Streamlining Project Delivery: Construction, Management, Maintenance, and Agile

 Written by Marlyn Gregorio           ୦            Posted last September 29, 2024

CONSTRUCTION

Construction fits into software life cycles in different ways depending on the development model used. In sequential models like waterfall, construction is a separate phase after extensive design is completed. In iterative models like agile development, construction activities are interleaved with design and testing within short iterations. Incremental models construct software in phases, each increment providing part of the functionality. The boundaries between design, construction, and testing depend on the life cycle model chosen.

Construction planning involves choosing appropriate languages, frameworks, and tools, defining the integration approach, identifying needed hardware and frameworks, determining team member assignments, and scheduling. A key decision is choosing incremental vs. big bang integration. Incremental integration constructs software components separately and then integrate them in stages. Big bang integration defers integration until all components are built. Incremental integration enables earlier validation and localization of errors.

Software construction metrics include code developed, modified, reused or discarded, code complexity, inspection statistics, fault fixes, effort, and schedule measures. Metrics provide insight into construction progress, quality, and improvements.

Managing dependencies in software construction involves tracking internal and external dependencies, avoiding unnecessary dependencies, preventing conflicts between dependent components, and ensuring untrusted dependencies are not introduced. Dependency software project managers help automate installation, upgrade and removal of software dependencies.

MANAGEMENT

Constructing a pyramid was one of history’s earliest management goals. 

Management is everywhere. Any time people work to achieve a goal, they are engaging in management. At least as far back as the building of pyramids in ancient Egypt or Mesoamerica, people have used principles of management to achieve goals. Today, organizations of all types—social, political, and economic—use management techniques to plan and organize their activities.

Two Aspects of Management

When people talk about management, they may be referring to very different aspects. They may be talking about the people who are the managers, especially those people in strategic positions who make important decisions for the organization, such as the executive officers, president, or general manager. Or, they may be referring to the activities and functions of an organization to achieve organizational goals.

Management As People

The people with the responsibility and authority to determine the overall direction of the organization are often referred to as the management of the organization. Management has the authority to decide what the goals of the organization should be and how those goals will be achieved. Individuals in upper management must be aware of conditions in the organization’s environment and have knowledge of the total resources of the organization. They put these two together to determine the most promising path for the organization to pursue.

Management As Process

Decision making and planning are required before actions are taken. Defining the goals of the organization, planning the actions to meet the goals, and organizing the resources needed to carry out the actions are all vital functions of management. Planning and organizing ensure that everyone in the organization is working together toward meeting goals.

Organizations, like families, also have goals. In large organizations, the goals are usually formally defined. A corporate goal may be to increase market share by 12 percent in two years or to provide 250 free meals per week to a local shelter. In small organizations or family businesses, the goals may be more general and informal, such as to provide a unique dining experience to patrons or to be able to retire comfortably in five years.

All organizations—businesses, the military, government departments, nonprofit service providers, or public school systems—require management because they all are trying to achieve goals. And although it may seem straightforward, the management process is complex. In most cases, management functions include:

• applying and distributing organizational resources effectively
• acquiring new resources when necessary
• analyzing and adapting to the ever-changing environment in which the organization operates
• complying with legal, ethical, and social responsibilities of the community
• developing relationships with and among people to execute the strategies and plans

Management Defined

Perhaps the most critical of all the management processes listed earlier is creating the systems and processes that allow people to work effectively toward organizational goals. In fact, many people define management as the art of getting things done through people. Although technology and data are increasingly important in modern organizations, people continue to be a primary focus of management. Putting this all together, we can propose a definition of management: management is the process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling people in the organization to effectively use resources to meet organizational goals.

MAINTENANCE

Maintenance, or technical maintenance, is a set of activities and practices with the objective of ensuring that machinery, equipment, and other types of assets commonly used in business are constantly and efficiently utilized. A good maintenance program puts watchfulness to being effective, and assures the succeeding operations, extended lives, and sustainability of machinery, assets, facilities, and businesses in general.

Most Common Types of Maintenance

There are many kinds of maintenance activities, and each suits certain objectives. The different types of maintenance that understand people can differentiate from what might suit their cases best.

Routine Maintenance

Regulated maintenance refers to the common term preventive maintenance, which is normally a scheduled maintenance activity, usually incorporating inspecting, cleaning, washing, replacing, and checking. Traditionally, maintenance activities were scheduled during downtime, either at the close of a shift or during weekends and holidays, when productivity objectives would not be disrupted by such activities.

Planned Maintenance

Where routine maintenance may happen on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, planned maintenance may be scheduled once per year or as needed. This is because planned maintenance is more time-consuming, expensive, and thorough—often requiring the services of a specialist.

Corrective Maintenance

If during your routine maintenance inspection of a car, you discover signs of severe wear and tear, you need to perform corrective maintenance. When computer or gauge readings for a machine show unusual, possibly hazardous anomalies, you need to perform corrective maintenance. Corrective maintenance pertains to the repairs and replacements necessary to get an asset back up and running at full power and in optimal condition.

Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance focuses on techniques used to determine the appropriate schedule for planned and corrective maintenance. Its primary goal is to predict, through a variety of testing methods, when a machine will start experiencing severe wear and tear so corrective maintenance can be scheduled without affecting productivity goals.

AGILE

The Agile methodology is a project management approach that involves breaking the project into phases and emphasizes continuous collaboration and improvement. Teams follow a cycle of planning, executing, and evaluating. 

Whereas the traditional "waterfall" approach has one discipline contribute to the project, then "throw it over the wall" to the next contributor, agile calls for collaborative cross-functional teams. Open communication, collaboration, adaptation, and trust amongst team members are at the heart of agile. Although the project lead or product owner typically prioritizes the work to be delivered, the team takes the lead on deciding how the work will get done, self-organizing around granular tasks and assignments.

Agile isn't defined by a set of ceremonies or specific development techniques. Rather, agile is a group of methodologies that demonstrate a commitment to tight feedback cycles and continuous improvement.