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From: daves@hpopd.pwd.hp.com (Dave Straker)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Software Quality 2.0
Message-ID: <36650003@hpopd.pwd.hp.com>
Date: 16 Apr 91 16:59:09 GMT
References: <1991Apr2.200958.8208@spool.cs.wisc.edu>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard CCG-PWD, UK.
Lines: 24

> to the problem.  If a problem resides in the code coming from one person,
> then how do you improve the process without taking some action with respect to
> that person that includes the measured information on bug rates?  What
> does the team do, ignore it?  What does management do?  Say that they know that
> the code is buggy but that no action can be taken because that action would be
> using a metric to evaluate a person?  How about an answer?  What do you do? 
> Say you are in a level five organization, and want to improve the process but
> you have to keep removing bugs introduced by one person.  What is the action
> you take?  

If a person is introducing more bugs, then you help him produce
less, in a non-threatening manner. He probably knows, more than anyone,
that he's screwing up, and is feeling pretty guilty about it anyway.
So, the manager privately and carefully investigates. The guy may
be having personal problems (so give him some space). He may be unskilled
in areas he is working on (so train him). He may just be being careless
or be trying to do to much (so slow him down and get him to check).
In the end, it comes down to man-management. If there *really* is no other
answer, then take him off coding. There are many other activities in
software engineering.

Dave Straker            Pinewood Information Systems Division (PWD not PISD)
[8-{)                   HPDESK: David Straker/HP1600/01
                        Unix:   daves@hpopd.pwd.hp.com