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TOO LONG, COSTLY & HARD!  The problem with systems projects...(Sep. E-News from 2SS.Com)

 

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Dear [[Salutation:40]],

 

‘     [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]     ‘

‘     E – N E W S from    ‘

‘     2SS.Com     ‘

‘      Compiled and Edited by      ‘

‘                                             [email protected]     ‘

‘      Mailed on: 09/01/2000 8:51 PM                   Number 25   ‘

‘     Int’l Standard Serial No. - ISSN: 1523-3537‘    

‘     [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]     ‘

 

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 ‘     In this issue (4 Items):     ‘

‘     ================     ‘

‘     1--TOO LONG, COSTLY & HARD!   THE      ‘

’          PROBLEM WITH SYSTEMS PROEJCTS…  ‘

‘     2--QUESTIONS (What happened in Aug.)?      ‘

‘     3--STRATEGIC-USEFUL–INTERESTING LINKS     ‘

‘     4--PRODUCT WATCH

‘     5--WHY SUBSCRIBE?, 2SS.Com & YOUR    ‘

‘         SUBSCRIPTION.     ‘

 

‘     [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]     ‘

‘     --------------------------Item One----------------------     ‘

‘     TOO LONG, COSTLY & HARD!  THE      ‘

’      PROBLEM WITH SYSTEMS PROJECTS…      ‘

‘     -------------------------------------------------------------     ‘

‘     Systems projects suffer from a common ailment    ‘

‘     that we at 2SS.Com like to call ‘Poor Expectation      ‘

‘     Adjustment’.  That’s the result of getting the      ‘

‘     expectations of the folks who want the system    

‘     developed (usually the buyers) out of sync with     ‘

‘     the ones who are developing it (who are, but are      ‘

‘     never really thought of as the sellers).    ‘

 

‘     What happens usually is that the buyers come to    

‘     have  great expectations about how a system    ‘

‘     could help their business.  Or maybe the sellers     ‘

‘     convince the buyers they understand the business    ‘

‘     enough to inspire those great expectations.  In      ‘

‘     either case the objectives are set and a systems      ‘

‘     projects begins.     ‘

 

‘     The first thing that the seller learns is that they     ‘

’     have a lot of work to do in order to convince the     ‘

‘     sellers that they know enough to build the system.    ‘

‘     As they realize the true cost in dollars, time and      ‘

‘     most significantly patience to achieve the end      ‘

‘     result the buyers feel pangs of ‘buyer’s remorse’.    ‘

‘     They’re convinced it should be simpler, there      ‘

‘     should be a better way and, based on their     ‘

‘     changing expectations, that it’s taking too long.     ‘

 

‘     At the same time the sellers are amazing them-     ‘

‘     selves (as they do each time they develop a new     ‘

‘     system) that they are beginning to understand      ‘

‘     enough to have some idea how to begin building    

‘     the desired system.  They move from a guess      ‘

‘     based on whatever experience they could muster     ‘

‘     to a real idea of how to proceed.  This stage      ‘

‘     defines what is often about the 25% point in    

‘     project completion.    ‘

 

‘     As the sellers make progress they learn how much   

‘     they don’t or couldn’t know.  On a recent big      

‘     project the core software was a standard package   

‘     named GoldMine and getting and implementing     ‘

‘     it was ‘expected’ to be straightforward.  But just     ‘

‘     as the software was being purchased the     ‘

‘     sellers learned that there was about to be a    

‘     new version and so it immediately figured some   ‘

‘     related changes into the plan.     ‘

 

‘     Other un-expected changes included:     ‘

‘     *  Taking 3 months longer than advertised to      ‘

‘         receive the upgraded software.     ‘

‘     *  Just before receipt it became clear that every      ‘

         one of the buyer’s PCs needed all software      ‘

‘         re-installed in a prescribed order to enable      ‘

‘         them to work with the new package.     ‘

‘     *  The sellers learned by trial-and-error that the     ‘

          software was not well understood by the      ‘

‘         support staff of the company that makes it.    ‘

‘     *  Early on research determined that a product to      ‘

‘         implement the envisioned technology was     

‘         simply not available.  So, the sellers ‘invented’     ‘

‘         a suitable alternative.  After significant     ‘

‘         investment in time (about 3 months) and money    ‘

‘         a newly released product implementing the     ‘

‘         originally envisioned technology was found.      ‘

‘         The ‘invented’ approach was immediately     ‘

‘         discarded and the new product purchased.    ‘

‘     *  The new product has unexpected quirks.  It      ‘

‘         took the sellers over a week to determine       ‘

‘         that it would work as advertised if they      ‘

‘         simply made sure to always make reference     ‘

‘         to the same printing font.  Who would have     ‘

‘         guessed two fonts were bad and just one     

‘         was good?  Not the manufacturer and not     ‘

‘         their documentation.     ‘

‘     *  There were others such developments but    ‘

‘         you get the idea…     ‘

 

‘     A systems project is typically never well under-     ‘

‘     stood until it is well underway.  Based on our     ‘

‘     experience in many such projects at 2SS.Com    ‘

‘     we’d say at least 25% and often as late as 75%    ‘

      into development.     ‘

 

‘     Meanwhile the buyers are poised to be put off     ‘

‘     by all this seeming indecision and redirection     ‘

‘     that’s typical of today’s technology.  In the      ‘

’     simplest terms they wonder why can’t it be as     ‘

‘     simple as Microsoft Word® or Quicken®, (buy it,     ‘

‘     install it and be productive).  Why can’t their     ‘

‘     ‘new system’ experience be like that one?       ‘

 

‘     They’re entitled, but even buyers understand     ‘

‘     that they really can’s afford to invest in the      ‘

‘     literally 1,000’s of man-hours and years of     ‘

‘     revisions embedded in these products.   They     ‘

‘     get the logic but the feelings are very hard to     ‘

‘     deny.     ‘

 

‘     Finally near the end of the project the sellers      ‘

‘     first discover how to reach the end.  It’s not    ‘

‘     everything the buyers envisioned (their vision     ‘

‘     likely changed during the project).  The buyers      ‘

‘     learn reluctantly how to tell the difference     ‘

‘     between:     ‘

‘     *  The systems they originally bought (the      ‘

‘         original project scope),      ‘

‘     *  A problem or ‘bug’, and     ‘

‘     *  The enhancements they’d like incorporated in     ‘

‘         the final product.   ‘

 

‘     The last 10 percent to completion typically     ‘

‘     stretches out more in time than cost as     ‘

‘     unanticipated details get knocked off     ‘

‘     one-by-one.     ‘

 

‘     Long before computers then president HARRY S.    ‘

‘     TRUMAN understood the relevant project      ‘

‘     management issues very well when he said:    ‘

      “You can have it good or fast or cheap.      ‘

‘     Pick any two.”      ‘

 

‘     Systems projects demand a strong definition of     ‘

‘     project scope and stronger persistence. Their     ‘

‘     definition (e.g. what completion means) is      ‘

‘     generally not well understood until well into the     ‘

‘     actual implementation.  And then as completion    ‘

‘     becomes a possibility they demand persistence.      ‘

‘     There is all the while an unavoidable pace of      ‘

‘     change in technology that threatens the patience    ‘

‘     of any sane buyer.    ‘

 

‘     So buyer or seller, be prepared to adjust      ‘

‘     expectations all along the way in order to have     ‘

‘     the best chance to reach the end.  And apply     ‘

‘     Truman’s advice liberally in making decisions      ‘

‘     about the system you really want.    ‘

 

‘     At 2SS.Com a record of successful project    ‘

‘     development efforts is tied closely to strong     ‘

‘     specifications at the beginning, well-qualified    ‘

‘     developers, extreme persistence and     ‘

‘     CONSISTENT efforts to adjust expectations.   

‘     The typical scenario is a system that does the     ‘

‘      job, meets the budget and, just as Truman    ‘

‘      would have guessed, is later than hoped for!      ‘

 

 

‘     [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]     ‘

‘     --------------------------Item Two-----------------------      ‘

‘                               QUESTIONS?     ‘

‘     -------------------------------------------------------------     ‘

‘     WHAT HAPPENED IN AUGUST?     ‘

‘     The August issue of E-news was still in the    ‘

‘     starting blocks late in August and was over-    ‘

‘     taken when problems at MCI affected much of    ‘

‘     Sacramento including 2SS.Com’s major client.     ‘

‘     The problems caused the nation-wide life     ‘

‘     insurance sales business to grind to a near halt     ‘

‘     as MCI tried to figure out what had happened.      ‘

 

‘     A full day and a half-later service was restored     ‘

‘     but it  took another 10+ days for problems with     ‘

‘     suddenly ‘dropped calls’ to finally subside.  And     ‘

‘     that was not until there had been over 50    ‘

‘     contacts with MCI including 5 MCI trouble     ‘

‘     tracking ticket numbers and at least 18 different    ‘

‘     MCI people.     ‘

 

‘     As of this writing MCI’s token response is about     ‘

‘     one-third the estimated loss of revenue.      ‘

‘     Needless to say 2SS.Com is re-thinking its     

‘     recommendations on companies that offer long-     ‘

’     distance services.   ‘

 

 

‘     MORE ON MOORE’S LAW?   ‘

‘     E-News Strategic Systems Advisory Panel     ‘

‘     member Pete Michael added to the discussion:    ‘

 

‘     Moore’s Law has received yet another reprieve     ‘

‘     from scientists at the University of Michigan’s     ‘

‘     Center for Biologic Nanotechnology who     ‘

‘     have recently demonstrated a method of     ‘

‘     reducing the size of electronic circuitry to the     ‘

‘     molecular level, the theoretical limit.  At this scale,    ‘

‘     a supercomputer would be reduced to the size     ‘

‘     of a piece of dust.     ‘

 

‘     Nature has already accomplished this in terms     ‘

‘     of what a piece of animal brain that size is     ‘

‘     capable of accomplishing.     ‘

 

 

‘     WHAT’s The FUTURE of E-NEWS?    ‘

‘     Help us decide by answering our short one-    ‘

‘     question poll on what you’d most like to see.  Just     ‘

‘     click on the link:      ‘

‘     http://www.alxpoll.com/cgi-bin/poll.cgi?user=370905

     to help us steer toward future issues that offer     ‘

‘     more interest and value to you.     ‘

 

 

‘     [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]     ‘

‘     ----------------------Item Three------------------------      ‘

‘     STRATEGIC-USEFUL-INTERESTING LINKS     ‘

‘     -------------------------------------------------------------     ‘

‘     1.  Poll for an opinion yourself!  Members of the     ‘

‘          Sacramento Metro Chamber may have seen     ‘

‘          the link http://www.alxpoll.com which takes     ‘

‘          you to a site where you can set up a FREE     ‘

‘          poll of your own just like the one above.       ‘

 

‘     2.  Turn any PDF, RTF, DOC, TXT, XLS, or     ‘

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‘     3.  Want FREE news, weather and more on your   ‘

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‘          phone whenever you like.    ‘

 

‘      4.  Take The MS Office Test?    ‘

‘           MS Office users, do you want to know how     ‘

‘           your MS Office skills rate?      ‘

 

‘           Take a FREE Brainbench certification exam     ‘

‘           ONLINE and find out how good your skills     ‘

‘           really are.     ‘

 

‘           Everyday, thousands of computer users take    ‘

‘           a FREE Brainbench certification exam online  

‘           to rate their skills. They use the test results to    ‘

‘           get a better understanding of  their strengths    ‘

‘           and weaknesses or to earn a certification      ‘

‘           that helps them get a better job. It only takes    ‘

‘           a moment to register online for an exam.     ‘

‘           You will then immediately receive your FREE    ‘

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‘            the multiple-choice exam anytime within the    ‘

‘            following 30 days. Register NOW at:     ‘

http://DestinationURL.com/link?lk=00635007179086994744187486

‘            If you pass the exam, Brainbench will certify    ‘

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‘            81/2" x 11" certificate FREE! Plus you can      ‘

‘            make your certification available online if you     ‘

‘            choose.     ‘

 

 

‘     [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]     ‘

‘     -------------------------Item Four-----------------------      ‘

‘     THERE”S MORE TO E-MAIL COMING…      ‘

‘     Very soon some company (maybe FireDrop, Inc.)     ‘

‘     will introduce to you what they call Zaplets.  These   ‘

‘     are essentially mini-web pages that arrive in your     ‘

‘     E-Mail in-box just like normal e-mail.  But they can   ‘

‘     do much more than just pass along a message.     ‘

‘     As an example, an IT manager could send one     ‘

‘     out to assess employees' needs for as software     ‘

‘     upgrade. As responses come in the Zaplet     ‘

‘     tabulates the answer and updates itself. Each time  ‘

‘     the manager opens the original message it     ‘

‘     would display the latest summary results.    ‘

 

‘     Currently most of the Zaplets that FireDrop has     ‘

‘     created are for consumers. But the likely uses of     ‘

‘     Zaplets in businesses include hiring and recruiting    ‘

‘     employees and scheduling and tracking the     ‘

‘     outcomes of meetings.     ‘

 

‘     FireDrop is working to issue a set of APIs for     ‘

‘     their Zaplets that developers can use. The first      ‘

‘     Zaplet-based business applications should begin      ‘

‘     appearing in the next few months.     ‘

 

 

‘     [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]     ‘

‘     -------------------------Item Five-----------------------      ‘

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