Quality · Software · Management: Systems Thinking, Volume 1

Author: Weinberg
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: High-quality software requires high-quality management, which is the theme of "Quality Software Management." This four-volume series, written by the renowned Gerald M. Weinberg, embodies the author's deep affection for computers over the past forty years. In Volume I, "Systems Thinking," the author points out that the first essential condition for developing quality software is learning how to think correctly about problems, answers, and quality itself. He also provides some guidelines that can help us engage in the type of thinking we need. "Take early action, but keep the force of the action small"—this is the key to maintaining control over the quality process. In an organization, managers should play both the role of a planner and that of a catalyst. On one hand, they should continuously plan for future work, observe the progress, and on the other hand, decisively guide the actual situation toward the predetermined goals. The book explains the concept of "control points" through numerous examples, showing that managing these points can prevent crises from occurring or at least prevent the situation from worsening. The issues discussed in the book include: quality, pressure, and collapse; software culture; software patterns; management models; feedback; the dynamics of scale/complexity in software engineering; fault detection and response methods; the dynamics of error correction; the role of customers, etc. Highly valuable charts, indexes, exercises, and reference lists further enhance the book.