Software Development Cross Solution - Index of - Free

factoring in team performance
76 Chapter 3
Hello?! Can’t we just add some more people to cut down
our estimates? Add two developers, and we’ll get done
in 1/3 the time, right?
It’s about more than just development time
While adding more people can look really attractive at first, it’s really not
as simple as “double the people, halve the estimate.”
Every new team member needs to get up to speed on the project;
they need to understand the software, the technical decisions,
and how everything fits together, and while they’re doing that they
can’t be 100% productive.
Then you need to get that new person set up with the right tools and
equipment to work with the team. This could mean buying new licenses
and purchasing new equipment, but even if it just means downloading
some free or open source software, it all takes time and that time
needs to be factored in as you reassess your estimates.
Finally, every person you add to your team makes the job of keeping
everyone focused and knowing what they are doing harder. Keeping
everyone moving in the same direction and on the same page can
become a full-time job, and as your team gets larger you will find that
this complex communication can start to hit your team’s overall ability to
be productive and develop great software.
In fact, there is a maximum number of people that your team can
contain and still be productive, but it will depend very much on your
project, your team, and who you’re adding. The best approach is to
monitor your team, and if you start to see your team actually get less
productive, even though you have more people, then it’s time to
re-evaluate the amount of work you have to do or the amount of time in
which you have to do it.
Download at WoweBook.Com
If it takes you 273 days, with 2 more
people like you, that would reduce the
overall development time by a factor
of 3, right?
Later on in this chapter you’ll be introduced
to the burn-down rate graph. This is a great
tool for monitoring the performance of your
team.