Interesting set of slides on Estimation.
Slide 2: Is the estimation "funnel"
Slide 11: acmet's tools BU fell in the Nominal category.
Slide 14: For 10K lines (I do not know how these are defined - whether they include data definitions, unit tests, documentation, ...) 10 calendar months and 48 (say 50) staff-months. That is 10 lines/day ((10K/50 staff-months)/20 days/staff-month). That is somewhere near the figure that we got. Also, no mention is made of the expected residual defects.
I have a thumb rule: The number of residual defects per 1K XTSLN equals the effective XTSLN/staff-day over the elapsed time. At 10 XTSLN I would expect about 10 defects/1K XTSLN. Of course to get 0 defects/1KXTSLN we would be coding at an effective rate of 0 XTSLN/staff-day. That is not as odd as it may sound. To reduce to zero defects one would require infinite time.
(Note: XTSLN is a Lines of Code metric defined and measured by the QA C tool)
Slide 18: This is my favourite. It illustrates the estimation funnel. Note
the relative error column. There is not even 1 negative entry! For a 5 year
project the estimate becomes accurate 3 months prior to ship.
Slide 22: Note the last bullet.
Slide 23: **** Worth remembering *****
Slide 26: These are all the recovery techniques.
Note: Praying is *** not *** a recovery technique.
19 October 2010
18 October 2010
CWG: Time To Do The Hansei
The Commonwealth Games by all accounts went off well. That it was headed for a disaster will soon be forgotten. If we do get the 2020 Olympics there is every likelihood that we will again prepare for it in the same manner.
A large complex project, involving multiple government agencies, with no option of slippage requires a highly skilled and motivated management team. And since the national image is involved, the team must have access to, and the whole-hearted support of, the highest rungs of the political leadership. Suitable talent should be shortlisted. The UID project, headed by Nandan Nilekani, brought in with the status of a Minister of State in the Union cabinet, should be the model.
Based on the current experience, we need to create a project plan - complete wih check lists (e.g. signs near building housing the ozzie team saying,"Beware of Falling Refrigerators:-). The project plan must be periodically reviewed and updated since financial conditions, technology, security environment, facilty benchmarks, vendors, ,, all will change. The sports ministry should do this, if we are serious about conducting the 2020 Olympics.
Holding enquiries into alleged siphoning of funds, punishing the guilty, assuming any are found, is all very well, but it will not reduce the chances a repetition.
For that we need to do the Hansei.
A large complex project, involving multiple government agencies, with no option of slippage requires a highly skilled and motivated management team. And since the national image is involved, the team must have access to, and the whole-hearted support of, the highest rungs of the political leadership. Suitable talent should be shortlisted. The UID project, headed by Nandan Nilekani, brought in with the status of a Minister of State in the Union cabinet, should be the model.
Based on the current experience, we need to create a project plan - complete wih check lists (e.g. signs near building housing the ozzie team saying,"Beware of Falling Refrigerators:-). The project plan must be periodically reviewed and updated since financial conditions, technology, security environment, facilty benchmarks, vendors, ,, all will change. The sports ministry should do this, if we are serious about conducting the 2020 Olympics.
Holding enquiries into alleged siphoning of funds, punishing the guilty, assuming any are found, is all very well, but it will not reduce the chances a repetition.
For that we need to do the Hansei.
16 October 2010
Rituals
Today is Ayudha Puja.
My father, sometime after he past 70 years, gave up driving. He then employed a driver. My father continued to regularly check the battery water, the radiator water, tyre pressure. He would ensure that the car went for its regular monthly servicing. On Ayudha puja he did not apply sandalwood paste to the car, nor bedeck it with flowers. The drivers would do that.
I like to think my father performed the puja that was required. Rituals must be appropriate.
Software processes too are rituals. They are rituals which provide the assuarnce that your software does what it is meant to do. They are rituals that have to be performed continuously, and concurrently with writing the code. Applying sandalwood paste, turmeric, and burning incense will do nothing for the code (nor for your keyboard, nor your display).
Greetings for Dussehra: May you never let the demons get into your code. If they do, then may you always slay them at the earliest.
My father, sometime after he past 70 years, gave up driving. He then employed a driver. My father continued to regularly check the battery water, the radiator water, tyre pressure. He would ensure that the car went for its regular monthly servicing. On Ayudha puja he did not apply sandalwood paste to the car, nor bedeck it with flowers. The drivers would do that.
I like to think my father performed the puja that was required. Rituals must be appropriate.
Software processes too are rituals. They are rituals which provide the assuarnce that your software does what it is meant to do. They are rituals that have to be performed continuously, and concurrently with writing the code. Applying sandalwood paste, turmeric, and burning incense will do nothing for the code (nor for your keyboard, nor your display).
Greetings for Dussehra: May you never let the demons get into your code. If they do, then may you always slay them at the earliest.
15 October 2010
Do Not Emulate Dronacharya
The national award for sports coaches is the Dronacharya award.
Dronacharya played politics. First he would not accept Eklavya as his students on grounds of race. Next when Eklavaya coached himself and became better than his star pupil, Arjun, Dronacharya managed to ensure that Eklavaya would not be the best archer of his time.
If Indian coaches play favourites, why blame them. They are emulating Dronacharya.
Lesson for Software Coaches: Do not play favourites.Nurture talent without any heed to caste, or creed, or region.
Dronacharya played politics. First he would not accept Eklavya as his students on grounds of race. Next when Eklavaya coached himself and became better than his star pupil, Arjun, Dronacharya managed to ensure that Eklavaya would not be the best archer of his time.
If Indian coaches play favourites, why blame them. They are emulating Dronacharya.
Lesson for Software Coaches: Do not play favourites.Nurture talent without any heed to caste, or creed, or region.
12 October 2010
Humility & Courage
Some of those who have worked with me would remember this.
Two absolutely indispensable character traits for software work.
Humility - to say, "I do not know". Never believe anything is a piece-of-cake. There are going to be surprises. Never think your work output is defect-free.
Courage - to move forward knowing that there are unseen pit-falls. It is the courage of a blind person. Do not be afraid of falling. Feel your way. Experiment; take small steps; make mistakes; admit them; and learn from them.
Two absolutely indispensable character traits for software work.
Humility - to say, "I do not know". Never believe anything is a piece-of-cake. There are going to be surprises. Never think your work output is defect-free.
Courage - to move forward knowing that there are unseen pit-falls. It is the courage of a blind person. Do not be afraid of falling. Feel your way. Experiment; take small steps; make mistakes; admit them; and learn from them.
11 October 2010
Custom Processors
Tenselica gives ten reasons to customize a processor.
What about the tool chain? Should be a business opportunity for porting the GNU tool chain.
What about the tool chain? Should be a business opportunity for porting the GNU tool chain.
02 October 2010
Movie about Quality
Early today I watched Executive Suite. It is a movie made in the the 1950s. I strongly recommend getting the bittorrent download, or the DVD (available from Amazon), or watch when Turner Classic Movies schedules it again
The terrific cast include William Holden. Holden was a favourite of mine when I was in school. Some may remember him from Bridge On the River Kwai. The movie very convincingly conveys the message about values on which a company should be run, quality in manufacturing, product that the company's people are proud to stand behind. If American companies had paid heed they would not have lost leadership in automobiles. We need to build companies with the same values.
The terrific cast include William Holden. Holden was a favourite of mine when I was in school. Some may remember him from Bridge On the River Kwai. The movie very convincingly conveys the message about values on which a company should be run, quality in manufacturing, product that the company's people are proud to stand behind. If American companies had paid heed they would not have lost leadership in automobiles. We need to build companies with the same values.
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