“For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.”
– H.L. Menken (1880-1956)
Sometimes, what you perceive is not really the problem
Below are 4 views of a familiar candy package. But, while looking at this package, to someone unfamiliar with this famous candy, there are four perceptions of the candy name. So, who is correct?
It depends on how they are looking at the package.
Is this M & M ???
Is this W & W ???
Is This E & E ???
Is this 3 & 3 ???
Communication is the key!
One of the worst responses that a solution architect could hear from a client is, “That’s what I said, but that’s not what I meant.” The key is to work together both visually and in written form to describe the project’s goals.
Communication is not simply the written word, nor is it the spoken word. When designing custom software visual cues are very important. Upper management generally hears about the need for change from middle management and from front-line management, which was precipitated by the application-centric complaints originating from the application users and/or the consumers of the application data. The communication from the user community to upper management is filtered by at least two layers and the message is distorted and sometimes lost.
Our approach is to sit with the users working on the legacy system to observe the user workflow and methods. The verbal interaction, visual cues and observations of the legacy system design are of paramount importance. We also sit with the consumers of the data output to understand what they deem as important and how they used the data output.
Rarely do custom software developers look beyond the application assignment at hand. Since our assignment will be to replace the legacy application, we do our best to understand the workflows and data that the legacy application depends upon and we study the downstream workflows that depend upon the data output of the legacy application. Then, after we acquire all of that information, we plan our custom software design.