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19-Soft-A7 Software Development Process · May 2016

Question 3 of 8: Incremental-Model Gantt Timeline, Three Teams, 16-Week Project

Nivaar worked solution (AI-drafted; not reviewed by a licensed engineer)

Notes on this paper

National Exams, May 2016 — 04-Soft-A7, Software Process (open book, 3 hours). Notes on the paper: FIVE of the eight questions constitute a complete paper (the first five as answered in the answer book are marked, each of equal value); this solution answers all eight as a full study resource. Most questions call for short, bulleted written answers; Question 3 asks for an incremental-model schedule using three teams, and Question 4 introduces a hypothetical pilot take-off/landing emulator (a pilot requests take-off or landing from the dispatcher, and the dispatcher records the request and allows the movement) that Question 5 builds on.

Reference texts. Sommerville, Software Engineering, 10th ed., Ch. 2 (Software Processes), Ch. 3 (Agile Software Development), Ch. 5 (System Modeling), Ch. 8–9 (Testing), Ch. 22–23 (Project Management, Configuration Management), Ch. 9 (Software Evolution/Maintenance); Pressman, Software Engineering: A Practitioner's Approach, 9th ed., Ch. 2–3 (Process Models, Agile), Ch. 23–24 (Project Management, Risk Management), Ch. 29 (Function-Point sizing), Ch. 22 (SQA), Ch. 24 (Software Configuration Management); SWEBOK v4 (Software Engineering Process, Software Configuration Management, Software Maintenance KAs).

Question 3: Incremental-Model Gantt Timeline, Three Teams, 16-Week Project (10 marks)

Question text not reproduced: the examination questions are © Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Open the official past paper (linked at the top of this page) to read the question, then follow the worked solution below.

Given. A 16-week project using the incremental model, with three teams (A, B, C), each building one increment. The chart must show managerial, development, and QA activities.

Find. A Gantt/timeline chart showing approximate durations for every stage across all three teams.

Approach. Start with a short joint requirements/architecture baseline (so all three increments share one extensible design, addressing Question 1(c)'s drawback), then stagger each team's increment so Team B starts once Team A's core stabilises and Team C starts once Team B's is underway — each team's development is followed by its own QA pass — with continuous program management and a final integration/QA/sign-off stage at the end.

Q3 Incremental Model, Three Teams — 16-Week Project Timeline0246810121416project weekJoint requirements & architecture baselineTeam A – Increment 1 (request/record) devTeam A – Increment 1 QATeam B – Increment 2 (authorization) devTeam B – Increment 2 QATeam C – Increment 3 (conflict-check) devTeam C – Increment 3 QAProgram management & trackingSystem integration & release sign-offManagerialDevelopmentQuality assurance
Figure 1 — Incremental model, three teams over 16 weeks: a 1-week joint architecture baseline, then Team A's Increment 1 (~4 wk dev + 2 wk QA), Team B's Increment 2 starting once Increment 1 stabilises (~6 wk dev + 2 wk QA), and Team C's Increment 3 starting once Increment 2 is underway (~6 wk dev + 2 wk QA); program management runs the whole 16 weeks, closing with a 2-week system-integration/sign-off stage.
Final results
StageApprox. duration
Joint requirements & architecture baseline1 week (~5 days)
Team A – Increment 1 dev / QA4 wk dev / 2 wk QA (weeks 1–7)
Team B – Increment 2 dev / QA6 wk dev / 2 wk QA (weeks 4–11)
Team C – Increment 3 dev / QA6 wk dev / 2 wk QA (weeks 8–15)
System integration & sign-off2 weeks (weeks 14–16)