<< Chapter 9: Ten Pounds in a Five Pound Sack
The hypothesis: Amid a wash of paper, a small number of documents become critical pivots around which every project’s management revolves. These are the manager’s chief personal tools
Documents for a Computer Product (Hardware)
- Objectives defines the need to be met and the goals, the desiderata, constraints and priorities
- Specifications, the computer manual and performance specs
- Schedule
- Budget, not only is it good for keep in track of finances but it forces technical decisions and clarifies policy decisions
- Organization Chart
- Space Allocations
- Estimate, Forecast, Prices: Forecast -> Estimate -> Prices -> Forecast -> ….
- market forecasts require performance specs and postulated prices
- market forecasts and components determine manufacturing cost
- cost determines prices
Documents for a Software Project
- Objectives (What?): the need to be met and the goals, desiderta, constraints and priorities
- Products Specifications (What?): starts as a proposal, ends up as a product manual and internal document. Speed and space specifications are critical
- Schedule (When?)
- Space Allocation (Where?)
- Organization Chart (Who?)
- Consider Conway’s Law: “Organizations which design systems are constrained to produce systems which are copies of the communication structure of these organizations”
- The first iteration of the software will reflect the organization of the project. However, the first iteration is almost never the right one.
- In order to force a change on the system, the organization itself must also be prepared to change
Why Have Formal Documents?
It is only when one writes do the gaps appear and inconsistencies protrude.
Documents are also essential to communicate the decision of others.
Finally, the documents act as the manager’s personal database and checklist, to make sure everything is completed.
The task of the manager is to develop a plan and then to realize it. Only written plans are precise and communicable.
2 Trackbacks
[...] Pi/Pi …but that's just one! Skip to content ProjectsCSC309 A3 – kääntää TranslationsCSC309 A1: kääntää TranslationsJump StacksGrksm To UnicodePhotosynth of BahenCSC302 Winter ‘09CSC301 Fall ‘08Project ArgoboxAbout MeContact Me « TMMM – Documentary Hypothesis [...]
[...] Pi/Pi …but that's just one! Skip to content ProjectsCSC309 A3 – kääntää TranslationsCSC309 A1: kääntää TranslationsJump StacksGrksm To UnicodePhotosynth of BahenCSC302 Winter ‘09CSC301 Fall ‘08Project ArgoboxAbout MeContact Me « TMMM – Calling the Shot TMMM – Documentary Hypothesis » [...]