Symptoms, Problems, Traps and "What to Do About It" List
(Also FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions)
This list will be developed and updated as each series is taught. It is intended to be a reminder of the most important problems to avoid, and how to avoid them. Examples are shown below.
Sample Symptoms, Problems, Traps and What to Do About It
|
FAQ / Symptom / Problem / Trap |
Solutions |
| Users keep changing their minds - too many changes | See lesson on
Helping the Customer Specify The Outcome That They Need See lesson on Why Requirements and Changes Need to Be In Writing, Why They Often Aren't, What to Do About It |
| Software that never gets finished | See lesson on
Helping the Customer Specify The Outcome That They Need See lesson on What Happens When We Try to Do Too Many Projects? See lesson on Show Me The Money: Developing the Business Case and Cost / Benefit Analysis |
| Users won't take sufficient time to help specify their requirements | See lesson on How to Improve Executive and User Buy-In |
| Executive sponsor is not sufficiently involved | See lesson on
How to Improve Executive and User Buy-In See lesson on Show Me The Money: Developing the Business Case and Cost / Benefit Analysis |
| I've been asked to provide time and cost estimates, but don't have enough information | See lesson on Estimating Time and Cost See lesson on Some Helpful Checklists, agree with management on a minimum checklist for "crash" estimates |
| It takes so long to get systems completed that the users and executives lose interest | See lesson on
How a Single Document Can Specify Everything You Need
(Requirements, Screens, User Acceptance and Testing) See lesson on Helping the Customer Specify The Outcome That They Need See lesson on Show Me The Money: Developing the Business Case and Cost / Benefit Analysis Negotiate your own checklist with management for "Minimum Required Steps when Software Must Be Developed Fast" |