Project Management and SDLC

Project Management and SDLC

Software development failures occur mostly because a step in project management was skipped or not done correctly. Mainly, when this failure is not noticed until the product hits the market, a project management step was skipped.

In 2018, Fiat Chrysler recalled about 5.3 million vehicles that have been sold in America due to a software defect. The defect prevented the driver from canceling cruise control, and while there were no injuries reported, some customers had already experienced the problem (Shepardson, 2018). Such a big problem presents a significant oversight in project management, which could have happened during the building of the prototype as well.

Notably, the biggest problem may have begun in the planning phase of the project cycle because, during planning, the project managers prepare a detailed analysis of the design and everything that needs to be done (Harelimana, 2017). Similarly, in assessing project costs, there must have been an oversight in reviewing the quality and performance of their final product, the cars (APM, N/d). Henceforth, either the project managers forgot some technical specifications when they were planning the design, or during the testing phase, they forgot to test for certain technicalities or both.

In this case, the software mistake that was made may have happened in one of four SDLC stages inclusive of feasibility, design, coding, or testing (CMS, N/d). For example, during the feasibility study, someone may have neglected to do thorough technical feasibility to ensure the software would work. Also, the people drawing the design may have failed to consider everything, which could be why those who did the coding made a mistake by developing a malfunctioning software. Lastly, those who did the testing either overlooked testing every item or received a faulty design for which they could not know to check for said defect.

In summary, the project managers for the development of the Fiat Chrysler overlooked various concepts of project management, including quality or performance and proper planning. These concepts may have been ignored in any of the stages of SDLC, especially the feasibility study, design, coding, or testing.