Written by two consultants who have spent more than 30 years developing applications and managing project life cycles, this book is about real-world application development. Its focus goes beyond textbooks dictated from the lofty ivory towers of theoretical euphoria. Instead, it focuses on a world where not every program gets into production without a bug, the scope of projects changes with the wind, projects run overtime and over budget, and users that couldn't care less about the new application being forced on them by I/S--in short, where Murphy's Law prevails. The authors cover all aspects of the application development process. In the process, they not only give you good techniques for real-world application development management, they also include charts, work sheets, and checklists that will help you manage your projects. Make sure your concepts get out of the manager's office and into the practices of those involved in getting the work done.