After the above series of analysis, workload assessment and priority assessment, we worked out an iterative project plan, and after a system of user confirmation and company review, we can finally start our real development work.
In fact, the execution process of iterative development is the process of making and constantly monitoring and evaluating the project schedule. Therefore, when the project enters the execution development process, the project manager should first make the project schedule. Now let's see what the project schedule looks like.
In a project schedule, it is firstly divided into three areas vertically: the unstarted task area, the ongoing task area and the completed task area. Of course, other areas can be added, such as the following stages to complete the task area, as well as the work progress, cost and cost statistics, etc.
At the same time, the project schedule is horizontally divided into several areas, each area is an iteration period. In the initial state of the project, all the functions and the work decomposed from them are assigned to the corresponding iteration period and unstarted task area according to the project plan.
In addition, another statistical table is more important for monitoring the entire development progress, it is called Burn-Down Table (temporarily translated as the remaining workload statistics table). The horizontal axis of this statistics table is the project time, and the vertical axis is the remaining workload. At the beginning of the project, the horizontal axis should be 0, and the vertical axis, according to the project plan, should be the total effort for the project. Every time a job is done, the amount of work for that job is subtracted until all the work is done, and the vertical axis is 0. If the project is carried out normally and smoothly, the entire statistical table should be a smooth descending straight line, until the end of the planned delivery time (Deadline), this straight line is called the baseline, but it is an ideal, actual situation Often this is not the case. The remaining workload of the day is recorded every day of the entire project, then this table presents a graph of the actual work progress. When a project is delayed for various reasons, the curve is above the baseline; when a project is ahead because it is progressing well, the curve is below the baseline. Therefore, Burn-Down Table can provide convenience for project managers and their members to keep track of project progress and adjust project deviations in time.
When the project enters the first iteration period, the project manager clearly describes the functions and tasks of the first iteration period, fills in the ongoing task area, and does not forget to fill in the person in charge of each task. As we all know, each iterative period of iterative development is divided into requirements analysis, design, development, and testing, but the content monitored in this table can be detailed and simplified. If you want more refined management, you can decompose each task into requirements analysis, design, development, and testing to monitor separately; if the project is not very complex, it does not need to be divided so finely, it can be divided into development and testing, or not divided. Every morning, project members hold a short regular meeting, or through other means, to report the progress of each task to the project manager. The project manager collects the progress of each task and records it in detail in this table. If a task is fully completed, it is placed in the completed tasks area, and other tasks that have just started are placed in the ongoing tasks area. Finally, the project manager calculates the remaining work on the project and fills it in the Burn-Down Table.
Remember that one of the important ideas of Extreme Programming (XP) is to detect the progress deviation in the process of the project in time and correct it in time, and the use of Burn-Down Table reflects this idea. By organizing and drawing the Burn-Down Table, project managers and their members are provided with a clear visualization of whether the current progress of the project is ahead or behind. If it is ahead of schedule, the project team can carry out more inspections and tests to further ensure the quality of the project; if it is delayed, it has to speed up the progress by rushing to work and working overtime.
Reprinted from http://fangang.iteye.com/blog/1185831