Winning with Software: An Executive Strategy

Customer Reviews:

SOFTWARE PROJECTS FOR EXECUTIVES.......2006-11-14

MESSAGE / CONCEPT

The message here is that if you wish to develop good software, particularly of any significant size, you need a robust process and a team of disciplined programmers/engineers. The operative words here are robust and disciplined. These two terms, particularly the discipline one, resonate particularly well with us, because one of the significant causes of a problem project is the lack of discipline to follow a defined process. The further message is that "quality counts" - even more so than schedule. This is particularly relevant to any business that uses software.

When the project starts to "go off the track", the project team might go back to what they are comfortable with which often is the "lazy" approach. A bit like a football team - when things go pear shaped and they are on the back foot, bad habits sneak in .....tackles get missed, individuals don't get into position in defence, the ball gets dropped, the pass goes astray.....discipline goes out the window!

His personal software process (PSP) and team software process (TSP) aren't incompatible with the extreme programming (XP) or agile software development movement, although the XP crowd may disagree. I don't think Humphrey would disagree even though he is coming from the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) angle and was a significant player in the SEI Capability Maturity Model (CMM) development which is often held up as the antithesis of XP.

Having said all that and noting that the focus is on software development, the messages are equally applicable regardless of what is being developed. Overall, it is a good read with some excellent advice and practical examples. So don't be put off by the title and the fact it can be a bit dry in places, insert for software, your particular technology (missile, bridge, network, satellite, communications system, etc) and it will still make sense and provide you with some useful insights.

WHAT WE LEARNT

It more confirmed our present approach rather than taught us something new. BUT, it did enlighten us on a number of techniques we can use to show the value of taking a robust and disciplined approach to project management. So much so, we are getting another copy of the book and giving it to the manager of the project portfolio in one of our client organisations. This confirms for us that this is a book for executives.

Sales pitch for PSP and TSP.......2004-08-12

This book by Watts S. Humphrey has an appealing title and actually an interesting set of chapters. However the book quickly falls in a sales pitch for Humphrey's Personal Software Process (PSP) and Team Software Process (TSP). If winning with software is indeed all about selling and applying PSP and TSP then the book is on track and will give champions a few tips and some data on how to sell these methodologies to their senior management.

Good overview of problems, but tough to get traction from.......2003-12-22

This book is targeted at executives, but it's also useful for developers who might be curious about what Humphrey's been talking about for the last few years in his PSP and TSP processes. Value comes in this book from understanding what many problems in software development are, why you have to address them, and at what level they need to be addressed. That said, it was difficult to really 'close the loop' and get the end-to-end on how one would go from having recognized the problems to organizing people to solving it, to actually rolling out solutions. Still, a good book nonetheless, and more than worth reading, especially if you don't feel like sitting through one of the PSP/TSP books.

Great book.......2003-04-02

Mr. Humphery has produced another winner. Every example is easy to relate to real world environments. The Summary and Conclusions at the end of every chapter are real jems. I have raved about the book to everyone at my company and I am trying to get sponsership from executive management for the processes defined in the book.

Good advice for those willing to use it.......2002-11-15

The first point of the book is one that still must be made to many, but in reality should have been obvious some time ago. Namely, that software is a critical component of the structure of the modern business. Humphrey makes the case clearly, concisely, and convincingly for the need for all executives to learn the basics of how software can be used to improve their business. That alone makes the book worth reading.
His next step is to explain how to create a team of software developers that can build a quality product on time, on budget and where the team is still functional after the product is built. That part is hard and Humphrey outlines what he calls the Team Software Process (TSP), which is designed to build and manage quality software teams. With a small set of basic principles and a complete set of charts, the TSP is easily understandable and is presented at the non-technical level of most managers. The problem is of course that managers often follow paths based on their personal beliefs or insecurities and not those of impersonal realities. For this reason, Humphries book suffers from the unavoidable weakness of all such books in that readers have the option to ignore it.
This book is packed with sound advice for managers of software development teams. It shows you how to create the process and provide the appropriate combination of cuddling and clubbing. However, whether it works or not is up to the practitioners, all too few of which will be willing or able to apply the advice.

Book Description

This volume of essays approaches the issues involved in the study of ancient economies in terms of their active components - the producers, the organisers, and the transporters. By taking a closer look at how these elements interacted, the contributors have reconstituted the elements of economic behaviour in the ancient world, to show how institutional mechanisms (money supply; the encouragement of city foundations; markets; royal palaces) created frameworks within which goods (oil and wine, cereals, perfumes, ceramics) and services were exchanged. Each chapter engages with the theoretical and material aspects of one of these topics in an original way. The result is an up-to-date approach to ancient economies, which attempts to bridge the gap between the micro scale of small independent communities and the macro scale of territorial powers.

Managing World Economic Change: International Political Economy (3rd Edition)

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Good PACE

Managing World Economic Change: International Political Economy (3rd Edition)
Robert A. Isaak
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0130117757

Book Description

This book discusses the principles behind the politics of managing the global economic changes since World War II. Historical principles, key concepts and persistent trends are set in a context of adapting to global change without losing cultural identity. It discusses how the economic shifts in business cycles and global capital flows have had an impact upon the world economy and demonstrates the importance of "globalization" as a long-term process which has sped up, of late. The fast-forwarded process has shaped many international organizations and institutions in their scramble to catch up in this environment of change. Concepts for Monitoring Change. The Global Environment. Domestic Sources of National Economic Behavior. Cycles, Trends, Conclusions. For anyone interested in an in-depth discussion of global trends and politics.

Customer Reviews:

Good PACE.......2000-09-29

As most of you MBA students will need to purchase this book because it's required, you probably have reservations about keeping it. After taking Isaak's class I can tell you that this was one of the most fascinating perspectives on the post cold war environment since reading "The Lexus and The Olive Tree". I'd suggest you actually read this one.

Economy Without Walls: Managing Local Development in a Restructuring World

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Economy Without Walls: Managing Local Development in a Restructuring World
Roger E. Hamlin , and Thomas S. Lyons
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0275952150

Book Description

Recent years have witnessed a revolution in the way economies work. The world has moved away from centralized governments and economies, toward decentralized governments and market-driven economies. A pragmatic, non-ideological approach to mixed economic systems is becoming the order of the day, blurring the lines between public and private, and referred to here as the "economy without walls." The purpose of Hamlin and Lyons' new work is to synthesize an understanding of the economy without walls, distill the implications of this economy for local communities, and apply knowledge of those implications to guiding communities' development. The book assumes that the use of intersectoral partnerships is an important part of any urban or regional development strategy. It systematically describes such partnerships, including the philosophical foundations of this approach and the financial and non-financial activities used to implement it. The work then discusses trends in the theory and practice of local community management that result from this economic restructuring. The implications of the "economy without walls" cannot be ignored if urban planners and related professionals are to be effective in the new worldwide environment. This book will be a must-read for scholars, students, and practitioners in urban planning, economic development, and public administration.

International Political Economy: Managing World Economic Change

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International Political Economy: Managing World Economic Change
Robert A. Isaak
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NY1UOS

Korea: Managing the Industrial Transition. Volume 1. The Conduct of Industrial Policy (World Bank Country Study)

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Korea: Managing the Industrial Transition. Volume 1. The Conduct of Industrial Policy (World Bank Country Study)
World Bank
Manufacturer: World Bank
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0821308874

Managing Fiscal Decentralization (Routledge Studies in the Modern World Economy, 36)

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Managing Fiscal Decentralization (Routledge Studies in the Modern World Economy, 36)

Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0415277388

Book Description

The growth of interest in fiscal decentralization has meant that there has been something of a rush to enshrine this in policy - The World Bank has reported that about 70 countries see this as a major part of their development strategy. This book critically examines the case for decentralization.
This collection of contributions comes from a worldwide team of experts, including Albert Breton, Piero Giarda and Anwar Shah. After analyzing fiscal decentralization in general, the book goes on to look at intriguing case studies of various regions around the world.

Managing Globalization in Developing Countries and Transition Economies: Building Capacities for a Changing World

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Managing Globalization in Developing Countries and Transition Economies: Building Capacities for a Changing World
Moses N. Kiggundu
Manufacturer: Quorum Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1567206158

Book Description

"Globalization is everyone's business," asserts Kiggundu in this comprehensive examination of globalization's influences on transition economies. Globalization presents challenges to developed and developing countries alike, and these challenges can and must be managed. Countries making the move from state-run to market-driven economies were faced with formidable obstacles even before globalization's effects were fully felt. Kiggundu argues that we, the incipient global society comprised of governments, corporations, NGOs, and individuals, must take a strategic approach to managing globalization. He explores strategies in the fields of public sector reform, governmental use of technology, foreign direct investment and international trade policy, the evolving World Trade Organization, cultures of entrepreneurship, labor standards, and environmental protection. Strategies for managing globalization are not merely to achieve and maintain dominance or competitiveness, but also to integrate the concerns voiced by globalization's harshest critics and most disenfranchised victims: ethics, equity, inclusion, physical and psychological "human security," sustainability, and development. Kiggundu contends that these values, summarized in a 1999 United Nations Development report, should go hand in hand with the mantras we hear from the management literature: profitability and maximizing shareholder value, among other traditional corporate goals. Providing a broad variety of examples, from Chile's management of financial crisis to the vision statements of Botswana and Malaysia, Kiggundu delineates the many ways in which developing countries are successfully managing the vagaries of globalization.

Managing in the Turbulent World Economy: Corporate Performance and Risk Exposure

Average customer rating:

very interesting book but hard to like...

Managing in the Turbulent World Economy: Corporate Performance and Risk Exposure
Lars Oxelheim , and Clas Wihlborg
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471974749

Book Description

"The Macroeconomic Uncertainty Strategy (MUST) analysis developed in this book and presented in an easily comprehensible way is mandatory reading for every corporate manager that takes responsibility for competitiveness regardless of level of decision-making" Professor Art Stonehill, Past President of the Academy of International Business and co-author of Multinational Business Finance — the global bestseller Managing in the Turbulent World Economy Corporate Performance and Risk Exposure Lars Oxelheim, Institute of Economic Research, Lund University and IUI, Stockholm Clas Wihlborg, Göteborg School of Economics and Commercial Law Within the last two decades firms and organizations, regardless of size, have been subject to changes in the conditions for doing business caused by uncertainty from shocks and disturbances in the world economy. This has called for new strategies in which management recognizes the interdependence of exchange rates, interest rates and inflation rates influencing the firm through a variety of channels not captured by conventional accounting systems. This book provides the essential facts for managing and assessing the development of corporate performance and competitiveness in the new economic climate by

distinguishing between forces under management control and those which are not
filtering profits from the impact of changes in the economic environment of the firm
contributing to the understanding of shortcomings of traditional methods of performance evaluation (such as EVA, SVA and Benchmarking)
providing a comprehensive set of risk measures
developing a new Macroeconomic Uncertainty Strategy
providing guidelines on how to cope with exposure to fluctuations in exchange, interest and inflation rates

Customer Reviews:

very interesting book but hard to like..........2000-05-03

From what I can tell, the two main ideas of this book are:

1) Changes in exchange rates affect a firm not only through translation of transactions with foreign-based firms, but also because the changes potentially can alter the firms competetive situation. 2) Regression analysis can be used to measure cash flow and/or market value sensitivity to changes in macro economic variables such as exchange rates, interest rates and inflation. This gives you a neutral, statistical average relationship which tells you how big your true exposure to macro risk is (this measure captures the change in competetiveness too, as opposed to traditional ones). These regression coeffiecients can then be used to form a hedging-strategy.

The ideas in this book are strong. You get a much better picture of how risk could and should be managed. It also contains a lot of interesting discussions on the implications of market efficiency for the firms hedging policy. In short, it's a book practitioners in the field should read.

Its major drawback lies in the writing style of Mr Oxelheim. It's not very clearly written at all, and most numerical examples are annoyingly messy. I's a book I think you're going to find it hard to like. This is strange, considering it seems to be Mr Oxelheims wish that his methods be used by managers. For that purpose, the book should be re-written in a much more lucid and pedagogical way. To understand the book, a basic course in corporate finance and regression analysis will help a lot.

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