Project management in a complex international project

Building on a real life example, project management is described. The stress lies on planning.

In the first part the real life example is described. A giant software development project (250 engineers for over ten years) is used as a case study. Some general remarks about software development are given.

The second part contains a hands–on description how to plan by using the software tool MS–Project. It can be used at least as a skeleton for a planning handbook in almost every imaginable project. Its appendix gives an overview of metrication methods.

Part three gives the conclusions. It stresses the importance of proper planning. It concludes that planning is an integral part of development rather than some administrative work. A fundamentally new profit center organization for project is defined. Its controlling (project management) is discussed in detail.