notes and views on crm, social media, and the human side of information technology

The human side of software delivery

THERE’S ONE ROLE missing in all software methodologies known to man.

The therapist.

There are analysts, programmers, project managers, and of course the “stakeholders” - the people footing the bill. And they all want the thing developed, delivered, and used. Yet, come the migration time, the Big Bang roll-out, blades are drawn out and mouths get dirty and there’s yelling and ghashing of teeth.

Because no one really knows if the thing is going to work.

The uncertainty is driving people nuts. Even if all known bugs are resolved and closed, there’s still plenty of unknowns. Maybe the testing wasn’t as thorough or honest. And maybe we haven’t thought of all the use cases.

And with the KPIs and quarterly bonuses on the line, no wonder that putting a system into production is such a drama.

It’s as if you built a bridge not knowing the first car to cross it would make it to the other side.

But you know what? Rarely do information systems have such a life-and-death import. Dollars might be at stake, lives - not as often. Which is why, at the end of a project, all team members should have a sit-down with a licensed psychologist who would tell them: good job, and if you screwed up and that printing routine isn’t going to work, too bad but life goes on. And you’re gonna fix that on Monday.

Additional reading

May 12, 2007 | Filed Under Software delivery 

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