Social Business - The CIO's Guide to Oracle Products and Solutions - page 117

TABLE 4.1
Classic Software Development Project Problems
People-Related
Mistakes

Process-Related
Mistakes

Product-Related
Mistakes

Technology-Related
Mistakes

Undermined
motivation

Overly optimistic
schedules

Requirements
gold-plating, i.e.,
too many product
features

Silver-bullet
syndrome, i.e.,
latching onto a new
technology or
methodology that
is unproven for the
particular project

Weak personnel Insufficient risk

management

Feature creep Overestimated

savings from tools
or methods

Uncontrolled
problem employees

Contractor failure Developer

gold-plating, i.e.,
developers using
technology just
for the sake of
using that
technology

Switching tools in
the middle of a
project

Heroics Insufficient

planning

Push-me, pull-me
negotiation, i.e.,
constantly
changing
schedule

Lack of automated
source code control

Adding people to a
late project

Abandonment of
planning under
pressure

Research-oriented
development, i.e.,
stretching the
limits of
technology

Noisy crowded
offices

Wasted time
before project
actually starts,
i.e., the approval
and budgeting
process

Friction between
developers and
customers

Shortchanged
upstream
activities, e.g.,
requirements
analysis, etc.

Unrealistic
expectations

Inadequate design

(Continued)