Scrum vs.
Plan-Based Software Development Strategies
Assignment 1: Scrum vs. Plan-Based
Software Development Strategies
Due Week 2 and worth 100 points
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.
The specific course learning
outcomes associated with this assignment are:
? Summarize the competitive advantages software engineering presents
to organizations.
? Evaluate the issues and challenges associated with software engineering.
? Describe the role of Agile methods in software engineering
projects.
? Use technology and information resources to research issues in
software engineering.
? Write clearly and concisely about software engineering using
proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.
