ProjectConnections Articles

Counting to Ten by Carl Pritchard

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:47:02 -0700

Coming back from vacation, you would think that we'd suddenly all be far more accommodating, understanding and relaxed. Strangely enough, I seem to note that the folks that I'm dealing with seem more pressured and stressed than they did before they took off on holiday. Here are ten simple suggestions on how to either be or appear less frustrated the next time someone pushes you near the edge of frustration.

How to Estimate Program Size by Alan Koch

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:05:07 -0700

In my last article on Cost of Quality, I started out by blithely proposing, "Let's say we're going to write a system of 25,000 Lines of Code." A perceptive reader called me on it! How do you guess at how many lines of code there will be? It's an important question without a quick and easy answer.

GoldPlater by Kent McDonald

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:11:47 -0700

In the mid 60's, James Bond avoided hat-throwing henchmen and suggestively named pilots to prevent Auric Goldfinger from inflating the price of gold astronomically (one could say "atomically"). These days, project managers have to fight an equally devious villain, Goldplater, who attempts to atomically inflate the costs of projects.

A Few Closing Words by Geof Lory

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:11:52 -0700

I am a big believer in the power of words and in fact receive a daily dose from A.Word.A.Day to keep my vocabulary challenged and fresh. What I find most interesting about words is how they can be used to optimally express my true intent when communicating. The more specific the word, the more specific the meaning, which hopefully better expresses intent. I find that it is easy to get lazy with the use of certain words that, over time, program beliefs and behaviors we might not consciously choose.

Suppressing Your Femnine Side May Be Bad for Business by Kimberly Wiefling

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:42:47 -0700

For over a decade I'd painstakingly stamped out any semblance of femininity in my work. After earning a Master's degree in physics, a field in which women are almost as scarce as on-time schedules, I'd entered the high-tech engineering world, a profession with an equally abysmal track record of attracting women. Why on earth would I want to associate myself—in any way—with anything female in my work?

A Time to Be Project Positive! by Carl Pritchard

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 09:25:55 -0700

Let's get the negatives out of the way now. Joblessness. The spill in the Gulf. Foreclosures. That annoying pest in the next cube. There. We all have negatives. But if ever there was a time to be "project positive," this is it! There is so much to be positive about.

How Much Quality Can We Afford? by Alan Koch

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:24:18 -0700

Sure, it might be nice to build a higher quality product. But how much quality can we really afford? Well, let's break out our Cost of Quality Calculator and try out the numbers. First the basics: Let's say we're going to write a system of 25,000 Lines of Code ... Alan Koch illustrates how the math works out as we add and manipulate hours spent reviewing code and requirements -- and provides a spreadsheet you can use for your own calculations.

Requirements for Requirements by Kent McDonald

Tue, 25 May 2010 09:28:51 -0700

This week I found myself in a conversation that seemed surreal at the time. A data analyst had just suggested that we add a business requirement to capture metadata for all the data elements being added on a data warehouse project. Put another way, she was suggesting that we create a requirement to capture data about data that are requirements. Once I wrapped my brain around why someone would suggest identifying a requirement to identify requirements, I realized it was worth discussing the concept for a couple of minutes.

Are You Ready for Speed? by Geof Lory

Thu, 13 May 2010 15:01:51 -0700

Speed accentuates imperfections. It will put the mechanics of your team under the microscope. Every rough edge or bad seam has the potential to cause friction and instability that can be detrimental. Speed will naturally apply increased pressure and reveal weaknesses. A steady increase in velocity (acceleration) will be more effective and less risky, especially if you know what to look for as you accelerate.

Overcoming "Last Century" Thinking: Powerful Metaphors for What Happens in the Real World by Kimberly Wiefling

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:30:59 -0700

As a kid, when I first studied how the world worked I learned that light was a wave, atoms were made of particles called protons, neutrons and electrons, and you could take apart a clock to figure out how it worked. But as my education progressed, I learned that the world was a bit more complicated than the simple models I'd been taught. Light wasn't really a wave, at least not all the time. Protons, neutrons and electrons weren't exactly billiard ball-like particles. And while you can figure out how a clock works by examining its guts, the same isn't true of a flock of birds.