Re: Freezing requirements in embedded product development

Un bel giorno ssubbarayan digitò:

I am currently working on a consumer electronics embedded product.On
every now and then when we are about to deliver, requirements keep
changing.I have informed my top management and they say when customers
need we need to give thats what we are paid for.While theres a
obligation to deliver to what customers want,how to manage these adhoc
requirements in a efficient manner?

This is very familiar. :)

The first law of customer is: no matter how hard you try, they will always
want more. The second law is that they would want your blood, if you are
willing to give it to them. Therefore you need to do (at least) two things:

1) Write very detailed specifications before starting to work to the
project. Each hour spent on the specifications is at least some tens of
hours saved during the project.

2) Make clear from the beginning that you will have fixed release dates for
the updates/bugfixes; for example say that you will release a new version
one time per month, implementing all of the requests arrived in the
previous month. This greatly helps to organize your work. Never ever let
someone expect that when they have a request you will fullfill it as soon
as you can. Of course there are occasions when you have to do it, but they
are far less frequent than you think.

Sorry if this question looks naive and amature.

This is always _the_ issue, I think that even people with thirty years of
experience still have to deal with it. :)

--
emboliaschizoide.splinder.com
.

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