Free Project Viewer: LiveProject

I came across this Project tool, great value for clients and users who cannot afford to have Microsoft Project.

LiveProject is a FREE Project Viewer application for Microsoft project files. It enables you to view tasks, Gantt charts, resources, among other Microsoft Project information, without the need to install Microsoft Project. LiveProject has no expiration date, and no strings attached. Just download, run and start your work. Easy. Simple. Free.

LiveProject (Free MS Project Viewer from Kadonk)

They have also got the professional version at:

LiveProject Professional

Good Project management tools……

 

December 16, 2007 · Rahul Desai · No Comments
Posted in: Project Management, Tools, Tips & Utilities

Talman is Hiring……

Talman Pty. Ltd. is currently looking for Senior developer and a Senior testing and QA professional.

The roles are based in Sydney-Australia, for more information on our company visit http://www.talmansolutions.com.au

Applicants must have Australian permanent residency in order to apply.

Please send expressions of interest to employment@talman.com.au

Quote of the Day:
He who laughs last has not yet heard the bad news.
–Bertolt Brecht

 

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December 15, 2007 · Rahul Desai · No Comments
Posted in: Talman news

Estimates and Plans – The tightly bonded relationship

Estimation and planning are related topics (not similar topics), but at the same time estimation is not planning, and planning is not estimation. As project managers we do tend to ignore this relationship very often.

 

Estimation should be treated as an unbiased, analytical process; where as, planning should be treated as a biased, goal-seeking process.

 

With estimation, the goal is accuracy; the goal is not to seek a particular result. But the goal of planning is to seek a particular result.

 

Estimates form the foundation for the plans, but the plans don’t have to be the same as the estimates. If the estimates are dramatically different from the targets, the project plans will need to recognize that gap and account for a high level of risk. If the estimates are close to the targets, then the plans can assume less risk.

Both estimation and planning are important, but the basic differences between the two activities mean that combining the two tends to lead to poor estimates and poor plans.

Some of the planning considerations that may depend in part on accurate estimates, can be:

  • Creating a detailed schedule

  • Identifying a project’s critical path

  • Creating a complete work breakdown structure

  • Prioritising functionality for delivery

  • Breaking a project into iterations

 

When you’re asked to provide an estimate, determine whether you’re supposed to be estimating or figuring out how to hit a target.

A good estimate is an estimate that provides a clear enough view of the project reality to allow the project leadership to make good decisions about how to control the project to hit its targets‥

December 15, 2007 · Rahul Desai · No Comments
Posted in: Project Management, Software Engineering

SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Post Mortem Phase (6)

Continuing the previous articles:
SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Inquiry / Investigation Phase (1) and SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Inception / Initiation Phase (2) and SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Pre-Construction Phase / Design Phase (3) and SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Construction / development Phase (4) and SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Post Construction / Development Phase (5), the last phase is Post Mortem. This phase starts if the acceptance test is passed and there is no critical issue reported by the customer within the warranty days after the last delivery. Within the next few days, the post mortem must be conducted.

 

Step 1: Send Invitation

Send the invitation to all participants of the project, usually the customer, the software engineers, the testers, the tech support

Ownership / Responsibility: Project Manager

 

Step 2: Submit post mortem

Submit post mortem back to the Project Manager, which include comments, feedback about the project. Usually they should based on:

  • Communication
  • Quality of delivered product
  • Schedule and Estimation
  • Quality of the technical requirements
  • Correctness of the customer requirements

Ownership / Responsibility: Customer, Software Tester, Software Engineer, Support

 

Step 3: Meeting

A meeting with all (possible) participants to discuss about the project. The compiled comment/feedback must be sent to all participants and saved with the project document

Ownership / Responsibility:· Project Manager, Development Manager, Software Tester, Software Engineer, Support.

December 15, 2007 · Rahul Desai · No Comments
Posted in: Project Management, Software Engineering

New and Edit PropertyMethod Replacement Dialogs – CodePlex – VFPX

A replacement for the Edit Property/Method dialog…..read more at

 

http://www.codeplex.com/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ProjectName=VFPX&ReleaseId=8575

 

November 25, 2007 · Rahul Desai · No Comments
Posted in: Visual Foxpro

SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Post Construction / Development Phase (5)

Continuing the previous articles:
SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Inquiry / Investigation Phase (1) and SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Inception / Initiation Phase (2) and SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Pre-Construction Phase / Design Phase (3) and SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Construction / development Phase (4) the next phase is post construction / post development phase. This phase starts when the team has delivered the first complete version to the customer. Complete means that the deliverable contains all required parts. It could happen that the deliverable still contains undesired issues (called technical bugs). The customer does an acceptance test for any deliverable using either the delivered test procedure or ad-hoc testing. In case the acceptance test fails, the development team has to fix the bugs and this phase repeats.

 

Step 1: Acceptance test

Do the acceptance test using either delivered test procedure or ad-hoc testing

Customer

 

Step 2: Submit Issue

Submit problem with enough information which allow the development team to reproduce the issue, including the following:

  • Detail description of the problem
  • Reproduction scenario
  • Environment of the test system
  • Any other valuable information

Ownership / Responsibility: Customer / Support

 

Step 3: Enter Issue

Enter the issue into the test track system

Ownership / Responsibility: Software Tester

 

Step 4: Reproduction

Reproduce the problem on development environment, update the test procedure document if appropriate

Ownership / Responsibility: Software Tester / Software Engineer

 

Step 5: Fix Bug

Involves multiple steps:

  • Fix the reported problem
  • Execute engineering test to ensure the problem is fixed correctly
  • Code review must applied to ensure consistency of the whole product
  • Mark the reported issue as fixed in the test track (Talman CC) system
  • Issue a new build and notify tester about the availability of the new build

Ownership / Responsibility: Software Engineer / Development Manager

 

Step 6: Verify Fix

Verify the fix, notify the software engineer and team leader about the status of the new build

Ownership / Responsibility: Software Tester

 

Step 7: New delivery

Send the customer

  • the newly available and verified build
  • the engineering release order document which protocols the change and fix made to the build

Ownership / Responsibility: Development Manager / Support

The outputs to this phase : Updated Test Procedure Document (TP), Binary version of the new software, Engineering Release Order (ERO).

 

November 7, 2007 · Rahul Desai · No Comments
Posted in: Project Management, Software Engineering

Management training with NRG solutions..

I recently concluded a management training course  with Steve Herzberg, organized by Talman Pty. Ltd. (the company I am employed with), as I have mentioned previously (SBTUG – August meeting..), I get all charged up and motivated whenever I meet Steve Herzberg, he has got that X-Factor.

We had 6 session of training to cover the following: 

Communication Skills – review and understand the personal profiles. What is successful communication? Why are we here. My role, their role, expectations

Coaching and Feedback – When and how to coach others. How to provide effective feedback

Assertion and Confidence – How to be more confident in front of clients. The power of effective questioning

Dealing with difficult people and difficult situations. Strategies you can apply. Negotiation tips and tactics

Presentation Skills – presenting 1-1, to small groups. Engaging the audience.

Final Session required individuals to present to the group on a selected topic or problem they have had to resolve and also what have they changed as result of the program.

The focus of this training was on:

  • How to effectively communicate with people who are different ( socially, culturally, technically) to clients, staff, peers
  • How to improve the way we express ourselves
  • How to improve the way we coach, provide feedback and support our staff
  • Increasing our confidence levels when we are working outside of our comfort zone
  • Improving our overall presence when we are in front of customers
  • Strategies for dealing with difficult people and difficult situations 
  • Advance and develop our listening, rapport and relationship building skills
  • Understand how to ask the appropriate questions to identify needs and opportunities with customers and staff
  • Understand the role of a leader in driving performance from our team

Overall, great 6 sessions, learnt a lot from the sessions, thanks Peter Metcalf for the training and thanks to Steve Herzberg for delivering 6 great sessions.

 

November 6, 2007 · Rahul Desai · No Comments
Posted in: General, Personal, Talman news, Training

SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Construction / development Phase (4)

Continuing the previous articles:
SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Inquiry / Investigation Phase (1) and SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Inception / Initiation Phase (2) and SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Pre-Construction Phase / Design Phase (3) the next phase should be Construction phase / development phase. This is where the software and all of its parts are constructed. The steps within this phase can be repeated and are internal steps of the development team. When this phase ends, the delivery is the first complete version of the expected product.

 

Step 1: Coding

Implement the software as designed and required Engineering test

Ownership / Responsibility: Software Engineer

 

Step 2: Test procedure

Create the test procedure to test the product

Ownership / Responsibility: Software Tester

 

Step 3: Build

Build and drive test

Ownership / Responsibility: Software Engineer

 

Step 4: Test

System and integration test

Ownership / Responsibility: Software Tester

Within the development team, these four steps can be integrated seaming less and repeated such as tester can start testing certain features while engineering continue with implementing next features.

The documents to be produced at the end of this phase are: Test Procedure Document (TP), Beta version of the software.

More in next blog…..

November 4, 2007 · Rahul Desai · No Comments
Posted in: Project Management, Software Engineering

SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Pre-Construction Phase / Design Phase (3)

Continuing the previous two articles:

SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Inquiry / Investigation Phase…(1) and

SDLC, Phases and task ownership – Inception / Initiation Phase (2) 

here is the  Pre-Construction / Design phase. This phase starts after the inception phase. In general, it can be started when the ERS (Engineering requirement specifications) and the project plan are complete and resources are available. It can also be called as the design phase.

Step 1: Functional Specification

Create the prototype of the project, in most cases the GUI

Ownership / Responsibility: Software Engineer

 

Step 2: Design

Create the design for the software product

Ownership / Responsibility: Software Engineer

 

Step 3: Review

Optional step: Send customer for their feedback. Should be executed if the project has high technical level or if there is feeling that the requirements are somewhat not quite clear.

Development team must not follow customer’s technical suggestion if it is not the only solution.

Ownership / Responsibility:· Project Manager/Development Manager, Customer

 

Step 4:  Update plan

Update documents and plan if step 3 was done and there is critical feedback from customer. In this case step 3/4 should be repeated until misunderstood requirements are cleared.

Ownership / Responsibility:· Project Manager/Development Manager, Customer

The documents to be produced at the end of this phase are: Functional Specification (or Prototype), Design Document (DD), updated Project Plan (PP).

More in next blog entry…..

November 1, 2007 · Rahul Desai · No Comments
Posted in: Project Management, Software Engineering

Re-Initialise Your Registry Without Rebooting….

Save your work before attempting this tip!

Press CTRL + ALT + DELETE, to bring up the Windows task list. Highlight ‘Explorer’ and click on ‘End Task’, if the Shutdown screen is shown, click ‘Cancel’. After a few seconds an error message will popup, click on ‘End Task’ and the Windows explorer will be reloaded along with any new registry settings.

For Windows NT or 2000 or 2003, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select “Task Manager”. Choose the “Processes” tab and locate the “explorer.exe” process, highlight it and click “End Process”. Select ‘File -> New Task’, then enter ‘explorer’ and click OK.

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October 17, 2007 · Rahul Desai · No Comments
Posted in: Tools, Tips & Utilities