Information Technology Project Management by Jack Marchewka (Book Review- 4.25/5)!!!

 Well, it's not every time that I read the whole book that's in my syllabus of MCA course but this time I almost did it with one of my subject named "Software Project Management". People find it tough because of it being a theoretical concept. I find such subjects little easy because I love reading and I get a lot to read in such subjects. I don't like subjects which forces me to mug up something just because it can't be talked of in any other way. In the 3rd semester of MCA, that I am currently in, I have SPM as a subject which is my favorite. We were asked to refer Jack T. Marchewka's book and hence I read his "Information Technology Project Management"'s 2nd edition. The book is published by Wiley-India Edition unlike other books that are published by Tata McGraw Hill of MCA syllabus. After reading the book, I am quite confident that I'll clear the examination by writing something. That's the specialty of his writing and explaining things. 

About The Author:-
Jack T. Marchewka is an associate professor, the Barsema Professor of Management Information Systems, and the director of the Business Information Technology Transfer Center (BITTC) at Northern Illinois University. He received his Ph.D. from Georgia State University's department of Computer Information Systems in 1994 and was a former faculty member at Kennesaw State University. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Marchewka was a vice president of MIS for a healthcare company in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Marchewka has taught a number of courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and has been a guest lecturer at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University in the Netherlands. His current research interest include IT project management, electronic commerce, knowledge management, and organizational security and business continuity. His articles have appeared in journals such as Information Resources Management Journal, Information Technology & People, Journal of International Information Management, and Journal of Informatics Education and Research.

About The Book:-
This text fits a quickly emerging course in the IT curriculum- project management for IT. The focus is on addressing the issues that arise with software projects in industry- the costs, complexities and risks associated with IT projects, even as IT becomes more reliable, faster and less expensive. These risks are alleviated by effective use of project management techniques, and this book addresses those issues and the techniques used to solve them.

Key Features:-

• Incorporates PMI's PMBOK (Project Mgt Body of Knowledge)
• "Integrated Approach" to pedagogy will provide help for students to understand the big picture and the critical details
• Hands-on, integrated case assignments
• A knowledge management component which will provide a repository on the web for students' experiences and "lessons learned."

Table Of Contents:-

• Preface
• About the Author
• The Nature of Information Technology Projects
• Conceptualizing and Initiating the IT Project
• Developing the Project Charter and Baseline Project Plan
• The Human Side of Project Management
• Defining and Managing Project Scope
• The Work Breakdown Structure and Project Estimation
• The Project Schedule and Budget
• Managing Project Risk
• Project Communication, Tracking, and Reporting
• IT Project Quality Management
• Managing Organizational Change, Resistance, and Conflict
• Project Implementation, Closure, and Evaluation
• Appendix A: An Introduction to Function Point Analysis
• Index

             Coming to the review, I would start talking chapter-wise. The first chapter which introduces us to software and its development isn't written in an easy language the way other chapters of the book is written. Business Case is beautifully explained in the 2nd chapter. Coming to the third chapter based on Project Charter, you would again get depressed as even that's not explained as nicely as I expected. 4th Chapter rocks with a wonderful elaboration of Organization and Project Manager. 5th Chapter again bounced above my head. Chapter 6th and 7th are another disappointment. Chapter 8 explains Risk Management and its processes in the best way that was possible. Chapter 10th could have been hard to explain the quality management and six sigmas kind of thing but author has managed it very well.

           11th Chapter is again a hard thing to break for the readers. Even that's not wonderfully done. Chapter 12th rocked because of Outsourcing. I enjoyed reading this part the most. I gave presentation on this topic in my class too. Leadership and ethics is wonderfully explained in Chapter 13th- Leadership and Ethics. Chapter 14th, the last chapter of the book, explains Project Implementation and Administrative closure, the last phase of the Software Project Development. And with it, a wonderful book that explains almost all the important topics in a very easy language with labelled diagrams ends on a good note. For my classmates, I have also made notes of this book. Now you can estimate well how much in love I am with this book. Jack Marchewka, you rock. I give this book 4.25/5.

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!