Information Technology Reference
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should be used as a starting point, and that organizations are expected to
derive more
specific measures
based on business needs.
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3.5 Measurement in the Case Study
In our case study, data in all three of Watt's categories were collected for
years and retained in an organizational measurement repository. Due to con-
cern over the nonachievement of business objectives, I was asked to conduct
an independent analysis. I started by analyzing the data in the repository
and I first noticed from this data a high percentage of defects injected late in
the development cycle. I observed this from the “defects by phase responsi-
ble” measure. But when I talked to developers, I heard that the majority of
their problems were due to vague requirements that did not receive appro-
priate attention early in the development phase.
My first key observation was this
disconnect
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between the
objective data
in the
organizational repository
and what I was hearing from the people in the
trenches who did the work.
Tr y i n g t o b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d w h a t w a s g o i n g o n , I k e p t d i g g i n g a n d a s k i n g
more questions, and as I did, I discovered more
disconnects.
I asked one
developer to describe the product baseline management process I had read
about in their documented processes, and he replied:
It's not how we really work. We propose things that are similar to what we
are going to do, but not exactly. We propose based on where we think the
product will be in the future when the work comes in. Often those assump-
tions are wrong.
My second key observation was this
disconnect
between the documented
processes and what I was hearing was happening in the trenches.
3.6 Stepping Back
I have witnessed these two key observations—to varying degrees—as com-
mon patterns in many organizations. Let us explore further how this affects
business objectives.
6. What I mean by this is measures that have sufficient granularity and contextual data associated with
them to enable their effective use.
7. The term “disconnect” in this topic means an inconsistency.
