What Users Say Translated to Software Engineering!

I need a report that shows me how much I spent yesterday! Not an atypical ‘requirement’ from a business users’ point of view, huh?  What do you as a Software Engineer DO with this and similar statements? Let’s start with a couple of questions that we can use to expand and clarify on a statementContinue reading “What Users Say Translated to Software Engineering!”

Software Engineering: How do you start?

There are interesting challenges in applying the art and science of Engineering Disciplines to Software Analysis and Design. If we accept the notion that we need as complete a collection of Requirements as possible either for a full blown application solution (change or new) or a SPRINT to add functionality to either an existing applicationContinue reading “Software Engineering: How do you start?”

The First 90 Days

When I have been asked what I would do in the first 90 days of a new project as the Project Manager, my responses have typically included some or all of the following as a “Self-Orientation Start Up Plan”: 1) Gather the latest project documentation available from the following sources: a) Portfolio Management files forContinue reading “The First 90 Days”

Orthogonal Views…

A current definition provides us this: or·thog·o·nal   [awr-thog-uh-nl] adjective 1.  Mathematics . a. Also, orthographic. pertaining to or involving right angles or perpendiculars: an                 orthogonal projection. b. (of a system of real functions) defined so that the integral of the product of any           Continue reading “Orthogonal Views…”

Ever Present Project Management Risks

Every project has Risks associated with the delivery of the Business Solution. These need to be discovered as part of the Project Submission process and continue to be anticipated and discovered during the ultimate execution and delivery of the requested business solution. However, I also believe there are Project Management Risks that are inherent inContinue reading “Ever Present Project Management Risks”

Remember Codd and Date?

These were two technology authors who were quoted on the subject of Relational Integrity and a Normalized Data Model.  Their ideas of reducing redundancy in the physical data schema and protecting the mandatory relationships between entities took a whole lot of attention about how to create, define, and manage data so that it was safeContinue reading “Remember Codd and Date?”

Input – Process – Output

What exactly should a computer program do?  How will you know if the program you have written or requested to be written for you does what you need it to do? It’s really a whole lot simpler than you might think. If you, as a business user, can define what information is available to accomplishContinue reading “Input – Process – Output”

Syntax of an ERD – Entity Relationship Diagram

Syntax Rules for an Entity Relationship Diagram: An Entity appears as a Rectangular shape with a Name that is represented in the Singular for the subject of the data contained in this Entity. A Relationship Line can be created between any two or more (or’s and and’s) Entities. A Relationship MUST be valid and readableContinue reading “Syntax of an ERD – Entity Relationship Diagram”

The Software Engineering Handbook

Information Technology (IT) has been moving towards a “Popcorn Culture” for many years where our Practitioners are regularly looking for a quick POP of a little progress in technology.  When I was growing up in the world of computer programming, we were taught that this work took planning, design, testing, and re-work before a productContinue reading “The Software Engineering Handbook”