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! 🙂
