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From: mcgregor@hemlock.Atherton.COM (Scott McGregor)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: design to cost
Message-ID: <34482@athertn.Atherton.COM>
Date: 19 Feb 91 17:49:44 GMT
References: <1991Feb14.142129.26230@srchtec.uucp> <15038@uswat.UUCP> <1991Feb06.102233.19301@eecs.wsu.edu> <1991Feb11.203134.24438@jato.jpl.nasa.gov>
Sender: news@athertn.Atherton.COM
Reply-To: mcgregor@hemlock.Atherton.COM (Scott McGregor)
Organization: Atherton Technology -- Sunnyvale, CA
Lines: 26

In article <1991Feb14.142129.26230@srchtec.uucp>, johnb@srchtec.uucp
(John Baldwin) writes:

> It sounds like his organization needs a tighter "feedback loop" in
> the implementation stage, or maybe even earlier.  As Mr. Heron mentioned,
> it's unwise to invest money you can never recoup --- so it really doesn't
> make sense to me why they even let a group go ahead and start developing
> something without knowing whether or not they can achieve their objective
                    ^^^^^^^
Fore-knowledge of the future is a rare talent.  For many individuals and
companies, an educated belief about the future is the best that can be
hoped for.  Often the proposed developers claim that they can do it when
they start, and because they are presumed to be knowledgable about what
they do, their estimates are trusted.  Often, to have enough knowledge
of the discipline to give a counter argument, you are probably beneficial
to the company in the development organization itself--in which case the
estimate will be based on your input in the first place.

The knowledge of success or failure in meeting the cost constraints doesn't
really occur until development is done.

> within the specified cost constraints.

--Scott McGregor
Atherton Technology
mcgregor@atherton.com