This book provides valuable advice for project and application managers looking to minimize the number of crises they have to deal with and for IT practitioners seeking the practical solutions that lead to career advancement. The author focuses on software development and maintenance, highlighting the most frequently encountered problems that arise from poor processes, and presents recommendations derived from 40 comprehensive assessments of IT organizations. The book details the potential or real problems each organization experienced and describes how these resulted from deficient practices, their impacts, and the benefits of improving specific practices.