The essentials of project management in under 500 words
Software development – not by PERT alone
April 1, 2013
Software is abstract, invisible and runs at extreme speeds. People who are good at building software have to possess talent at visualization and a willingness to use complex tools. When software developers become project managers (PMs), they rely on software tools to monitor, control and report on projects, just as non-technical PMs do. Problems technologists have as managers relate to people, including conflict, collaboration and just plain old listening well.
Software Development – not by PERT alone
January 21, 2013
Software is abstract, invisible and runs at extreme speeds, so the people who are good at building it have to possess a particular talent at visualization and a willingness to use complex tools. When software developers become project managers (PMs), they tend to rely on software tools. But simply having good tools will not make your project succeed. Software development projects frequently fail to produce results that the customer or end-user wants. Why?
No silver bullet
December 10, 2012
Software is in everything and we and our businesses depend on it more and more. Yet Software Quality is not rising, so we have rising numbers of failure incidents and out-of-control costs in maintaining software. What should you do about it?
When you need IT advice
September 25, 2012
When you ask for advice from an IT specialist, often the response is too technical, too closely tied to a commercial product, or simply off the mark because the underlying problems are management problems. Who can you turn to for useful and practical advice?
Why isn’t software more secure?
August 13, 2012
What makes software insecure? What vulnerabilities are there in software? Why are they always discovering new holes & vulnerabilities in our software and systems? Doesn’t testing take care of these problems? What’s an enterprise to do about insecure software?
Why is it so hard to get good software?
May 29, 2012
Once we get over our wonder at the broad capabilities of software running on modern computers and devices, we begin to ask why so much of the software we use is of questionable quality. Between vulnerabilities to malware and constant updates to correct problems, it seems that software is never stable and reliable. Why?
Risk Management in IT
April 25, 2012
Risk management is a key area for financial leaders. When we look at IT development projects, we’re usually focused on opportunities rather than risks. But IT investments have risks beyond security and privacy issues. Project failure can lead to losses even beyond the intended investment. Here are seven ways to look at IT development projects from a risk management point of view.
Three causes of IT project failure
February 13, 2012
IT projects often don’t get done. Not just done late, but not done at all. Industry statistics show that over 50% of major IT projects are not regarded as successful. They get abandoned because they’re too late or because they’re so far over budget that the sponsors give up. Many more deliver something, but not […]