We can use a decision matrix to help determine the best test strategy. In this instance, the decision matrix is comparing what we believe to be vehicle testing success criterion (such as the fidelity of the test results and ability to duplicate, the speed at which we can test and meeting critical dependencies) against a number of […]
Optimism is a Kind of Blindness Perhaps it is because I have seen the word optimism abused that I say optimism is a kind of blindness. Optimism like hope is used to justify our limited planning and reduced talent. Through optimism, we encourage troops to charge across a field that will surely end in their […]
Poor Excuse for Not Automating Testing Recently I came across and participated in a social media exchange that proposed that automating product testing (software) was not helpful. Their assertion was backed with comments about personnel new to testing who cannot learn how to test. Testing and System Complexity System and software complexity, the number of […]
There are many ways for us to evaluate the project we have discussed the monetary evaluation techniques in our books. These business measurements provide us with mechanisms to assess the business viability of the product. There are also ways to evaluate the project strategy with decision-making tools like Pugh. In an earlier post we demonstrated […]
No matter the industry or domain, there will be times when we need to quickly make a management or technical decision. Decision matrix allows us to compare a range of solutions to a defined set of criterion. A quick and easy tool to accomplish this assessment is the decision matrix, of which there are two […]
Risks and Risk Management We continue with our series on the taxonomy of failures in project knowledge areas looking at risk management. In this case turning our breakdown of the project failures toward risk management. Risk management is fundamental to project management as we reduce or navigate the potential impediments to the success of our […]
Risk and Time Management In keeping with our last post, we discuss risks due to insufficient time management that often result in project failures. As is with many things, the symptom of the failure has roots much earlier. In other words, when we witness the failure, it was due to some event(s) or activities much […]
Why Statistics and Control Are Important to the Project Manager More from the TQM and Project Management [1] One of the purposes of statistical analysis lies in its ability to discern random variation from non-random (or “controllable”) variation. Random variation is extremely difficult to control, although we have seen situations where variance could be […]
We take a brief turn from our previous agile posting and divert to Total Quality Management tools applied to conventional Project Management with an excerpt from our book by that title. Consider our company has outsourced a significant portion of our project to a supplier, and in our evaluation of the risks via our Risk […]
Product development work has variation brought on by the product, as well as the organization. Though there are many approaches out there, prescriptions that are based upon the type of organization or the type of product. These approaches may have some relevance but ultimately things are not so easy to allow a prescription, “take two […]