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CS 501: Software Engineering

Lecture 20

Managing People

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Administration

Assignment 3

Remember to submit your reports and questionnaires

Discussion Class

Attend

Speak!

Let me know out of class if you want to be called on more often

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Quiz 3, Question 1

Two online retailers, A and B, have agreed to merge. They have separate computer systems. Each has separately developed (i) a product database with information about products, suppliers and prices, and (ii) a customer database of customer accounts.

You are the Chief Information Officer responsible for combining the two systems into a single system. The strategy chosen is to combine the two product databases into a single database, using the software developed by retailer A, but keep the lists of customer separate. Customers should be unaware of the change, so that, to the customers, retailers A and B continue to appear to be separate.

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Quiz 3, Question 1 (continued)

(a) List two technical approaches for combining the two systems.

(b) What are the risks associated with each approach?

(c) Select the approach that appears likely to have the least risk.

(d) Draw a system architecture diagram for this approach.

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???

???

AA BB

From Lecture 13Merger of Two Banks: Options

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AA BB

Customer Database A

Customer Database B

Product Database A

Merger of Two Retailers

?

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Part (i): Technical Approaches

I. Minimal changes to the interfaces

Modify User Interface B so that it can get product information from Product Database A.

Modify Customer Database B so that it can interact with Product Database A (if needed).

II. Retire Customer Database B

Modify User Interface B so that it can get product information from Product Database A and customer information from Customer Database A.

Modify Customer Database A to hold both customer lists and merge information about the customers of B.

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Part (ii): Risks

I. Minimal changes to the interfaces

Need to maintain two separate systems indefinitely

Semantic differences between systems may make transparent interface(s) impossible

II. Retire Customer Database B

Major effort required to convert Customer Database B within short time span, very likely needing new data elements or relations

User Interface B may need major changes

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AA BB

Customer Database A

Product Database A

Parts (iii) and (iv): Option II

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Managing People

Theoretical

• Organizational behavior

• Industrial psychology

Group behavior

• Cognitive fundamentals

Economic motivation

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Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Self-realization needs

Esteem needs

Social needs

Safety needs

Physiological needs

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Software Engineering Basics

• Professional staff are the major cost of software

• Professional staff vary greatly in productivity

=> Ability

=> Education and training

=> Motivation

=> Interaction with colleagues and leaders

=> Work environment

• People are productive when happy and happy when productive

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Software is Built by Teams

• Best size for a team is 3 to 8 people

• Team members may include:

developers (from trainee to expert)domain expertsgraphic or interface designerssoftware librarianstesters

• Teams must have:

administrative leadership (manager)technical leadership

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Group Working

50%interaction

with others

20%non-productive

30%working alone

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Communication

• Informal

Kitchen, smokers' doorway, after work, etc.

Walkabout (tours)

Ad hoc meetings

• Staff meetings (non-technical)

Example: Tektronics

• Technical meetings

Facilitation

Record of decisions

• Management of teams dispersed across locations

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Administrative Leader (Manager)

• PersonnelAssigning tasksHiring, promoting, etc.

• ResourcesBudgetsSpace, facilitiesEquipment

• Project managementRelationships with other teams and clientsProject plan and schedule

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Hiring Criteria

Productivity is a combination of:

• Analytic ability• Verbal ability and communication skills • Education• Application domain knowledge

• Adaptability and inquisitiveness• Personality and attitude

• Platform experience• Programming language experience

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Staff Retention

• Technically interesting work

up to date hardware and software

opportunities to learn and experiment

• Feeling of appreciation

management recognition

money and promotion

• Working conditions

space, light, noise, parking

flexibility

• Organizational dynamics

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Salaries

Any software developer in the USA has plenty of money to live on (food, clothing, heat, etc.).

Salaries are used to satisfy the top levels of Maslow's Hierarchy:

self-realizationesteem

The absolute level of salary is less important than its relative level and how it is presented:

"The annual raise is 5%, but you are getting 6%."

"Our salaries are in the top 25% of similar companies."

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Firmness

Managers must be firm when needed:

• Assignment of tasks must be equitable and open; everybody will have to tackle some of the dreary tasks

• Carrots are better than sticks, but poor performance must be addressed.

• Nobody is indispensable; nobody should be allowed to think that they are indispensable

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Technical Challenges

• Canceling projects

Example: the Andrew window manager

• Changes of environment

Example: the World Wide Web

• Technical tinkering v. needed re-engineering

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Turning a Group Around

To turn a weak group into a strong one is the greatest challenge of leadership

• The art of the possible

• Promotion of the best over the old leaders

• Using opportunities to reorganize

• Resignations and terminations

• Respect people who try, yet refuse to accept problem areas

Brutal and abrupt rarely equals persistent and firm

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How to be Led

As a junior member of a team, what can you do to make it productive?

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To Build and Maintain a Strong Team

Everybody has a different style. In my experience:

• Be consistent in how you relate to people

• Be open about problems and how you are addressing them

• Explain your decisions

• Do not have secrets

• Ask for advice and help

• Be constructive in criticism of people outside your team

• Support and attend social events

Set high standards!