An Indian (one of the authors) was checking into a hotel in Atlanta recently. Next to him was an elderly American lady also checking in.

Software is becoming such an essential part of modern life that a radical improvement in quality is needed.

Software is becoming such an essential part of modern life that a radical improvement in quality is needed.

Every company is working on Y2K today, and most companies are still optimistic about finishing their projects on time, and perhaps even within budget. Unfortunately, the issue of quality has not received much attention, even though it's a cliché to observe that everyone is in favor of high quality. For Y2K, however, quality is critical.

Richard Dué, who contributes to Cutter IT Journal from time to time, recently sent me the article that follows. It indeed piqued my interest. I'd like to know what you think.

Richard Dué, who contributes to Cutter IT Journal from time to time, recently sent me the article that follows. It indeed piqued my interest.

Richard Dué, who contributes to Cutter IT Journal from time to time, recently sent me the article that follows. It indeed piqued my interest.

I was chatting recently with a new consulting client about the software project that he had just undertaken, suggesting to him that the success of the project would depend less on object-oriented methodology and RAD (rapid application development) tools than on the effectiveness of the project team that had been assigned to work on it.

He looked at me blankly. "Team?" he asked, incredulously. "I don't have a team. At best, it's a committee; at worst, it's a herd of cats."

I was chatting recently with a new consulting client about the software project that he had just undertaken, suggesting to him that the success of the project would depend less on object-or

I was chatting recently with a new consulting client about the software project that he had just undertaken, suggesting to him that the success of the project would depend less on object-or

What if an auditor walked into your office and instead of asking the silly questions auditors often ask, presented you with a set of "alignment" questions? The audit objective is to determine if you're spending too much or too little, wisely or stupidly. Could you answer the following questions?

At the tender age of 24, I was nominated by the board of directors of my company to be an officer. If the office they were proposing had been President or Vice President it would have been something to write home about, but it wasn't. What they wanted me to become was Corporate Secretary.

At the tender age of 24, I was nominated by the board of directors of my company to be an officer.

At the tender age of 24, I was nominated by the board of directors of my company to be an officer.

One of the most important alignment areas is people. We all have them. We all need them. We all work to keep the good ones. But what is "talent" today?

Reading through a recent issue of Computerworld, I couldn't help thinking of Yogi Berra's refrain about "deja vu all over again." Salaries are up, IT costs are rising, the Web is everywhere. Outsourcing continues -- to Bulgaria now, of all places -- and every hardware and software vendor seems to have a dazzling new product guaranteed to cure whatever ails us.

Reading through a recent issue of Computerworld, I couldn't help thinking of Yogi Berra's refrain about "deja vu all over again." Salaries are up, IT cost

Reading through a recent issue of Computerworld, I couldn't help thinking of Yogi Berra's refrain about "deja vu all over again." Salaries are up, IT cost

I recently exchanged a series of e-mails with a development manager in a mid-sized software company.