Controlling the Software Life Cycle—The Project Management Task

This paper describes project management methods used for controlling the life cycle of large-scale software systems deployed in multiple instaltations over a wide geographic area. A set of management milestones is offered along with requirements and techniques for establishing and maintaining control of the project. In particular, a quantitative measure of software quality is proposed based upon functional value, availability, and maintenance costs. Conclusions drawn are based on the study of several cases and are generally applicable to both commercial and military systems.