Project Management Class: Catastrophe Disentanglement: Getting Software Projects Back on Track Review

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(More customer reviews)There are plenty of books that try to help you keep your project on track.But what happens when you are sitting on a catastrophe and you don't know how to salvage it?E. M. Bennatan fills a necessary niche with the book Catastrophe Disentanglement : Getting Software Projects Back on Track.

Contents: An Introduction To Catastrophe Disentanglement; When Is A Project A Catastrophe?; Step 1 - Stop; Step 2 - Assign An Evaluator; Step 3 - Evaluate The Project; Step 4 - Evaluate The Team; Step 5 - Define Minimum Goals; Step 6 - Can Minimum Goals Be Achieved?; Step 7 - Rebuild The Team; Step 8 - Risk Analysis; Step 9 - Revise The Plan; Step 10 - Create An Early Warning System; Epilogue - Putting The Final Pieces In Place; References; Glossary; About The Author; Index

If you're in IT for any length of time, you'll be part of a project that is massively over budget or late.Rather than just continue the death by 1000 cuts or a quick mercy killing, Bennatan presents a ten step process that allows an organization to take a (hopefully) objective look at the project and decide what can possibly be saved from it.I was impressed that it wasn't a long drawn-out procedure either.The plan calls for an evaluator (or a small team for huge projects) to come in and quickly assess the environment...what's been done, the climate of the team, and what could be redefined as a "minimum system".At the end of this process, the organization should be able to either kill it off with the knowledge that it can't be saved, or continue on with a redefined set of deliverables that are achievable.It won't be everything that was originally wanted, but it will be more than you'd get by letting it die.I was also impressed with the "What Can Go Wrong (And What To Do About It)" section in each step.He doesn't present this as some cut and dried panacea that will flow smoothly every time.It may not be an easy task, but the book will give you the help you need to make it all work.

Definitely a book that is worthy to be on every IT project manager's bookshelf, as you *will* need it some day...

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"There are many books available on software risks and software failures. There are very few books that provide step-by-step information on getting troubled software projects back on track. This book provides detailed guidelines for software project recovery. Some of the steps the author recommends may be unpleasant, but all are important."-Capers Jones, chief scientist emeritus at Software Productivity Research LLC"This is a well-conceived, well-written, interesting book about an important topic. The author is right in saying that no one else has covered this particular facet of project failure."-Robert L. Glass, publisher of the Software PractitionerA 10-STEP PROCESS TO IDENTIFY SEVERELY TROUBLED PROJECTS AND AVOID COSTLY FAILUREIt's a software development nightmare: a project that's rapidly spiraling out of control...or already a disaster. Conventional project management techniques won't save these projects: there are no standard rescue processes to follow. You need something radically different: Catastrophe Disentanglement.Drawing on in-depth data from hundreds of development organizations, E.M. Bennatan presents a proven, 10-step program for rescuing any project that's worth saving. You'll find specific guidance for addressing massive budget overruns, schedule slippage, poor quality-or all three at once. Using practical examples drawn from decades of hands-on experience as a software development leader and consultant, Bennatan shows how to

Catastrophe Disentanglement is an effective, comprehensive approach to software project rescue. Whenever projects are in trouble-whether you are a senior manager, project manager, team member, or software customer-this book could save your career.Prefacexi Chapter 1 An Introduction to Catastrophe Disentanglement1Chapter 2 When Is a Project a Catastrophe?15Chapter 3 Step 1–Stop43
Chapter 4 Step 2–Assign an Evaluator57
Chapter 5 Step 3–Evaluate the Project73
Chapter 6 Step 4–Evaluate the Team95
Chapter 7 Step 5–Define Minimum Goals113
Chapter 8 Step 6–Can Minimum Goals Be Achieved?133
Chapter 9 Step 7–Rebuild the Team147
Chapter 10 Step 8–Risk Analysis169
Chapter 11 Step 9–Revise the Plan189
Chapter 12 Step 10–Create an Early Warning System209
Chapter 13 Epilogue: Putting the Final Pieces in Place233
References245
Glossary255About the Author257Index259© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

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