Software Endgames: Eliminating Defects, Controlling Change, And The Countdown To On-time Delivery [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Robert Galen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2004

In software development, projects are won or lost during the endgame -- that final stage between release for testing and release to customers.

Software Endgames presents realistic strategies for delivering working software to your customers. Focusing solely on the endgame, the book provides hard-won, hands-on practices you can implement right away.

In the endgame, effective management of defect repairs is crucial. Experienced project manager and consultant Robert Galen shows how to conduct effective defect triage -- analyzing, categorizing, and determining the priority of defects for repair.

Readers learn how to transform the endgame from a time of rampant defects and utter chaos into a time of focused repairs, effective teamwork, and change management. You’ll set release criteria, establish endgame release plans, and utilize a variety of change reduction and endgame management techniques.

Topics include

* release criteria and how to leverage them to guide your teams’ efforts * strategies for reducing the rate of change * change control and triage techniques that lead to efficient and effective defect repair decisions * alternative methods for defect repair and decision-making flexibility * setting up a defect-tracking system, managing defects and gathering standard metrics for endgame defect trending * techniques for repair planning and efficiency * agile extensions -- how to apply these techniques to agile projects * how to mine your endgames for improvements on future projects

features 4 appendices and 40+ figures and tables

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... you don't need theory—you need proven, practical advice from an endgame veteran. Read Robert Galen’s Software Endgames." -- Timothy Lister, coauthor of Peopleware

"I recommend this book to anyone in software development . . . who wants to get high-quality software developed and shipped consistently..." -- Robert Sabourin , President & Principal Consultant, AmiBug.Com, author of I Am a Bug!

About the Author

Robert Galen has been building software and leading teams for nearly 25 years. As a nationally recognized speaker at conferences, he regularly writes and consults on the "softer side" of leading teams toward successful project delivery.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Dorset House; illustrated edition edition (December 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0932633625
• ISBN-13: 978-0932633620
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,955 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #60 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Software Design, Testing & Engineering > Testing
  • #96 in Books > Computers & Technology > Computer Science > Systems Analysis & Design

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surviving the endgame, August 15, 2005

By 

Donald J. Reifer (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Software Endgames: Eliminating Defects, Controlling Change, And The Countdown To On-time Delivery (Paperback)

Endgame is about what to do when the pressure is on and release is imminent, funds lacking, people leaving and defects pervasive. What I like about this book is it is current, pointed and focused on what you can and can't do when faced with the endgame. Galen gives you advice on how to avoid going crazy during the endgame based on sound logic and practical experience. The book is about defects and what to do to minimize them. It suggests that the worst thing that you can do in the commercial world is release a product to market on schedule that is full of bugs. Those who have tried it have wound up regretting it because they have had to face the wrath of their customers and users.

The book starts by providing five Chapters that explain endgame basics. It emphasizes how to make the Change Control Board work for you by setting release priorities and getting rid of defects. It discusses how to establish release criteria and use them to reduce the release's rate of change. It focuses on the role of defect and change management and how they help you to improve both your quality and readiness to deliver. The use of a working view to improve decisions by considering the interaction of variables like scope of the deliverable, its cost, the quality, time-to-market, and team motivation and teamwork is extremely powerful.

In the next grouping of Chapters, it introduces you to the basics of defect tracking and using defect rates as a management tool during the endgame. I especially like how it homes in on ways to fix defects after you have found and prioritized them. It suggest using concepts like daily builds that resonate well with those who have used agile methods to get products to market quickly by using short, focused development sprints.

In the third grouping of Chapters, it takes you through the endgame workflow. It discusses the work queues and defect repair cycle. It provides guidance on how to estimate and schedule defect repairs when using both conventional and agile programming practices.

The final group of Chapters presents materials on leadership, management practices and endgame retrospectives. The goal is to convince you that you can deliver a quality product on schedule if you stick to your guns and use the guidance provided by the book. The concepts presented are current and sensible. For example, it highlights the use of war rooms and daily meetings as team building and communications tools.

This book is a book worth reading. Again, it is a book about defects and what to do about them. It is a book that you can use whether you are using either lightweight or heavyweight development approaches. It is a book that should be on your reading list because it can help you avoid buckling to pressure and delivering poor quality products prematurely to market. All you have to do is stick to your guns during the endgame and do what you believe is right using the defect data and trends that it recommends you collect throughout the development.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must-have" resource of ideas and practical experience, April 14, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Software Endgames: Eliminating Defects, Controlling Change, And The Countdown To On-time Delivery (Paperback)

Written by a software team-builder of 25 years' experience, Software Endgames is a guide that focues on the "endgame" phase of software development - the final stage between beta testing and release to the customers' market. Skillfully overseeing defect repairs is critical during this phase; Software Endgames discusses means to ensure that the best possible product is completed. Chapters address how to develop appropriate release criteria, creating a stable framework and time table, useful and relevant metrics, a variety of techniques to fix defects, management dynamics, leadership practices, and much more. A "must-have" resource of ideas and practical experience ideal for anyone responsible for overseeing software development.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Value here for anyone delivering software, June 6, 2006

By 

Lisa Crispin (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Software Endgames: Eliminating Defects, Controlling Change, And The Countdown To On-time Delivery (Paperback)

This book teaches techniques that can be applied in a wide variety of situations, no matter what software development approach is being used. Explanations are thorough enough for newbies, but there are new ideas even for old hands such as myself. Readers should note the author's words of caution for each practice he describes; for example, he warns the reader to not get stuck on role definition, that it's not intended to limit contributions.

What I like about this book is that it doesn't advocate any rigid process. Rather, it gives a lot of useful techniques, such as meeting guidelines, and lots of examples, both good and bad. There's plenty of good advice, such as understanding release criteria, expecting them to change but using them effectively. I liked the suggestions for measuring progress, using big visible charts and keeping the release framework up to date. There were many terms I hadn't heard before, such as the "Duct Tape" defect category, that really got me thinking in new ways. There's also advice that can't be repeated enough, such as not letting email replace simple, direct communication.

I found a few things hard to follow, such as how methodology affects trending in the metrics chapter. But I appreciated discussions such as how to use metrics for process improvement, and estimation techniques.

There's plenty in the "Endgame Toolbox" to help just about any team. It's easy to read, and delivers value to anyone involved in delivering software.