Hello, this is Kamii from the creative department.
I am mainly in charge of project management (hereinafter referred to as "pro-management") for site construction involving system development and collaboration, but from January this year I was appointed head of the creative department.
The Creative Department consists of an operations team that manages the websites of many clients, and a direction team that mainly handles direction of BtoB website production . Approximately 20 members work hard every day with clients to solve various problems.
I decided to hold study sessions twice a month to share with them the project management ideas I had gained through my experience in manufacturing, architectural and civil engineering design, and systems development.
In this series, I will be introducing what was said at that study session.
Series Table of Contents
#01 The key to project success is the "V" ~ The basis of development from the perspective of quality control is the V-model ~ (this time)
#02 About WBS Construction ~Scheduled for release in June~
#03 Quality control and quality assurance - scheduled for release in August -
#04 QCD (Quality, Cost, Delivery) -Scheduled for release in October-
#05 Find out what happened before and after the project ~Scheduled to be released in December~
The first topic is the development process model. I would like to talk about the basics of development procedures that have been systematized in the software development field in order to proceed with projects as planned.
1. What is a project?
The Project Management Institute (PMI) 's Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge ( PMBOK ) states that:
A project is a temporary undertaking to create a unique product, service, or outcome.
It is defined as follows:
Any non-routine task that achieves a goal within a set period of time can be called a "project," regardless of its size.
To keep a project on track, it's important to have a clear image of the deliverables and the process to get there.
2. Basics of the development process model
Whether it is in the field of system development or in the field of web production that Monosus handles, projects are completed through a number of processes.
The development process model is a standardized work procedure in the field of systems development for planning and managing these processes.
First, let's introduce the basic development process models: the waterfall model and the V-model .
2-1 Waterfall Model
The waterfall model is the most basic development process model, which lists each stage of a project in chronological order.
From upstream to downstream processes, we organize each process such as "requirements definition," "basic design," "detailed design," "production/development," "testing," etc. in the same way that water flows from upstream to downstream.
In the waterfall model, the deliverables for each stage are defined, and each stage ends with the completion of the deliverables. Then, this deliverable is considered a prerequisite for proceeding to the next stage.
Waterfall Model
2-2 V-model
The V-model is a waterfall model in which the "development/manufacturing" process is the turning point, with the design process on the left and the testing process on the right, arranged in a V shape.
The design process on the left is positioned as the "quality embedding process," and the testing process on the right is positioned as the "quality confirmation and verification process." The design process and testing process are paired at the same height on the left and right sides of the V, making it easy to see at a glance which design content should be used for testing.
For example, the results of coding production are checked through "unit testing," which verifies whether they match the design contents of the "detailed design."
V-model
3. How to use the waterfall model and the V-model
3-1 Check project plans and estimates using the waterfall model
In the waterfall model, basic design is based on the "requirements specification document," detailed design is based on the "basic design document," and so on, with the work of the next phase being based on the deliverables of the previous phase.
The waterfall model clarifies the entire project process and defines the deliverables for each process, so it can be said to be a model with the following characteristics:
- Easy to grasp the overall scale
- It is easy to clearly divide the responsibilities and duties for each process.
- Easy to manage progress
Therefore, when developing an overall plan and creating estimates before and at the start of a project, it is a good idea to check this model to understand the scale of the project and the skill sets of the personnel involved.
Waterfall Model → Schedule
3-2 Always keep the V-model in mind when it comes to quality control
In order to maintain precision in quality control during production, it is essential to clarify the criteria that will be used for evaluation and verification.
We believe that being aware of the V-model, which clearly defines the design process to be evaluated and verified, will lead to improved accuracy in quality control.
In addition, if an error or omission in the definition of assumptions is discovered during the production process, the V-model can also be used to determine which design step needs to be revisited.
4. What are the problems with the V-model?
4-1 Is the PDCA cycle new and the V-model old?
We often hear about the " PDCA cycle " these days. Is the PDCA cycle a new one, and is the V-model an old development model?
The PDCA cycle is a development model that involves four steps: Plan → Do → Check → Act. After one cycle, the last Act is connected to the next PDCA cycle, repeating business improvement in a spiral fashion (see the left side of the diagram below).
This can actually be applied to the V model.
For example, if the goal is to improve the quality of production, we will focus on the question, "What is the standard for Check?". We will verify it against the target Plan.
If we look at the PDCA cycle from the perspective of quality control, we can think of it as a V-shaped process that repeats over time. This is because it is believed that carrying out Check (evaluation) appropriately leads to more effective Act (improvement) and Plan (planning).
PDCA Cycle
V-model chronological PDCA
4-2 Will the project become rigid?
In the waterfall model and V-model, the testing process is located at the end of the project, so it is said that if a defect is found due to a missed requirement definition or a design error, it can easily lead to significant rework and chaos in the project. Is this true?
Rather than viewing the entire project as one V, I believe it is possible to improve the quality of the design process and avoid situations like those described above by being aware of the V for each process and repeatedly verifying the deliverables based on the upstream processes.
By being aware of V-shapes of various sizes, it is possible to repeatedly consider and verify, and improve design quality.
Will the V-shaped model result in more rework?
V-model for each process
5. The basis of quality control is the V-model
When it comes to quality control, it is important to build quality into the upstream design stage and to clarify standards for testing and verification.
I believe that by applying a large and small V-model to the entire project and between each process, and then reviewing and verifying, quality control can be carried out simply and reliably.
In the first session, we talked about development process models from the perspective of quality control.
Next time we will discuss WBS construction (Work Breakdown Structure).
Building a WBS involves breaking down a project into stages according to a development process model. This process forms the basis for schedules and estimates, and is the foundation for visualizing the overall picture of the project and starting it with confidence.
See you in June.