Comments on: Milestones are Handoffs http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2007/04/milestones-are-handoffs.html Management, especially good management, is hard to do. This blog is for people who want to think about how they manage people, projects, and risk. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:31:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Alice Marshall http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2007/04/milestones-are-handoffs.html/comment-page-1#comment-577 Alice Marshall Fri, 27 Apr 2007 01:43:46 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/?p=7978#comment-577 Maybe it's because I'm from Washington, but handoff sounds a little too close to pass-the-buck. Maybe it’s because I’m from Washington, but handoff sounds a little too close to pass-the-buck.

]]> By: Chris Sims http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2007/04/milestones-are-handoffs.html/comment-page-1#comment-576 Chris Sims Wed, 25 Apr 2007 07:11:34 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/?p=7978#comment-576 The handoff idea is interesting. In some situations it makes sense for it to be the customer, in others it could be the QA team. I led a team that built a product that was more-or-less shrink-wrapped software. The developers would write their own unit tests as they coded the feature, which would run as part of the build system. When the developers thought they were done, the QA team got the feature. They would closely scrutinize the new feature for usability. They would try anything and everything to break it. Finally, they would write UI automation, using a product called <a href="http://www.automatedqa.com/products/testcomplete/">TestComplete</a>, to add coverage for the new feature to their suite of automated regression tests. The system worked reasonably well. To address Alex’s comment: <blockquote> Sometimes 'feature complete' milestone is achieved by piling buggy and not integrated code in front of QA team. Makes project plan look nice for a while, but is hardly related to real progress. </blockquote> Depending on the team dynamic, either peer pressure, management intervention, or both are called for to stop the offending individual. If this has spread to the point where it is simply ‘how things are done’, this is a symptom of a very dysfunctional situation. My best advice is: get out! The handoff idea is interesting. In some situations it makes sense for it to be the customer, in others it could be the QA team.
I led a team that built a product that was more-or-less shrink-wrapped software. The developers would write their own unit tests as they coded the feature, which would run as part of the build system. When the developers thought they were done, the QA team got the feature. They would closely scrutinize the new feature for usability. They would try anything and everything to break it. Finally, they would write UI automation, using a product called TestComplete, to add coverage for the new feature to their suite of automated regression tests. The system worked reasonably well.
To address Alex’s comment:

Sometimes ‘feature complete’ milestone is achieved by piling buggy and not integrated code in front of QA team. Makes project plan look nice for a while, but is hardly related to real progress.

Depending on the team dynamic, either peer pressure, management intervention, or both are called for to stop the offending individual. If this has spread to the point where it is simply ‘how things are done’, this is a symptom of a very dysfunctional situation. My best advice is: get out!

]]> By: Alex http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2007/04/milestones-are-handoffs.html/comment-page-1#comment-575 Alex Mon, 23 Apr 2007 20:24:33 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/?p=7978#comment-575 Sometimes 'feature complete' milestone is achieved by piling buggy and not integrated code in front of QA team. Makes project plan look nice for a while, but is hardly related to real progress. Sometimes ‘feature complete’ milestone is achieved by piling buggy and not integrated code in front of QA team. Makes project plan look nice for a while, but is hardly related to real progress.

]]> By: Johanna Rothman http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2007/04/milestones-are-handoffs.html/comment-page-1#comment-574 Johanna Rothman Sun, 22 Apr 2007 00:45:13 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/?p=7978#comment-574 Alex, as long as it's handoff to a specific person, it's ok. It can be a customer, but earlier in the project, it's more likely to be a developer or tester or writer. Alex, as long as it’s handoff to a specific person, it’s ok. It can be a customer, but earlier in the project, it’s more likely to be a developer or tester or writer.

]]> By: Alex http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2007/04/milestones-are-handoffs.html/comment-page-1#comment-572 Alex Sat, 21 Apr 2007 10:33:04 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/?p=7978#comment-572 Hi Johanna, 'Handoff to someone else' is not specific enough. Should have it been 'handoff to customer'? Hi Johanna,
‘Handoff to someone else’ is not specific enough. Should have it been ‘handoff to customer’?

]]> By: Jason http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2007/04/milestones-are-handoffs.html/comment-page-1#comment-573 Jason Fri, 20 Apr 2007 23:44:30 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/?p=7978#comment-573 Did you mean to say "so I'm not thinking" or "so I'm now thinking"? Did you mean to say “so I’m not thinking” or “so I’m now thinking”?

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