Well, the REST of the day didn’t go any better… sigh…
For those who’re familiar with Moore’s Law, there is a corollary law called Augustine’s law about acquisition and procurement.
Augustine’s Checklist for an Acquisition Adventure
or “A Formula for Failure”
0 Settle for Less Than the Best People -Reduce Payroll Cost
0 Build an AdversarialRelationship Between Buyer and Seller
0 Change Management Frequently -Provide Opportunities
0 Avoid Evolutionary Growth to New Capabilities -Take Grand Leaps
0 Continually Revise Schedule and Funding -Generate Excitement
0 Include All Features Anyone Wants -Make Everybody Happy
0 Allow No Margins in Funding,Schedule or Technical Approach – Nothing Will Go Wrong
0 Divide Management Responsibility Among Several Individuals-Two Heads are Better Than One
0 Whenever Difficult Problems are Encountered,Start All Over with a New Approach Having No (Known) Problems
0 Promote Continued Debate over Goals Throughout Life of Project – Variety is The Spice of Life
0 Give Reliability Low Priority-Especially Avoid Redundancy
0 Develop Underlying Technology and End-Product Concurrently
0 Do Not Plan Intermediate Test Milestones -Just One Glorious
Display
0 Create as Many Interfaces as Possible -Help People Get to Know
Each Other
0 Focus on the Big Picture -The Details Will Take Care of Themselves
0 Disregard Seller’s Track Record -The Law of Averages Will Work
Out
0 Cut Costs by Reducing Testing -Especially Environmental and
Full-System Testing
0 Ignore the Users-They Don’t Understand High-Tech
0 Choose Among Sellers Based on What They Promise -No One
Likes a Pessimist
0 Eliminate Independent Checks and Balances-They Just Create
Friction
0 Don’t Compete Potential Suppliers at Outset-Pick a Friend
0 Once Underway Continue to Compete Selected Supplier with
Outsiders-Change as Often as Possible to Assure “Freshness”
0 Minimize Managers’ Latitude for Judgment -Rely on Regulations
0 Deal Harshly with Anyone Surfacing Problems-One Can’t Afford
Troublemakers
0 Never Delegate -Hold Authority at the Top Where People Really
Know What’s Going On
0 Maximize Individual Incentives-Teamwork is Just the Sum of the
Parts
0 Make Up for Schedule Slips by Overlapping Design and Build – Especially When Test Results are Disappointing
D Include at Least as Many Auditors on the Project as Workers – Reviews Give Everyone a Chance to Participate
0 Do All Possible to Minimize Profits of Participating Contractors- Save the Money
0 Don’t Waste Time Communicating (Especially Face-To-Face)-It
Takes Time;and Time is Money
0 Eschew Strong Systems Engineering -It Just Complicates
Decision-Making
0 Delay Establishing Configuration Control Until the Last Minute- Reduce Cost of Management
0 Always Pick the Low Bidder-They Must Know Something Special and are Often Courageous
0 Don’t Worry About the Form of Contract-Just Enforce It
0 Get Head-Start on Work Prior to Finalizing Goals,Schedule,and Cost
-This is Especially True for Software – Which is Easy to Change
0 Share Authority for Project Direction with Staff Advisors
For those who’re familiar with Moore’s Law, there is a corollary law called Augustine’s law about acquisition and procurement.
Augustine’s Checklist for an Acquisition Adventure
or “A Formula for Failure”
0 Settle for Less Than the Best People -Reduce Payroll Cost
0 Build an AdversarialRelationship Between Buyer and Seller
0 Change Management Frequently -Provide Opportunities
0 Avoid Evolutionary Growth to New Capabilities -Take Grand Leaps
0 Continually Revise Schedule and Funding -Generate Excitement
0 Include All Features Anyone Wants -Make Everybody Happy
0 Allow No Margins in Funding,Schedule or Technical Approach – Nothing Will Go Wrong
0 Divide Management Responsibility Among Several Individuals-Two Heads are Better Than One
0 Whenever Difficult Problems are Encountered,Start All Over with a New Approach Having No (Known) Problems
0 Promote Continued Debate over Goals Throughout Life of Project – Variety is The Spice of Life
0 Give Reliability Low Priority-Especially Avoid Redundancy
0 Develop Underlying Technology and End-Product Concurrently
0 Do Not Plan Intermediate Test Milestones -Just One Glorious
Display
0 Create as Many Interfaces as Possible -Help People Get to Know
Each Other
0 Focus on the Big Picture -The Details Will Take Care of Themselves
0 Disregard Seller’s Track Record -The Law of Averages Will Work
Out
0 Cut Costs by Reducing Testing -Especially Environmental and
Full-System Testing
0 Ignore the Users-They Don’t Understand High-Tech
0 Choose Among Sellers Based on What They Promise -No One
Likes a Pessimist
0 Eliminate Independent Checks and Balances-They Just Create
Friction
0 Don’t Compete Potential Suppliers at Outset-Pick a Friend
0 Once Underway Continue to Compete Selected Supplier with
Outsiders-Change as Often as Possible to Assure “Freshness”
0 Minimize Managers’ Latitude for Judgment -Rely on Regulations
0 Deal Harshly with Anyone Surfacing Problems-One Can’t Afford
Troublemakers
0 Never Delegate -Hold Authority at the Top Where People Really
Know What’s Going On
0 Maximize Individual Incentives-Teamwork is Just the Sum of the
Parts
0 Make Up for Schedule Slips by Overlapping Design and Build – Especially When Test Results are Disappointing
D Include at Least as Many Auditors on the Project as Workers – Reviews Give Everyone a Chance to Participate
0 Do All Possible to Minimize Profits of Participating Contractors- Save the Money
0 Don’t Waste Time Communicating (Especially Face-To-Face)-It
Takes Time;and Time is Money
0 Eschew Strong Systems Engineering -It Just Complicates
Decision-Making
0 Delay Establishing Configuration Control Until the Last Minute- Reduce Cost of Management
0 Always Pick the Low Bidder-They Must Know Something Special and are Often Courageous
0 Don’t Worry About the Form of Contract-Just Enforce It
0 Get Head-Start on Work Prior to Finalizing Goals,Schedule,and Cost
-This is Especially True for Software – Which is Easy to Change
0 Share Authority for Project Direction with Staff Advisors
0
1-5
6-10
11-20
21-36
0 Success Unavoidable
1-5 Success Sometimes Unavoidable
6-10 Agonizing Success Possible
11-20 Good Chance of Disaster
21-36 Disaster Not Left to Chance
Taking a ‘charitable’ approach this afternoon, I’d grade the afternoon as 29-31… sigh…
BUT, I’m now sipping on this…
All better now! 🙂
You think you had it rough!
I tried to comment on your previous post, and everything Blogger went unresponsive.
Imagine my consternation and concern at not being able to commiserate with you adequately.
Glad you made it safe.
That checklist described my day today as I try to make a major capital project I inherited come together after having the parameters “adjusted” thoroughly.
Cheers! I’m drinking vicariously through you.
Me, I’m taking a bit more pedestrian medication for today.
Glad you made it out in one piece!
Thank you for making me really, really glad I’m retired.
Ed- I feel for ya… THAT sounds like a no win/damn hard to win situation!
Keads- I’d share 🙂
WSF- Shaddap… 🙂
Worked on a (classified) project once that got $200M over budget and had Congressional Hearings. I think that was a score of 42 …
I *so* want to buy you a beer some day and swap stories. Got to be beer, though – I can’t afford that tipple with #1 Son in College. 😉
BP- Beer works, I’ve been ‘working’ on this bottle for 6 months!
Not a good at all, from the sound of it; sorry. At least it’s had a good ending.
Yowie….NOT a fun past few days for you!
From the looks of your checklist, I think we’ve both worked places that had that exact same “management” philosophy.
Kick back and relax, and take comfort in the fact that we both know the next four years are really gonna SUCK a whole lot worse than these last few days.
And if you find a nice desert island somewhere, the missus and I will chip in with you to buy it!
Don’t let the Obama admin read this post. Dangerous stuff here for people who want America to fail….
Rev- Definitely had better…
drjim- Yep! And if I find it, you’re in!
Opus- Who do you think PUBLISHED it… sigh…
Yep, been there. Also needs:
Add lots of features with no benefits to the end user.
Embrace creeping elegance which is the corporate world equivalent of mission creep.
Gerry
“Disaster Not Left to Chance” funny! funny! Gonna have to remember this.
Gerry- yep, that too!
Andy- And sadly it’s TRUE!!!
Borepatch, I’ve got you beat. My (partially classified) project is now nearing $1T. I’ve already sat with the DoD IG and am now watching the train wreck being deployed.
And yes, there are several of us in this community that need to buy each other beers. Right OldNFO?
I’ll buy a round and offer up a few pointy haired boss stories.
AZ- Yep…
Stretch- I can imagine!
I’ve worked on a few that big too, but if I told which ones I’d have to…..well, you know…..
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