http://www.softwarebyrob.com/2006/09/04/how-to-burn-6540-week-indecision-software-development/ Passionate about Startups and MicroISVs Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:42:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.softwarebyrob.com/2006/09/04/how-to-burn-6540-week-indecision-software-development/comment-page-1/#comment-199 Eugene Kaganovich Fri, 10 Nov 2006 18:57:37 +0000 http://www.softwarebyrob.com/2006/09/04/how-to-burn-6540-week-indecision-software-development/#comment-199 Interesting article, but I think the cost of making the wrong decision is grossly underestimated. a) Changing a piece of software is often harder => more time consuming => more expensive then implementing it in the first place. Your example only dealt with a standalone piece like a web page. Imagine if the decision had to be made on, say, a datatype of a table that is used throughout the application. The cost to revert the decision will increase exponentially with time as more code is written that uses the table. b) Sending around emails is not necessarily any cheaper than having meetings. It's just another way to communicate, ometimes more appropriate than a meeting, sometimes less. Interesting article, but I think the cost of making the wrong decision is grossly underestimated. a) Changing a piece of software is often harder => more time consuming => more expensive then implementing it in the first place. Your example only dealt with a standalone piece like a web page. Imagine if the decision had to be made on, say, a datatype of a table that is used throughout the application. The cost to revert the decision will increase exponentially with time as more code is written that uses the table. b) Sending around emails is not necessarily any cheaper than having meetings. It’s just another way to communicate, ometimes more appropriate than a meeting, sometimes less.

]]> http://www.softwarebyrob.com/2006/09/04/how-to-burn-6540-week-indecision-software-development/comment-page-1/#comment-198 Marek Rafalowicz Sun, 15 Oct 2006 20:35:39 +0000 http://www.softwarebyrob.com/2006/09/04/how-to-burn-6540-week-indecision-software-development/#comment-198 Hello Rob, From the manager perspective one more solution seems to be available - to delegate the task of making the decision to the developer in as many cases as possible. That can help achieve more than 60% of accuracy and really speeds up the decision process! Few thing are required to make this possible: * Management has to see and understand the problem * Line people have to be given enough information (upfront) to take the right decision * Management has to encourage line people to make the decicions themselves * Management has to help them learn the most effective decision making process * Line people have to feel secure that they will not be blamed for wrong decisions; they have to be sure, that management will take the whole resposibilty in case of problems * Management has to give away some amount of control they keep in their hands That's not common, especially in big organisation, but happends and works really well. Regards, Marek Hello Rob, From the manager perspective one more solution seems to be available – to delegate the task of making the decision to the developer in as many cases as possible. That can help achieve more than 60% of accuracy and really speeds up the decision process! Few thing are required to make this possible: * Management has to see and understand the problem * Line people have to be given enough information (upfront) to take the right decision * Management has to encourage line people to make the decicions themselves * Management has to help them learn the most effective decision making process * Line people have to feel secure that they will not be blamed for wrong decisions; they have to be sure, that management will take the whole resposibilty in case of problems * Management has to give away some amount of control they keep in their hands That’s not common, especially in big organisation, but happends and works really well. Regards, Marek

]]> http://www.softwarebyrob.com/2006/09/04/how-to-burn-6540-week-indecision-software-development/comment-page-1/#comment-197 Carsten Saager Wed, 06 Sep 2006 20:48:10 +0000 http://www.softwarebyrob.com/2006/09/04/how-to-burn-6540-week-indecision-software-development/#comment-197 Unfortunately I know from inside how to strand a huge project by indecision that puts 50 jobs at risk and for sure burnt all opportunities in the local market for years. Letting people not do anything: 30k a week Order them to do something: 50k a week Grounding an enterprise: Priceless Unfortunately I know from inside how to strand a huge project by indecision that puts 50 jobs at risk and for sure burnt all opportunities in the local market for years. Letting people not do anything: 30k a week Order them to do something: 50k a week Grounding an enterprise: Priceless

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