Assignment 1: Scrum vs. Plan-Based Software Development Strategies

Assignment 1: Scrum vs. Plan-Based Software Development Strategies

Due Week 2

You
are the lead software engineer at a large educational institution
consisting of twenty three (23) campuses located across the Midwestern
United States. Your team has been asked to spearhead an effort to
implement a new software program that will serve as a centralized
student information center for all of your online students. This system
is being designed to reduce the cost of managing students’ information
and to automate the processes associated with this information. The
total online enrollment currently stands at 10,000 students. As the
project manager you will need to decide whether to utilize the Scrum
approach to project management or a more conventional, plan-based
approach.

Write a three to five (3-5) page paper in which you:

1. Describe
   your approach in managing this project through both a Scrum-based
   approach and a plan-based software engineering approach.
2. Identify
   how to address the most challenging aspects of this software
   development project under both approaches and describe how to address
   such challenges to ensure a successful outcome.
3. Develop a visual rendering of each approach using Microsoft Visio or its open source alternative, Dia. Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of a Scrum approach compared to a plan-based approach based on the following factors:
   1. Planning the allocation of people to projects
   2. Estimating the cost of projects
   3. Maintaining team cohesion
   4. Managing changes in project team membership

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be
  typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with
  one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA
  or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional
  instructions.
• Include
  a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s
  name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover
  page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment
  page length.
• Include
  charts or diagrams created in Visio or an equivalent such as Dia. The
  completed diagrams / charts must be imported into the Word document
  before the paper is submitted.