Safeguard data-processing system: Software project management

A broad-based study of software project management for the Safeguard project is presented. Safeguard posed unprecedented project management challenges because of its size and complexity, yet the project was successful in attaining its objectives. This account of what some of the challenges were and which approaches were most effective in meeting them will hopefully suggest guidelines for the management of other software projects. Subjects include planning, methods for gathering status information, control actions, requirements, and programming methodology; also, differences between managing a software and a hardware project are explored. This study is based on intensive semistructured interviews with 26 Safeguard software managers at all levels concerning their experiences on the project and opinions derived from them. The views expressed are limited to those of the individual managers interviewed and do not represent a consensus of Safeguard management.