Software planning and specification development: no fluff—just results!

• Create better specifications-with less complexity, and less work!

• Best practices that work with any language or development environment

• CD-ROM exclusive: Software Blueprinter, a powerful software application for real-world specification development

• For all software team members: developers, architects, managers, clients, and software quality specialists

Planning Smarter demystifies software planning, cuts out to the chase, and shows exactly how to create higher quality, more useful specifications with less complexity and less work! Tyson Gill presents a complete blueprint for improving the quality of your software specifications, reducing errors and omissions, simplifying planning, and establishing a rock-solid foundation for any software development project. Coverage includes:

• Understanding the planning process-and why it so often fails

• Getting the planning process "just right" and identifying the best lifecycle approach

• Optimizing the communication that is critical to successful planning

• 13 powerful strategies for more effective requirements development

• Planning in the context of leading software process models: CMM, MSF, UML, and RUP

• Recognizing and making effective use of planning metadata

Planning Smarter is an invaluable resource for every member of the software development project team. It will help executives and clients understand the key factors associated with success-and it will give planners, developers, architects, and team leaders the proven techniques they need to build specifications that work.

CD-ROM INCLUDED

The accompanying CD-ROM contains Software Blueprinter, a powerful specification development application that embodies the key principles in this book.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 2 Ratings

Short, focused and filled with useful information - 2002-04-24
Reviewer Rating:
Read this book with an open mind because it is going to expose specification and planning shortcomings in the major methodologies, such as the Microsoft Solutions Framework, Unified Process, Unified Modeling Language. In fact he states in the preface that he does not expect readers to agree with everything in this book.

What I like about this book is the fact that it's independent of methodologies and development environments. More importantly, it's not another methodology, but a short, focused book that will teach you how to make your existing methodology workable. It's also focused on the planning process and does not stray from it. Among my favorite parts are:

- Pathology of bad plans and how to recognize them.
- A best practices comparison of the CMM, Microsoft Solution Framework, UML and Rational Unified Process. Note that I disagree (as predicted by the author in his preface) that the CMM belongs in the discussion since it's not a methodology but an indicator of process maturity based on key practices.
- The emphasis on communications during the planning process. This is a common failure point and the fact that an entire chapter is devoted makes this book all the more valuable.

The book is engaging because the author has an active writing style and uses anecdotes from real life to reinforce points. It's also filled with common sense (something that appears to be uncommon during the planning phases of many of the hundreds of projects in which I've been involved). If you take the time to carefully read through this book you'll come away with some solid principles that support effective planning, and a process-oriented approach that will fit within any methodology. Do not expect to find procedures for performing quantitative planning activities - those can be found in most books on project management. Do expect, however, to learn how to approach the planning process the right way. I think every software project manager, requirements analyst and specification developer should read this book before taking on their next project or assignment.

Thought-provoking - 2002-08-01
Reviewer Rating:
Really thought-provoking book !! Should be read by every consultant, planer, senior developer, client manager and so on.

I have, as a (senior) consultant for a major IT consulting company, made almost all the mistakes or experiences of the "classic" project planning (as described in the book). Have read the book already twice and found the advocated methodology (and view about the whole software development process) to be very pragmatic and down to earth. I will give it a try on our next project (first on an internal one).

The biggest challenge will be to convince the managers that a big part of the paper work is unnecessary :-).

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