Comments on: How to determine the cost and schedule of a software project? The mythical BPUF (Big planning upfront) http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/2009/10/10/how-to-determine-the-cost-and-schedule-of-a-software-project-the-mythical-bpuf-big-planning-upfront/ Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:13:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Top 7 programmers bad habits » OnnoRokom http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/2009/10/10/how-to-determine-the-cost-and-schedule-of-a-software-project-the-mythical-bpuf-big-planning-upfront/comment-page-1/#comment-55346 Top 7 programmers bad habits » OnnoRokom Sat, 11 Jun 2011 08:14:11 +0000 http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/?p=1024#comment-55346 [...] to fix it: For starters, is important to understand that accurate estimations in software development for non trivial solutions are impossible, we can only guess. Also remember that is very likely that you will find so many things which you [...] [...] to fix it: For starters, is important to understand that accurate estimations in software development for non trivial solutions are impossible, we can only guess. Also remember that is very likely that you will find so many things which you [...]

]]> By: Cómo determinar el costo y tiempo de un proyecto de software?? | Emprendedor Tecnológico http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/2009/10/10/how-to-determine-the-cost-and-schedule-of-a-software-project-the-mythical-bpuf-big-planning-upfront/comment-page-1/#comment-18633 Cómo determinar el costo y tiempo de un proyecto de software?? | Emprendedor Tecnológico Sat, 30 Oct 2010 17:42:23 +0000 http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/?p=1024#comment-18633 [...] de : How to determine the cost and schedule of a software project? The mythical BPUF (Big planning upfron.... Posted in Calidad de Software Tags: calidad, calidad de software, desarrollo, proyecto, [...] [...] de : How to determine the cost and schedule of a software project? The mythical BPUF (Big planning upfron…. Posted in Calidad de Software Tags: calidad, calidad de software, desarrollo, proyecto, [...]

]]> By: Rob http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/2009/10/10/how-to-determine-the-cost-and-schedule-of-a-software-project-the-mythical-bpuf-big-planning-upfront/comment-page-1/#comment-2993 Rob Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:49:11 +0000 http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/?p=1024#comment-2993 In response to Twylite: "Somehow the civil engineers, mechanical engineers, architects, graphics designers, TV advertisement creators, film makers, and others all manage to solve this problem on a regular basis." Really? How often do you hear of civil engineering projects, movies and other large projects overrun budget and/or schedule? Frequently if not invariably. It doesn't invalidate the rest of your post, but iterative planning and development takes away much risk from the process. Estimates given up front should always carry big caveats, and as long as you deliver product regularly to clients this can be managed. In response to Twylite: “Somehow the civil engineers, mechanical engineers, architects, graphics designers, TV advertisement creators, film makers, and others all manage to solve this problem on a regular basis.”

Really? How often do you hear of civil engineering projects, movies and other large projects overrun budget and/or schedule? Frequently if not invariably.

It doesn’t invalidate the rest of your post, but iterative planning and development takes away much risk from the process. Estimates given up front should always carry big caveats, and as long as you deliver product regularly to clients this can be managed.

]]> By: Cómo determinar el costo y tiempo de un proyecto « Tecnologia al Dia http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/2009/10/10/how-to-determine-the-cost-and-schedule-of-a-software-project-the-mythical-bpuf-big-planning-upfront/comment-page-1/#comment-2683 Cómo determinar el costo y tiempo de un proyecto « Tecnologia al Dia Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:29:37 +0000 http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/?p=1024#comment-2683 [...] Traducido de How to determine the cost and schedule of a software project? The mythical BPUF (Big planning upfron.... [...] [...] Traducido de How to determine the cost and schedule of a software project? The mythical BPUF (Big planning upfron…. [...]

]]> By: Gustavo Adolfo Martinez Risque http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/2009/10/10/how-to-determine-the-cost-and-schedule-of-a-software-project-the-mythical-bpuf-big-planning-upfront/comment-page-1/#comment-1551 Gustavo Adolfo Martinez Risque Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:24:43 +0000 http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/?p=1024#comment-1551 Alberto, you are not the only one that think in that way. I suppose most of you guys know Robert C. Martin. So have a look to this article: http://www.objectmentor.com/resources/articles/Continuous_Care.pdf It's worth skimming it!! Surprisingly, this article was written in February 2002 Alberto, you are not the only one that think in that way.

I suppose most of you guys know Robert C. Martin. So have a look to this article:

http://www.objectmentor.com/resources/articles/Continuous_Care.pdf

It’s worth skimming it!!

Surprisingly, this article was written in February 2002

]]> By: Twylite http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/2009/10/10/how-to-determine-the-cost-and-schedule-of-a-software-project-the-mythical-bpuf-big-planning-upfront/comment-page-1/#comment-1523 Twylite Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:46:19 +0000 http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/?p=1024#comment-1523 This is a well known dichotomy in all fields of design and engineering: there is an initial business requirement to estimate cost and time so that resources can be committed to the project, and a technical requirement to complete the project before the actual costs and time are known. Somehow the civil engineers, mechanical engineers, architects, graphics designers, TV advertisement creators, film makers, and others all manage to solve this problem on a regular basis. The "software engineers" (actually: developers who haven't got engineering skills) just keep whining. So how do the engineers do it? They model, they experiment, they compare to completed projects of similar scope and function, they investigate risks, and through all of this they plan. Three tips for managing fixed term/price contracts: - All design activity is intolerant to change late in the process. Cosmetic details can be altered, structure cannot be. On a fixed term/price contract it is essential that specification changes are disallowed past a certain point. - Good engineering is tolerant, within limits. The foundations of a house or building should accommodate the addition of another floor; a bridge shouldn't collapse under overloaded trucks. Knowing the potential future of a product (after the current contract or phase) determines the level of abstraction needed in the core/foundation. - Non-software engineers study materials science, which allows them to pick the appropriate material for a scenario. Software engineers need to be familiar with their "materials" - components, frameworks, storage systems, languages & libraries - and what the limits and tolerances of those materials are. This is a well known dichotomy in all fields of design and engineering: there is an initial business requirement to estimate cost and time so that resources can be committed to the project, and a technical requirement to complete the project before the actual costs and time are known.

Somehow the civil engineers, mechanical engineers, architects, graphics designers, TV advertisement creators, film makers, and others all manage to solve this problem on a regular basis. The “software engineers” (actually: developers who haven’t got engineering skills) just keep whining.

So how do the engineers do it? They model, they experiment, they compare to completed projects of similar scope and function, they investigate risks, and through all of this they plan.

Three tips for managing fixed term/price contracts:

- All design activity is intolerant to change late in the process. Cosmetic details can be altered, structure cannot be. On a fixed term/price contract it is essential that specification changes are disallowed past a certain point.

- Good engineering is tolerant, within limits. The foundations of a house or building should accommodate the addition of another floor; a bridge shouldn’t collapse under overloaded trucks. Knowing the potential future of a product (after the current contract or phase) determines the level of abstraction needed in the core/foundation.

- Non-software engineers study materials science, which allows them to pick the appropriate material for a scenario. Software engineers need to be familiar with their “materials” – components, frameworks, storage systems, languages & libraries – and what the limits and tolerances of those materials are.

]]> By: Amr Gawish http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/2009/10/10/how-to-determine-the-cost-and-schedule-of-a-software-project-the-mythical-bpuf-big-planning-upfront/comment-page-1/#comment-1501 Amr Gawish Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:02:39 +0000 http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/?p=1024#comment-1501 Your talk is perfect, and I totally agree however, in PMP(theoretically only of course) they just plan everything ahead! The cost and the time which always make this model not valid, and sometimes the customer himself demands this! Do you prefer some kind of approach convincing the client about this new approach! Your talk is perfect, and I totally agree however, in PMP(theoretically only of course) they just plan everything ahead!

The cost and the time which always make this model not valid, and sometimes the customer himself demands this!

Do you prefer some kind of approach convincing the client about this new approach!

]]> By: Tweets that mention How to determine the cost and schedule of a software project? The mythical BPUF (Big planning upfront) | Making Good Software -- Topsy.com http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/2009/10/10/how-to-determine-the-cost-and-schedule-of-a-software-project-the-mythical-bpuf-big-planning-upfront/comment-page-1/#comment-1487 Tweets that mention How to determine the cost and schedule of a software project? The mythical BPUF (Big planning upfront) | Making Good Software -- Topsy.com Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:21:39 +0000 http://www.makinggoodsoftware.com/?p=1024#comment-1487 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tomaž Muraus. Tomaž Muraus said: How to determine the cost and schedule of a software project? The mythical BPUF (Big planning upfront) http://bit.ly/4eMB7h [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tomaž Muraus. Tomaž Muraus said: How to determine the cost and schedule of a software project? The mythical BPUF (Big planning upfront) http://bit.ly/4eMB7h [...]

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