Table of Contents

FAILURE
A Formal Definition of Failure
Failure Patterns
The Dependability of a Software System
Known but Not Followed: Preventing Failure
Monitoring Systems
Reliability in Software
Accountability for Failure
Getting Out of Failures
Product and Project Failures
Summary

SYSTEMS
Application of Systems Thinking in Software
The Law of Requisite Variety
Most See, Very Few Observe
System Dynamics
Going Beyond the Analytical Approach
Management by Exception
Types of Systems
Complexity of Systems
Summary

STRATEGIES
The True System
Aligning Information Strategy with Business Strategy
Everything Important Is Not Strategic
A Few Common Internal Strategic Decisions
Using Strategies
Failed Strategies
Summary

REQUIREMENTS
Requirements for Products and Projects
Stakeholders
Stand-Ins
The Nature of Requirements
Types of Requirements
Classifying Requirements
A Hierarchy of Requirements
Requirements and Process
Design and Architecture
Changes in Requirements
Requirements and QA
Summary

ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
Background
Architecture versus Design
The Importance of Architecture
Software Architecture Document
Types of Architecture
System Design
Design Document
The Process of Designing
A Note on Design Patterns
Zachman Framework
What It Takes To Be a Good Architect and Designer
Occam's Razor
Summary

DATA AND INFORMATION
Nature of the Data
Determining Information Needs
Systems of Record
Summary

LIFE CYCLES
Everything Sequential Is Not a Life Cycle
Coarse-Grained Process Models
Standard Software Life Cycles
Using life Cycle As a Model
Choosing the Right Life Cycle
Prototypes Are Important
Life-Cycle Phases
Some Places in the Life Cycle Are Better Suited to
Terminate a Project
Software Shelf Life
Data Shelf Life
Movies versus Software
Summary

THE SEMANTICS OF PROCESSES
Process and Entropy
Developing Good Processes
Take Care of the Basics
Benefits of Processes
Resistance to Processes
Processes Degenerate into Bureaucracies
Do Processes Help?
Introducing New Processes
Summary

OFF-THE-SHELF SOFTWARE
The Involved Parties
Buying Off-the-Shelf Software
Preparing to Buy
Reducing Risk of Failure
The Dependency Factor
Summary

CUSTOMIZATION
Customization versus Enhancements
Customization and Configuration
Customization and Ground-Up Creation
Customization Requirements
Customization Facilities
Handling Upgrades to Customization
Why Customization Projects Fail
Dominance of the Customization Model
Need for a Customization Framework
Pros and Cons of Customization
Customization and Management
Summary

MIGRATION
What Triggers a Migration?
The Strategy of Migration
The Use of Tools
Risks of Migration
Resistance to Migration
Scoping Migration Projects
Migration in Design
Migrating Data
The Right Staff
Summary

QUALITY AND TESTING
The Definition of Quality
Quality as Feedback
Products and Processes
Quality Under Constraints
QA Effort Sizing
Dealing with Poor Specifications
Test Plans and Cases
Types of Testing
Scope of Testing
Automation in Testing
Test Environments
Quality Improvements Over Time
Bugs
Classification of Bugs
Push and Pull: The Equation Between Development and QA
Multiple Views of Quality
Quality Assurance (QA) and Testing Skills
Summary: Quality Matters

COMMUNICATION
The Objectives of Communication
Communication Models
The Problem of Miscommunication
Information Dynamics
Modes of Communication
Communication Tools
Channels
Demos
Other Aspects of Communications
Communicating Across Fault Lines
Escalation
Communication Techniques
Content
Status
The Three Popular Vectors
Summary

REPORTS
The History of Reporting
Reporting Hierarchy
What Is a Good Report?
Types of Reports
Report Design
Quality
Queries
Queries versus Reports
OTS Reports
Report: Other Aspects
Summary

DOCUMENTATION
Types of Documentation
Problems with Documentation
Summary

SECURITY
The Demand for Security
Security Crosses Conventional Application Boundaries
The Weaker Links
Security Is Linked to Value and Ownership
Identifying the Correct Entities to Protect
The Business Perspective
The Technical Perspective
Learning from the Human Security System
A Counter-Intuitive Approach from Field Sports
The Human Perspective
Processes and Procedures
Summary

CONCLUSION

APPENDIX: Discussion of Terms

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX