Clearly Specifying Quality
One of the most difficult things to do in software development (if observation of projects across the industry is any indication) is clearly specifying the system needs from the quality perspective. Functional specifications are often incorrectly labeled as the complete specification for the system, or attempts at specifying the quality side degrade to untestable statements such as “The system shall be user-friendly.” Worse yet, attempts to simply reuse quality specifications from existing systems can result in serious consequences from under-specification, or unachievable goals from over-specification of quality. Read more
Steady Focus at a Higher Level
I attended a panel discussion last week where the topic was how Dell has managed to overtake Compaq, and stay on top in such volatile times. There were many reasons offered up from the panel, and indeed, to stay atop any sector of the technology field one would have to excel in several areas simultaneously. While doing nothing innovative on the product front, Michael Dell has continued from the days in his Texas Dorm room to excel in both customer intimacy and business excellence. Read more
