Software metrics, when used properly, is a tool for measuring the project not individuals; it’s a tool for controlling project deliverables, assessing and communicating status, and making better decisions.

It’s suggested that the web has changed everything. Whatever requirements there were for delivering desktop applications, the requirements for delivering web applications has changed. For the web, the thinking goes; delivery of new features to customers is paramount to remain competitive. Maybe it’s true, but what’s the evidence? My own experience with popular web sites does not support this conclusion.

I recall the response from an unsatisfied customer of one company where they delivered a leading edge product plagued with quality problems. This is a direct quote. He said, “I’d rather drive a Pinto that works every day than a Lexus that always breaks down.” For him leading edge was less important than quality, or to put in other way, leading edge features that don’t work is like not having the features in the first place. That’s true for most customers. In software where high quality continues to be uncommon, high quality is a competitive advantage. Yes delivering high quality takes time, but in my experience, low quality always takes longer and costs more. As I see it, focusing on quality is a win-win strategy: it saves time and money, and it creates a positive reputation for your products and your company. Plus, your customers will love you for it.

Why does it take so long to deliver software products? Many stakeholders ask this question during the course of a software development project.  It’s interesting when the developers ask this question because they know what …

Proper up front analysis and design is required, and yes, sometimes it takes longer than we’d all like it to take. However, when it’s done well, architectures are less complex, not more; quality is higher; time to market is faster, and products and teams are more agile. Proper architectures leverage the resources of the entire organization to deliver solutions to customers.

Quality is a differentiator. Grab the low hanging fruit; put these practices to use in your own projects, build stable applications, and you will differentiate your products from the competition.

Have you ever wondered why software process has yet to flourish in the software industry?  Why, after many decades of industry growth, there is no consensus on a process methodology or even best practices?  Why …

“Another 30 defects uncovered yesterday,” reports the QA Lead. “Ten defects were fixed,” reports the Tech. Lead. Taken alone these are alarming statistics, and if they persist long enough, the release date would certainly be in jeopardy.

Many software teams struggle through the QA phase with great anxiety as they normally work through the phase without a compass: nothing to tell them whether they are on track or not. How many defects are left? Will we be able to fix all the defects before the release date? These are a few of the questions that teams have anxiety about. It’s only until a few weeks before the planned release date that they come to grips with the realization that they are in trouble.