Troubleshooting Large-Scale New Product Development Embedded Software Projects

Many modern new product development (NPD) embedded software projects are required to be run under turbulent conditions. Both the business and the technological environments are often volatile. Uncertainty is then an inherent part of the project management. In such cases, traditional detailed up-front planning with supporting risk management is often inadequate, and more adaptive project management tools are needed. This industrial paper investigates the typical problem space of those embedded software projects. Based on a literature survey coupled with our practical experiences, we compose an extensive structured matrix of different potential project problem factors, and propose a method for assessing the project’s problem profile with the matrix. The project manager can then utilize that information for problem-conscious project management. Some industrial case examples of telecommunications products embedded software development are illustrated.