Quality · Software · Management — System Thinking (Volume 1)

Author: [USA] Gerald M. Weinberg
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: High-quality software requires high-quality management, which is the theme of Quality Software Management. This four-volume series, authored by the renowned Gerald M. Weinberg, embodies the author's deep affection for computers over the past four decades. In Volume I, Systems Thinking, the author points out the first essential condition for developing quality software—learning how to think correctly about problems, answers, and quality itself. He also provides guidelines that can help us engage in the necessary type of thinking. "Take early action, but keep the intensity low"—this is the key to maintaining control over the quality process. In organizations, managers should serve both as planners and catalysts—on one hand, continuously planning for future work, observing progress, and on the other hand, decisively guiding actual conditions toward predetermined goals. The book explains the concept of "control points" through numerous examples, demonstrating that managing these points can prevent crises or at least prevent them from worsening. The issues discussed in the book include: quality, pressure, and collapse; software culture; software patterns; management styles; 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's appeal.