development projects. * The book assumes no technical knowledge, and is accessible to businesspeople-project managers, executives and customers-who may know nothing about software development. This book is geared towards a wide group of IT professionals and decision makers working in 2005.

• This book is not just theoretical. The detailed case studies included make the material come to life. They illustrate how methodology choices influence the success or failure of software development projects.

Inhalt
Why Software Projects Fail ....- Why Software Is Different.- Project Management Assumptions.- Case Study: The Billing System Project.- ... And How to Make Them Succeed.- The New Agile Methodologies.- Budgeting Agile Projects.- Case Study: The Billing System Revisited.- Afterword.