A trip down memory lane: Years ago, while attending the fine institution known as The Pennsylvania State University, I anxiously awaited a grade on my latest programming assignment. Pardon the pun, but I was trying to avoid another C on my C++ programming project. I had thought that the last program I turned in was completed perfectly, but I got knocked by the professor for not commenting my code. I thought it was nonsense. And then when I got my 2nd consecutive grade of a C –, I thought it was even more nonsensical. Why would I need to comment my code? My thoughts were that the professor was an expert in this field and that he and should know exactly what my code meant. … Now...

I have come to love this saying even though, until recently, the origin was never apparent to me. Regardless of the origin, the idea of taking something from start to finish is a wonderful idea. I have worked on a couple of different projects where I started very close to the beginning and ended my work on the project very close to the end. But why don’t all aspects of the project follow a beginning to end cycle? IT Projects technically are not complete until decommissioning; however, a main milestone is the initial delivery of the system. So for the purpose of this blog, I will refer to the delivery of the system as the final piece of the project. In order to go from Soup to Nuts...

I’ve reflected on more than one occasion that independent consulting is a strange business. We’re neither vendor nor customer, although obviously, it’s in our best interest to be very friendly with both. It is, therefore, really problematic when an independent consultant gives opinions like “I wish customers acted like this,” or, “I wish vendors built things this way,” since the risk is that no matter what is said, it might be taken as criticism to someone, somewhere. But to state the obvious, this misunderstanding is not in the best interest of the independent consultant! So, let me say to whoever wishes to read it, “I really, really, really like your mousetrap!” The...