Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!aplcen!samsung!emory!stiatl!srchtec!johnb
From: johnb@srchtec.UUCP (John Baldwin)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Today's Software Standards (was RE:some advice to a sw e
Message-ID: <233@srchtec.UUCP>
Date: 26 Sep 90 21:11:02 GMT
References: <3259@mindlink.UUCP> <15444@yunexus.YorkU.CA>
Organization: search technology, inc.
Lines: 33

David Collier-Brown writes:

>Susan Maxwell writes:
>| This debilitated the software to the point that it gained few customers, and
>| the cost of development was not recovered.  I can't hold the manager
>| completely at fault, however. When customers want software that does
>| something, they want it *now*.  If you aren't fortunate enough to be
>| building that software already, the time crunch is always going to be there.


>  Well, I'd say the manager blew it: its actually **hard** to deliver
>  such a gutted subset that customers won't accept it.


I would have to agree.  In fact, therein lies a good course of action
to take when a project *must* be completed on time, and it begins to
show uncorrectable signs of going over.  Its called "trimming."
The smart manager will realize that the original project, as specified and
envisioned, will not be complete by the due date.  She or he also realizes
that if parts of the functionality are NOT "trimmed" by intelligent choice,
they will be trimmed by default: whatever gets finished, gets finished.
This is likely NOT to be the things the customer needs/perceives-to-need
most!  The other result of deliberately "trimming" is that what you
*do* release can be tested and held to generally high standards of
quality.  In the case of those who simply choose to "push ahead,"
testing is one of the things that often gets short-changed.

Just my $8.64 worth.
-- 
John T. Baldwin                   |  johnb%srchtec.uucp@mathcs.emory.edu
Search Technology, Inc.           |  "Pereant qui ante nos nostra dixerunt!"
                                  |
Opinion (uh'pen'yun [noun]): knowledge without the hindrance of silly facts.