Case Study 1: Success with Agile Project Management in General Dynamics

Case Study 1: Success with Agile Project Management in General
Dynamics

Due Week 6 and worth 110 points

Read the case study on General Dynamics, located here.

The Combat Identification Server (CIdS) Technology Demonstrator Project (TDP)
has been delivered on time, with quality and budget parameters using the Dynamic
Systems Development Method (DSDM). CIdS is a complex system and software
project. The objective is to help clear “the fog of war” by providing a picture
in the cockpit of an aircraft of the position of nearby friendly forces on the
ground. The selection of DSDM for the CIdS TDP was motivated by the Tactical
Datalinks Delivery Team’s (TDL DT) objective to demonstrate that complex
military technologies could be delivered without delay or cost overrun. The use
of DSDM was a bold move, but the CIdS project delivered successful outcomes for
all involved. In the current economic environment, delivering acceptable
solutions on time and at a fixed cost is surely a priority for the Ministry of
Defense (MoD). The success of the CIdS project has provided a good example for
the project management in the defense sector.

Write a five to six (5-6) page paper in which you:

1. Speculate on the prominent reasons General Dynamics selected the agile
   framework they did to use in this project.
2. Identify the major business problems the project team tried to solve.
   Analyze the manner in which the project team applied the agile project
   management techniques to ensure they delivered the project on time, on budget
   with good quality.
3. Give your opinion if you agree with the approach(es) identified in Question
   2. Justify your response.
4. Analyze the manner in which the project teams and coaches master the agile
   methodology to solve business problems. Determine the approach that you believe
   is the most effective. Provide a rationale for your response.
5. Determine whether or not the agile approach produced more business benefits
   than a traditional project management approach. Justify your response.
6. Provide your opinion on the agile coach’s role in this case and determine if
   the coach is critical to the success of the project. Support your
   answer.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch
  margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or
  school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional
  instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s
  name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and
  the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.