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Estimate vs Due Date Was: Re: Important Stuff They Don't Teach In Tech Writing School Was Re: School vs experience...
Subject:Estimate vs Due Date Was: Re: Important Stuff They Don't Teach In Tech Writing School Was Re: School vs experience... From:Tony Markos <ajmarkos -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 30 Aug 2004 12:53:23 -0700 (PDT)
John:
I know that quality is subjective and docs can never
be perfect. Thats not my point. The Project
Management law (i.e., the Project Management Triangle)
states that when due dates are firm and there is not
enough time, we must compromise on either quality of
work - however quality is defined, or quantity of
work. That law can not be broken.
When you say "Your job is to get it to a point where
it does what it's supposed to do by the date for which
you made your commitment.", you are really saying,
when time is too tight (which it always seems to be),
put in the necessary overtime. In time-too-tight
situations, that is the only way to meet due dates and
acceptable quantity and quality levels (whatever the
acceptable quality level is).
Unfortunately, as no one is willing to constantly put
in overtime, that approach has limits. So what
happens is that we - on the sly - find ways to
compromise quality or quantity of work to still meet
the due dates.
More importantly, true Project Management is based
upon moving away from top-down dictated due dates
(one-way communication) and moving towards estimates
(open and honest two-way commuications). And learning
how to be more project oriented is key to our
professional growth.
Tony Markos
----------------------
Tony Markos wrote:
Does this mean that quantity Of work and/or quality of
work are then always open to compromise?
John Posoda responded:
Qualitity is subjective..not to be confused with
accuracy. What may be a quality document to you may
not be to me and vice versa. Accept the fact that you
have never produced a perfect manual and never will. I
have.
So...you can continue to "improve" a manual for years.
Your job is to get it to a point where it does what
it's supposed to do by the date for which you made
your committment.
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