Path: utzoo!yunexus!geac!david
From: david@geac.UUCP (David Haynes)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Reporting progress on a software project
Message-ID: <2894@geac.UUCP>
Date: 19 Jun 88 12:31:23 GMT
Article-I.D.: geac.2894
References: <917@blue.engin.umich.edu> <10941@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <1377@wor-mein.UUCP>
Reply-To: david@geac.UUCP (David Haynes)
Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation
Lines: 94

In article <1377@wor-mein.UUCP> pete@wor-mein.UUCP (Pete Turner) writes:
>In article <10941@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> csm@garnet.berkeley.edu writes:
>>You must have the following guarantees from the powers that be:
>>   1) Hardware and Software for the project will be delivered
>>to you on schedule or the project will be extended on a day
>>for day basis.  If you are not responsible for procurement  
>>and/or installation make sure that delays in this process are 
>>documented and added linearly to expected delivery date.  
>
>Has any engineer out there EVER been able to get "the powers that be" to
>sign up to slip a project schedule in this fashion?
>
>This sounds completely unrealistic to me, even if it does make sense.
>
>
>Pete


There is an old tried and true method for attaining the correct
response (on your part) from the powers that be. It goes like this:

		M E M O R A N D U M

	To: Powers That Be
	From: Mindless Worker Lackie Drone

	Subject: Slippage in Schedule

	Dear PTB:

		Since we have not yet recieved our Frobotz 1200
	which is required at this time to continue work according
	to the Project Plan dated 19th June, we are now faced with
	a potential slippage in the schedule provided at that date.

#ifdef KNOW_WHEN_FROBOTZ_IS_DUE

		Since the Frobotz is now estimated to arrive in
	three weeks, please adjust the schedule provided in the
	Project Plan to reflect a new completion date of xxth
	May 19xx. We are currently looking at re-scheduling some
	less other work to fill in this unexpected gap in our
	planned schedule.

#else

		Since we have received no word on when the Frobotz
	is to arrive, we appear to have two options on how to
	proceed:

		1) If we can determine the date of expected arrival
		   of the Frobotz 1200 we will attempt to re-schedule
		   for its arrival and will inform you of the new
		   scheduled completion date based upon this new
		   information.

		2) We can re-work the schedule to push the requirement
		   for the Frobotz further down the schedule. We estimate
		   that this rescheduling effort will take one month
		   and involve a series of meetings with other managers
		   in order to co-ordinate our new delivery schedules
		   with thier personnel and resources. Naturally, we
		   will automatically incur a slippage of one month
		   for this re-planning effort.

#endif

In the first ifdef, you are practicing an ancient and honorable business
tradition of covering your ass. You have informed management that a slippage
is occuring and you have said you are trying your best, and you have
made the manager both aware of the problem and responsible for its
solution.

In the second ifdef, you are making the manager make a choice -- what they
get paid for. Either s/he has to find out the expected arrival date of
the Frobotz *and* accept that the project will slip *or* s/he will have
to fund a re-planning effort with the fact that the project is slipping
being broadcast throughout the company as you have the "meetings with
the managers of other departments". This is (potentially) of great 
embarassment to the PTB and is to be avoided at all costs. Notice
that if the second plan is adopted, you get some time to determine
what affect the non-arrival of the Frobotz will have on the project.

This works for some managers -- others just refuse to make the decision.
So what? You have done your corporate duty by pointing out the slippage
and may now go back to trying to build the project.

-david-

-- 
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David Haynes                                              Just another road
Geac Computers International Inc.                         kill on the highway
UUCP: uunet!mnetor!geac!david -or- david@geac.UUCP        of life.