Managing Web Engineering Project management for Web engineering is governed by the unique characteristics of WebApp projects. These characteristics precipitate questions whose answers can make or break a project.
■ A substantial percentage of WebApps are outsourced. How is the competence of a WebApp vendor determined? How do we know whether a price quote is reasonable? What degree of planning, scheduling, and risk assessment can we expect as an organization (and its contractor) embarks on a major WebApp development effort?
■ WebApp development is a relatively new application area. There is little historical data and fewer project-oriented metrics to use for estimation. Therefore, how are reliable estimates derived? What degree of assurance can be given that defined schedules will be met?
■ Estimation, risk analysis, and scheduling are all predicated on a clear understanding of project scope. But WebApp scope is fluid. How can the contracting organization and the outsourcing vendor control costs and schedule when requirements are likely to change dramatically as a project progresses? How can scope creep be controlled, and, more important, should it be controlled given the unique nature of Web-based systems and applications?
At this stage in the history of project management for WebApps, these questions are not always easy to answer. However, a few guidelines are worth considering.
Initiating a project. Even if outsourcing is your strategy, a number of Web engineering tasks should be performed internally before outsourcing the work. You’ll have to iden
tify the audience for the WebApp and pinpoint the internal stakeholders who might have an interest in the WebApp. The overall goals for the WebApp should be defined and reviewed, the information and services to be delivered by the WebApp should be specified, competing Web sites should be evaluated, and qualitative and quantitative “measures” of a successful WebApp should be defined. Sound familiar? It should— you’re doing requirements analysis. An expert developer should create a complete design for the WebApp, but you’ll save time and cost if you do a rough design before turning the project over to the vendor. The design should include an indication of the type and volume of content to be presented by the WebApp, the types of interactive processing to be performed, and any interoperability requirements for existing systems. In essence, you’ll have identified the WebApp’s general look and feel (this can always be modified during later stages of the project). Finally, think about the degree of oversight and interaction you’ll require during the project. It’s not a bad idea to identify appropriate liaison personnel (by name) and to define review points as development proceeds. Once you’ve completed these project initiation activities, you’re ready to generate a request for quote that is transmitted to candidate vendors. If WebApp development work is to be conducted by an internal group, nothing changes! The project is initiated in the same manner.