Approach to Software Development Management

I believe that there are five primary pillars one must consider simultaneously in managing a software organization. Improving any one improves the others. When they are all right you get magic.

1. Delivery
   Controlling commitments, making accurate estimates, tracking progress against estimates, reacting constructively to new business opportunities, early warning of any issues, transparency.
2. Quality
   Putting high-quality software into the hands of customers: suitable to its purpose, usable, well-documented, defect-free, efficient.
3. Health
   Maintaining the health of the company's code base: ensuring that features are properly architected and designed to minimize downstream maintenance and enhancement costs.
4. Creativity
   Encouraging individual creative contributions: building exciting software products.
5. Productivity
   Eliminating wasted effort and re-work. Streamlining processes. Personal productivity.

There are tried and true approaches to achieve all these things. For example, follow the link for more detail on Delivery.

If you need consulting help in improving on any of these categories, please call.

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Copyright © 2003, David Penny