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Conflict in the Software Factory? Chicken Run?
MS’s Jack Greenfield blogs recently on the topic of Software Factories, and an article in which the CEO of 6th Sense Analytics criticizes the concept. Point: The article asserts that SFs are about making developers into battery chickens who squeeze out code. Counterpoint: On the contrary, SFs are designed to automate the rote and menial tasks that make developers feel like battery chickens, freeing up time for the creative work of software development.
These misconceptions suggest that the author of the article does not know much about Software Factories, and perhaps has not even read what we have written about them. By themselves, they would not be serious enough to merit the time required to post a reply, as most people who evaluate a technology look at it deeply enough to get past shallow misconceptions.
However, the article goes on to say that SFs “crush the flexibility and creativity needed to build software and meet constantly changing requirements”. This statement is profoundly misleading, and requires a response for the sake of those who have read or may read the article.
Check out the controversy. Use the links below to see for yourself. Comments?
Related Software Factory info
Read 6th Sense’s Greg Burnell on Software Factories http://www.6thsenseanalytics.com/archives/612
Greenfield’s blog on 6th Sense article http://blogs.msdn.com/jackgr/archive/2006/07/24/676945.aspx
TheServerSide.NET Tech Talk: Jack Greenfield on software factories and DSLs
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Message #214974
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Re: Conflict in the Software Factory? Chicken Run?
This probably won't make me very popular but:
Isn't this just something we have to get through as a business? I mean, talking about creativity, look at the architectural business: they had their fair share of creativity with (to me) their sumum of Art Nouveau. However, I wouldn't like to pay for an Art Nouveau building these days. Everything was hand made and taylored to this one building. (Talking about Art Nouveau and architecture, after design patterns being inspired by architecture I think agile development owns to architecture too. Just read about Gaudi: he just might have been the first "agile developer/architect")
But then along came the modern style of pre-manufactered building blocks. I admit mostly not very beautifully, but hell, what do you want for such a cost? They made things affordable for the average person. Same goes with software: start using pre-manufactured building blocks and get rid of the overhead. And to make further comparision with architecture: automating their process and using CAD/CAM enabled them to make some very beatifull buildings to, which might not have been possible without those tools. Again, same goes with software: getting rid of the overhead will enable to concentrate on the real problem and produce some very beautifull pieces of software.
Secondly, I realy believe software developers are the modern day version of the old craftsmen. Most of them got replaced by machines and the really talented ones survived. By enabling mass production the price of manufacturing lowered but the talented craftsmen are still in business and their skills are very much alive. I think software factories can help do the same thing. It will enable the average person to develop software and thus result in "mass production" and cheaper software but it will stil require talented developers to build highly customized software. Then it is up to the customer to decide what he wants: customization or commonality.
Thirdly, someone has to build the machine and someone has to use it. It will take a talented developer to construct a software factory and it will enable more other developers to build great software.
Well, shoot!
Serge Desmedt
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Message #214984
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Re: Conflict in the Software Factory? Chicken Run?
I don't think you gloss over the role of the developer, but I think the developer-craftsman role could be stated a bit more fully.
If you go out to a job site anyplace in the world, at any given time, you probably wont find the architect on hand. Yet the builders are encountering issues the architect may have half-solved, and they are making adjustments to 'get the thing built.'
Of course, typically, that leads to the common situation that 'the model never reflects the code.'
I agree that Gaudi is cool but with limits. I think one of his buildings is still under construction..
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Message #215001
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Re: Conflict in the Software Factory? Chicken Run?
If you go out to a job site anyplace in the world, at any given time, you probably wont find the architect on hand. Yet the builders are encountering issues the architect may have half-solved, and they are making adjustments to 'get the thing built.'
I agree fully, but I don't think just any construction worker can decide that the architect has "forgotten" something or just overlooked something and make the adaptions he thinks are required. That's the task of the guy responsible for the site. And that's why I stated that their is still room for the craftsmen. You will still need someone who knows about the problem at hand and to whome people can go to solve "on the spot" problems. But you don't need a site full of architects or high skilled craftsmen to get the building constructed. And yes, for certain small problems, the construction worker himself will be able to make a decision because he still has to know his job and his tools.
So for software, you do not need a room full of architects and highly skilled developers to construct software, but you will need "craftsmen" to make on the spot decisions and corrections, and yes every developer will still need to know how to write software and how to use the tools. So, no chicken run here. But not every developer will need to be a high skilled craftsman, because the software factory will enable him to write things without deep knowledge on the subject. If a problem does occur, they can turn to the craftsmen for help.
I agree that Gaudi is cool but with limits. I think one of his buildings is still under construction.
What I meant is that he was an architect you would find on the site, interacting with the plain construction worker and constantly further designing the building. So you could see it as a way of "emerging design" and with a little imagination "pair architecting". The fact that his Sagrada Familia is still under construction has more to do with problems financing the building because it is being financed by donations.
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