Author: Rob Broadhead

  • The Danger Of Almost Complete Software

    The Danger Of Almost Complete Software

    It is hard to keep up with the number of times I have worked into a phase of “almost complete software.” We often see this as a marker or milestone that tells us a little push is all that is left. However, that is rarely the case. It seems like the end of the implementation phase is a trigger for this lofty status. We all fall for it. Our product implementation is approaching a final milestone and extend that to being almost done. We overlook so many details that are yet to be done. In listing out some of these details, I am hoping that we can all be a little more realistic in our expectations and setting the same.

    Testing Almost Complete Software

    Testing cycles can be very short and almost ignored. However, that often ends in low-quality software and unhappy customers. A proper testing cycle can be time-consuming and will often churn on a couple of bugs or features. It is rare for e a project to sail through testing without time spent clarifying issues, how to reproduce bugs and requirement reviews. This phase alone can make the almost complete software claim seem laughable.

    Deployment Challenges

    Things are getting better with modern CI/CD processes and tools like Docker. These tools and processes help us start working on deployment issues sooner in the SDLC process. However, there is no replacement for the final deployment. It is amazing how often simple things like a point release difference in software, a seemingly negligible configuration value, or changing an address or network can bring down software. Even worse, the errors that appear in production and can not be seen in development often take a while to be identified. That also means these can take a lot of time to track down and correct.

    Understandably, one would feel close to the end at this point. The gotcha is that putting something on a production server is when the rubber truly hits the road. User Experience becomes a much more critical factor, and you often see load impact for the first time when you hit production. While many of these issues are addressed in future releases, I have also seen products languish amid deployment issues.

    Edge Cases

    A good set of requirements that are used to measure progress can help with this issue. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon to run into edge cases and unusual situations that only become visible when you get near the end of a project. These can be attributed to going after “low-hanging fruit” early on in testing and implementation. On the other hand, when we consider the 80-20 rule, this makes all kinds of sense. The two ideas are likely closely related. That last fifth of your journey in building software is going to be beyond the bugs that are easy to identify and fix. You are now in the area where significant challenges like “randomly” appearing bugs and race conditions need to be tackled. These alone can convert almost complete software to early steps in a death march.

    I apologize, but I have been on a kick thinking about anti-patterns. They are fascinating to me and an essential part of planning for success. If you want to learn more, then you can find more about anti-patterns all over the web. There are some patterns out there as well, but if you at least avoid some of these project planning, estimation, and execution anti-patterns, your odds of success will increase significantly.

  • Sticking To The Plan – Completing A Project

    Sticking To The Plan – Completing A Project

    One of the most frustrating situations in software development is when one side decides to “change the rules.” There have been examples on both sides of the equation that I have seen ultimately derail a project right before completing a project. We even do it to ourselves at times. I hope that listing a few common mistakes will help you identify and avoid them in the future. It may bring world peace a step closer.

    The Nickel And Dime

    There is nothing I can think of that destroys trust between customers and vendors than either side chipping away at the other. A vendor does this with a steady stream of little change request charges. Instead of working together with clear deliverables and a plan, they get stuck in the weeds. A client does this by trying to get tasks turned into “non-billable” and drags the team into unnecessary detail. The thing about software development is that it is complicated in most situations. There is enough to worry about without nitpicking the details late in the game. Do not read this as the “details” being unimportant. They are critical in completing a project successfully. It is just that those need to be hashed out early on and not when the end is nigh. When you do this, you will avoid a feeling of death by a thousand cuts.

    Just A Little More

    This particular anti-pattern may be the one I relate to most. There are two conflicting traits many of us see as we approach the end of a project. However, they can combine to spin us off into oblivion. The first trait is what I call the “90% high”. This situation occurs when we “know” we are almost through with a project and have a burst of energy to get across that finish line. Think of it as a runner sprinting that last one hundred yards of a marathon.

    The other trait is one we will call “just a little more.” This situation arises when we feel we are close to the end and can squeeze in a few more features or finishing touches. When we have that extra energy to drive to the end and a desire to keep adding a little scope, we can rapidly go off course. It is almost like we do not want to get across that finish line and instead want to stay “in the zone” as long as possible.

    Perfection Over Reality

    Sometimes completing a project is hindered by quality assurance and testing results. The application is almost complete except there are some bugs to fix. While some bugs must be addressed to provide a useful product, some others do not. For example, I have seen projects wallow in testing cycles as minor things like pixel-perfect displays, wording for labels, and fonts or sizes are “fixed.” These might be issues that impact the usability and correctness of a product. However, that is rarely the case.

    These sort of nit-picking details can drag out the testing cycle beyond reason. Keep an option for “known bugs” that can be addressed in a future version. Users may not wait forever while you perfect that current release. Even worse, I have seen situations where wording (copy) is minutely engineered only to find out that it ends up negatively impacting users. Yes, even copy can be over-engineered.

    Agile To Infinity

    One of the strengths of an Agile approach is that releases should be common and regular. However, that does not stop some groups from dragging out a production release. This situation is similar to the “just a lttle more” pattern. However, in this case, production releases are pushed off for “just one more sprint” instead of tightening things up and pushing it to users. Instead of a litttle item here or there, this pattern becomes a few more features, bug fixes, or performance improvements. Sometimes there has to be a person the team that can make the “fish or cut bait” call and drag the project across the finish line.

    These are just a few of the ways to avoid completing a project. You can find anti-patterns all over the web. Nevertheless, I find these to be highly common and often easy to avoid. Of course, it all starts with a plan, and then the team needs to keep working towards that plan. Changing mid-course can turn you right into an anti-pattern.

  • Ask And You Can Find The Tool

    Ask And You Can Find The Tool

    A recent discussion with an associate reminded me how often we ignore some great solutions for our problems. The Internet provides us with an easy way to evaluate literally dozens of options for many of our common problems. It is worth the investment to find the tool that suits our needs. Even better, we can learn that our problems are more common than we think. Even a niche problem will often have a number of potential solutions a good search away. While we can all stumble around and find some great gems, sometimes a plan is helpful.

    Avoid Distractions

    Apple showed that less can be more. Likewise, there is a lot of research related to having a large number of options. That makes sense. We can all relate to analysis paralysis, but it does occasionally sneak up anyway. A problem we want to be solved seems to make us even more susceptible to this problem. It creates a sort of “kind in a candy store” situation. We focus on a problem, find some solutions and suddenly we can be almost giddy. If you doubt it, then take a look at search results for any passion of yours. Maybe check out some new cars, beach homes, or enticing coffee flavors. When we get what we want we are more than happy to enjoy the shopping experience and getting lost in what-ifs. The Internet provides us too many options so we need to reduce that list quickly.

    Have A Plan

    One of the essential reasons for an RFP is to define what an organization needs. We see this in problem-solving all the time. A well-defined problem is easier to solve than one that is vague. Take similar steps to start your search to find the tool desired. Think about what you want and create a list of priority features along with some nice-to-haves. You can do this in a matter of minutes, and it does not need to be complete. Start your search focused on solutions that provide the requirements you listed. It is not uncommon to learn about features that most providers include or new options you did not know you required. Feel free to adjust your list as needed.

    Be Heartless In Reducing Options

    The final goal is to get your list to five options or less. That five number is on the outside. Most lists should be down to three at this point, if possible. That may seem like a difficult task. However, I have found in most situations you can find the products available and reduce the scope of “viable options” to a few within a few days at most. Also, it only takes days when there are dozens of options and they are complex solutions. Most applications whether a task tracking solution, an e-commerce platform, or a coding utility, can be swept through in a matter of hours. You can often find what you need to know with surface reviews and related searches. They will either meet your requirements or not. Price alone can often reduce your list quickly.

    Due Diligence

    The final step is to evaluate your shortlist of options. This step is time-consuming and essential in making the best decision. It often includes installing a trial version or using a demo period to get to see the solution in action. You might even watch vendor presentations and spend time discussing how a solution is the best for your needs. The process may seem like something that requires too much time. Nevertheless, spending time to find the tool or effective solution can often save you hours, days, or even months in the long run.