Re: Size of Workgroups

Jeffrey Horn in X-Informix-List-Id: <news.1506> discusses the task of managing a software project. He writes: > Assume also that you have 1 month to do the project. You know nothing more, > you will have to do interviews to get more information on exactly what is > needed... > At the outset, how many analysts, programmers, technical writers, managers, > etc. would you put in charge of a project like this. > How would you break the work down and how much time for each person would > you allocate to each chunk. Jeffrey, If you "know nothing more" then there is no way you can determine how many persons to assign to the project. At the very outset, one programmer/analyst should be sufficient to determine if a bunch more people will be needed. What that one person needs to do is to forget about computers and find out how long it would take to create a manual, paper-based system for tracking inventory. Could all the information be contained on one 8-1/2 X 11 inch sheet of paper or would you need twenty sheets of paper? When your paper-based research is finished, you can try to estimate the number of hours it would take one programmer using I-4GL (or whatever product) to complete it. When paper is computerized you end up with a lot of overhead such as the on line help screens you mentioned, ways to view the contents of the data base, various printouts, and security issues. For example, if you want to view a record in a paper system, all you have to do is pick up the book and thumb through the pages until you find what you are looking for. But on the computer you need a screen on which to enter selection criteria, and then one or more screens on which to view the records found. All this requires many lines of error free code. Once you determine how long it will take *one* programmer to code everything, then you can estimate "how many analysts, programmers, technical writers, managers" you need to finish it in one month. The art of systems analysis is far more complex than I've hinted at in this message. Maybe others who have done large projects can post comments about their techniques. Today there are a variety of PC based analysis tools (such as ERwin by Logic Works, Inc.) that you can use to model a data base. I recall someone on this List said he/she used ERwin, but I can't remember who it was. It sounds like you need to do more research before you can convince your bosses you are understaffed. Good Luck! ---- John Baker =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= John Baker, USAISC-Lex, Lexington - Blue Grass Army Depot, Lexington, KY jbaker@lexington-emh2.army.mil Phone: (606) 293-3644, 293-3743 DSN: 745- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=