http://blog.cutter.com/2008/11/04/software-estimation-a-tough-beast-to-control/
This article was posted under a quoted title "“a tough beast to control”. I agree with the title but 100% disagree with the survey. Meeting estimates IS all about "control." If you want to meet an estimate you have to give the customer exactly what you agreed and control (Deny) any changes they want.
Here is an analogy which is similar to one Robert Martin used. You go to your doctor and they say you have a tumor in your liver.(arbitrary organ). They schedule the surgery and open you up. While removing the tumor they find another one in your pancreas .(arbitrary organ).
Using estimates as a measure of success would encourage the doctor to sow you back up, let you heal and then say, we did not estimate the pancreas tumor so we could not remove it because we would exceeded our estimate by 10%. Also, I will not get my bonus if we do that and you might not pay for it.
The doctor is more successful by removing the additional tumor. It cost less to do it while the patient is already under and is open at the table. He is also more successful because he helped the patient more than originally planned.
I am not saying estimates are not important. They are important to create a schedule but success should be driven by the value to the customer not random numbers.
As leaders we must work to set customer expectations regarding success. I would like the survey to review how well the customer expectations were defined and managed.
This article was posted under a quoted title "“a tough beast to control”. I agree with the title but 100% disagree with the survey. Meeting estimates IS all about "control." If you want to meet an estimate you have to give the customer exactly what you agreed and control (Deny) any changes they want.
Here is an analogy which is similar to one Robert Martin used. You go to your doctor and they say you have a tumor in your liver.(arbitrary organ). They schedule the surgery and open you up. While removing the tumor they find another one in your pancreas .(arbitrary organ).
Using estimates as a measure of success would encourage the doctor to sow you back up, let you heal and then say, we did not estimate the pancreas tumor so we could not remove it because we would exceeded our estimate by 10%. Also, I will not get my bonus if we do that and you might not pay for it.
The doctor is more successful by removing the additional tumor. It cost less to do it while the patient is already under and is open at the table. He is also more successful because he helped the patient more than originally planned.
I am not saying estimates are not important. They are important to create a schedule but success should be driven by the value to the customer not random numbers.
As leaders we must work to set customer expectations regarding success. I would like the survey to review how well the customer expectations were defined and managed.
Comments