1. Life Cycle of a Silver Bullet
Adapted from: Sarah A. Sheard
INCOSE Chantilly Chapter
April 27, 2004

2. Life Cycle 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Life cycle:
The course of developmental changes through which an organism passes from its inception as a fertilized zygote to the mature state in which another zygote may be produced
A progression through a series of differing stages of development

3. Silver Bullet
Term referred to weapon needed to kill werewolves in 17Th century in Europe
Now used to refer to new business methods that promise to solve all management problems
Management by objectives, six sigma, CMMI, …
Unfortunately, silver bullets tend not to kill but to become the werewolf

4. Mr. Ian A. Hamm, Porcine Products
Phase 1: Fresh Start
Never mind all those canned “methods”
What are *my* company’s problems?
How am *I* going to solve them?
No More Silver Bullets!
Mr. Ian A. Hamm, Porcine Products

5. Phase 2: Executive Dedication and Openness
Executive focuses personally on the problems
Researches wisdom out there and selectively adapts
Insists senior managers become part of the solution
Insists they and himself listen to the workers and change their own ways of working

6. Phase 3. Success
Solving real problems makes company more efficient and effective
Quality up
Costs down
Business up
Morale up

7. THE BALLE- ARGENTEE METHOD
Phase 4. Publicity
Business press requests a name for the Balle-Argentee (B-A) method
Estimates expenditure of time and money on improvements
Estimates return on investment (ROI) after the fact
Publishes method
THE BALLE- ARGENTEE METHOD
I. A. Hamm

8. Phase 5. Momentum
“Why is Porcine Products so much cheaper than we are, and their products are higher quality?”
“Why are they taking away our customers?
“Hey, we should do that too. Look at their ROI!”

9. Phase 6. First Replication
We’re going to do it!
We’ll read the literature carefully about B-A and talk to Porcine products ourselves
We’ll look at our own problems and implement the spirit and letter of Balle-Argentee to solve them
And, we’ll track improvement costs and benefits from the start

10. Phase 7: Confirmation WARP BA B-A method works!
Chris P. Bacon
B-A method works!
Look how much we saved! (Our shareholders love us)
We did it faster than Porcine Products—their method gave us a kick-start
Our senior managers carefully implemented B-A
FAST B-A
Sue E. Swee

11. Phase 8: Proceduralization (1)
Balle Argentee looks like it would provide a good return on investment
Everyone is doing it: We should do it too.
Many companies participate at this stage
What they know about B-A is only what has been published
Implement B-A along with other (conflicting) initiatives
Assume ROIs will add

12. Phase 8: Proceduralization (2)
Middle managers are given ROI targets
Only important thing is getting the certificate
Do it faster than anyone else has
It took many years at Porcine Products !
Reduce investment to increase ROI
“Don’t tell me it can’t be done”
Use the method exactly as published
Check-the-box adherence goals reduce arguments
Upward communication stops; no incentive to tell the real story
Involving Exec. would signal weaknesses
B-A by
Dec.

13. Phase 9: Diminished returns
Dilution of focus
Time compression
Lack of executive involvement
Cost cutting
Poor understanding of problems
Checklist mentality
Do not reap published ROI

14. Phase 10: Blaming the method
Business Press denigrates B-A method
B-A is applied as a checklist
Workers know it is not solving real problems
B-A sponsors do not want to hear about problems
Clearly Balle-Argentee does not work!

15. Mr. Will D. Boar. Animalia, Inc.
Phase 11: Starting Fresh
Never mind all those canned “methods”. What are *my* company’s problems? How am I going to solve them?
Mr. Will D. Boar. Animalia, Inc.

16. Morals of the story Focus on your own problems.
Do not assume those who badmouth a method are using the real method.
There is nothing like the original
Talk to the creator
Find principles behind method
ROI of multiple initiatives interfere.
e.g. six sigma, CMMI, …
Do not assume their ROI will be yours.
Everything is different.

17. How to use a Silver Bullet ?
Focus on business needs
e.g. goals of improvement
Everyone
Methods are a mean to the end, not the end themselves
Cannot paste on improvements (look how your company is working)
Executives
Develop your own understanding about problems of your company
It requires upward communication
Can you listen only to good news, what about bad news !
Insist on coordinated effort to solve your company’s problems.
Use methods as appropriate.
Managers
Have to fully understand the method
Be realistic and Push back on shortcuts.
Clarify relationships among initiatives from other sponsors
Process groups
Push back on wishful thinking ( e.g. same ROI in less time)

18. Last word Second generation applications can work if They are studied
To determine benefits, assumptions, roadblocks, …
Applied intelligently
Applied with appropriate investments
House of straw is erected when companies believe they can quickly gain return from low-budget adherence to someone else’s solution.

19. Systems and Software Consortium
Best Practices for Engineering Software-Intensive Systems and Improving Processes
Pilot Projects
Process &
Method
Guidebooks
Process Assessments
For 20 years
Reducing to Practice
Systems and Software
Engineering
Technology
Libraries of Best Practices
Consulting
Training

20. Consortium Members
                                          

21. Software Productivity Consortium (no cool illustrations though)
Contact Information
Sarah Sheard
Software Productivity Consortium
2214 Rock Hill Rd
Herndon VA 20170
(703)
Paper:
(no cool illustrations though)