Go Projects

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Planning software projects that stay on course.

How software projects succeed: requirements, estimates, budget, agile or classic planning, risks and the most common reasons projects fail.

Planning

Goals, requirements, specs: what must be settled before kick-off.

  1. How to Plan a Software Project: 7 Steps Before Kick-offHow to plan a software project: settle the goal, scope, estimate range, roles and risks before anyone writes code. Seven steps plus a one-page template.
  2. Software Requirements Document Template (with Examples)A software requirements document template you can copy: 11 sections, testable example requirements, EARS sentence patterns and the five mistakes that cost most.
  3. How to Write User Stories: Template, Examples, CriteriaHow to write user stories a team can build: the Connextra template, acceptance criteria in Given-When-Then, the INVEST check and four ways to split big stories.
  4. MoSCoW Prioritization: Rules, Example and the 60% LimitMoSCoW prioritization explained: must, should, could, won't have. The 60 percent effort rule, a worked budget example and test questions for real must-haves.

Estimates & budget

Estimating effort, planning buffers, cost over the lifetime.

  1. Custom Software Development Cost: A Realistic BudgetCustom software development cost is hours times rate plus years of upkeep. Wage data, three worked examples and why maintenance often outweighs the build.
  2. Software Estimation Techniques: Methods and a PERT ExampleSoftware estimation techniques compared: analogy, three-point PERT with a worked example, Wideband Delphi, function points, and how to present ranges honestly.
  3. Story Points Estimation: Planning Poker and VelocityStory points estimation without converting to hours: reference stories, Planning Poker with Fibonacci cards and a velocity forecast as a range, worked through.
  4. Fixed Price vs Time and Materials: Which Contract Fits?Fixed price vs time and materials for software: who carries which risk, what a fixed price really costs, capped hybrid models and a three-question test.

Running it

Scrum or waterfall, acceptance, change requests, crises.

  1. Agile vs Waterfall: How to Choose for Your ProjectAgile vs waterfall for software projects: what Royce wrote in 1970, what Scrum requires, a seven-criteria decision matrix and when hybrid is the honest answer.
  2. Why Software Projects Fail: Causes and Early Warning SignsWhy software projects fail, according to McKinsey, Oxford and Standish data, how far to trust the CHAOS numbers, and seven warning signs to check each week.
  3. Change Request Process: Steps, Template and Impact AnalysisA change request process for software projects: six steps, a form template, an impact analysis in numbers, a sample contract clause and a small-change rule.
  4. User Acceptance Testing Checklist: Plan, Run, Sign OffA user acceptance testing checklist covering entry and exit criteria, test case template, defect severity levels and a sign-off record that protects both sides.