The single reason I (inhouse developer) do specs is to set the expectations of the customer - so they understand exactly what they are getting.
--Beth, Pseudo usenet cop Merlin MTB, BikeE AT, RANS gliss, Trek R200, Kickbike Owned by Kavik (Samoyed Boy) Anchorage, Alaska ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, January 11, 2002 9:41 AM Subject: RE: Specifications (and a joke) > Thanks for the insight and the humor. I did forget to mention that we do > not develop for paying we develop in house tools for other departments > (customer service, sales, marketing, finance, etc.). But these things do > apply because it is even easier for feature creep to occur and then they > all wonder why something is not done by the original projected date. > > A perfect example is the project I am working on right now. It is a tool > for the sales desk to use to place orders. We are an ISP as well as a > phone company so this tool had to be able to reserve phone numbers, place > orders, notify provisioning etc. Great, simple enough. Originally they > needed to collect two addresses, billing and site. Over the time I have > been working on this project they now need to collect 4 addresses. Oh, and > by the way this should generate quotes and contracts too. Oops we forgot > to mention that we would like to look up quotes and be able to edit them > and resubmit them as a new quote. And another thing, can we inport data > from the customer database at the start of the order so the sales desk > doesn't have to enter this information for an existing customer. > > I know these are all valid things to have the system do but they should > have been specked out in the beginning of the project instead of > throughout. I would have had this done ages ago, except for everytime my > boss opens his mouth I get another week's worth of work to do on this > thing and then he wonders why I keep telling him that it's not going to be > done by the last date I gave him. > > Sorry to b*%ch and moan but this is driving me nuts. > > Kristine C. Hege [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Database & Applications Specialist Phone: (802) 463-2111 > SoVerNet Inc. Ext: 105 > 5 Rockingham St. > Bellows Falls, VT 05101 > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _ .----. . - . > PROGRAM (PRO'-gram') [n] A magic spell cast over a |C>_.|.:' .:. . > computer allowing it to turn one's input into error __|____|__ `:. O_/ > messages. [vi] To engage in a pastime similar to | ______--| \/M > banging one's head against a wall, but, with fewer `-/.::::.\-' _/ \_ > opportunities for reward. `--------' > > On Fri, 11 Jan 2002, C. Hatton Humphrey wrote: > > > I'll include a real answer and something that will make you laugh. > > > > The main reason for specs is to define the *exact* requirements of a project > > or task and help identify problem areas in either business or development > > logic. Specs keep both the client and the development group honest, and > > accurately line out what is requested, discussed and agreed upon. Where I > > work we have three documents: > > - Vision Document: This is created by our marketing group to sell a product > > to the client. It's a culmination of what the client wants and we say we > > can provide as a development firm. > > - Functional Specification Document: This is a legally binding document that > > defines in no uncertain terms what has been agreed upon by the client (what > > they will pay for) and the development firm (what we will provide). It is > > written in such a way that there are no "gray areas" and don't leave room > > for "well, I thought it was going to do such and such". As long as the > > product provided at the end of the development matches the requirements set > > out in the FSD, anything else is either an enhancement or part of a second > > revision. Both our clients and the Project Manager sign this document. > > - Developer documentation: This details each section of the FSD explaining > > to the developer exactly what should be built. Sometimes not used. > > > > Understand, the company that I work for is a group of 30 people, with > > developers, architects, project managers, artists, a support team, and a > > marketing team. We do still sometimes miss, but the documentation helps us > > define who's fault the "miss" was. > > > > and now for the funny part... > > IF ARCHITECTS HAD TO WORK LIKE WEB DEVELOPERS > > Dear Mr. Architect: > > Please design and build me a house. I am not quite sure of what I need, so > > you should use your discretion. My house should have somewhere between two > > and forty-five bedrooms. Just make sure the plans are such that the bedrooms > > can be easily added or deleted. When you bring the blueprints to me, I will > > make the final decision of what I want. Also, bring me the cost breakdown > > for each configuration so that I can arbitrarily pick one. > > Keep in mind that the house I ultimately choose must cost less than the one > > I am currently living in. Make sure, however, that you correct all the > > deficiencies that exist in my current house (the floor of my kitchen > > vibrates when I walk across it, and the walls don't have nearly enough > > insulation in them). > > As you design, also keep in mind that I want to keep yearly maintenance > > costs as low as possible. This should mean the incorporation of extra-cost > > features like aluminum, vinyl, or composite siding. (If you choose not to > > specify aluminum, be prepared to explain your decision in detail.) > > Please take care that modern design practices and the latest materials are > > used in construction of the house, as I want it to be a showplace for the > > most up-to-date ideas and methods. Be alerted, however, that kitchen should > > be designed to accommodate, among other things, my 1952 Gibson refrigerator. > > To insure that you are building the correct house for our entire family, > > make certain that you contact each of our children, and also our in-laws. My > > mother-in-law will have very strong feelings about how the house should be > > designed, since she visits us at least once a year. Make sure that you weigh > > all of these options carefully and come to the right decision. I, however, > > retain the right to overrule any choices that you make. > > Please don't bother me with small details right now. Your job is to develop > > the overall plans for the house: get the big picture. At this time, for > > example, it is not appropriate to be choosing the color of the carpet. > > However, keep in mind that my wife likes blue. > > Also, do not worry at this time about acquiring the resources to build the > > house itself. Your first priority is to develop detailed plans and > > specifications. Once I approve these plans, however, I would expect the > > house to be under roof within 48 hours. > > While you are designing this house specifically for me, keep in mind that > > sooner or later I will have to sell it to someone else. It therefore should > > have appeal to a wide variety of potential buyers. Please make sure before > > you finalize the plans that there is a consensus of the population in my > > area that they like the features this house has. I advise you to run up and > > look at my neighbor's house he constructed last year. We like it a great > > deal. It has many features that we would also like in our new home, > > particularly the 75-foot swimming pool. With careful engineering, I believe > > that you can design this into our new house without impacting the final > > cost. > > Please prepare a complete set of blueprints. It is not necessary at this > > time to do the real design, since they will be used only for construction > > bids. Be advised, however, that you will be held accountable for any > > increase of construction costs as a result of later design changes. > > You must be thrilled to be working on such an interesting project as this! > > To be able to use the latest techniques and materials and to be given such > > freedom in your designs is something that can't happen very often. Contact > > me as soon as possible with your complete ideas and plans. > > PS: My wife has just told me that she disagrees with many of the > > instructions I've given you in this letter. As architect, it is your > > responsibility to resolve these differences. I have tried in the past and > > have been unable to accomplish this. If you can't handle this > > responsibility, I will have to find another architect. > > PPS: Perhaps what I need is not a house at all, but a travel trailer. Please > > advise me as soon as possible if this is the case > > > > > > C. Hatton Humphrey, Developer > > Fisher, Towne & Associates > > 716-839-2141 x336 > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > Sent: Friday, January 11, 2002 12:05 PM > > > To: CF-Community > > > Subject: Specifications > > > > > > > > > I need some help in convincing my boss that it would be a real advantage > > > to write specifications for projects before starting them. I think he > > > thinks they are a waste of time but I think they can significantly improve > > > application quality and time to market. > > > > > > Are their any resources I can use to prove this to him? What do other > > > companies consider standard proceedure when it comes to writing > > > specifications? > > > > > > I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here because, although I have the more > > > professional experience than the other programmers on the team I am the > > > newest member. > > > > > > Any suggestions and ideas would be greatly appreciated. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > Kristine C. Hege [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Database & Applications Specialist Phone: (802) 463-2111 > > > SoVerNet Inc. Ext: 105 > > > 5 Rockingham St. > > > Bellows Falls, VT 05101 > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > _ .----. . - . > > > PROGRAM (PRO'-gram') [n] A magic spell cast over a |C>_.|.:' .:. . > > > computer allowing it to turn one's input into error __|____|__ `:. O_/ > > > messages. [vi] To engage in a pastime similar to | ______--| \/M > > > banging one's head against a wall, but, with fewer `-/.::::.\-' _/ \_ > > > opportunities for reward. `--------' > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ Your ad could be here. Monies from ads go to support these lists and provide more resources for the community. http://www.fusionauthority.com/ads.cfm Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
